first light Leica Trinovid 8x42 - compared to my old CZJ 10x50

[Bender]

The usual health warning first: don’t look through expensive glass or you might find yourself unsatisfied with equipment that serve you well so far

I started to enjoy evenings out wth my old CZJ 10x50 and was soon tempted to invest in a new pair of binos because a) I found 10x still too much to hold it steady and b ) I was not totally satisfied view the views, but as Michael pointed out in an earlier thread this could be down to the targets as the moon might not be ideal for binos.

After some research I settled on the new Leica Trinovid 8x42, which can be had cheaper in the UK than in Leicas homeland (got mine from Clifton Cameras).

The bino itself has a nice, solid feel with its rubber armoured body and comes with detachable lens protectors, a Nylon strip and bag.

Skies have not been to kind in the night so I tested my Trinovid in our Garden.

My first impression was that it gave sharp, bright and cool neutral views. It snaps easily into focus.

Only when I got my 40 yrs old CZJ did I realise how big the difference is. The CZJ appears noticeable darker with creamy, yellowish tone. The worst was the resolution.

With the Leica I could easily look at the moss patches (size, colors etc)on the roof tiles on my neighbours houses ca. 60-80 meters away.

In my CZJ it was hard to see the tiles, let alone anything growing on them. The soft views made it also more difficult to focus.

I only had the binos for 2 days and I am still not 100% sold to the smaller roof design as I have quite big hands and find the CZJ better to hold but the views are just leagues better. But then its probably not a fair comparison between a 40 years old bino and Leicas latest reissue of the Trinovid.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Sounds like you got a winner then. It just goes to show how far optics have come in 40 years.

[ollypenrice]

I was lucky and found a used pair from Clifton Cameras a month or two ago. Yours will be the later version and doubtless even better but these are breathtakingly good binoculars. I've had quite some time under the stars with them and found them a joy, most notably for the small stars and high contrast. Faint extended nebulae really pop. (The Rosette, for instance. I kept going back to it.)

Olly

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I was lucky and found a used pair from Clifton Cameras a month or two ago. Yours will be the later version and doubtless even better but these are breathtakingly good binoculars. I've had quite some time under the stars with them and found them a joy, most notably for the small stars and high contrast. Faint extended nebulae really pop. (The Rosette, for instance. I kept going back to it.)

Olly

I should try the Rosette in my Helios Apollo 15x70. No Leica, perhaps, but no slouch either

[ollypenrice]

I should try the Rosette in my Helios Apollo 15x70. No Leica, perhaps, but no slouch either

You'll get it, Michael. The first thing you spot is the drop in star count and then the milkiness appears.

Olly