6 January 2022 - New Leica announcement (2 Viewers)

[Paultricounty]

FWIW I test drove a 10x42 Noctivid this past Saturday. I spent a good half hour with them, which although somewhat brief, seemed sufficient to get a sense of how they compared to Retro, Trino, Ultravid'o:

• The build is amazing. Everything is precise, solid, smooth operating and reeks of quality. And in spite of being 'luxe' they feel as if I could have driven nails with them. Substantial!
• For my Sm-Med hands, the ergos were superb. Good center-of-balance, NO issues whatsoever with focusing knob, great grip. I had been worrying about it based on photos and online comments but grabbed the binos and never even thought about it - totally natural (for me).
• I found them to be flat-field compared to other Leica's I have owned. I've never fondled Swaros so maybe in comparison to them, they are not flat field. At first I didn't like it - felt more like looking at scene than being 'in' it (compared to my UV's I swapped back and forth). I suppose with time I'd get use to it.
• The quality of view is superb. I could not get any CA to appear, or only at edge at best. Maybe conditions weren't right... dunno. The contrast is excellent and color is more neutral than the UV's, but not cold or unnatural.
• I had a little problem initially with blackouts, which I don't experience with any other binos I have owned. I wear close fitting wire rimmed eyeglasses and assume the NV's must have a ton of ER. I ended up finding I actually need to pull the eyecups out to first setting (which is only about 1/8"?) and even then I had to be a little more mindful about eyeplacement.

The result is that I'm struggling to decide whether to unload my 8x42's (and invariably lose some $ there in spite of their cherry condition) and switch to an 8x42 NV. I currently use 8x42UV BL and 8x40 Retro. Both are to my eyes stunningly good, but the 10's did give me a mild case of 'want' :-/

An 8x32 NV would be a dream!! Leica ARE YOU LISTENING???

I agree with almost everything you said about, build quality second to none, color little more neutral then the UV, still Leica gorgeous. The field is flatter than UV (but UV is not flat at all) yet still not EL flat. I did feel that it had that immersive feel but I was testing 8x binoculars. Focuser is a dream, as good as SF and EL just different. Everything about it feels precision and rich and a step up from SF.

There will always be a few who may love the view but don’t like the fit or how it feels. Same as some people run hot and cold on the NL design.

I doubt the majority of people who look through these binoculars would not agree, that the image is as good or better than the other two alphas.

Obviously you have some nice equipment there already. The retros I would never get rid of those. You have some tough choices there. But you already know you’ll love the NV’s. I had the UVHD842 & 1042NL. After getting the NV (had to try) the UV842 were gone the following week. These are three binoculars I’ll never sell, NL10, NV8 and retro 735’s.

good luck.

Paul

 

[Paultricounty]

Lee,

I’ve never even tried to wrap my fingers around the barrels. I know that that’s fundamentally the idea of the open bridge design(!), but I just hold them in the same way as any other binoculars and enjoy the view! 😉

For me as well the ergonomics are just fine, and I go between the NV and UV without a second thought.

I’m just putting this out there because it seems that many people have read the negative reviews and may have been put off from even trying the NV, but when they do they find that it’s actually perfectly okay.

Michael

That’s exactly what happened to me. I read the reviews and was worried about the bridge and someone also had said it’s to sharp, that to me was ridiculous. The first two minutes I had them i loved them.

 

[Paultricounty]

Thanks Paul. When I have tried Noctivid and held the optical tube with my three fingers around it, I couldn't reach the focuser. Similarly, if I started by putting my first finger on the focuser I couldn't then wrap my three fingers around the barrels. Gijs van Ginkel found the same and reported it on here. Doesn't mean you can't hold the Nvid and enjoy its superb optics but for me and Gijs the open hinge grip just couldn't be used.

Lee

Lee

Although it’s not a problem for me and I find them quite comfortable and enjoyable to hold , I do understand and agree the open bridge here wasn’t necessarily needed nor a preferential design.

They would’ve been just as good without the front hinge. I don’t really care one way or the other, open bridge, double hinge, I have no real preference that way. I will say that the UV line because of it central hinge is less desirable to me than the NV’s. It’s not that they’re uncomfortable to hold when observing but if you’re holding them in your hand as you’re walking without the next strap, there’s a tendency not to have your hands wrapped around more of the barrels. That’s a reason I really didn’t like the Meopta Meostars.

