Leica 10x42 ultravid (2 Viewers)

[Spread5150]

I purchased a pair of ultravid 10x42 recently. They are very clean and so far no problems. I contacted Leica and they advised they are from 2007. I sent them to be cleaned at Leica and they advised this could be done no problem.

I am wondering if they would upgrade the glass to a more current version of the ultravid glass. HD OR HD plus for a fee ? Anyone ever have this done ?

 

[KC Foggin]

Hopefully one of the members will have an answer for you. In the meantime I'd like to issue you a warm welcome from those of us on staff here at BirdForum
We're glad you found us and please join in wherever you like.

 

[dries1]

Why would you want to upgrade? The 10X42 BR is a fine glass. From a financial perspective it would not be worth it to pay Leica to do the upgrade, (that is if they would do it in the first place).
When you get them back from Leica, enjoy them.

 

[jafritten]

I purchased a pair of ultravid 10x42 recently. They are very clean and so far no problems. I contacted Leica and they advised they are from 2007. I sent them to be cleaned at Leica and they advised this could be done no problem.

I am wondering if they would upgrade the glass to a more current version of the ultravid glass. HD OR HD plus for a fee ? Anyone ever have this done ?

I haven't. But others got their Leicas back with "upgraded optics". See here: Thread 'Leica service on Ultravids. Upgraded optics?' Leica service on Ultravids. Upgraded optics?

 

[Spread5150]

I found such a great deal on them I wouldn’t mind paying a few dollars for an upgrade. I didn’t know if they even do this ?

 

[Spread5150]

I appreciate the Iink and info. I will keep posted on what happens. They are in the mail headed that way

 

[Peter Leitzman]

When my previously owned 8x42s went back to Leica in Portugal I had the both the objective and the eyepiece glasses replaced.

Now I didn't request them to be upgraded nor was there any mention on the report of the replacement glass being upgraded. However what I did notice was a drop in Chromatic Abberations from an acceptable level to a small level , so I'm assuming Leica upgraded the glass without saying so.

Let us know how you get on.

 

[Spread5150]

Well I’m blown away. Don’t ever underestimate the power of a well written letter and being polite.

I spoke with someone at Leica and expressed some concern over an issue that came up once they received my 2007 pair of leicas.

Their response :

We are sending you a new pair of Ultravid HD +, free.

I am in the market for a rangefinder. This brand has me for life. I am big in customer service. I believe if you pay for something a company should back their product and these people have stepped up big. It’s an expensive item. They get that and treated me like they value my business. They will continue to get it in the future.

 

[ZDHart]

Well I’m blown away. Don’t ever underestimate the power of a well written letter and being polite.

I spoke with someone at Leica and expressed some concern over an issue that came up once they received my 2007 pair of leicas.

Their response :

We are sending you a new pair of Ultravid HD +, free.

I am in the market for a rangefinder. This brand has me for life. I am big in customer service. I believe if you pay for something a company should back their product and these people have stepped up big. It’s an expensive item. They get that and treated me like they value my business. They will continue to get it in the future.

Fantastic! Good to know that their customer service is equal to the awesome, very fine quality of their binoculars. My three pair of Ultravid HD+ (8x32, 10x32, 7x42) are my most loved bins, which also includes three pair of SFs (8x32, 10x32, 10x42) and two pair of Conquest HDs (8x32 and 10x42).

 

[ra3043]

Well I’m blown away. Don’t ever underestimate the power of a well written letter and being polite.

I spoke with someone at Leica and expressed some concern over an issue that came up once they received my 2007 pair of leicas.

Their response :

We are sending you a new pair of Ultravid HD +, free.

I am in the market for a rangefinder. This brand has me for life. I am big in customer service. I believe if you pay for something a company should back their product and these people have stepped up big. It’s an expensive item. They get that and treated me like they value my business. They will continue to get it in the future.

I know this is an old thread - Can you explain in more detail what happened that lead to you getting the upgrade? What was wrong with your current pair etc? Im asking because I have an older pair similar to yours that I have been considering sending in for some repairs!

 

[Rg548]

I purchased a pair of ultravid 10x42 recently. They are very clean and so far no problems. I contacted Leica and they advised they are from 2007. I sent them to be cleaned at Leica and they advised this could be done no problem.

I am wondering if they would upgrade the glass to a more current version of the ultravid glass. HD OR HD plus for a fee ? Anyone ever have this done ?

I very much doubt you would see the difference.

 

[Spread5150]

I do think (if I remember right) they was not much optic difference. But rather a waterproof coating or something of this nature.

