Leica Geovid HD-B Binoccular Clarity

I've just got off the phone to a fella who told me that he had a set of Bushnell Range Finding Binoculars, and, in order to be safe, all range finding binoculars (and monoculars) have to have a special coating added to the objective lenses, in order to prevent the laser beam from damaging the user's eyes!

He claimed that this coating 'greatly' reduced the performance of the lenses out beyond 800 or so yards, as the definition had dropped way off! So much so, that he didn't have them long before on selling them and going back to standard, non-range finding binos!

Having just sold my Leica Ultravid 10x42's, with the intent of purchasing the Leica Geovid 10x42-B Range finding Binoculars (which Ive done research on, however, never actually clapped eyes on in the flesh) and with the hefty price tag they command, I was a wee bit dubious as to weather they are a good thing or not!

Sure, we are talking Bushnells compared to Leica's here, however, has anyone else ever heard of this coating, and can anyone enlighten me as to weather the Leica Geovid's are coated and the lens performance effected by this also?

Sounds like he was trying to justify why his bushnells were so horrific

Bushnells + 800 yrds = performance loss to be expected

He may be regurgitating a comment he's received in an effort to justify their lack of performance.

Leica suffers no such loss i can assure you.

Has any of you heard of this coating he was on about?

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Originally Posted by Remington 5R .300 Win Mag

Has any of you heard of this coating he was on about?

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No, if they did have this "coating" it would only be on one tube as that's where the finder is.
Your mate has bushnells Id stop listening when he mentioned that.


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Nothing wrong with the 800+ performance of my bushys
Dude could just need glasses

Hmmm, think dude's got glasses!:cool:

Jam jar thick?

Range finder Binos don't have special coatings as far as I know, but the rangefinder mechanism can very slightly reduce the light transmission in one side (the one with the RF sensors in it) in some designs - obvious when you think about it, its splitting some light from that side. I don't know how the new Leica's RF are, but the reduction is in-detectable in my older Leica RF's.

I think its one of those things that is more theoretical than real.

I have a pair of 25 year old 10X42 Leica Ultravids and recently compared them with a near new pair of Geovids.
To my eyes the Ultravids did appear very slightly sharper but there was not much in it.
I could happily live with a pair of Geovids if I really needed the range finder function.

Since when did the laser shoot into the users eyes? Sure he was looking through the right end? :D maybe he was measuring how far to his nose?

I'm pretty sure "eye safety" depends on both the wavelength and the transmission power..

There are apparently some old Russian mil units out there that reach 35km but aren't exactly eye safe..

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Originally Posted by BobGibson

I have a pair of 25 year old 10X42 Leica Ultravids and recently compared them with a near new pair of Geovids.
To my eyes the Ultravids did appear very slightly sharper but there was not much in it.
I could happily live with a pair of Geovids if I really needed the range finder function.

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Interesting! If your Ultravids are 25 y/o, and slightly out perform the new Geovids, mine were 8 y/o, and they were the HD model! So the new Geovids must 'pale' in optical quality to the new Ultravid HD 'Plus' 10x42s then, aye?

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Originally Posted by Gibo

Since when did the laser shoot into the users eyes? Sure he was looking through the right end? :D maybe he was measuring how far to his nose?

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Dunno mate! Dude claimed the laser beam goes to target and then rebounds back to the unit (for reading) and 'BAAAM', you're screwed if you look at it without this special coating! I ain't sure of anything!

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Originally Posted by 6x47

I'm pretty sure "eye safety" depends on both the wavelength and the transmission power..

There are apparently some old Russian mil units out there that reach 35km but aren't exactly eye safe..

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The last thing they ever saw, you reckon?

My ultravids were refurbished by Leica and the comparison was done within a week or so of receiving them back from Germany.
So I guess optically they perform like new

From what I've heard, Yes the lenes in rangefinder bino's do have a different coating than standard bino's & opticly they are not quite as good, but to most people you would probably never really notice.