How do you feel about the tapered barrels of the NL’s?

Paul

 

[lmans66]

FWIW I test drove a 10x42 Noctivid this past Saturday. I spent a good half hour with them, which although somewhat brief, seemed sufficient to get a sense of how they compared to Retro, Trino, Ultravid'o:

• The build is amazing. Everything is precise, solid, smooth operating and reeks of quality. And in spite of being 'luxe' they feel as if I could have driven nails with them. Substantial!
• For my Sm-Med hands, the ergos were superb. Good center-of-balance, NO issues whatsoever with focusing knob, great grip. I had been worrying about it based on photos and online comments but grabbed the binos and never even thought about it - totally natural (for me).
• I found them to be flat-field compared to other Leica's I have owned. I've never fondled Swaros so maybe in comparison to them, they are not flat field. At first I didn't like it - felt more like looking at scene than being 'in' it (compared to my UV's I swapped back and forth). I suppose with time I'd get use to it.
• The quality of view is superb. I could not get any CA to appear, or only at edge at best. Maybe conditions weren't right... dunno. The contrast is excellent and color is more neutral than the UV's, but not cold or unnatural.
• I had a little problem initially with blackouts, which I don't experience with any other binos I have owned. I wear close fitting wire rimmed eyeglasses and assume the NV's must have a ton of ER. I ended up finding I actually need to pull the eyecups out to first setting (which is only about 1/8"?) and even then I had to be a little more mindful about eyeplacement.

The result is that I'm struggling to decide whether to unload my 8x42's (and invariably lose some $ there in spite of their cherry condition) and switch to an 8x42 NV. I currently use 8x42UV BL and 8x40 Retro. Both are to my eyes stunningly good, but the 10's did give me a mild case of 'want' :-/

An 8x32 NV would be a dream!! Leica ARE YOU LISTENING???

Nice write-up....I might have written up the same. I have had SLC's...HT's... and tried the NL's and SF's (the latter side-by-side with the NV), and for me the clear winner was the NV.... No issues from me on that one. I had a 10x42 HT and while I loved the precise focusing of it, as an end result, I wasn't too pleased with the process it took to obtain that precise focus. The HT was better at 'birding up against the clouds/trees'....but other than that, the NV bests it. Enjoy the bins if you get an opportunity to purchase.

But for me, reading your review...... your decisions centers around whether to keep the 8x or shift to a 10x. I have always preferred 10x's in my birding life so got used to the magnification, the tight FOV etc... so it was just finding the right model, as opposed to making that decision of shifting from an 8 to a 10. Given that, I have to admit I have been birding more the past months with the 7 Retrovid than the NV 10x. jim

 

[Paultricounty]

Thats fine and Nvids are as lovely as all Leicas, but I find it disappointing that the open-hinge design is just a styling exercise.

Lee

I really don’t see an issue here, why anybody has problem. If I recall, wasn’t that review also very critical of the whole package as well as being underwhelmed by the optics? Maybe just didn’t like them.

if anybody is interested here are some pictures with my three fingers around barrel with a perfectly positioned index finger on the focuser. Another picture shows that, one could wrap two fingers around barrel and place the second finger anchored on the upper bridge if you want to keep your index finger straight. This is excellent for one hand hold as well. In this hold it’s even less of a reach than a SF32. Even my wife’s small hands has no problem at all with reach. The following three pictures are Kowa 33, SF32 and the worst of all the GPO42, which is also no real issue because most of the time I’m holding them with two hands, so I can place my hands anywhere I want. As can be seen the focuser is excellently positioned on the NV. More so than many of the others that people rave about.

sorry couldn’t get the last photo in.

 

[MiddleRiver]

Actually, a little clarification:
I've tried birding with 10x and in big open spaces (coastal, out west US, etc.), where it's an advantage. But for 95% of what I do, the 8x is steadier and clearer in my hands. I recently picked up Rvid 7x35 to replace a 70's pair, and that actually gets used a lot these days! I went to go look at NV10's because that's the only NV (only Leica actually) I could find anywhere locally. I wanted to see if the ergos - which I had heard negative things about - would be a problem. I actually photoshopped NV's overlaid onto Trins and UV's and the focuser was a concern. But since I seldom use 10's, My Trinnie HD's are good enough... Of course I love the NV's and any issues I had read about went pffft...

