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Old 08-17-2018, 10:28 AM
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Dean2 Dean2 is online now
 
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Default Leica Binnoculars

Found a good deal here on AO for a new in box CRF 2000B range finder to replace mt 12 year old CRF 1200 Scan model. I am a long term huge fan of Leica optics. For my eyes, nothing else comes close for brightness and resolution. It has however been a very long time since I had to buy a pair of Leica Binoculars. I know a number of you on here are Leica fans too. Where have you found the best prices on Leica gear. So far best Canadian Prices I have found is Pelee Wings out of Ontario. http://www.peleewings.ca/content.php...D=3&sectionID=

Has anyone found better prices elsewhere or in the states. If they will ship direct great, if not I can have them shipped to a U.S. address.
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Old 08-17-2018, 10:46 AM
marky_mark marky_mark is offline
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Omer at precision optics is great
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Old 08-17-2018, 10:51 AM
Ronji Ronji is offline
 
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Default Leica Binnoculars

My eyes are getting old, and I'm in the process of upgrading to Leica.
If you own a set, what model do you have? Likes and dislikes (if any)
Thanks for your input
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Old 08-17-2018, 11:20 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronji View Post
My eyes are getting old, and I'm in the process of upgrading to Leica.
If you own a set, what model do you have? Likes and dislikes (if any)
Thanks for your input
I have used the Monocular Range finder, CRF 1200. They have great glass, far better than most top end binos. I also have an old set of Ultravids, before the HD or Plus versions came out. The only thing I don't like about Leica is the price. Other than that they are an outstanding piece of glass and workmanship.

I like the Swaro almost as well, and far better than the Zeiss. In fact I would take a set of Monarch 7s, about $600, long before Zeiss and about on par with the Swaro. However, everyone's eyes are different and for some people the Zeiss or Swaro are better. You really have to take them out and try them side by side over a couple of days to truly decide which are the right ones for you. Good sellers like McBains and London drugs will let you bring them back for various periods, so charge the three or four you want to compare to your Visa, try them out, keep the one you like, and bring back the rest. Make sure you tell the store what you plan to do and put it on the bill so there is no hassles later and be very careful to keep them pristine so they have no issues reselling them.

Make sure to take a set of Nikon Monarch 7s along as counterbalance. Many of my friends can see NO difference between Leica HDs and the Monarch 7s so for them spending another $2000 on top is a pure waste of money.
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Old 08-18-2018, 06:30 AM
Beeman3 Beeman3 is offline
 
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In the U.S. i would look at Camera Land and Euro Optic. They usually have good prices/demo models.
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Old 08-18-2018, 08:36 AM
pikeslayer22 pikeslayer22 is offline
 
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I bought a pair of geovids last year from pellee wings best price I could find. Disappointed with the ranging abilities but like the glass.
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Old 08-18-2018, 08:56 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Beeman3 View Post
In the U.S. i would look at Camera Land and Euro Optic. They usually have good prices/demo models.
Thanks for the idea. Checked both, even without exchange they are almost as much in U. S. dollars as it is to buy them in Canadian dollars. The closest I can find to Canadian prices so far is to buy them out of South Africa. If our dollar goes back to 11 to one they will be just a bit cheaper than buying them here in Canada, but not enough to make me go that far.

I also checked out E-Bay and Amazon, for new they are more than the dealers and most of the used is listed very close to what you can find a new one for. Must be in no rush to sell.

Appreciate all the help so far. Am going down to talk to Bob at McBains and see what they can do for me. He did real well for me on a new Water and Dust resistant Pentax DSLR a few months ago for my trip to Africa so well worth talking to him again.
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Old 08-18-2018, 08:58 AM
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Lefty-Canuck Lefty-Canuck is offline
 
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There was a camera shop in downtown Calgary that I got my non-HD 10x42 Geovids at for $1699. CAD

I can remember the name but I think they face the Bow River.

LC
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Old 08-18-2018, 09:12 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pikeslayer22 View Post
I bought a pair of geovids last year from pellee wings best price I could find. Disappointed with the ranging abilities but like the glass.
I could range Impala and Springbock to 950 yards very easily and they are both very small animals. They also range direct into bright sun, through windshields to 600 or so yards and things like that. No other range finder I ever tried would range as fast and far as the Leicas with little work. Guys that hunt professionally are amazed at how well the Leicas range.

