Home

No ranging capability below 100 yards? Wow. I was going to buy these, too. What a stupid decision by Leica.

I found it interesting that I could not get a failed reading over about 15 yards in the booth area, even when ranging into dark corners at the far end of the ceiling... Other brands were often worse than 50% on getting a range under the same conditions.

I'm waiting for the next model which will have SPOT and the ability to text.

I think the problem is no ballistic or ranging compensation under 100 yards. The RF can range as close as 10 yards and give straight LOS readings, I believe.

First it was cameras getting too smart for me, then computers of course, then cell phones do waay more than I can ever comprehend, now binoculars!

I'm sunk!

Question out of ignorance, not being argumentative.......How many bowhunters out there actually use and benefit from a big, heavy 8x40/10x42 rf bino of any maker? Seems like the 8x monocular in the various RF's would do the job for 99% of the bow hunters out there.

Does this mean Leica will be phasing out the standard Geovid HD binos, possibly putting them on sale ?

For spot and stalk bowhunting, a full size bino with decent magnification is certainly appreciated. Also, the low light performance is superior to the tiny monoculars.

This^^^^

When hunting whitetails from tree stands, my Zeiss PRF is great, and it's all I'll ever take. But hunting mulies or elk via spot and stalk, it's a PITA to have that and a pair of binos both dangling from my neck. The PRF isn't exactly a pocket RF. But since I also shoot LR, I'm stuck with needing a bigger RF.

Bad explanation on my part. I understand. Pretty crappy, though, for anybody that bow hunts.

There are quite a few western bowhunters like myself who are looking for the perfect optical solution. Having a separate bino and rf is a pain in the butt, especially when you're spotting and stalking. It's so much nicer to have it in one integrated unit.

For me, the angle compensation is a must. I missed a couple of deer because I did not have this feature with the old geovids, so I swore that I'd upgrade if I ever could.

I own the Swaro El Range now, and I like it a lot, but it is not perfect. I wish it ranged under 33 yards (very helpful when shooting 3d tournaments, for example) and I wish the button was on the right side of the frame. I do notice that the optics aren't as good as the swarovisions though - that's no surprise, as there is no free lunch- but I find I miss the swarovisions.

If the Leica's really are all software based, I hope they can come out with an update that will calculate shorter yardages with angle compensation. That's a big deal.

The other factor is obviously the optics. I'd love to stack them up against the El Range and the swarovisions. I'm anxious to hear first hand reports from guys who have tried both.

Doug, I'd like to know the eye relief also. It's not listed in the specs. Any idea?

The eye relief on the 8x is given at 18mm and the 10x at 20mm. The eyecups are particularly nice and detented so they will stay in place when adjusted to suit your eyes.

That is great eye relief, especially considering the FOV they are coming with. NICE!

So the question is..... Swarovski EL Range or Leica Geovid HD-B? Anyone looked through both to compare?

Absolutely no contest... Leica by a long way.

Ergos to Leica by a considerable bit.

I do not have the weight numbers at hand but the Leica feels solid while the Swaro is "clunky" and not a good fit for my hands. The button angle for ranging is not well placed in the Swaro.

In the relative dark of the convention center it is hard to get much of a visual test and at opposite sides of the place, but it was easier to use the Leica and there were virtually no ranging failures. The Swaro was far less reliable in the quicky check we did.

With the extras, no contest with the Leica winning, IMO...

Thanks for the info. I'd like to try both in person before I made any sort of decision. I'm just a bit bummed the Leica's angle feature won't work up close.

I'd probably wait and pass judgement after I used them in the field, on game animals, and not relying on the specs or ranging stuff indoors, but then thieves and crooks tend to think differently than I do. Plus, I hate to say, you have to deal with Leica and not Swaro for service / warranty issues. It's a shame too because Leica has great stuff.

Hmmm... Guess you missed the memo about the extras, the indoor caveat, the obvious ergo difference noted by many, and the fact the Swaro regularly failed under identical conditions.