Spent A Week With The 7x35 Retrovid... (3 Viewers)

[lmans66]

First... I'm used to narrow wheel focusers from the Nikon SE and E2, and they don't bother me, and my finger falls right on the focuser.

Second... I agree mostly with your "go retro or go home," however, I did propose a hybrid whereby Leica would offer aftermarket rubber sleeves to slip over the bottom of the barrels and the objective housings, which are most vunlerable to dings and dents. If you look at Lee's 30-year-old pair, you can see that's what takes a beatin' (though it keeps on tickin')

Third... I could probably live with the long close focus as a trade off for the better depth of field of a 7x bin, but I do wish Leica had made the closer focus 6 ft like my 8x32 EDG.

Fourth.... The large diopter wheel sticks out in between the barrels. Does it dig into your hands/fingers wrapped around the barrels (assuming you hold them that way)?

Brock

Brock.... to me, the narrow focus wheel isn't an issue either.

I can see the advantage of having an after-market type sleeve to put around the barrels if a person wishes. It would actually just be a profit-maker for Leica so why not? I wouldn't opt for it, but others might.

From what I understand, the retro feel, size of barrels etc... (not really sure) prevent the retro from having anything less than 12-13' close focus, just like the original. I am sure someone who has more technical knowledge can speak to that.

I never noticed the diopter and my fingers as I hold the bin so I suppose that means I am not bothered by it. When I pick up the pair, my right pinky just rests in front of the diopter while the left pinky is just to the left of the diopter on the barrel. Not much room there but it seems to rest there nicely.

jim.

 

[brocknroller]

Brock.... to me, the narrow focus wheel isn't an issue either.

I can see the advantage of having an after-market type sleeve to put around the barrels if a person wishes. It would actually just be a profit-maker for Leica so why not? I wouldn't opt for it, but others might.

From what I understand, the retro feel, size of barrels etc... (not really sure) prevent the retro from having anything less than 12-13' close focus, just like the original. I am sure someone who has more technical knowledge can speak to that.

I never noticed the diopter and my fingers as I hold the bin so I suppose that means I am not bothered by it. When I pick up the pair, my right pinky just rests in front of the diopter while the left pinky is just to the left of the diopter on the barrel. Not much room there but it seems to rest there nicely.

jim.

Thanks, Jim,

The Retrovid has a large, flat bridge, which I'm thinking would be where I would grip the binoculars with my other index finger and middle fingers but my ring finger and pinky might wrap probably around the barrels the way they do on my 8x32 EDG and 8x32 Cabela Guide.

The 8x32 EDG is rarer than a hound's tooth and over $2k when you can find one in excellent condition like mine. I was out birding with them today, and they work fine for me, so I'd be hard pressed to trade them for what's behind Door #2 despite how good the Retrovids sound.

I couldn't afford both unless my next book becomes a best seller. I'm meeting with my publishing agent and her marketing person this week to stategize on the launch of the sequel, "The Last Prophecy of Baba Vanga: Day of the Hybrids," going straight to Batam Paperback this fall. If we sell the movie rights, I might also buy a Nikon WX.

Brock

 

[lmans66]

Good luck to you....keep us posted 'when' it is available and I will pick up a copy! jim

 

[brocknroller]

Good luck to you....keep us posted 'when' it is available and I will pick up a copy! jim

Thank you! You need need to read the first book to understand the sequel. It's a space adventure with a ghostly twist. I had an aerospace engineer go over the science to make sure it was accurate. Most is, but I had to take some creative license since it takes place in the future and includes aliens with more advanced technology than ours. The digital edition costs $7.99, which barely covers our costs, but we're trying to get the story read by as many people as possible, so we can have sufficient sales numbers to sell both books to a national/international publisher (while retaining the movie/merchandising rights).

You can preview the book and movie trailer by clicking on the links in my signature below.

Brock

 

[Paultricounty]

Thank you! You need need to read the first book to understand the sequel. It's space adventure with a ghostly twist. I had an aerospace engineer go over the science to make sure it was accurate. Most is, but I had to take some creative license since it takes place in the future and includes aliens with more advanced technology than ours. The digital edition costs $7.99, which barely covers our costs, but we're trying to get the story read by as many people as possible, so we can have sufficient sales numbers to sell both books to a national/international publisher (while retaining the movie/merchandising rights).

You can preview the book and movie trailer by clicking on the links in my signature below.

Brock

Brock, Does this mean that all your BF family members won’t be getting a free autographed copy of your book. 😔😢

 

[Owlbarred]

First... I'm used to narrow wheel focusers from the Nikon SE and E2, they don't bother me, and my index finger falls right on the focuser.

Second... I agree mostly with your "go retro or go home" philosophy, however, I did propose a hybrid whereby Leica would offer aftermarket rubber sleeves to slip over the bottom of the barrels and the objective housings, which are most vunlerable to dings and dents. If you look at Lee's 30-year-old pair, you can see that's what takes a beatin' (though it keeps on tickin') .

Third... I could probably live with the long close focus as a trade off for the better depth of field of a 7x bin, but I do wish Leica had made the closer focus 6 ft like my 8x32 EDG.

Fourth.... The large diopter wheel sticks out in between the barrels. Does it dig into your hands/fingers when they are wrapped around the barrels (assuming you hold them that way)?