The real question I'm pondering is whether I unload my two 8's and get a NV 8. I bought a new Rvid 8x40 and love them, but I already had UV 8x42 BL which is superb, so it would not make real sense to get another 8 :-/ The 8x40 probably has 10min of use at our patio at most. I hate to lose hundreds of dollars... The UV I bought minty and used for a fair (to me) price, but the BL's are of course a smaller market.

In sailboats there is something known as 'two-foot-itis' You own a 20' boat and start saying 'if I only had another two feet, we'd be more comfortable'. And then it's another two feet. I could keep either of my 8's and be happy, but the NV's are calling :-}

First world problems I'm afraid... pitiful really!

 

[Paultricounty]

Actually, a little clarification:
I've tried birding with 10x and in big open spaces (coastal, out west US, etc.), where it's an advantage. But for 95% of what I do, the 8x is steadier and clearer in my hands. I recently picked up Rvid 7x35 to replace a 70's pair, and that actually gets used a lot these days! I went to go look at NV10's because that's the only NV (only Leica actually) I could find anywhere locally. I wanted to see if the ergos - which I had heard negative things about - would be a problem. I actually photoshopped NV's overlaid onto Trins and UV's and the focuser was a concern. But since I seldom use 10's, My Trinnie HD's are good enough... Of course I love the NV's and any issues I had read about went pffft...

The real question I'm pondering is whether I unload my two 8's and get a NV 8. I bought a new Rvid 8x40 and love them, but I already had UV 8x42 BL which is superb, so it would not make real sense to get another 8 :-/ The 8x40 probably has 10min of use at our patio at most. I hate to lose hundreds of dollars... The UV I bought minty and used for a fair (to me) price, but the BL's are of course a smaller market.

In sailboats there is something known as 'two-foot-itis' You own a 20' boat and start saying 'if I only had another two feet, we'd be more comfortable'. And then it's another two feet. I could keep either of my 8's and be happy, but the NV's are calling :-}

First world problems I'm afraid... pitiful really!

Honestly it’s a little hard for me to relate because of my addiction lately. I have so many overlaps with 8’s. I’m with you on the 8’s (7’s nice as well). I think 8s are the happy medium for most of my observing. Keep the retro because it’s so cool and so different from the UV and NV. The NV is a nice jump from the BL. If you didn’t want to hang on to all of them, I might sacrifice the BL for the NV. You already have the 10 HDs when the need arises. You’ll probably never look back at the the BL once you have the 8x NV. Once I got the NV 8 the UVs were never going to be used. I have a Nikon 8x42 MHG for those times I don’t want to take a higher priced optic and a slew of 8x32’s, so UV never would get used.

If you could swing it or legitimize it for some well-thought-out reason Id keep them both and get the NV.

I hear you on the first world problems , inflation issues, foreign policy problems and whether to buy the next pair of expensive binoculars 🤔

Paul

 

[NZbinodude]

It sounds like you want the Noctivids - you just want some external validation hahaha.

If I was in your shoes I'd keep the 7x35 Retrovid for the cool/novelty factor, and then get either an 8x or 10x Noctivid for more serious birding where you want the absolute best glass and viewing comfort (I'm biased, of course). If the 7x35 Retro is nice enough to use as a primary glass for short-moderate distances, then an 8x Noctivid probably won't give you much more performance. Whereas the extra mag of the 10x will come into its own in certain situations (coastal/open fields etc).

From a practicality standpoint, it doesn't make sense to have numerous binos in the same magnification unless you just enjoy collecting things.

 

[lmans66]

I have a 7x35 Retro....and a 10x42 NV....to me the perfect combo. I had a 10x32 Ultra but sold that as there was no need for it, given what I had. As stated, .... bird seriously with the 10x42 NV and use the retro on lighter adventures or walks. I bought the NV to replace my HT which I used 100% of the time (coastal and forest and desert and travel!). Right now I use the 10x for serious birding but find I am migrating to the 7x35 a lot just for ease of use and besides, it looks cool.

 

[Troubador]

Lee

How do you feel about the tapered barrels of the NL’s?

Paul

During the testing for the comparison with Zeiss's SF32 I sometimes liked the NL's shape because it gave more room to my thumbs and other times I preferred the SF as it gave me more meat to get hold of, and I never came to a final conclusion. However I am taking the NL 8x32 to Islay in April and will give it plenty of field work and see if I come down firmly one way or the other. For sure I did not actively dislike the shape.

