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ULTRAVID 8 x 50 HD, 10 x 50 HD, and 12 x 50 HD Binoculars

A new standard of excellence...now seducing customers who try them at Company Seven. Our experience showing these is that
if you look through this binocular, can comfortably hand hold 10x and can afford it, then you will probably buy a Leica 10X 50 HD ULTRAVID!

Above: Leica 10x 50 ULTRAVID in black - the world's most awesome 10x 50 on display at Company Seven.
click on image to see enlarged view (159,087 bytes)

Leica binoculars have traditionally set the standards of brilliance, sharpness and brightness when it comes to meeting the objectives of turning observations that are rich in details into an unforgettable experience, even at great distances. And now, Leica has succeeded in establishing an entirely new standard of excellence in terms of ergonomics and performance with the introduction of the ULTRAVID 50mm binocular series.

Left: Leica ULTRAVID automated presentation (269,609 bytes) showing 50mm model at introduction with overview of the product construction and components features. Click "Start Film" below and right of illustrated ULTRAVID 50mm binocular image to view.

Note: this is a Macromedia "Shockwave" film presentation and so your Web Browser must be suitably enabled to play it. Broad band Internet access is also suggested to speed download time.

Introduction

This latest evolution of the Leica binocular product line is the ULTRAVID HD series. Made in 50mm apertures described below, there are also 42mm HD models available in magnifications of 7x, 8x, and 10x with a soft armor covering. In addition an 8x 42mm BL in a leather covered finish is also available. This line represents Leica's best possible optical performance, coupled with a lightweight yet rugged body design with improved ergonomics. ULTRAVID takes the 42mm Trinovid BN and 50mm Trinovid BN series to the next level of technology development and ease of use.

In 2007 the ULTRAVID HD series were announced then gradually introduced, although externally appearing identical the original ULTRAVID BR, the HD series incorporate several refinements described in detail below.

FEATURES OF THE ULTRAVID

Easier to Use: Better, Faster and Lighter: Logically tailored to the intended use, every technical and ergonomic detail that went into the development of the ULTRAVID has been painstakingly examined, perfected or completely reinvented. The ULTRAVID simply put "feels good in the hands". Its ergonomics provide an instrument that is an extension of the observer - it "gets out of the observer's way" with a very comfortable, natural and well balanced feel. It places its controls and hardware at a convenient and comfortable position - and it's obstructions (strap hinges, etc.) remain out of the way. It features a comfortable and unobtrusive thumb rest groove on the underside of each barrel.

New eyepiece designs provide improved eye relief thereby making the observing experience more comfortable whether observing with the naked eye, with sunglasses, or prescription spectacles. This also makes it easier and quicker for the observer to center onto a distant object.

Twist up rubber covered eye cups design allows the user to quickly and conveniently snap the eye cup in our out, with two click stop settings along the way. Unlike some other twist up designs, there is no peaked contour of the rubber cup so that the ULTRAVID eye cup can be used while in or out, or in between their extension range without the observing bumping into the peak of the contour of other binoculars.

Left: eyecups provided with Leica ULTRAVID binoculars with one at left in extended position (leather covered 8x 42 BL ULTRAVID shown here). Also note the Diopter Adjustment Dial and Scale is just visible between the eyepiece barrels click on image to see enlarged view (245,496 bytes)

And these rubber covered eyecups can be removed by the user to facilitate cleaning the eye lens of the binocular, or replacement.

The HD models are covered with a new "soft touch" rugged cladding. This material is more comfortable to grip in all kinds of weather conditions. And the material is notably lighter in weight than the PVC covering used in the previous 42mm Trinovid BN models. The BL versions are covered in even an lighter weight Leather.

