• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Where premium quality meets exceptional value. ZEISS Conquest HDX.

Trinovid 8x20 BCA vs Ultravid 8x20 BR (1 Viewer)

Could anyone here advise if the lens caps (rain guard) of Ultravid 8x20 can be used on Trinovid 8x20 BCA? I saw Ultravid 8x20 lens caps for sale but not sure if they fit Trinovid 8x20 BCA. Thank you very much to those who has the privilege to own both. Cheers

Yes the lens caps for the UV 8x20 will fit the Trinovid but they are a bit loose. Probably not an issue unless you plan to carry in a pants pocket, in which case they may be loose enough to be fiddly in and out of the pocket.

BTW where did you see the caps for sale? I have never managed to find any.

Thanks,

Mike
 
Yes the lens caps for the UV 8x20 will fit the Trinovid but they are a bit loose. Probably not an issue unless you plan to carry in a pants pocket, in which case they may be loose enough to be fiddly in and out of the pocket.

BTW where did you see the caps for sale? I have never managed to find any.

Thanks,

Mike
Thank you all for sharing.
I found it offered here, but a bit too pricey for me.

Cheers
 
For a very long time I wanted to make this comparison, but I never had the opportunity to look through Ultravid next to Trinovid. My samples are new generations, benefiting from the latest coatings.
View attachment 1525077

Design and exterior finishes
Trinovid, in my opinion, has a more mature and pleasant design due to its simplicity and functionality. And the Ultravid has a slightly more elaborate design with beautiful curved and soft lines. But Ultravid armor has some joints lines that give the impression of a rough state, while Trinovid has these armor joints lines well hidden under the hinge. (Trinovid win)
View attachment 1525078
View attachment 1525085

Mechanics
Mechanical parts of the two binoculars have fine and precise adjustments (stiff hinges, with precise focus, diopter and eyecup adjustments). (draw)
Focus system

Here we have two different approaches: Trinovid has a minimalist focus wheel, hidden in the volume of the binoculars, serving ideas of the smallest possible volume. It moves precisely without slipping, with a small but pleasant feeling of graininess. Instead, Ultravid has a large and obvious wheel serving ideas of convenience, with an equally precise movement but with a silkier feeling. (Ultravid win)
View attachment 1525080

Interior finish is better blackened in Ultravid. Instead, Trinovid uses brighter materials and paints. This generating optical problems (see in the Optics category). (Ultravid win)
View attachment 1525081

Diopter adjustment -+3.5 diopters. vs -+5 dioptr. Here Trinovid leaves a bigger margin for those with larger dioptre differences. (Trinovid win)
Ergonomics
is better at Ultravid due to the larger focus wheel. However, the long habit makes Trinovid comfortable also - "habit is second nature" Blaise Pascal. (Ultravid win)
Waterproof.
Trinovid only splash-proof vs Ultravid 0.5bar (Ultravid win)
Accessory.
Ultravid has raincovers, very useful for protection when the binoculars are hanging around your neck. Trinovid has a strap with quick release (Ultravid win)
View attachment 1525087

Weight with straps (Ultravid caps) 232g vs 256g. The 24 grams less are not felt in reality, but they are the result of a smaller body of Trinovid. (draw)
Dimensions
at first glance are very similar! But if we put both binoculars next to each other the difference becomes visible. Trinovid is slightly smaller in all directions. The Ultravid no longer fits in the small bag bought for Trinovid!!! (Trinovid win)
View attachment 1525082


Optics

Both have roof prism with phasecorrecting coating P40 and HighLux-System HLS, and lenses with HDC multicoating (provides abrasion-resistance). Only Ultravid has AquaDura coating on outer lenses.
I noticed colors differences in the eyepieces , objectives and prisms coatings. Ultravid also has slightly larger eyepiece lenses diameter (16.5mm vs 15.5mm).
View attachment 1525096
View attachment 1525088


