Leica Silverline 8 x 8 x Roof Monocular Monovid – Monoculars (35.5, 97.9 mm; 35.5 mm; 112 g, 5 m)

I have the all black version of this monocular. Firstly it is a typical Leica product, well made both mechanically and optically. However you will be paying for this reputation - It is expensive and I would say it definitely falls into the luxury category for a small monocular. I wanted a compact well made monocular to carry at all times and if you don’t use the fairly large and beautiful leather case supplied, it fits this criteria. They say the best binoculars are the one’s you have with you, I have missed bird sightings on numerous occasions because I couldn’t be bothered carrying my binoculars, not now. The Leica only comes with a wrist strap, which I have replaced with a neck strap, it also doesn’t have a front cap - I made one from an old 35mm film canister. For the price it should come with these items, especially you aren’t using the case. The close up lens is secured in the Leica case so I have made a compact container to carry it without the case. In use the image appears sharp to the edge, but don’t be surprised as I was to find my £40 Opticron 10x25 monocular wasn’t too far behind it - the law of diminishing returns, my Swarovski compact 10x25 binoculars optically knock spots of the Leica, even when looking through one lens. It maybe that the 10x magnification gives the perception of being sharper than the Leica. The monovid is lovely small telescope, which is a nice object to own. 8x magnification is slightly easier to hand hold and although not ideal I use it mainly for bird spotting and it is probably easier to get on a bird than with with the 10x. However bear in mind it won’t have a particularly wide field of view or brightness in lower light due to it’s compact design - it also has a narrow area of focus making it slightly difficult to quickly get perfect focus, again this is a result of a compact design. It’s horses for courses - great for having with you at all times, however I sometimes find my self wanting a bit more magnification. You can get a good enough monocular for a lot less but not quite as lovely as this one!