Leica Binocular Center Focus Mechanisms these are engineered to provide ease of use (central focus), quick and smooth performance, and a lifetime of reliable service. The focus mechanism is an "internal" arrangement where optics within the binocular body are moved to accomplish changes of focus. So the exterior does not change, the length of the binocular does not change with focus. This internal central focus mechanism makes it a quick and simple matter to change focus from very close objects out to infinity. And by means of this advanced mechanical arrangement the binocular is sealed well from moisture, dirt and other contaminants.

Left: Ultravid HD internal focusing mechanism. Rotating the focus collar drives a focusing lens element in each optical barrel (34,591 bytes).
Click on image to see enlarged view (65,030 bytes).

And focusing the Ultravid HD is even smoother than ever before. The mechanism remains free of play across the entire range. Optimized material pairings and gliding discs made from extremely tough, high-performance plastic are used. In cold conditions, the conventional greased focusing mechanisms sometimes only work with difficulty, and at higher temperatures they move too freely. Furthermore, these focusing mechanisms can feel "sticky", and at higher temperatures there is even the danger that grease can off gas or escape and run on the lens. With the optimized Leica focus, these risks have been eliminated. The new mechanics of the Ultravid HD models work practically without any lubricants. So even in extreme temperatures it is always fully functional and with a constantly optimal degree of smoothness.

Being mechanical systems, they may require only minor cleaning and/or lubrication service after years or decades of service - depending on the amount of use and the operating environment!

Background: How The Eye Works a binocular can be thought of as a light funnel gathering light through its objective (front) lens, with prisms to erect the image, and with an eyepiece funneling light into the eye.

The light exiting the eyepiece next passes through the cornea of the eye, the curved transparent spherical lens tissue in the front part of the eye. The cornea is responsible for focusing the light onto the retina which lines the inside rear wall of the eyeball. The cornea will fine adjust the focus of the eye as the lens changes it's shape to allow clear vision both in the distance and for reading. The Iris is the diaphragm of the eye much like that of a camera lens in purpose. The Iris is the muscular membrane that regulates the intensity of light illuminating the nerve sensors (cones and rods) in the back of the eye. When in low light or dark environments it dilates (opens) to as much as about 8 mm on a healthy adult eye to permit a wider diameter beam of light into the eye. Conversely in response to white light the iris constricts (closes) to as small as about 1.5 mm.

The entrance pupil is the black spot in the center of the iris, this is the opening in the iris through which light passes. Between the cornea and the iris is the anterior chamber filled with vitreous fluid, a clear jelly-like solution. Light passes through the vitreous on it's way to the retina. The retina is lined with light-sensitive sensors (cones and rods) that accumulate the visual signal and then transmit the information through the optic nerve to the brain where the signals are processed. And so by dilating and exposing more sensors to the stimulis, then the Iris causes the eye to compensate with increased area what is lacked in intensity can provide reasonably good views of fainter areas at night.

Diopter Adjustment As people age it is likely their vision will change in focus near or distant or both for example, and one may develop astigmatism too. Changes of the eye tend to result in various degrees of myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness). In a single tube such as a telescope we simply focus to accommodate differences between observers. But with binoculars it is necessary not only to focus to accommodate differences between people, but to also have some mechanism to compensate for differences between the left and right eyes.

Leica binoculars incorporate mechanisms to compensate for differences between the left and right eyes known as a "diopter adjustment". The exact mechanical arrangement varies but the principle of operation remains the same to allow the observer to incorporate a consistent variable into the focusing. In the mid to larger Leica binoculars one simply:

1. dial the focus knob to achieve approximate focus

2. gently pull the focus knob up (away from the binocular bridge)

3. now turn the protruding dial clockwise or counterclockwise to achieve best focus for the right eye

4. without turning the extended dial, turn the inner dial (adjacent the binocular bridge) clockwise or counterclockwise to achieve best focus for the right eye

5. without turning either dial, gently push the extended knob back into place to reseal the focus mechanism.

It is also possible that over time, some of the detrimental aspects may change in a way that improves vision too.

As well as the high grade lightweight structural materials including a housing made of magnesium, a central hinge shaft of extremely sturdy titanium - which materials could possibly be more robust and lighter at the same time?