Contrast is the main advantage of Ultravid over Trinovid. It is obviously higher, Ultravid having a much more vivid image than Trinovid. (Ultravid win)
Resolution on the center
. After the tests, despite the big difference in contrast, I came to the conclusion that these two binoculars resolve the same number of details. Perfect equality!! (draw)
Resolution on the edges
. Here we can see a big difference. Ultravid 90% of the FOV is clear, while with Trinovid about 80% of the FOV is clear. (Ultravid win)
Glare resistance
. Ultravid's very good glare resistance is what also contributes to the great contrast advantage during the day with strong sun. Compared, Trinovid has lot of glare! (Ultravid win)
White balance
is very similar, the color palette being very similar with pleasant saturation of colors, specified by Leica! (draw)
Brightness.
The visual estimation of the brightness is very subjective and dependent on the conditions and very difficult to appreciate, because other important variables are also involved in this appreciation: the colors and the contrast. The colors of these binoculars being extremely similar with an identical white balance, only the higher contrast of the Ultravid remained to influence my perception of brightness. Due to this strong contrast of the Ultravid, in strong light conditions, it gives me the illusion that it is a little darker than the Trinovid. But this is just an illusion, because the Trinovid has a weaker contrast and seems to have a slightly washed out image. This washing is illusory perceived by my brain as a false brightness. But in conditions of much lower brightness, I struggled a lot to see any difference and I could not distinguish it between the two binoculars! If I had seen some difference in dark conditions, it would seem to be in the advantage of the Ultravid, but honestly I think it is a tie! (draw)
Chromatic aberrations
are minimal and only on the edges. For me, it does not present any kind of problem in both binoculars. But it seems a little better managed aberrations in Ultravid, especially on the edges (Ultravid win)
Geometric distortion
is more pronounced on the edges at Trinovid. But Ultravid also has a bit of distortion. (Ultravid win)
Eye relief.
From the specifications, both binoculars have the same 15mm. But it seems to me that Ultravidul has a very small advantage due to the slightly larger diameters of the eyepiece lenses. To see the entire FOV, I need to press a little less on the glasses than with Trinovid. (Ultravid win)
Field of View
tested on stellar fields is identical in both binoculars (6.5 deg.), resulting same 52 deg AFOV. (draw)
Ultravid can focus
at 1.75m (measured by me) and Trinovid only 2.40m (measured by me) . Competition exemple: Curio 7x21- 2.5m (from specification), Nikon HG L 8x20- 2.4m (from specification), Zeiss VP 8x25- 1.75m (measured by me) (Ultravid win)

Conclusions

These two binoculars optically share the same DNA (colors, FOV, center resolution). But the comparison shows two important differences in optical performance:
1 Overall contrast of the image is much higher in Ultravid (due to the more matte black paint and better coating) and
2 Resolution on the edges is visibly more extended at Ultravid (90% of FOV vs 80% of FOV)
These optic differences make the Ultravid image visible more spectacular than his brother!
But when it comes to dimensions, the Trinovid takes the top prize here (small but visible differences). Also, Trinovid design is more beautiful from my point of view (subjective).
Personally, I'm interested that such binoculars to have double hinge to fold as small as possible, so they can be easily carried in a backpack, belt case or pocket. Pocket binoculars are anyway for promenade or unexpected situations, also having value as an object design.
View attachment 1525091
Thank you very much for such an excellent comparison and for the quality of the photographs.
 
For a very long time I wanted to make this comparison, but I never had the opportunity to look through Ultravid next to Trinovid. My samples are new generations, benefiting from the latest coatings.
View attachment 1525077

Design and exterior finishes
Trinovid, in my opinion, has a more mature and pleasant design due to its simplicity and functionality. And the Ultravid has a slightly more elaborate design with beautiful curved and soft lines. But Ultravid armor has some joints lines that give the impression of a rough state, while Trinovid has these armor joints lines well hidden under the hinge. (Trinovid win)
View attachment 1525078
View attachment 1525085

Mechanics
Mechanical parts of the two binoculars have fine and precise adjustments (stiff hinges, with precise focus, diopter and eyecup adjustments). (draw)
Focus system

Here we have two different approaches: Trinovid has a minimalist focus wheel, hidden in the volume of the binoculars, serving ideas of the smallest possible volume. It moves precisely without slipping, with a small but pleasant feeling of graininess. Instead, Ultravid has a large and obvious wheel serving ideas of convenience, with an equally precise movement but with a silkier feeling. (Ultravid win)
View attachment 1525080

