Time marches on in the optics industry and the pace of new products been added to the already dizzying selection of
binoculars seems to be accelerating. Newer, brighter, sleeker, sharper continues to bombard us every day when it comes to
binoculars.
For an old, traditionalist like me, it's always nice to see a few old familiar faces still hanging on. One of these is the venerable
Leica 8x20 Trinovid compact binocular. No, I'm not talking about the newer
Leica Ultravid 8x20. As good as the new Ultravid is, I still like the Trinovid
compact binocular. Sure, the Ultravid has better eye relief, full waterproofing (the Trinovid is not waterproof), nicer focusing and perhaps a touch better optics as well. The Trinovid, though, is hardly a slouch. And for me, the Trinovid is an old friend. I have been using an 8x20
Trinovid since the early 90's. Waterproof or not, mine has been through rain, snow, sleet, heat and cold without a problem. With it, I have seen thousands of birds. It's always been there for me and, at one point in my life when I was trying to survive a personal and financial crisis, it was my only binocular. You simply cannot replace that kind of experience with a new binocular model, no matter how good.