Leica has a long history of building fine spotting scopes, and that tradition lives on in the APO Televid 82 scope. With a massive 82mm objective lens and a highly-adjustable 25-50x eyepiece, this sturdy scope delivers terrific images in even the toughest conditions.
Optics
Leica’s Televid has four fluorite-coated lens elements for maximum light yield. With a massive 82mm objective lens, the results are astonishing. This scope delivers a best-in-class picture that is simply unbeatable. Like the rest of the Televid’s design, the optics have been protected from any damage — a neutral glass shield protects the fluorite optics, and every piece of exposed glass has Leica’s AquaDura coating to shed water and dust.
The 25-50x wide-angle zoom eyepiece which is included with the scope is a tour-de-force in its own right. (Although like many of the latest eyepieces, it’s given up on 60x magnification.) The eyepiece attaches with a simple bayonet mount. It features 4 stable eyecup positions, each of which provides a full 19mm of eye relief. At this time Leica has not produced any alternative eyepieces, but the possibility is there for the future.
Construction
The Televid has a sturdy magnesium alloy body that’s fully coated with rubber armor for superior durability in the field. The included caps for the objective lens and the eyepiece mount are tight, with dual pinch clips, and they resist accidental dislodging very well. The large objective lens makes for a wide body at the end of the scope, with the diameter being roughly four inches in diameter.
Every part of the Leica APO Televid 82 is completely sealed against water and dust intrusion, and the manufacturer’s claim of the scope being waterproof is not just marketing hype. The Televid can handle complete submersion up to a depth of 16 feet without any adverse effects whatsoever.
Usage – With A Note On Digiscoping
Anyone who has used Leica’s older spotting scopes will be pleased to see that the manufacturer’s reliable dual focus adjustment system makes a return on this Televid. The two focus knobs are recessed and mounted in line with each other, making them easy to operate. The coarse adjustment is extremely speedy and the fine adjustment makes it easy to bring a target into perfect sharpness.
Spotting scopes are commonly combined with digital cameras today, a process known as digiscoping. The Leica APO Televid 82 is fully compatible with digital cameras, although it requires a separate digital adapter to get the best results. The official Leica adapter (the Digital Adaptor 3) costs $450, so users may be tempted to create their own, cheaper digiscoping rigs.
Advantages
- Unbeatable image quality. Bright, clear, highly immersive images with a wide field of view – even better than top-of-the-line Swarovski scopes.
- Tremendous versatility. In testing the Televid proved capable of bringing targets as close as 12 feet into sharp focus.
- Legendary Leica durability. The all-around optic coating and body armoring ensures that this scope will serve reliably for many years.
- Ease of use. The smooth focus adjustment, the angled eyepiece, and even the well-designed tripod mount all contribute to make the scope quick and easy to use in the field.
Drawbacks
- Cost. With a suggested retail price close to $4,000, this is not a scope for amateurs.
- Weight. With the eyepiece attached this scope weighs nearly 4.5 pounds. (It does have excellent balance, though.)
- No case included. Cautious users will want an extra layer of protection in the form of a case for this scope, adding another few hundred dollars to the price.
Conclusion
The APO Televid 82 is a clear reminder of why Leica deserves its place at the very top of the heap in optics and camera technology. It’s undoubtedly a pricey piece of equipment, but the quality it delivers in every respect justifies its cost. For serious spotters who want the best of the best, the Televid 82 is an excellent choice.