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Originally Posted by Philipo

From what I've heard, Yes the lenes in rangefinder bino's do have a different coating than standard bino's & opticly they are not quite as good, but to most people you would probably never really notice.

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I'd heard, about ten years or so ago, when I a mate and I were looking at buying bino's, that the range finding ones were not quite as good optically as the standard ones (ie Geovids Vs Ultravids) however, I'd never heard of this "special coating!"

I took my Ultra's down to my local Hunting and Fishing store last Saturday (the day before I sold them) in the bid that they had a set of the new Geo's in stock that I could compare them with, but they didn't so I guess I'll, I was gonna say "Die" not knowing the difference, but I'll amend that to "Buy" not knowing the difference, and hopefully, as you say, I'll never notice any difference! :)

Real world difference will probably be loose ability to see clearly at 2105 instead of 2108hrs

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Originally Posted by Nibblet

Real world difference will probably be loose ability to see clearly at 2105 instead of 2108hrs

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Wow! That's a huge deal aye?

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Originally Posted by Remington 5R .300 Win Mag

Wow! That's a huge deal aye?

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Guess it could be if a big stag walked out at that time

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[QUOTE=Nibblet;451237]Guess it could be if a big stag walked out at that time

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Schitt, you've just put me off buying them! :(

Also remember that putting a read out in the field of view also affects the optics, If you want the very best than stick with straight top of the line bino's but like I said before - most people won't notice any difference Zeiss, Lecia or Swavo's they are all grouse :cool:

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Originally Posted by Philipo

Also remember that putting a read out in the field of view also affects the optics, If you want the very best than stick with straight top of the line bino's but like I said before - most people won't notice any difference Zeiss, Lecia or Swavo's they are all grouse :cool:

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The guys that can tell the difference between Zeiss, Leica or Swavo's certainly wouldn't be using anything else..... because they are all grouse :cool:

i have a pair of Leica geovids hd-b 10x42. i know there better then my brothers minox HG 10x43, slightly crisper, the leicas work well way past 800plus yards, but from what i know the new ultravid hd are slightly clearer, i personally cant tell the difference but in the price range, would i buy a new set or hd-b's agen?................. nope not unless they were under $4000.

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Originally Posted by dale

i have a pair of Leica geovids hd-b 10x42. i know there better then my brothers minox HG 10x43, slightly crisper, the leicas work well way past 800plus yards, but from what i know the new ultravid hd are slightly clearer, i personally cant tell the difference but in the price range, would i buy a new set or hd-b's agen?................. nope not unless they were under $4000.

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Thanks for that. What did you pay for yours?

mine were an insurance replacement to a guy, who at first was told they weren't covered, so he went out a got a new pair, then he was told he would get a replacement pair and could not get a pay out so ended up with two pairs. i think i paid $3800 for them off him, it took me 3 weeks to decide weather or not to buy them, the bloody things are worth more then my current car haha but i should never have to buy anther pair of binos or a rangefinder ever agen............... I hope............

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Originally Posted by dale

mine were an insurance replacement to a guy, who at first was told they weren't covered, so he went out a got a new pair, then he was told he would get a replacement pair and could not get a pay out so ended up with two pairs. i think i paid $3800 for them off him, it took me 3 weeks to decide weather or not to buy them, the bloody things are worth more then my current car haha but i should never have to buy anther pair of binos or a rangefinder ever agen............... I hope............

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Oh, you got a good deal cobba, the cheapest I've seen them is $4,400, 'Hunting and Thieving' have got them listed in their latest catalogue for about $4,870, I believe! At the price you paid for them, you can afford to give an honest testimony!
Thanks.

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Originally Posted by dale

mine were an insurance replacement to a guy, who at first was told they weren't covered, so he went out a got a new pair, then he was told he would get a replacement pair and could not get a pay out so ended up with two pairs. i think i paid $3800 for them off him, it took me 3 weeks to decide weather or not to buy them, the bloody things are worth more then my current car haha but i should never have to buy anther pair of binos or a rangefinder ever agen............... I hope............

