Leica Trinovid 10x25 vs Zeiss Victory 10X25 vs Swarovski 10X25 Binoculars

Looking to by a set of compact binoculars to slip into the camera

bag. Anyone tried any of these three? What are the good and bad

points you have found with each? Many thanks

James, I have the Leica 8x20 and a Nikon 8x20.

 

The Leica is made in Portugal, not that there's anything wrong with that. The Zeiss is made in some East European country, I forget which. The Zeiss is off center, i.e., the column where the hinges are is not in the center. The problem I have is that these manufacturers hide the country of origin in an obscure place, as if they are ashamed. You have to fold the bino at a far angle to see the "made in xxx" label. The Nikon's are Made in Japan.

 

The Nikon is just as good, if not better, and is WATERPROOF, the Leica is only water resistant. The Nikon is cheaper.

 

I had bought the Leica first, based on the reputation. If I had to do it again, I would not have bought the Leica, but Nikon's all the way.

 

I also have the 8x32 Nikon Superior E, porro, which is probably the best 8x32 out there.

 

The Nikon Venturer series are the highest rated binos, even higher than all the Teutonic brands. They cost the same.

 

You can read more at:

 

http://betterviewdesired.com/RefSet.html

 

Best of luck!

James, this is the page with the compacts:

 

http://betterviewdesired.com/compacts/index.html

 

The Nikons seem to rule the roost.

I have the trinovid 8x20 and 10x25 and I like them very much, but if you want the best compact ever buy the new Leica ultravids, if you go to www.leica-camera.com you can see them.

Alessandro.

I have the leica 10x25 and a Nikon 10X25 (this is 5-7 year old, the Leica is 1 year) I broght these + a No name 10-25 on a trip to USA last year.

My wife & children (who couldent care less about Leica versus others) tried all 3 and after first comparison they did not want to take another look in the NoName all 3 prefered the Leica but the Nikon could do, but the Leica was first choice. - the colors was better / more clear (their words).

The Leica is the Blue version i got at a (for Denmark) good price

I don't have first hand on the Zeiss / Swarovski

I managed the sports optics department in a large sporting goods store and sold all the more famous brands: Leica, Zeiss, Jenoptic, Swarovsky, Steiner, B&L, Nikon, Pentax, and many others. My opinion is to stay away from the 10x; most people can't hold them stady enough to use the extra x to advantage. Stick with 8x for all-round satisfaction. Roof prisms are ideal for compacts but for regular size I get a better stereo effect with Porros. I have an ancient pair of 8x30 Zeiss Deltrintims, a B&L Zepher 7x35, and a couple of Leitz 8x32 Trinovids, and find it hard to favor one over the other. For bird watching I think I prefer the B&Ls, where bulk is a factor the Leitz are more comfortable. I've used the Deltrintems in rain and snow and dessert heat. When they fogged I baked them in the oven a bit. I carried a pair of the Zeiss 8x compacts in my camera bag for several years and hardly ever used them. HOWEVER, if I were starting out from scratch today I believe I would lean toward the modern Swarovskis. 8x30 or 8x40, please!

Some reviewers often pick up some items they do like and they do not mention other brands. If you like high end binos you must realize that among the best brands Leica Zeiss Swarovski and Nikon have always the best products. More important Leica Camera is a very small company compare to the others three, Leica products have to be always perfect because perfection it's what a Leica customer wants and that's why he pays so much.

Alessandro.

Suggesting 8x over 10x is great advice IMHO, seldom mentioned. A long day at the races with 8x20 Trinovids is such a pleasure.

I would not be able to hand-hold a 10x pair of binoculars steady. But the Leica Trinovid 8 by 20 is lovely to carry along ... for me.

8x is sound advice, exit pupil is the other impt point, 8x20 is in my view too dim, 8x24 is much better, and 8x32 is best if you can fit it into the bag.

 

Wai Leong

i have leicas 7x42 trinovids and canon 7x42w at 250$ apiece for the canons i think they are the best deal out there ...paul

I'd also recommend 8x over 10x.

 

When I was in the market for 8x20 binoculars 5 years ago I tried models from nearly all of the major brands. Binoculars unlike camera lenses are much easier to test and differentiate. Provided that you first calibrate them differences are very easy to see. Upon comparing these models exhaustively (side by side), I found Zeiss and Leica to be optically best. The Canon had image stabalization which was nice but optically not nearly as good. I can't remember if I tried Swarovskis. But I did try B&L, Nikon, Minolta etc.

 

In the end I settled for the Leica because of I considered it to be better finished (especially the eyecups) than the Zeiss. In my opinion the design of the Leica would also age better.

Forgot to say that it was the Trinovid 8x20 BCA that I bought.

Thanks for the advice so far. I understand the preference for 8X magnification which is a better all round binocular but in this instance I need the 10X as it is to be used with a Zeiss field microscope base, which although designed for Zeiss Classic binoculars the general design of most compact roof prism allows the others to fit as well. Naturally I would like to use them as binoculars too when they arent attached to the microscope base.

The 8x are alot better to use than the 10x as the others already mentioned. Also the larger the exit pupils the easier to use the glass is. Since I got my 7x50 three years ago I do not want to use a smaller one.

<p>

As for the brands I would also take Steiner into consideration. Their glasses are my favorites - over any of the other brands. Since optical quality is quite close together in this league, other points like ruggedness and water resistance play also a role. And in these I did not find a glass yet that equals Steiner's build quality for the given price.

Zeiss Victory any time...

 

But you should really take all 3 in your hands and see which one you prefer.

If I wanted a binocular strictly for bird watching I would look for a B&l or Bushnell Custom Audubon special in 8x42. It was first sold as Bushnell but later was up graded to B&L, and sold for a third or less of the cost of the top lines. I tested many pieces against other fine glasses and found the they had the best across the field sharpness of any. The outer periphery of the field showed only mild fuzziness, much smaller than any other brand I tested. I don't believe they are marketed any more but do see them once in a while on eBay. If you run across a pair in good condition don't pass them by.

I have a pair of Nikons (can't remember the model, but they're waterproof and rubberized), and my dad has a Leica Trinovid and a Zeiss compact model. The clarity of the Leica and Zeiss blows away the Nikons. Even my wife was impressed, and she's not brand-conscious at all.

james, since you need the 10x, you really should try out the leica 10 x 32. they are fabulous, and the 32 is far superior to the 25 in my opinion, as long as you don't need a compact bino. i have never had any trouble holding them steady and the larger exit pupil and better light gathering property make them easier to use imo. don't think you can go wrong with any of the brands you mentioned, though.

<I>Sung Chun Kim: "I have a pair of Nikons (can't remember the model, but they're waterproof and rubberized), and my dad has a Leica Trinovid and a Zeiss compact model. The clarity of the Leica and Zeiss blows away the Nikons. Even my wife was impressed, and she's not brand-conscious at all."</I>

<P>Sung, unless you have the Nikon VENTURER series, you're not comparing equivalent binos. Nikon makes a lot of cheaper binos, and they're what you get for the money. The Venturer series is just as expensive, if not more expensive, than Leica, and is rated higher than Leica by most reviewers and users. They are also ergonomically better than Leica. I'm sure your wife will be suitably impressed!

"james, since you need the 10x, you really should try out the leica 10 x 32. they are fabulous, and the 32 is far superior to the 25 in my opinion, as long as you don't need a compact bino."

 

Thanks for that advice, unfortunately they do have to be compact roof prism type to fit the microscope base mentioned above.

that's too bad. but you should look through them nonetheless, just for the experience.