Leica Geovid HD-B 10x42 Range Finding Binoculars

[rookhawk]

FYI, I was looking at them in a Sportsman's Warehouse. The salesman said I might want to wait a few months because Both Nikon and Vortex are coming out with their versions.

I'm not sure any such product will come out? A firm called Gunwerks makes laser range finders. They hold the patents. They I believe are the only range device that can calculate your load based on: altitude, angle, velocity, wind, barometric pressure, BC, grain weight, and other factors. Gunwerks makes a 7x power monacle rangefinder. They license their tech exclusively to Leica. For those reasons, I don't think anybody else can make a firing solution calculator.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Could be Rookhawk. That's just what I was told. Maybe the salesman didn't know they didn't calculate range by all those parameters?

 

[rookhawk]

@Ridgewalker as far as I know, rangefinders can do actual and ehr distances. To do "firing solutions" you need to lease gunwerks patents.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Sounds like I don't need to wait for the Nikon or Vortex. I think I'll just go ahead and order the Leica. It sounds like it would be really good for a prairie dog spotter.

Thanks for the info!

 

[rinehart0050]

I'm a customer of a $3200 pair of binoculars, not the Leica Management Life Coach.

Classic.

Glad you got your binos.

It really is unfortunate to hear about what can really only be described as horrendous customer service. When it comes to ultra high end, ultra premium products, I typically expect exceptional customer service to be part of the package. Especially on binos/RF that cost 3k. It's so strange and unfortunate that a premium company can't figure simple customer service out that much of the more mainstream/affordable companies in this field handle without issue. I constantly hear of the great customer service at Leopold. I've been very happy with customer service at Nightforce and Vortex.

Leica may have locked in a small niche market for now via patents, but that will only last so long. And each bad customer service experience has the potential of loosing them another customer. Forever.

 

[JGRaider]

Nikon and Vortex are indeed coming out with LRF binos. Vortex's is called the Fury. I also agree with rinehart, as I will never buy Leica anything .

http://www.vortexoptics.com/category/fury_binoculars

 

[rookhawk]

Nikon and Vortex are indeed coming out with LRF binos. Vortex's is called the Fury. I also agree with rinehart, as I will never buy Leica anything .

http://www.vortexoptics.com/category/fury_binoculars

Reread my post. All these do is tell you how far away. They cannot give a firing solution.

Example: Last day of a safari. First bushbuck found in 14 days. He is at 345 yards and we can't get closer. I have a 375HH. Solve for PI. The Leica told me hold 16" high. Bang, flop.

Other than gunwerks, no other product is licensed to do that. I don't shoot long range usually and don't have drop charts in my pocket nor would the bushbuck have waited for me to create a manual firing solution.

 

[JGRaider]

Reread my post. All these do is tell you how far away. They cannot give a firing solution.

Example: Last day of a safari. First bushbuck found in 14 days. He is at 345 yards and we can't get closer. I have a 375HH. Solve for PI. The Leica told me hold 16" high. Bang, flop.

Other than gunwerks, no other product is licensed to do that. I don't shoot long range usually and don't have drop charts in my pocket nor would the bushbuck have waited for me to create a manual firing solution.

I put custom yardage dials on most of my rifles. Get a range, dial the yardage or use holdover on reticle, shoot. Takes all of 10 seconds. I don't need a LRF to tell me how to hold for elevation, especiallya $3000 one with schittty warranties and CS.

 

[rookhawk]

I put custom yardage dials on most of my rifles. Get a range, dial the yardage or use holdover on reticle, shoot. Takes all of 10 seconds. I don't need a LRF to tell me how to hold for elevation, especiallya $3000 one with schittty warranties and CS.

Yep. There are hundreds of options that will do that. No need to wait for another product that does the same thing.

 

[wesheltonj]

Well, I use my $3k Leica Binoculars and up pops the number of clicks, to turn on my Leica Rifle Scope and assuming I don't jerk the shot. Lead or Lead Substitute is down range on. Now if I can just learn to "dope the wind" and can turn the windage dial too.

 

[JGRaider]

Yep. There are hundreds of options that will do that. No need to wait for another product that does the same thing.

Except that the Vortex will have a lifetime warranty on the binocular AND rangefinder, not just the binocular itself. Nobody else does that, period.

 

[wesheltonj]

Except that the Vortex will have a lifetime warranty on the binocular AND rangefinder, not just the binocular itself. Nobody else does that, period.

A lifetime warranty is only a lifetime if the company is still in business. Not saying that Vortex or any other company is in trouble, just the a lifetime is only as good as the financial strength of the company.

Leica in business since 1914, Zeiss 1846, Swarovski 1949.

 

[JGRaider]

Leica will be the first to go bankrupt....they were close to it already if you remember. Vortex isn't going anywhere, as they are a huge success story. I do not own any Vortex products, but this one is tempting.

 

[wesheltonj]

Yes Leica Camera AG, was close. They did not see that digital was the next generation of photography. Rebadging Panasonic cameras and making some software changes saved the company. But thats long behind them. In fact, think they only have one film camera left. Current ownship and management have turned the corner long ago. I doubt that today that Leica would be the first to go.

That said they are still like other European companies, that still do not understand the USA market. Bang & Olufsen is another.

 

[JGRaider]

Good point......none of the euro makers totally understand it, as evidenced by the much too thin wire reticles in numerous euro scopes. Leica's USA marketing team is really abysmal though. I'm involved in G&O programs with Leupold, Zeiss, Swaro, and Meotpa. I'm not involved with Leica by my choice, as after visiting with them several times I found them to be the most clueless of the whole bunch.