Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Leica Ultravids vs. Trinovids

...fwiw, i recently spent some time comparing the leica ultravids with the trinovids...

...in terms of form, the ultravids were lighter (tho about the same dimensions) and ergonometrically more pleasing...

...in terms of substance, the ultravids (at least to this layman's eyes) were brighter, offered more color contrast, and allowed for finer resolution...

Do you think they Ultravid's are worth the asking price? Leica's were already expensive, now the new models are approximately $500.00 more than the BN's. I imagine they're pretty nice glasses if a guy can afford them, but a price tag of $1,300.00 to $1,500.00 is getting pretty ridiculous IMHO.

I'll agree with everything except how they look and feel... for my eye's and hands the BN's win the aesthetic's/ergonomic's competition. I recently compared the Ultravid's alongside comparable Swarovski EL's... the Ultravids, for my eyes, win period. I've never, ever looked through finer glass... unbelievable and I'm at a loss as to how their optic's could be improved.

Try comparing them to the same size bino in the Nikon Premier and the Pentax SP. That's where the big surprise is coming from. E

fwiw,
I've had my 8x42 Ultravid BL for a couple of months now and have yet to find them wanting. In lowlight use stacked on top of a 8x42 BN Trinovid Ultra they have proven to have a slight edge to my eye. As an aside the 8x42 BN is brand new and both binoculars objectives and oculars are clean.

That said I can't say that I would recommend the Ultravid over the Trinovid given the cost differential. I never found my 8x42 BN Ultra to be overly heavy, ergonomically objectionable, or anything but optically brilliant.

I've found my 8x42 Ultravid BL to be superb, however, as with any high end item you really pay for the last few percentages of improvement. That said I would buy them again and without hesitation...

The only thing I might change, and this applies to both Ultravids and Trinovids, is go from 8x42 to 7x42. The lost power is extremely difficult to miss, however, the extra exit pupil can be a beautiful thing when the sun goes down...imho.

Regards, Matt

I've not looked at the Pentax SP's but I have compared the Nikon Premier to Leica's BN's. The Premier's are the full equal of the Leica BN's in terms of visual image alone. They fail, however, in the aesthetic's/ergonomic's/known-quantity categories... ie, they're ugly as hell, don't fit my hands well and don't have the customer service/durability reputation of Leica.



For just a bit more cash than the Nikon Premier's I bought the a Leica 8x32 BN and would do it again... if Leica brought out a 7x32 Ultravid I'd be sorely tempted!

Brad,

I couldn't agree with you more about the Nikon Premier 32mm's being ugly as can be. They just look out of proportion. But the Nikon Premier 42mm's look a whole bunch better to me. As much as I like the Nikon Premier binos, I just cannot bring myself to buy the 8x32mm's. They are too ugly.

Their optical clarity is incredible. To my eyes, I much prefer the 42mm offerings much more than the 32mm's. The perfomance of the larger binocular far outweighs the weight of the binocular (pun intended <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> ). I have a pair of Nikon 8x42mm that I am hunting with hard. If they are going to fail, they will with me. My Leica 8x42mm are my back-ups.

I'm still looking to pick up some Pentax SP's at the right price.

LB, if I were looking for the "ultimate" hunting bino it'd be the Ultravid 7x42 (1st choice) or 8x42... it's the finest visual feast my eyes have ever had. I am, however, a backpack hunter so some of my gear tends to be compromised towards smaller and lighter like the 8x32's. If I need more than those I carry a fixed 20x spotter. I find the size and weight difference matters at the end of the day. Since I've never had a problem finding a bull elk with my Swaro 7x30's at over a mile or my Leica 8x32's I doubt I'll change... like I said though, the Ultravid's area pure visual feast!

...obviously, cost (e.g., pricing oneself out of the market) is a big concern here...

...i understand that leica came quite close a few years ago to insolvency, and was able to recessitate itself only with new management, a dedicated focus on sports optics (read bino and spotters) and exploiting the digital camera trend (through its subsidiary, minox)...

...this would explain the relatively high price of the ultravids (most likely targetted to the same price point as the swaro els)...

...are the new ultravids worth the price?...yes, imho, if you are a first-time purchaser or are replacing fully-depreciated 'lower/older' grade glass...no, if, like me, you just purchased your trinovid 10x42bns a couple of years ago...

...perhaps leica should consider instituting a 'swap' option for older ba's and bn's (tho time consuming, logistically complex and fraugh with valuation issues)...

...just my humble opinion...

I wish they'd come out with 8X32 or--better yet--7X32 Ultravid. Then I'd be on VERY slippery turf.