I got a new pair of Leica 8x32 BN's and I was comparing them in my family room looking at DVD's across the room to my Nikon Monarch's 8x42. I kept going back and forth. I feel the Leica's were a little bit sharper but the big difference was the Leica image seemed almost electric or much more alive and all the colors were more vivid. The Nikon in comparison was good but it was a much flatter duller image. The DVD's through the Leica's seemed to almost jump out at you. It kind of surprised me because I always thought the Nikons had a great image but in comparison to the Leica's it was kind of dead. What visual charteristic is this? Better contrast? It sure makes a difference. What binocular charteristic makes for better contrast? Coatings? The Leica BN's 8x32 are really overall an awesome binocular. Focus is not as smooth as say a Nikon LX L but what a view and what a nice size binocular and weight binocular these are. One of my favorite Top Gun binoculars.
Dennis
Greetings!
[QUOTE=denco@comcast.n]I got a new pair of Leica 8x32 BN's and I was comparing them ....
the Leica image seemed almost electric or much more alive and all the colors were more vivid. The Nikon in comparison was good but it was a much flatter duller image.....
What visual charteristic is this? Better contrast? It sure makes a difference. What binocular charteristic makes for better contrast? Coatings?...[/QUOTE]
What you are describing is hard to quantify - it is probably a combination of several optical factors at work. The "Vibrance" you describe is something that I've only seen with Leica Trinovids, which is why they remain my favorite binoculars even with the arrival of the more recent Ultravid models.
Comparing my Leica 7x42 Trinovid BN's to other binoculars always seems to re-affirm this (at least to my eyes) and never ceases to make me smile. While the newer Ultravids are DEFINITELY brighter and seem to have better dynamic range of color, something about the older Trinovids just seems more "vibrant" and "electric" to me somehow - bringing the scene to life like no other optics I've ever examined. My personal theory is that the Trinovid coatings combined with the older non-"eco friendly" glass optical properties combine in a way that just "works" somehow. I'd be happy to hear other forum members theories on this...
Best wishes,
Bawko