F
FrankD
Guest
As with most reviews I am going to break this down into the optical and the mechanical/ergonomic. If there are any specific questions then let me know and I will do my best to answer them.
Mechanical/Ergonomic
Mechanically these bins seem well put together for the typical $300 roof (slightly cheaper to significantly cheaper at some retailers). The focusing mechanism has a good amount of tension but is not difficult to move. It feels very similar to the original Legend in this regard (you will hear me say that often). The focusing speed is average in making 1.66 turns from one end of the focus range to just slightly past infinity. The eyecups have three positions...fully collapsed, halfway extended and fully extended. It seems to me, under initial inspection, that they will hold very solidly in either of the two extended positions. Central hinge tension is very good. I cannot imagine it moving accidentally. Much the same could be said for the diopter which is of the pull-up to move, push down to lock variety...nice touch!
Ergonomically I am very fond of this binocular. It has all of the wonderful handling of the original Legend as well as similarities to the other typical $300 roofs (Nikon Monarch, Pentax WP II, etc...) that have sold so well over the last 5 to 6 years. The physical length is well under 6 inches and the weight is in the low 20 oz range...a perfect compromise between compactness and usability for a variety of applications. The heavy "ribbing" in the rubber along the barrels serves to give one a very solid grip though it is not quite as comfortable as some of the smoother designs.
Optical Performance
I know this is what many of you want to know. The big question is going to be whether or not it compares with the recent crop of open-bridge ED roofs that have hit the market over the last 9-10 months. I will leave my impression of the answer to that question for last.
The strong points of the Ultrad HD are fairly straight forward. One, the image is bright. As bright and brighter than any other $300 roof I have owned. Initial impressions make me believe it is close to the other ED glass binocular that have recently hit the market though my comparisons have been limited at this point. Apparent centerfield sharpness is very, very good. It has the same "clean" look to the image that many of the other binoculars that utilize some form of ED glass display. Again, I have not done extensive side by side comparisons at this point but it does appear to be nearly as sharp and as vibrant in color in the center of the field as the other EDs.
The weak points? Well, as referenced in another thread once you get away from the center 50% of the image (yes, you read that correctly...it has a small sweet spot) the image quality drops off. It is not a rapid drop off but the image does exhibit both field curvature and astigmatism in the outer 50% of the image. It is gradual though so the overall quality of the image is not drastically affected by this. I think the easiest way for me to relate this is to imagine the original Bushnell Legend which had reasonably good edge performance but with a narrow (330 foot) field of view. Take that image quality over the 330 feet and then add field curvature and some astigmatism to the remaining 100 feet or so to get a moderately accurate representation of the Legend HD. The 426 listed field of view does produce a very "wide" representation of the area being studied an the amount of distortion in the outer portion of the image is noticeable but only when you look for it directly.
Conclusion:
I believe this binocular is certainly worth the $290 that it is currently selling for. Does it compete directly with the open-bridge ED binocular currently on the market? That depends on your preferences. If you want a more compact 42 mm model with comparable centerfield performance then the Legend Ultra HD would most certainly fit the bill. If you are after the utmost image quality for the price and you don't mind a slightly longer and slightly heavier binocular then the open-bridge ED models would be a better bet.
On a side note, the accessories and packaging of the Legend HDs are excellent. They come with a hard case similar to that of the original Legends and or several of the Vortex models I have recently owned. They also come with a section of the straps factory-attached to the binocular itself. This "quick detach" section can be used either with a standard, heavily padded Bushnell neckstrap or a standard shoulder harness also provided as part of the original package deal. Nicely done!
Mechanical/Ergonomic
Mechanically these bins seem well put together for the typical $300 roof (slightly cheaper to significantly cheaper at some retailers). The focusing mechanism has a good amount of tension but is not difficult to move. It feels very similar to the original Legend in this regard (you will hear me say that often). The focusing speed is average in making 1.66 turns from one end of the focus range to just slightly past infinity. The eyecups have three positions...fully collapsed, halfway extended and fully extended. It seems to me, under initial inspection, that they will hold very solidly in either of the two extended positions. Central hinge tension is very good. I cannot imagine it moving accidentally. Much the same could be said for the diopter which is of the pull-up to move, push down to lock variety...nice touch!
Ergonomically I am very fond of this binocular. It has all of the wonderful handling of the original Legend as well as similarities to the other typical $300 roofs (Nikon Monarch, Pentax WP II, etc...) that have sold so well over the last 5 to 6 years. The physical length is well under 6 inches and the weight is in the low 20 oz range...a perfect compromise between compactness and usability for a variety of applications. The heavy "ribbing" in the rubber along the barrels serves to give one a very solid grip though it is not quite as comfortable as some of the smoother designs.
Optical Performance
I know this is what many of you want to know. The big question is going to be whether or not it compares with the recent crop of open-bridge ED roofs that have hit the market over the last 9-10 months. I will leave my impression of the answer to that question for last.
The strong points of the Ultrad HD are fairly straight forward. One, the image is bright. As bright and brighter than any other $300 roof I have owned. Initial impressions make me believe it is close to the other ED glass binocular that have recently hit the market though my comparisons have been limited at this point. Apparent centerfield sharpness is very, very good. It has the same "clean" look to the image that many of the other binoculars that utilize some form of ED glass display. Again, I have not done extensive side by side comparisons at this point but it does appear to be nearly as sharp and as vibrant in color in the center of the field as the other EDs.
The weak points? Well, as referenced in another thread once you get away from the center 50% of the image (yes, you read that correctly...it has a small sweet spot) the image quality drops off. It is not a rapid drop off but the image does exhibit both field curvature and astigmatism in the outer 50% of the image. It is gradual though so the overall quality of the image is not drastically affected by this. I think the easiest way for me to relate this is to imagine the original Bushnell Legend which had reasonably good edge performance but with a narrow (330 foot) field of view. Take that image quality over the 330 feet and then add field curvature and some astigmatism to the remaining 100 feet or so to get a moderately accurate representation of the Legend HD. The 426 listed field of view does produce a very "wide" representation of the area being studied an the amount of distortion in the outer portion of the image is noticeable but only when you look for it directly.
Conclusion:
I believe this binocular is certainly worth the $290 that it is currently selling for. Does it compete directly with the open-bridge ED binocular currently on the market? That depends on your preferences. If you want a more compact 42 mm model with comparable centerfield performance then the Legend Ultra HD would most certainly fit the bill. If you are after the utmost image quality for the price and you don't mind a slightly longer and slightly heavier binocular then the open-bridge ED models would be a better bet.
On a side note, the accessories and packaging of the Legend HDs are excellent. They come with a hard case similar to that of the original Legends and or several of the Vortex models I have recently owned. They also come with a section of the straps factory-attached to the binocular itself. This "quick detach" section can be used either with a standard, heavily padded Bushnell neckstrap or a standard shoulder harness also provided as part of the original package deal. Nicely done!