Interior finish is better blackened in Ultravid. Instead, Trinovid uses brighter materials and paints. This generating optical problems (see in the Optics category). (Ultravid win)
View attachment 1525081

Diopter adjustment -+3.5 diopters. vs -+5 dioptr. Here Trinovid leaves a bigger margin for those with larger dioptre differences. (Trinovid win)
Ergonomics
is better at Ultravid due to the larger focus wheel. However, the long habit makes Trinovid comfortable also - "habit is second nature" Blaise Pascal. (Ultravid win)
Waterproof.
Trinovid only splash-proof vs Ultravid 0.5bar (Ultravid win)
Accessory.
Ultravid has raincovers, very useful for protection when the binoculars are hanging around your neck. Trinovid has a strap with quick release (Ultravid win)
View attachment 1525087

Weight with straps (Ultravid caps) 232g vs 256g. The 24 grams less are not felt in reality, but they are the result of a smaller body of Trinovid. (draw)
Dimensions
at first glance are very similar! But if we put both binoculars next to each other the difference becomes visible. Trinovid is slightly smaller in all directions. The Ultravid no longer fits in the small bag bought for Trinovid!!! (Trinovid win)
View attachment 1525082


Optics

Both have roof prism with phasecorrecting coating P40 and HighLux-System HLS, and lenses with HDC multicoating (provides abrasion-resistance). Only Ultravid has AquaDura coating on outer lenses.
I noticed colors differences in the eyepieces , objectives and prisms coatings. Ultravid also has slightly larger eyepiece lenses diameter (16.5mm vs 15.5mm).
View attachment 1525096
View attachment 1525088


Contrast is the main advantage of Ultravid over Trinovid. It is obviously higher, Ultravid having a much more vivid image than Trinovid. (Ultravid win)
Resolution on the center
. After the tests, despite the big difference in contrast, I came to the conclusion that these two binoculars resolve the same number of details. Perfect equality!! (draw)
Resolution on the edges
. Here we can see a big difference. Ultravid 90% of the FOV is clear, while with Trinovid about 80% of the FOV is clear. (Ultravid win)
Glare resistance
. Ultravid's very good glare resistance is what also contributes to the great contrast advantage during the day with strong sun. Compared, Trinovid has lot of glare! (Ultravid win)
White balance
is very similar, the color palette being very similar with pleasant saturation of colors, specified by Leica! (draw)
Brightness.
The visual estimation of the brightness is very subjective and dependent on the conditions and very difficult to appreciate, because other important variables are also involved in this appreciation: the colors and the contrast. The colors of these binoculars being extremely similar with an identical white balance, only the higher contrast of the Ultravid remained to influence my perception of brightness. Due to this strong contrast of the Ultravid, in strong light conditions, it gives me the illusion that it is a little darker than the Trinovid. But this is just an illusion, because the Trinovid has a weaker contrast and seems to have a slightly washed out image. This washing is illusory perceived by my brain as a false brightness. But in conditions of much lower brightness, I struggled a lot to see any difference and I could not distinguish it between the two binoculars! If I had seen some difference in dark conditions, it would seem to be in the advantage of the Ultravid, but honestly I think it is a tie! (draw)
Chromatic aberrations
are minimal and only on the edges. For me, it does not present any kind of problem in both binoculars. But it seems a little better managed aberrations in Ultravid, especially on the edges (Ultravid win)
Geometric distortion
is more pronounced on the edges at Trinovid. But Ultravid also has a bit of distortion. (Ultravid win)
Eye relief.
From the specifications, both binoculars have the same 15mm. But it seems to me that Ultravidul has a very small advantage due to the slightly larger diameters of the eyepiece lenses. To see the entire FOV, I need to press a little less on the glasses than with Trinovid. (Ultravid win)
Field of View
tested on stellar fields is identical in both binoculars (6.5 deg.), resulting same 52 deg AFOV. (draw)
Ultravid can focus
at 1.75m (measured by me) and Trinovid only 2.40m (measured by me) . Competition exemple: Curio 7x21- 2.5m (from specification), Nikon HG L 8x20- 2.4m (from specification), Zeiss VP 8x25- 1.75m (measured by me) (Ultravid win)

