Leica spotter reviews? APO-Televid

[outward]

Hard to find any reviews of the Leica spotter and I can't figure out why. Anybody have feedback on the Leica APO-Televid spotter? Dying for some intel. The specs look good and I'm assuming the Leica quality glass/construction, so I haven't figured out why it isn't more popular. Specs:

25-50 x 82mm
52 oz (10+ oz lighter than other 80mm alphas)
12.9" length (short)
$3,500 for the 82mm objective and 25-50 eyepiece

I'm finally biting the bullet on an alpha spotter and have run Leica for my binos and rangefinder. Nothing but love for the Leica products so far. Also considering Swaro and Zeiss as well as Maven. What am I missing about the Leica?

 

[gr8fuldoug]

Have you also considered Kowa and Meopta Meostar?

 

[outward]

I haven't yet, but I'll look into those. Any recommendations on what models would be comparable? Thanks

 

[gr8fuldoug]

The Meostar 82mm and the Kowa 88 are 2 of the finest scopes made

 

[outward]

The Meostar 82mm and the Kowa 88 are 2 of the finest scopes made

I'll look those up. Thanks.

Anybody have experience or thoughts about the Leica APO-Televid?

 

[Broomd]

The Meopta is a damn fine optic but might not be in the same best-of-the-best league as the Swarovski, Leica, or even Kowa 880 series.. Zeiss's Harpia is also top tier and deserves consideration.

Leica is as good as any of the alphas. The knock on Leica's offerings has been their service department, which according to many has improved over the last couple of years.
I've had many Leica products including several of their APO spotters and consider them to be stellar.

It begs the question though, why deal with any manufacturer other than Swarovski who offers what is simply the best customer service of any optic company out there? And their pre-ATX HD scopes and the ATX series are equal to the Leica APO offerings in every way performance-wise.

It's hard to go wrong with either, they are amazing glass.

 

[OakStuddedAcres]

There are several reviews online, most are on bird websites.

Here are a few good comparison reviews on the Leica APO.

Best of the Best 65mm Spotting Scope Review

Best of the Best 65mm Spotting Scope Review- by Jason Wright If you’ve ever hunted mule deer out west, you understand the importance of a quality spotting scope. A quality spotter can save you miles of hiking and literally change the way you hunt. But none of that matters if you leave the scope...

blog.sandsarchery.com

Travel Scopes Review 2014 - by Michael and Diane Porter

www.birdwatching.com

 

[TravKatQ]

Hard to find any reviews of the Leica spotter and I can't figure out why. Anybody have feedback on the Leica APO-Televid spotter? Dying for some intel. The specs look good and I'm assuming the Leica quality glass/construction, so I haven't figured out why it isn't more popular. Specs:

25-50 x 82mm
52 oz (10+ oz lighter than other 80mm alphas)
12.9" length (short)
$3,500 for the 82mm objective and 25-50 eyepiece

I'm finally biting the bullet on an alpha spotter and have run Leica for my binos and rangefinder. Nothing but love for the Leica products so far. Also considering Swaro and Zeiss as well as Maven. What am I missing about the Leica?

I have a swaro 95mm for sale in the optics classifieds at a steal...one of the best spotters out there hands down!


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[tater]

I have run the 82APO for almost three years now. It is a great piece of optics, and i had a three week turn time from Germany when i sent the eyepiece in for warranty (the eye-cup came off due to using an inferior product for digiscoping). There used to be a Canadian repair center for Leica, but it is no longer in operation, so they requested that the unit go back to Germany.

The warranty process was painless and Leica was great to deal with (even though it was my fault, there was no charge for the repair).

To my eyes, i prefer it to the Swaro and while the Meopta S2 is a great scope (it runs with the "big three" so closely it should be the "big four") it is still not the Leica (to my eyes).

I would buy the scope again in a heartbeat.

 

[TheCougar]

Check Kifarucast. I seem to remember them discussing spotters on a several of their podcasts, including at least one dedicated episode. I recall that Snyder liked the Leica the most and ran it over the Swaro. I don’t remember exactly what model or objective size it was, however. I’ve also talked with Cody at gohunt and he recommended the Leica as the best spotter, with the Swaro ATX a close second. I’ve heard the same about Leica CS- it sucked, but they are improving. Still might be tough to choose Leica over Swaro, however. I love my Swaro optics and have had good experience with their CS.