 

[Trinovid]

…I have an older pair similar to yours that I have been considering sending in…

I think you’d have to be doing side by side comparisons to see any minute difference but as 5150 said, you would be getting the Aquadura coating.

 

[Paultricounty]

I’m not sure but if 2007 was pre HD , I would think you would see a difference in brightness, improvement in CA control and sharpness. Just sayin.

 

[Spread5150]

I gifted them to my dad who has picky eyes (wears glasses).

He likes um and he would have told me if he didn’t.

 

[John M Robinson]

I’m not sure but if 2007 was pre HD , I would think you would see a difference in brightness, improvement in CA control and sharpness. Just sayin.

I bought my 8x42BRs in 2009. Every time they’ve upgraded them, from BR to HD, then HD+, I’ve brought my trusty BRs in to compare. There may be a barely perceptible improvement in CA, but CA doesn’t bother me in real world conditions, I haven’t noticed any difference in sharpness or brightness. I would like the AquaDura coating though.

 

[Paultricounty]

I bought my 8x42BRs in 2009. Every time they’ve upgraded them, from BR to HD, then HD+, I’ve brought my trusty BRs in to compare. There may be a barely perceptible improvement in CA, but CA doesn’t bother me in real world conditions, I haven’t noticed any difference in sharpness or brightness. I would like the AquaDura coating though.

When you say every time they upgraded , am I assuming correctly you mean when Leica improved the model, not that you sent them in and updated a pair that you have?

And if I’m assuming correctly, then are you saying you compared the HD and HD+ side by side in a store with your BR for a few minutes? I’m just trying to understand what you were saying with these different generations.

I’ve had HD and HD+ models side by in both 8x42 and 10x42 and under ideal conditions I couldn’t see much difference at all, except the plus 10x did show an improvement in CA over the non plus counterpart. Where a definite difference was noticeable , with all present is when the clouds rolled in or late afternoon , with a very low sun, almost dusk. I rarely can see differences in like quality optics inside a store. Just my opinion.

 

[John M Robinson]

Well a little more than that, but you’re correct, I’m not taking them out in the field for extensive testing under challenging conditions. That said, I’m able to take them outside the store, sometimes for an hour or so, sitting in a chair with three sets of binoculars, looking across the highway into the dark of an old barn, and looking all around, so pretty good testing.

Now when I bought my BRs, the HDs had just come out. The store manager, a real good optics guy, thought this particular example was a cherry one, better than most he’d seen, but it had a notchy focus that turned people off. I bought it and immediately sent it back to Leica who fixed it so it works perfectly.

Leica gets slammed for not doing daring upgrades like Swaro, but I like the fact that they basically got it right with the BA-BN and have just done incremental coating implements along the way. No need to fix what’s not broken.

 

[Paultricounty]

Well a little more than that, but you’re correct, I’m not taking them out in the field for extensive testing under challenging conditions. That said, I’m able to take them outside the store, sometimes for an hour or so, sitting in a chair with three sets of binoculars, looking across the highway into the dark of an old barn, and looking all around, so pretty good testing.

Now when I bought my BRs, the HDs had just come out. The store manager, a real good optics guy, thought this particular example was a cherry one, better than most he’d seen, but it had a notchy focus that turned people off. I bought it and immediately sent it back to Leica who fixed it so it works perfectly.

Leica gets slammed for not doing daring upgrades like Swaro, but I like the fact that they basically got it right with the BA-BN and have just done incremental coating implements along the way. No need to fix what’s not broken.

I believe there were coating changes from BA , BN , not sure the change to HD, for HD plus Leica went to schott glass.

 

[Thotmosis]

Well a little more than that, but you’re correct, I’m not taking them out in the field for extensive testing under challenging conditions. That said, I’m able to take them outside the store, sometimes for an hour or so, sitting in a chair with three sets of binoculars, looking across the highway into the dark of an old barn, and looking all around, so pretty good testing.

Now when I bought my BRs, the HDs had just come out. The store manager, a real good optics guy, thought this particular example was a cherry one, better than most he’d seen, but it had a notchy focus that turned people off. I bought it and immediately sent it back to Leica who fixed it so it works perfectly.

Leica gets slammed for not doing daring upgrades like Swaro, but I like the fact that they basically got it right with the BA-BN and have just done incremental coating implements along the way. No need to fix what’s not broken.

I have both Leica Trinovid 7x42 BN and 7x42 UVHD(non+) and i can see a difference but my favorite strange enough is the older Trinnie BN 🤔. Warmer colors and -for me- better eyecups.