The ULTRAVID also differs from its predecessors in that these models are provided with a durable black nylon pouch instead of the soft leather zip up pouch with a padded Neoprene carrying strap. The new pouch has a snap closure, is more resistant to abrasion, and rot and is therefore a better solution for those who keep a binocular near the salt air environments.

Left: Black nylon pouch provided with Leica ULTRAVID 42mm BR Binocular.
click on image to see enlarged view (245,496 bytes).

The optics incorporate the new HighLux System (HLS™), this is an optical coating that is unequalled in its quantity and uniformity of transmission of light in the visible spectrum. The HLS™ coatings consist of a precisely applied forty three (43) layer coating, with each layer applied as thin as only 40 nanometers. By means of a special mirror layer on the prism system the process yields a level reflection of 99.5 %; it was possible to raise the image brightness to this level over the prior generation models. This among those attributes that makes the impressively high resolution imaging performance, and striking enhanced contrast possible.

Leica AquaDura^TM ensures greater visibility in wind and rain

It is a cold morning and the lens fogs up - that is not much fun. Fingerprints, dust and rain are also annoying when viewing. The innovative Leica AquaDura^TM coating considerably reduces these disturbing factors. Imitating nature as with the lotus plant, this new water and dirt-resistant protective layer on the outer glass surfaces ensures that dirt and moisture are barely able to take hold on the specially adapted surface structure of the optic. This is the same coating applied by Leica for their latest APO-TELEVID spotting telescopes introduced in 2007 and coming available in 2009.

Right: Microscopic image of water droplet demonstrating the operating principle of AquaDura (32,870 bytes).
Click on image to see enlarged view (47,295 bytes).

On the previous generations of anti-reflection coating the water tended to bead on the optical surface, this is particularly distracting on the eyepiece lenses being closer to focus. But with Leica AquaDura^TM the water droplets do not adhere, and the surface is also resistant to the formation of fog that would otherwise reduce contrast if not completely obscure the object of the observation.

Left: Leica AquaDura applied on the right objective lens of a Leica binocular. Compare this with previous generation high transmission coatings applied on the left objective (82,183 bytes).
Click on image to see enlarged view (142,864 bytes).

reduced cleaning efforts required leaves you more time for viewing!

PERFORMANCE OVERVIEW

The 42mm and 50mm aperture ULTRAVID series provide a great balance of resolving power, and portability. And ready for most daylight, early morning and dusk light conditions. These models achieve an image brightness that was impossible before now in a 50mm roof prism binocular. And their images will appear brighter even when compared against other less sophisticated models with even larger aperture objective (front) lenses.

Right: Leica ULTRAVID 50 binocular shown in Green that has since been discontinued, but is nice to see (166,468 bytes).

The remarkably slim and compact housings assure these binoculars can easily be put into a brief case or travel bag, making these a very handy binocular to travel with - having a binocular available is just as important as its optical properties.

• ULTRAVID 8 x 50 HD
  Fatigue-free observation made possible, even under the subtle light of the moon. The 8 x magnification guarantees a steady, sharp image, without the need for constant refocusing. And the 18.1mm eye relief makes this a great choice for those who must wear thick specatcles.
  
  
• ULTRAVID 10 x 50 HD
  There is Voodoo at work with this model! The high-transmission, top-of-the-line binocular provides striking balance of manageability with superb twilight performance, an ability to reveal fine details even when observing well into darkness. It shows the same tack sharp 6.6 degree actual field of view as the 8X 50 HD, but through its wide angle eyepieces the appearance through the 10X 50 HD is breath taking.
  
  
• ULTRAVID 12 x 50 HD
  Its 12 x magnification makes the observation of the finest details possible at great distances. This high performance binocular is also impressive because of its near focusing distance of only 3.25 m (10.7 ft).
  

ULTRAVID 50mm HD BINOCULAR SPECIFICATIONS