Need input on the new Leica Geovid hd bino/rangefinder

[6.5 Shaggy]

The title pretty much says it all. I have Swaro 8x30 Laserguide and 10x42 EL, but I'm tired of carrying both, so I'm thinking of trying the Leicas. Please, if anybody has any firsthand experience of ranging ability and glass quality, let me hear it. I usually limit hunting shots to 900 or less on hogs, but I will practice out past 1500, so those are my basic requirements.

Thanks for any help,
Shag

 

[ctso030]

I have a pair of cabelas euros 12x50 I think they are great. I have a few buddies with the leica 10x42 geovids. I have compared them side by side . the glass is really good. we all just got back from a Colorado hunt , and now I want a pair of the geovids because I found at longer distances it is hard to find an animal with my handheld leica 1600, its much easier and faster with the geovids. im thinking about the 15x56 geovids but looking for some reviews.

 

[farmerbrown]

Hi,

I've just read through all the materials and instructions from Leica for the Leica GEOVID HD-B and I must say I'm not impressed.

Not a serious tool for long-distance shooting - could have been ideal (I'm looking for a 2000 yd rangefinder in a binocular format with inclination) and these are a disappointment.

It can measure temp, pressure and inclination. That's the good bit.
But how you can use it? That's where it lets the side down a bit.

Some of the ballistic 'features' makes me wonder if they had a serious shooter in the product definition phase.

E.g. Why would you have a ballistic system that calculates 'clicks' for you to correct and includes only 5 cm and 10 cm 'clicks' (for metric scopes)? (this is 2 and 4 MOA).
They aren't clicks - they are CLUNKS! 1 and 2, I could understand.

What WOULD have been nice would be to point it at something and have it come up with the equivalent HORIZONTAL range.
(i.e. multiply the ranged distance by the COS of the angle of inclination).

E.g. point it at the base of a cliff and it says 1200 meters and point it 5 degrees up and it says equivalent = 1181 - that would have been cool.

Then you could plug that into your own ballistic computer in one step rather than gathering stuff off menus (outputs aren't all visible).

There are quite a few restrictions on this platform that seem nanny-state and lawyer averse.

You can load your own ballistic info into it, but it won't let you have more than one set "For safety reasons, i.e. to prevent confusion"!! What if you have two loads? Two rifles? Dumb.

And it limits the solution to 800 meters (a bit further for your own ballistic tables) "on safety grounds"!

Really - a nice piece of hardware, but could have been better on the S/W front. Could have been ideal.

I'm happy to be corrected if I have mis-read it - I haven't seen it in the flesh, but that's what the manual says (which I found a bit insulting to read)

Farmer

 

[farmerbrown]

Hi,

Of course, the cliff at 5 degrees would show more than 1200 but it would show 1200 equivalent distance for a level shot. But you know what I mean.

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[Dogtown]

Sounds like what you're really after is a pair of Vector IV binos.

 

[farmerbrown]

Hi,

Lots of overkill. I don't need 6Km. Don't want 1.7 KG.

I want a 2000 meter solid performer with inclinometer. Basically 50 range.

Should be doable in decent optics, binocular format, 8-10x.
Objective up to 42-46. For less than $2500.

Nobody seems to do it. Leica Geovid HD seem to have the h/w but it has issues.

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[Dogtown]

PLRF-10C will do 2km with inclinometer for a lot less than Vector IV, but still not within your budget. The digital magnetic compass option nearly doubles the price of the unit.

 

[farmerbrown]

Hi,

Yes, I've noticed that as well.

Well, not so much budget as what the price should be for the market.

Their pricing seems a bit away from reality.

Most mobile phones have a digital compass and inclinometer in them.

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[farmerbrown]

Update on the Leica:

Although their manual says "the clicks are to be specified - in 5 or 10 centimeter graduations" it probably means millimeters according to this website:
Leica Camera AG - Sport Optics - Geovid

They could probably add 1/8 MOA and 2cm to the existing click values.

 

[macfly]

When set to 10 for me it works out to clicks on my pmii at .1 mil rad /click.

 

[farmerbrown]

Ok then it means 10 mm = 1cm = 0.1. Mil


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