Leica Geovid R 8x42 Rangefinder verrekijker

Having already had two returns for various reasons, one Minox and one Swaro, I decided to "play safe" with a binocular I already knew, having owned an original Ultravid HD a few years ago. What a mistake that turned out to be. The old model had a lovely, classy texture, as should these if you look at the image presented in the advertising. Imagine my horror when I took it out of the box to discover it now has a smooth, soft rubber armour that is covered in a white powdery residue. I should have taken a photo, but I was so disgusted, it went back in the box at the speed of light! I don't doubt that the optics are still top-notch, but I don't care when the binocular looks like something you might pick up at a car boot sale. Shame on you, Leica.

Good Points: Beautifully bright Depth of focus Image clarity Let a mate use them who went "wow!" when he looked through them. I am really pleased I bought them Improvement Points: Nothing really. Bit heavier than I am used to, but that's great lenses for you. Slightly clumsy dust shields as others have noted.

Good Points: Easy to hold and very comfortable initially they felt a bit heavy but after some use they feel great Improvement Points: Adjusting of the strand and the eye piece covers are a bit clumsy

Good Points: Excellent glass and construction as you would expect from Leica and other top brands. What swung it for me was the quality of my Leica rangefinder I have had fro some years and the fact that Leica give back to shooting with the Leica Experience Day. Improvement Points: I got a good deal but the price of quality binoculars is way too high IMO. That's across the board with the quality brands, not unique to Leica.

Good Points: Excellent ergonomics, high quality optics and perfect for bird watching. High end binocular suitable for serious birder and watchers Improvement Points: A bit heavy and bit bulkier. Focus adjustable a bit difficult with close image clearly.