What is 🧝Legolas' visual acuity at long range?

[pgt]

I remember reading some fantastical visual capabilities in the books - Obviously his (as well as elves in general I presume) acuity is well beyond 20/20. I'm just curiuos what kind of visual feats he's accomplished. What size objects has he been able to see at what kinds of distances?

thanks!
-T

 

[Burb]

he could see the ents heading to isengard form a fair distance (of course he didnt know what they were)

 

[BlackCaptain]

He could see a faint light (very faint) on the walls of Mordor when he was at Edoras... At first i thought that it was the Phial of Galadriel, but that hadn't happened yet...(shelob). Does anyone know what that was?

 

[pgt]

You're saying he spotted 'lights' (as in lanterns or fires) or the actual walls of the black gate from Edoras at what, couple few hundred miles?

I think he spotted orcs (though he could only make out 'persons' running at something like 10 miles during the death march.

thanks,
-T

 

[BlackCaptain]

Also, when Aragorn tried to figure if any horses were coming, and had to listen to the earths vibrations to find out, Legolas had already counted 105, two riderless

 

[Mirabella]

I don't have my books right now to look this up to verify, but somebody (Gandalf?) describes Legolas as being able to tell a finch from a sparrow at two leagues distance, or roughly five miles.

 

[BlackCaptain]

wow. I wish i could do that. Well then, weve established his long vision acuracy!

 

[krash8765]

does that mean all elves have that astonishing eyesight?

 

[Mithlond]

Legolas also saw eagles circling (the fields of Rohan i think) high in the sky, yet when Aragorn looked up he saw nothing.

 

[Brytta]

Legolas describes Edoras and Meduseld in great detail from the Plains of Rohan as well.

 

[Mirabella]

Originally posted by krash8765
does that mean all elves have that astonishing eyesight?

It does. Gandalf or Aragorn mentions Legolas having "the keen eyesight of your fair kindred", so it would seem all Elves have this gift.

 

[Theoden_king]

It's just another way of making elves more perfect. Stupid elves stupid, stupid elves

 

[Ancalagon]

Originally posted by pgt
I remember reading some fantastical visual capabilities in the books - Obviously his (as well as elves in general I presume) acuity is well beyond 20/20. I'm just curiuos what kind of visual feats he's accomplished. What size objects has he been able to see at what kinds of distances?

thanks!
-T

Good God almighty, what a truly horrible and yet fascinatingly difficult question I will stand back and allow TTF optician to have a crack at this one!

 

[pgt]

Well come on "TTF optician" ... inquiring minds want to know. I'd like to know where Legolas fits between the red-tailed hawks I have regularly visiting my home every year 100s of feet overhead and the cold-war optical spy satellites that may still circle overhead.

I'm pretty sure field glasses will not equate. I doubt a good super long range rifle scope of the type you might afix to a .244 would even be in this rarified air. I'm thinking nothing short of a larger tripod mounted telescope could see such things at such distances... ?

Does anybody have any good examples of Legolas' vision acuity that make reference to distance and size of object???

thanks,
-T

 

[Baranlas]

Originally posted by Theoden_king
It's just another way of making elves more perfect. Stupid elves stupid, stupid elves

yep there too perfect, with all immortallity and eyesight

but then again im superior to my lil brother lol
well my eyesights rubbish