Conclusions

These two binoculars optically share the same DNA (colors, FOV, center resolution). But the comparison shows two important differences in optical performance:
1 Overall contrast of the image is much higher in Ultravid (due to the more matte black paint and better coating) and
2 Resolution on the edges is visibly more extended at Ultravid (90% of FOV vs 80% of FOV)
These optic differences make the Ultravid image visible more spectacular than his brother!
But when it comes to dimensions, the Trinovid takes the top prize here (small but visible differences). Also, Trinovid design is more beautiful from my point of view (subjective).
Personally, I'm interested that such binoculars to have double hinge to fold as small as possible, so they can be easily carried in a backpack, belt case or pocket. Pocket binoculars are anyway for promenade or unexpected situations, also having value as an object design.
View attachment 1525091

Hello everyone.

We can appreciate the use of several different models of the Leica 8x20 pocket binoculars by the famous primathologist Jane Goodall.

We notice in the photos two Leica trinovid 8x20 from different periods as well as a pair of Leica Ultravid 8x20. Interesting 😉
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_2024-02-09-19-23-18-774_com.miui.gallery.jpg
    Screenshot_2024-02-09-19-23-18-774_com.miui.gallery.jpg
    373.6 KB · Views: 66
  • Screenshot_2024-02-09-19-22-39-953_com.miui.gallery.jpg
    Screenshot_2024-02-09-19-22-39-953_com.miui.gallery.jpg
    399.8 KB · Views: 61
  • Screenshot_2024-02-09-19-22-05-457_com.miui.gallery.jpg
    Screenshot_2024-02-09-19-22-05-457_com.miui.gallery.jpg
    450.7 KB · Views: 60
  • Screenshot_2024-02-09-19-21-33-193_com.miui.gallery.jpg
    Screenshot_2024-02-09-19-21-33-193_com.miui.gallery.jpg
    572.4 KB · Views: 65
  • Screenshot_2024-02-09-19-21-08-989_com.miui.gallery.jpg
    Screenshot_2024-02-09-19-21-08-989_com.miui.gallery.jpg
    696.5 KB · Views: 67
Hello everyone.

We can appreciate the use of several different models of the Leica 8x20 pocket binoculars by the famous primathologist Jane Goodall.

We notice in the photos two Leica trinovid 8x20 from different periods as well as a pair of Leica Ultravid 8x20. Interesting 😉
She knew a good thing when she saw it....at least twice
 
For a very long time I wanted to make this comparison, but I never had the opportunity to look through Ultravid next to Trinovid. My samples are new generations, benefiting from the latest coatings.
View attachment 1525077

Design and exterior finishes
Trinovid, in my opinion, has a more mature and pleasant design due to its simplicity and functionality. And the Ultravid has a slightly more elaborate design with beautiful curved and soft lines. But Ultravid armor has some joints lines that give the impression of a rough state, while Trinovid has these armor joints lines well hidden under the hinge. (Trinovid win)
View attachment 1525078
View attachment 1525085

Mechanics
Mechanical parts of the two binoculars have fine and precise adjustments (stiff hinges, with precise focus, diopter and eyecup adjustments). (draw)
Focus system

Here we have two different approaches: Trinovid has a minimalist focus wheel, hidden in the volume of the binoculars, serving ideas of the smallest possible volume. It moves precisely without slipping, with a small but pleasant feeling of graininess. Instead, Ultravid has a large and obvious wheel serving ideas of convenience, with an equally precise movement but with a silkier feeling. (Ultravid win)
View attachment 1525080

Interior finish is better blackened in Ultravid. Instead, Trinovid uses brighter materials and paints. This generating optical problems (see in the Optics category). (Ultravid win)
View attachment 1525081

Diopter adjustment -+3.5 diopters. vs -+5 dioptr. Here Trinovid leaves a bigger margin for those with larger dioptre differences. (Trinovid win)
Ergonomics
is better at Ultravid due to the larger focus wheel. However, the long habit makes Trinovid comfortable also - "habit is second nature" Blaise Pascal. (Ultravid win)
Waterproof.
Trinovid only splash-proof vs Ultravid 0.5bar (Ultravid win)
Accessory.
Ultravid has raincovers, very useful for protection when the binoculars are hanging around your neck. Trinovid has a strap with quick release (Ultravid win)
View attachment 1525087

