This week I fulfilled a long held ambition and got myself a pair of quality binoculars.
I had carried out literally decades of research and having looked at and through many different models from Leica,Zeiss,Minox,Nikon,Svarovski and many more I narrowed it down to either the Leica Trinovid HD or the Zeiss Conquest HD in 10x42.
I finally chose the Leica's purely on the way they suited me as a spectacle wearer,I could not tell any difference between the two in terms of performance.
The Leicas are a major step up in optical quality from the 15 year old mid range Minox BL BR I had been using,although I have to admit that even being more than 3x the price the Leicas where not 3x higher performance ,the improved quality of manufacture is quite evident though.
In terms of performance they are stunning,in bright conditions the focus is pin sharp,I can get a perfect sharp circle even wearing my specs,the colour definition is superb,one of the most impressive things is that I can focus down to 6 feet,looking at Bumble Bees feeding on our Lavender hedge is like a 4K tv screen.Probably the most impressive part though is their light gathering qualities as the light fades,I am able to see birds in trees in detail through the binoculars that are just dark shapes with the naked eye.
I did look at the higher price Ultravid models but honestly could not tell any difference in performance and I had set myself a budget of around $1000 so they where really only tested to confirm my decision.
Normally when I make any significant purchase (RMK's aside )I suffer from buyers remorse,however not this time,probably more satisfied spending my hard earned on these binoculars than anything else for years.