 

[fatbacks]

I actually bought a used 65 APO angled spotter from @Broomd on here several years ago. It is an insanely good spotter. I have had it beside several Swaro's and a Zeiss in the field. With the big three there is basically no difference in clarity - they are all awesome. The biggest difference in my opinion is field of view at all magnifications. It seems like what you see in the Zeiss is significantly bigger than both the Swaro's and the Zeiss - especially while zoomed all the way in.

Things I like:
-the 1.8x extender has been amazing when atmospheric conditions align. Saves me a ton of walking while sheep hunting
-Relatively light weight compared to others. I think Kowas are lighter though
-Field of view at all magnifications seems superior to all other scopes I've looked through.

Critiques:
-65mm gets pretty dark at twilight. I am pretty sure it is because of the smaller objective lens. I want to eventually get the 82mm body when weight will be less of an issue.
-Not as light as the Kowa scopes
-Aftermarket cases and accessories is more limited than other brands.

As far as service, I had a software issue with my Geovids this fall and they were extremely helpful and I had a new pair overnighted to me when the problem wasn't fixed. Routine service on spotters did take about 10 weeks several years back.

Hope this helps.

 

[fatbacks]

Also, @gr8fuldoug chimed in earlier here. He hooked me up with a great deal on Leica binos. I am sure he could do the same with a spotter. Worth giving him a call.

 

[outward]

Thank you all! Super helpful. Lot of good options here but I keep coming back to the Leica especially reading the positive reviews now. I've always loved the "look" through Leica glass for color/contrast. The specs for weight and size are icing on the cake. Surprised there is such a difference. Here's a screenshot of my spreadsheet for anyone interested. Let me know if you see something that isn't correct.

Much appreciated.

 

[TheCougar]

Damn. The Leica 82 only weighs 52oz? That’s crazy. I think that would seal the deal right there. Anyone want to spot me $3500? I promise to write a full review on Rokslide!

 

[outward]

Damn. The Leica 82 only weighs 52oz? That’s crazy. I think that would seal the deal right there. Anyone want to spot me $3500? I promise to write a full review on Rokslide!

Yea the weight and short 12.9" length pretty well set the hook for me. Full pound lighter than the Swaro 85 and 24oz lighter than the Zeiss 85. If customer service is improved as others have noted, then this checks every box for me. Even $500+ cheaper than the Swaro or Zeiss.

I used a Maven S.1A last week on a Pronghorn hunt and that's now the only other consideration I have (just to save coin). The Maven was impressive, but I wish I'd had the Leica there to compare.

 

[Broomd]

Thank you all! Super helpful. Lot of good options here but I keep coming back to the Leica especially reading the positive reviews now. I've always loved the "look" through Leica glass for color/contrast. The specs for weight and size are icing on the cake. Surprised there is such a difference. Here's a screenshot of my spreadsheet for anyone interested. Let me know if you see something that isn't correct.

Much appreciated.

+1.......What is good to your eyes is what is most important! If the others don't offer that comfort, color and contrast stick with what does. Sounds like you're a Leica guy!

 

[outward]

Yea the weight and short 12.9" length pretty well set the hook for me. Full pound lighter than the Swaro 85 and 24oz lighter than the Zeiss 85. If customer service is improved as others have noted, then this checks every box for me. Even $500+ cheaper than the Swaro or Zeiss.

I used a Maven S.1A last week on a Pronghorn hunt and that's now the only other consideration I have (just to save coin). The Maven was impressive, but I wish I'd had the Leica there to compare.

Anybody have a APO-Televid 82 with the 25-50 eyepiece handy? And a scale? I'm reading some discrepancies online about what the weight actually is. Anywhere from the published 52oz to 79oz. This has me thinking the weight spec really was too good to be true.

Any chance somebody can weigh it and settle this?

 

[OakStuddedAcres]

I think Leica published it wrong because the weight listed in this thread is lighter than the 65. Hopefully someone can weigh theirs.

 

[fatbacks]

I would just verify that that’s the length/weight of just the body or the body+eye piece


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[fatbacks]

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