Weight with straps (Ultravid caps) 232g vs 256g. The 24 grams less are not felt in reality, but they are the result of a smaller body of Trinovid. (draw)
Dimensions
at first glance are very similar! But if we put both binoculars next to each other the difference becomes visible. Trinovid is slightly smaller in all directions. The Ultravid no longer fits in the small bag bought for Trinovid!!! (Trinovid win)
View attachment 1525082


Optics

Both have roof prism with phasecorrecting coating P40 and HighLux-System HLS, and lenses with HDC multicoating (provides abrasion-resistance). Only Ultravid has AquaDura coating on outer lenses.
I noticed colors differences in the eyepieces , objectives and prisms coatings. Ultravid also has slightly larger eyepiece lenses diameter (16.5mm vs 15.5mm).
View attachment 1525096
View attachment 1525088


Contrast is the main advantage of Ultravid over Trinovid. It is obviously higher, Ultravid having a much more vivid image than Trinovid. (Ultravid win)
Resolution on the center
. After the tests, despite the big difference in contrast, I came to the conclusion that these two binoculars resolve the same number of details. Perfect equality!! (draw)
Resolution on the edges
. Here we can see a big difference. Ultravid 90% of the FOV is clear, while with Trinovid about 80% of the FOV is clear. (Ultravid win)
Glare resistance
. Ultravid's very good glare resistance is what also contributes to the great contrast advantage during the day with strong sun. Compared, Trinovid has lot of glare! (Ultravid win)
White balance
is very similar, the color palette being very similar with pleasant saturation of colors, specified by Leica! (draw)
Brightness.
The visual estimation of the brightness is very subjective and dependent on the conditions and very difficult to appreciate, because other important variables are also involved in this appreciation: the colors and the contrast. The colors of these binoculars being extremely similar with an identical white balance, only the higher contrast of the Ultravid remained to influence my perception of brightness. Due to this strong contrast of the Ultravid, in strong light conditions, it gives me the illusion that it is a little darker than the Trinovid. But this is just an illusion, because the Trinovid has a weaker contrast and seems to have a slightly washed out image. This washing is illusory perceived by my brain as a false brightness. But in conditions of much lower brightness, I struggled a lot to see any difference and I could not distinguish it between the two binoculars! If I had seen some difference in dark conditions, it would seem to be in the advantage of the Ultravid, but honestly I think it is a tie! (draw)
Chromatic aberrations
are minimal and only on the edges. For me, it does not present any kind of problem in both binoculars. But it seems a little better managed aberrations in Ultravid, especially on the edges (Ultravid win)
Geometric distortion
is more pronounced on the edges at Trinovid. But Ultravid also has a bit of distortion. (Ultravid win)
Eye relief.
From the specifications, both binoculars have the same 15mm. But it seems to me that Ultravidul has a very small advantage due to the slightly larger diameters of the eyepiece lenses. To see the entire FOV, I need to press a little less on the glasses than with Trinovid. (Ultravid win)
Field of View
tested on stellar fields is identical in both binoculars (6.5 deg.), resulting same 52 deg AFOV. (draw)
Ultravid can focus
at 1.75m (measured by me) and Trinovid only 2.40m (measured by me) . Competition exemple: Curio 7x21- 2.5m (from specification), Nikon HG L 8x20- 2.4m (from specification), Zeiss VP 8x25- 1.75m (measured by me) (Ultravid win)

Conclusions

These two binoculars optically share the same DNA (colors, FOV, center resolution). But the comparison shows two important differences in optical performance:
1 Overall contrast of the image is much higher in Ultravid (due to the more matte black paint and better coating) and
2 Resolution on the edges is visibly more extended at Ultravid (90% of FOV vs 80% of FOV)
These optic differences make the Ultravid image visible more spectacular than his brother!
But when it comes to dimensions, the Trinovid takes the top prize here (small but visible differences). Also, Trinovid design is more beautiful from my point of view (subjective).
Personally, I'm interested that such binoculars to have double hinge to fold as small as possible, so they can be easily carried in a backpack, belt case or pocket. Pocket binoculars are anyway for promenade or unexpected situations, also having value as an object design.
View attachment 1525091
Extremely helpful.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top