Leica Duovids - Who has used them?

[NJS]

I am very intrested in the Leica 8-12x42 Duovid. It seems like the perfect all around binocular... 8x for general use and the ability to use the 12x for long range use. Have any of you used them in the field? Can you mount them on a tripod? Give me your feedback. Thanks! NJS

 

[NJS]

WOW... No feedback? Doesn't anyone use these? Just wondering... NJS

 

[bigmoosie]

I had the 10x15x50 I loved them. I used them on several trips, used them on a tripod on 15 hand held most of the time on 10 power.Used the leica tripod adapter, it is fast holds the glasses very nice use the same adapter for spotting scope so very fast changeovers. I liked these better then the 15 SLC Swarovski's I had sold them because of these.I now have the 15 geovids so I sold the deovids to my wifes cousin who is a guide, he says he loves them and he uses them a lot. He hunts Mexico and Calif. and msny other states, so I think they get a good workout.

 

[deerbedead]

I've used them, and have a friend who bought a pair of them as well. We thought they were awesome, but would prefer the 10x15's instead.

The friend who owned the Duovids tried my 10x42 Geovids and now he sold his Duovids and bought the Geovids. I think you'd be better off with the 10x15's if you have to have the Duovids.

 

[redrabbit]

LAST EDITED ON May-09-09 AT 09:25AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON May-09-09 AT 09:20?AM (MST)

Here's a review I did a few years ago. I think you would find the 10+15 more suitable for LR glassing than the 8+12

"Three of us spent the evening from 6:30 to dark down at the meadow at Kachina Village comparing the Swaro 15x56 to the Leica 10+15 Duovids. Also had my Cabelas spotter and Jim White tripler. Binos were set on two tripods and were side by side, an inch apart. I tried resting/stacking one atop the other, but the top rested bino was too unsteady to make a valid comparison.

My impression was that the Leica was sharper by just a very tiny amount, judged by looking at pine needles, license plates, dead limbs under trees from about 400-600 yards away. At dusk, the Swaro was a little brighter, but not enough to make a difference in a hunting situation that you would spot a buck 1/2 mile away across a canyon and have enough time to move and get in a shooting position. The brightness factor is probably just a couple of minutes at first/last light. The Swaros had just a very slight blueish tint. Edge to edge sharpness seemed comparable, and both showed some curvature to the field of view when a poweer line was passed from the top to the bottom of the field of view.

The tripler aligned up with the center of the Swaro eyepiece better than on the Leica, as the Swaro has a smaller outside diameter of the eyepiece. The tripler would help judge a distant buck in daylight hours better than 15x binos alone, but the spotter was definitely brighter and sharper than the tripler on a bino. The tripler would save weight and space over a spotter, but if one is really needing to judge a trophy to the nearest inch, the spotter would be the better way to go.

My conclusion is that the Leica Duovids would be a better way to go rather than a pair of quality 10x and Swaro 15s, if one needs to carry both powers on a hunt like coues or open country muley. This opinion is based on nearly identical sharpness, no significant loss of brightness, savings of a couple of pounds and only having to carry one pair of binos, not having to switch back and forth between two separate binos on a tripod (just turn the dial)."

One observer did not prefer the Swaros as his eyes are cloer together and the Swaros could not have the lens columns bent as close together as the Leicas (56 vs 50mm objectives) Another prefered the ergonomics of the Swaros over the leicas. I like the rounded eyepice of the Leicas, but another prefered the Swaro rubber cups. Feel and fit is important to the user since the optics differ very little.