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I hope Murphy isn't watching

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when i was comparing priceing, i found dead eye dicks the cheapest if that is any help.

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Originally Posted by dale

when i was comparing priceing, i found dead eye dicks the cheapest if that is any help.

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Thanks mate, anything like that helps! :)

Check out Jacobs digital. Seem to have good prices on binos

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Originally Posted by Timmay

Check out Jacobs digital. Seem to have good prices on binos

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Thanks Timmay, they're the $4,400 one I mentioned earlier. At this stage, that's where I'll go! ;)

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Originally Posted by Remington 5R .300 Win Mag

I've just got off the phone to a fella who told me that he had a set of Bushnell Range Finding Binoculars, and, in order to be safe, all range finding binoculars (and monoculars) have to have a special coating added to the objective lenses, in order to prevent the laser beam from damaging the user's eyes!

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Let's think about this logically, if this "special coating" was required to protect the user's eyes, from what is reflected back from "the target", what is protecting the eyes of "the target" which will have a direct rather than reflected beam.

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Originally Posted by karearea

Let's think about this logically, if this "special coating" was required to protect the user's eyes, from what is reflected back from "the target", what is protecting the eyes of "the target" which will have a direct rather than reflected beam.

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I thought you said "logically"!

This is a "hunting" forum! The target is meat, mate, or soon to become meat... what is protecting the ass of the target once the .30 calibre projectile pierces it's hyde?

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Originally Posted by Remington 5R .300 Win Mag

I thought you said "logically"!

This is a "hunting" forum! The target is meat, mate, or soon to become meat... what is protecting the ass of the target once the .30 calibre projectile pierces it's hyde?

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My bad, I must have missed the bit in the manual that states you can only use LRFs for "hunting".

Finally got a set of these today, and MAN, there's a lot I can say I don't like about them! I haven't even got to check the quality of the lenses yet, as it was well after 6 PM when they arrived and it was already after dark!

Anyways, I set up my ballistic curves using one of the 12 pre-programmed ballistic curves (EU 3 I chose, that best suited my trajectory) then I went online, worked out my 'more precise' curve, transferred it to my Micro SD card and then placed it in the card slot in the battery housing, facing forward and seating it fully home (as per instructions)

I then proceeded to re-program the binos using the SD card and I can't find hide nor hair of the card in the menu anywhere! Question: At what stage of the game and whereabouts do I get to see this card show up in the menu so as I can set it to the online curve that I'd just programmed?

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Originally Posted by Remington 5R .300 Win Mag

Finally got a set of these today, and MAN, there's a lot I can say I don't like about them! I haven't even got to check the quality of the lenses yet, as it was well after 6 PM when they arrived and it was already after dark!

Anyways, I set up my ballistic curves using one of the 12 pre-programmed ballistic curves (EU 3 I chose, that best suited my trajectory) then I went online, worked out my 'more precise' curve, transferred it to my Micro SD card and then placed it in the card slot in the battery housing, facing forward and seating it fully home (as per instructions)

I then proceeded to re-program the binos using the SD card and I can't find hide nor hair of the card in the menu anywhere! Question: At what stage of the game and whereabouts do I get to see this card show up in the menu so as I can set it to the online curve that I'd just programmed?

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Problem sorted. I 'formatted' my Micro SD Card and loaded the Leica Ballistics information back onto it, and the binos went for it like kissing your sister!

The other thing I did was, the 'first' time I loaded up the information it said "Don't Rename the Drop File" (or words to that effect) and, not fully understanding what that meant and wanting to know exactly what calibre the ballistic information on the card was for, in order to avoid future confusion, I named it .30-06 Drop Curve (it was, or the program wanted to simply call it "drop") The second time around I simply left it as 'drop'! Now, I don't know if that made a difference or not, but anyway, all sorted now. :)

I might do my own online review of these things :)