Leica questions

[Class870]

Looking at some lecia binos for the wife’s birthday. Thinking of 8 or 10 x 32’s.
Found a really nice pair of ultravid 8x32 BR complete with case, straps, box etc. All in great condition, with a 6 month warranty. They are almost half the price of new ultravid HD’s.£749. Or a new pair of trinovid HD. Guess the main question is, is the glass that much better in the ultravid?

Geovid HD, I’ve also found a nice pair of 8x56, for me! Complete with all bits and pieces, case, straps, booklet, warranty card etc. In excellent condition for a 2009 pair. Good buy for £350?
Thanks

 

[Tuck]

The geovids sound very cheap, if you don’t buy them pm details as I’d be interested

 

[mak]

Looking at some lecia binos for the wife’s birthday. Thinking of 8 or 10 x 32’s.
Found a really nice pair of ultravid 8x32 BR complete with case, straps, box etc. All in great condition, with a 6 month warranty. They are almost half the price of new ultravid HD’s.£749. Or a new pair of trinovid HD. Guess the main question is, is the glass that much better in the ultravid?

Geovid HD, I’ve also found a nice pair of 8x56, for me! Complete with all bits and pieces, case, straps, booklet, warranty card etc. In excellent condition for a 2009 pair. Good buy for £350?
Thanks

The Ultravid 8x32 glass is slightly superior in glass type and the specs again higher, that is not to say that the Trinovid HD are poor, in fact the Trinovid HD specs are based on the previous flagship model from Leica, before the Ultravid was introduced. If your good lady where’s spectacles, it might be worthwhile letting her try the 32’s as the eye relief isn’t as long as the Trinovid HD and if a spectacle wearer, she may prefer a longer eye relief. If she doesn’t wear spectacles, then no issue between the two. My preference based on magnification and wanting a wider field of view would be the 8x32 Ultravid. The price for the Geovid is good.

 

[Woodlander]

I bought a used Swarovski 8x32 EL for my Mrs and they are spectacular and very lightweight. Got them from Toby, at Macleods. Not cheap, but she definitely won’t need another. Worth giving them a call.

 

[Acm]

They certainly make a nice present. Don’t think you’ll go wrong with either of those!

 

[Class870]

Going to have a look through some GPO binoculars today, be interesting to see how they look, they get very good reviews.
Anyone on here use them?

 

[zaitsev]

Don’t bother with Leica, customer service is poor on anything other than current models. Swarovski are excellent when it comes to after sales and the product is excellent and long lived.

 

[HonestJohn]

I bought a used Swarovski 8x32 EL for my Mrs a....., but she definitely won’t need another...

ehhh, is your wife a woman? yeah, she'll want another..

 

[Woodlander]

ehhh, is your wife a woman? yeah, she'll want another..

 

[Leec6.5]

Don’t bother with Leica, customer service is poor on anything other than current models. Swarovski are excellent when it comes to after sales and the product is excellent and long lived.

Totally the opposite to what i have experienced!

I have had my 10x50 ultravids 15 years and their still going strong and i still have 15 years of warranty left on them.

 

[Class870]

lol you lot not making it any easier for me! Think either in 8x32 would be very good. Swarovski hold there value better?
Seems a lot more 8x20/25 are available, and tad cheaper but the 32’s a good all round size I think.

 

[zaitsev]

Totally the opposite to what i have experienced!

I have had my 10x50 ultravids 15 years and their still going strong and i still have 15 years of warranty left on them.

Swarovski (and kahles from what I have heard) go above and beyond even when the warranty is out. What other company effectively re-builds binoculars that are in for a service and sends them back foc?

Tried to get similar service from Leica on a pair of binos just out of warranty and they wouldn’t even service them for a charge. Zero interest in support.

 

[Class870]

So, I have just literally just looked through the following, my Hawke frontierED 8x42 and some GPO passion ED 8x42 and Swarovski cl 8x25. I thought mine were pretty good but the other 2 lot clearer. The GPO’s were in my opinion very clear, bright and sharp. Felt nice in the hand. The Swarovski’s, very hand if you want a pocket size pair, but I didn’t get on so well with them. Once I found my focus on the subject the glass was excellent, tad more sharper than the GPO but hardly any different. I didn’t like them in my hand as much, and found it harder to quickly focus and find the subject. My wife looked through them, while she likes the idea of the small pocket size, thinks she would prefer the 8x32’s. So in conclusion she would be happy with either the Swarovski or GPO in the 32’s.

 

[Class870]

Just been offered pair of Swarovski cl 8x30 in tip top condition, just back from a service for £550. GPO’s 8x32’s are £364. Wife ideally wants a new pair, so the GPO’s but I think the Swarovski maybe a better buy??