Lee

 

[Paultricounty]

During the testing for the comparison with Zeiss's SF32 I sometimes liked the NL's shape because it gave more room to my thumbs and other times I preferred the SF as it gave me more meat to get hold of, and I never came to a final conclusion. However I am taking the NL 8x32 to Islay in April and will give it plenty of field work and see if I come down firmly one way or the other. For sure I did not actively dislike the shape.

Lee

I guess it’s like anything else, we like all the nice things in life but most of us have to make choices. So we painstakingly compare, evaluate and legitimize our purchases. How nice it would be to have a collection of every magnification in each line of the three alphas. Then we wouldn’t have to do a lot of evlautuions, but then that might take a lot of fun and enjoyment out of it 🤔

I threw caution to the wind and figured I only live once. I’ve been one of the lucky ones where I’ve been able to put together a collection that affords me the luxury of having a few of each of these wonderful optical jewels to play with. And I might ad, I’m still married 😁

I find with binoculars as well as guns or knives that I like this flavor one month and that flavor next month. That way they all seem kind of new and different every time I grab and use one or another. Today I like the NLs, tomorrow I’ll like NVs or UVs. If my budget was much larger I’d be on the car forum like some of my clients who have car collections and discuss minute minutia of there BMW Ms, AMGs, Porsche and other incredibly expensive acquisitions that are way over my head.

Any one of these incredible high-end binoculars are phenomenal and enjoyable tools as well mechanical art. Enjoy your trip and the NLs, but please don’t come back and bring up glare🙄.

Thank you

Paul

 

[Troubador]

I guess it’s like anything else, we like all the nice things in life but most of us have to make choices. So we painstakingly compare, evaluate and legitimize our purchases. How nice it would be to have a collection of every magnification in each line of the three alphas. Then we wouldn’t have to do a lot of evlautuions, but then that might take a lot of fun and enjoyment out of it 🤔

I threw caution to the wind and figured I only live once. I’ve been one of the lucky ones where I’ve been able to put together a collection that affords me the luxury of having a few of each of these wonderful optical jewels to play with. And I might ad, I’m still married 😁

I find with binoculars as well as guns or knives that I like this flavor one month and that flavor next month. That way they all seem kind of new and different every time I grab and use one or another. Today I like the NLs, tomorrow I’ll like NVs or UVs. If my budget was much larger I’d be on the car forum like some of my clients who have car collections and discuss minute minutia of there BMW Ms, AMGs, Porsche and other incredibly expensive acquisitions that are way over my head.

Any one of these incredible high-end binoculars are phenomenal and enjoyable tools as well mechanical art. Enjoy your trip and the NLs, but please don’t come back and bring up glare🙄.

Thank you

Paul

Hi Paul
For the comparison I wrote I wanted to answer the question, are these binos susceptible to glare? When reviewing I am more interested in whether I can make useful, educational and enjoyable nature observations. If anything crops up to interfere with achieving this I will report it but I will not be doing anything to provoke glare, chromatic aberration, rolling ball or anything else.

Lee

 

[Paultricounty]

Hi Paul
For the comparison I wrote I wanted to answer the question, are these binos susceptible to glare? When reviewing I am more interested in whether I can make useful, educational and enjoyable nature observations. If anything crops up to interfere with achieving this I will report it but I will not be doing anything to provoke glare, chromatic aberration, rolling ball or anything else.

Lee

I know, I was just kidding around when I said don’t bring up glare due to where some of us went all over the place in the thread. I guess I didn’t articulate my humor very well😞
I enjoyed your review and thoughts on the bins. And I agree there is more glare evident in the Swaros.

Paul

 

[Troubador]

I know, I was just kidding around when I said don’t bring up glare due to where some of us went all over the place in the thread. I guess I didn’t articulate my humor very well😞
I enjoyed your review and thoughts on the bins. And I agree there is more glare evident in the Swaros.

Paul

Thanks Paul, I am looking forward to doing the review and I am sure the NLs will perform nicely.

Lee

 

[John A Roberts]

Belatedly, an image that gives an idea of the size of the chunky and heavy (30.7 oz/ 870 g) x32 Geovid Pro.

With the Geovid x42 and the conventional BA x42:


Cropped and lightened image from Josh Boyd at: Leica Geovid Pro 32 Review - Rokslide


While the primary optics of the x32 Geovid are smaller than those of the x42 version,
the components necessary for the range finding functions seem to be the same size.


John