If yours is not ranging well and according to what the specs say I would send them back to Leica for repair. There is the very occasional factory fault in some of the range finders where the laser isn't properly calibrated. Fast and easy fix.
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Old 08-18-2018, 11:57 AM
LJalberta LJalberta is offline
 
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If they carry it, Wild Bird General Store in Edmonton will match other in-store and online prices. I know they carry Nikon and Swarovski, but I'm not sure about Leica. It'd be worth a call though!
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  #11  
Old 08-19-2018, 06:02 PM
sillyak sillyak is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dean2 View Post
I have used the Monocular Range finder, CRF 1200. They have great glass, far better than most top end binos. I also have an old set of Ultravids, before the HD or Plus versions came out. The only thing I don't like about Leica is the price. Other than that they are an outstanding piece of glass and workmanship.

I like the Swaro almost as well, and far better than the Zeiss. In fact I would take a set of Monarch 7s, about $600, long before Zeiss and about on par with the Swaro. However, everyone's eyes are different and for some people the Zeiss or Swaro are better. You really have to take them out and try them side by side over a couple of days to truly decide which are the right ones for you. Good sellers like McBains and London drugs will let you bring them back for various periods, so charge the three or four you want to compare to your Visa, try them out, keep the one you like, and bring back the rest. Make sure you tell the store what you plan to do and put it on the bill so there is no hassles later and be very careful to keep them pristine so they have no issues reselling them.

Make sure to take a set of Nikon Monarch 7s along as counterbalance. Many of my friends can see NO difference between Leica HDs and the Monarch 7s so for them spending another $2000 on top is a pure waste of money.

Can't see a difference between an Ultravid and a Monarch 7????

The outer half of the 7's FOV is a mess. I've always recommended avoiding the 7, it has a wide FOV, but it is not well corrected.

Everyone's eyes are different, and some are not sensitive to certain aberrations, but the 7 is full of them.

Army Navy in Whitefish used to be the place to buy Leica, before the dollar capped the bed.

Last edited by sillyak; 08-19-2018 at 06:21 PM.
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Old 08-19-2018, 06:40 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sillyak View Post
Can't see a difference between an Ultravid and a Monarch 7????

The outer half of the 7's FOV is a mess. I've always recommended avoiding the 7, it has a wide FOV, but it is not well corrected.

Everyone's eyes are different, and some are not sensitive to certain aberrations, but the 7 is full of them.

Army Navy in Whitefish used to be the place to buy Leica, before the dollar capped the bed.
Just wondering how you know what Dean's eyes see? I think he was clear in saying everyone's eyes are different, which is true. I am pretty sure if you put on my reading glasses they wouldn't be helpful.
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Old 08-19-2018, 06:42 PM
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Dean, give Omer at Precision Optics a call. I bought a Leica scope off him a while back and his price was the best. Tell him you are a regular on AO. He is a sponsor, so I bet he does right by you. Forget email. Call.
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Old 08-19-2018, 06:44 PM
Smokinyotes Smokinyotes is offline
 
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I had a a set of Zeiss for about a month till one of the eye pieces buggered up. Took them back and bought Leica Trinovids. They are great but wishing now I bought Geovids.
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Old 08-19-2018, 07:09 PM
sillyak sillyak is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sns2 View Post
Just wondering how you know what Dean's eyes see? I think he was clear in saying everyone's eyes are different, which is true. I am pretty sure if you put on my reading glasses they wouldn't be helpful.
Aberrations, correction and distortion can be quantitatively measured. For sure some people are less/more sensitive to different imperfections and some people don't notice what other people find glaringly obvious. Nonetheless they are there. Even if you dont notice them at first, it may make a big difference trying to pick antlers out of willow brush 10 minutes from legal light. I didn't mean to come off as an optics snob, but there is a reason for paying the big $$$$.
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Old 08-19-2018, 09:38 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sillyak View Post
Can't see a difference between an Ultravid and a Monarch 7????

The outer half of the 7's FOV is a mess. I've always recommended avoiding the 7, it has a wide FOV, but it is not well corrected.

Everyone's eyes are different, and some are not sensitive to certain aberrations, but the 7 is full of them.

Army Navy in Whitefish used to be the place to buy Leica, before the dollar capped the bed.
If I couldn't see the difference I sure would have never paid the price for Ultravids. I am not stupid and elitist or wasteful. That said, I stick by my original comment, some of my friends cannot discern a difference that is worth $2,000 to them. Some can, some can't. Isn't about being a snob, incompetent or anything else, it really is about the difference in people's eyes. One of the reasons Babe Ruth was such a great home run hitter was his eyesight. He could see a fastball doing 98 miles an hour in ways most other humans can't. It allowed him to hit in a way few other humans ever have or will.

Shane

Will call Omer. Bob from McBains also called me and is setting up a meet with the Leica rep to look at the newest stuff they have including the newest Noctovids. Should be able to work out a deal with one of the two from what I am seeing. Also stuck and ad in the buy sell to see if anyone has some great used stuff for sale. Thanks to all for the leads on great prices.
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