cummins cowboy
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2010
- Messages
- 361
first some background. for about the last 6 or 7 years I have used leica geovids. I have owned a total of 3 different units 2 of them were the non HD and the last ones I have owned were the HD. I looked forward to leicas new offering the HD b. I kept looking at them over and over again and was coming to the same conclusion. For my eyes they have a more pronounced green tint than even the models I used. Edge to edge view was worse than even my current units. the other things and probably most annoying was they just didn't seem to fit my eyes it was like the view in the very center was almost like I didn't have the barrels pushed together enough. There were also some quirky things with the ranging software that were a factor too. but the main thing was they just didn't seem like they were a match for me. That is why I switched to swaro.
after using RF binoculars I simply will never go back. so I switched to the 10x42 EL range. here are my impressions. The focus system is the best I have ever used by a mile. you have separate focus for each barrel. The other thing that is different is the display is in the same focal plan as the view. so you don't have to focus the display then focus the view like you do with the geovids. better still is the focus is locking. I think the focus setup is even better than a non RF unit. I have never had a binocular that is so accurately focused eye to eye as these units. The disadvantage to this is the display can be somewhat difficult to see at times. simply adjust your eye placement slightly and you can get a view of the readout. someone suggested fixed setting 4 on the brightness I found that to be the best overall setting over the auto brightness.
So how is the view??? pretty freaking good. I thought these units would be brighter than the geovids I used before. Yes they are brighter but its not a huge amount brighter. The biggest difference is clarity and sharpness. This is also something you really need to be in the field to see. in particular look into a bush or sage brush the image is much more defined. I suspect the focus system is partly a part of this. These also don't seem to just give up during last light like the leicas I had did.
lastly how does it range?? awesome!!!! these kick the living crap out my leica geovid hd's 1400 yd RF. I have pulled ranges to 1960 yards on hill sides. I get consistent ranges on just about anything to probably 1300-1400 yards. often times with the leics if I got over 700 yards I had to take quite a few readings to actually pick up a range. if its inside 1300 I get a range everytime the first time with the EL range. basically I finally have a rangefinder that is up to the task of ranging as far as I can realistically shoot at something. no more monkeying around taking 10 readings to get a range of 850 of something. with the el range generally if I can pull a range its ranges it the first time. there is one caveat. The el range from my understanding has a smaller beam than most RF units. this is good.....mostly however if you don't hold them steady its easier to pick up the wrong object the unit is ranging. I got this suggestion somewhere on the web, but it was extremely valuable. you need to check exactly where in the aiming box or in this case circle that your unit is measuring from. This guy suggested using a water tower in my case I used a radio tower and ranged the very top of it to figure out what was going on. aim the unit at the very edges of the aiming circle until you pick up a range. do this on all 4 sides of the aiming circle or box top bottom, left, right. I found on my unit the upper 1/4 of the aiming circle was where my units ranged from. This helps big time in making sure I am getting a good range on something. It helps me make sure and not range something behind the animal or pickup terrain in front of the animal. I also tend to know right away when I get the range if I feel it was a good reading. These units range on release of the button vs the push of the button on the leicas. I haven't decided which is easier to use. when I release the button it moves the unit slightly. maybe I need to get used to it more. I did pull off my longest kill on a coyote to date at 991 yards. I don't think I could have pulled a range that far on that particular coyote with the geovids I had. and if I did it would have taken 7 or 8 tries. overall I am pretty happy and these are a worthwhile upgrade over what I was using. I do miss the ballistic features and environment features that the geovid hd b has. maybe they will update the 1600 b with all these features and I would consider buying and carrying that for ranges that also need a firing solution.
after using RF binoculars I simply will never go back. so I switched to the 10x42 EL range. here are my impressions. The focus system is the best I have ever used by a mile. you have separate focus for each barrel. The other thing that is different is the display is in the same focal plan as the view. so you don't have to focus the display then focus the view like you do with the geovids. better still is the focus is locking. I think the focus setup is even better than a non RF unit. I have never had a binocular that is so accurately focused eye to eye as these units. The disadvantage to this is the display can be somewhat difficult to see at times. simply adjust your eye placement slightly and you can get a view of the readout. someone suggested fixed setting 4 on the brightness I found that to be the best overall setting over the auto brightness.
So how is the view??? pretty freaking good. I thought these units would be brighter than the geovids I used before. Yes they are brighter but its not a huge amount brighter. The biggest difference is clarity and sharpness. This is also something you really need to be in the field to see. in particular look into a bush or sage brush the image is much more defined. I suspect the focus system is partly a part of this. These also don't seem to just give up during last light like the leicas I had did.
lastly how does it range?? awesome!!!! these kick the living crap out my leica geovid hd's 1400 yd RF. I have pulled ranges to 1960 yards on hill sides. I get consistent ranges on just about anything to probably 1300-1400 yards. often times with the leics if I got over 700 yards I had to take quite a few readings to actually pick up a range. if its inside 1300 I get a range everytime the first time with the EL range. basically I finally have a rangefinder that is up to the task of ranging as far as I can realistically shoot at something. no more monkeying around taking 10 readings to get a range of 850 of something. with the el range generally if I can pull a range its ranges it the first time. there is one caveat. The el range from my understanding has a smaller beam than most RF units. this is good.....mostly however if you don't hold them steady its easier to pick up the wrong object the unit is ranging. I got this suggestion somewhere on the web, but it was extremely valuable. you need to check exactly where in the aiming box or in this case circle that your unit is measuring from. This guy suggested using a water tower in my case I used a radio tower and ranged the very top of it to figure out what was going on. aim the unit at the very edges of the aiming circle until you pick up a range. do this on all 4 sides of the aiming circle or box top bottom, left, right. I found on my unit the upper 1/4 of the aiming circle was where my units ranged from. This helps big time in making sure I am getting a good range on something. It helps me make sure and not range something behind the animal or pickup terrain in front of the animal. I also tend to know right away when I get the range if I feel it was a good reading. These units range on release of the button vs the push of the button on the leicas. I haven't decided which is easier to use. when I release the button it moves the unit slightly. maybe I need to get used to it more. I did pull off my longest kill on a coyote to date at 991 yards. I don't think I could have pulled a range that far on that particular coyote with the geovids I had. and if I did it would have taken 7 or 8 tries. overall I am pretty happy and these are a worthwhile upgrade over what I was using. I do miss the ballistic features and environment features that the geovid hd b has. maybe they will update the 1600 b with all these features and I would consider buying and carrying that for ranges that also need a firing solution.