Brock

Idea No. 2 is a great idea and doable. A bit like the "bras" people on the front end of a car to eliminate nicks/scratches. Wished I had thought of that back in the 1970s when I owned a pair of Trinovids.

 

[brocknroller]

Idea No. 2 is a great idea and doable. A bit like the "bras" people on the front end of a car to eliminate nicks/scratches. Wished I had thought of that back in the 1970s when I owned a pair of Trinovids.

Since it's retro, the "bras" should be white and pointy.

 

[orapple]

What about the 8x40 retrovids instead? (On another thread here I have asked about them.) I have the 8x40s on order after considering the 7x vs. 8x retro versions. I figured for the extra ounce of weight you gain a bit more magnification and 5mm of objective. Granted the fov is less. Would I probably be happier with 7x35 vs the 8x40 retros?

 

[MiddleRiver]

Lurking here too, eh? LOL

@orapple you just need to decide (and tell us) what you plan to do with the binos. 7 to 8x is actually not as big a deal as some would make it out to be. I own 7, 8, and 10x and find that individual model's FOV makes more of a diff to what I see than magnification.

 

[NoVik]

Hej wszystkim.
Z góry przepraszam za mój niezdarny język 😉
Mam Dialyt 7x42 i myślałem o uaktualnieniu do Retrovid lub Ultravid. To ma sens?
Dodam, że jestem zwolennikiem powiększeń 10x, ale zdecydowałem się na mniejsze.
Jak to wygląda w obu Leica ER? Dla porównania Meostar 10x42 wciąż miał dla mnie jakieś 2 mm za mały odstęp i musiałem skorzystać z własnoręcznie wykonanego przyrządu.

Mod Translation:
Hey everyone.
I apologize in advance for my clumsy language 😉
I have a Dialyt 7x42 and was thinking of upgrading to Retrovid or Ultravid. It makes sense?
I would like to add that I am a supporter of 10x magnification, but I decided on a smaller one.
How does it look in both Leica ERs? For comparison, the Meostar 10x42 still had a spacing of about 2 mm too small for me and I had to use a home-made device.

 

[Paultricounty]

Hej wszystkim.
Z góry przepraszam za mój niezdarny język 😉
Mam Dialyt 7x42 i myślałem o uaktualnieniu do Retrovid lub Ultravid. To ma sens?
Dodam, że jestem zwolennikiem powiększeń 10x, ale zdecydowałem się na mniejsze.
Jak to wygląda w obu Leica ER? Dla porównania Meostar 10x42 wciąż miał dla mnie jakieś 2 mm za mały odstęp i musiałem skorzystać z własnoręcznie wykonanego przyrządu.

Where Mono when we need him.

 

[Alaska4me]

Where Mono when we need him.

@Mono

 

[Trinovid]

I have a Dialyt 7x42 and was thinking of upgrading to Retrovid or Ultravid.

I've never had any Dialyt in my hands, but do own the 7x35 Leitz, which is the precursor to the Retrovid, and also a 7x42 Ultravid HD+. If you wanted smaller, lighter, then it would be the Retrovid, but if you'd like as much brightness as possible and didn't mind a touch more weight, definitely the 7x42 HD+.

 

[tenex]

I have a Dialyt 7x42 and was thinking of upgrading to Retrovid or Ultravid. It makes sense?

If you start a more visible new thread in the general binocular section, you can expect good advice from all the 7x users here. But my first thought if you're a 10x guy (like me) looking for a wider field of view occasionally, is that this would be no upgrade in that respect; your Dialyt has more. It's still a highly regarded, even sought after instrument (especially if it has P* phase coating).

 

[NoVik]

Ale moja pierwsza myśl, jeśli jesteś 10-krotnym facetem (tak jak ja) szukającym od czasu do czasu szerszego pola widzenia, jest taka, że nie byłoby to żadne ulepszenie pod tym względem; Twój Dialyt ma więcej. To wciąż bardzo ceniony, wręcz poszukiwany instrument (zwłaszcza jeśli ma powłokę fazową P*).

I understand you perfectly tenex.
I'm a 10x guy and have always opted for 10x binoculars. I've been watching through EL, Conquest HD, Meostar... And so far Meostar has the most comfortable ER for me and the view is so „soft“.

Best regards for all!
PS.
I have a Dialyt 7x42 T*P.

 

[John M Robinson]

Never tried carrying the case with me like that. Not sure I need that case dangling on my torso

The case is so small, light and flexible, I don’t even notice it.

 

[John M Robinson]

Like these.

Yep😊

 

[orapple]

My main gig with waterproofness is actually ease of cleaning - running under a lukewarm tap takes off any grit, with the hydrophobic coating takes oils off - a tiny bit of soap and you're good. Can't do that with the Retrovid and that is the end of it for me. At the end of the day, waterproof = cleaner bins, fewer optics scratches.

How do you suggest cleaning the body? I dont think it's real leather, but is it safe to wipe with a damp cloth or a damp slightly soapy cloth? Mine are feeling sticky after a few months of use.

I do like these and use them when I want a light carry around with FOV and steadiness when hiking. (I use my 10x Noctovids for more "dedicated" use).