An interesting site

[leicaeddy]

An interesting site about binoculars: http://www.bosma.com.cn/EN/Exhibit2/typelist.asp?cid=3

I have no relationship with that company. Don't ask me where to buy them or their qualities, I don't know. Just an interesting site for you to kill your spare time. B (:

[Andrew Rowlands]

Yes Eddy - most of your spare time could be spent waiting for their pages to load.

I'd guess you could sell a pair of your Leicas and have change after buying a dozen or two of the products on these pages;- their 'Premium Range' seems to consist of pairs of roof prism bins with 1.3MP digicams attached!

Interesting? Well - yes - but only just ...

Andy.

[Robert Ellis]

Everything they are selling is the same as what is already available from certain lines in the Celestron, Pentax, Eagle Optics, Bushnell, Tasco, etc. group that originates from the largest optics maker in China. I like to explore sites like this because it can give one insight into the relationships between brands.

[leicaeddy]

Yes, its premium line seems ridiculous to me too as the word "premium" should be reserved for higher grade binoculars. However, look at the models provided and you may start to think more on the global optical industry. Leica/Swarvoski/Zeiss are good. However, IMHO, sometimes it is interesting to see other stuff to refresh our mind how excellent the European binoculars are. AFAIK, Nikon Monarch (/w phase coated) , Celestron Nobleand Minolta Activa (/w phase coated) are made in China.

Will I sell my Leica (10x50BR) for these toys? Definitely not. Will I be tempted to buy one or two of them for testing? Probably not.

For those who are interested in similar sites, I would like to recommend http://www.aoi.com.cn/english/index.htm. This company is said to be more serious on their products. Again, I didn't try their products b4.

One more thing. In 60's intercontinental missiles were mass-produced like sausages in Red Russia. Today, binoculars are mass-assembled from the factory line like sausages in "Red" China. This year numerous new models will launch into market. I really wonder if the market is really that big.

BTW, China is still a developing country. The network infrastructure is still far far inferior to western counterparts. (Forget about skyscrapers in Shanghai, it's just a model city.) Hope you won't mind the slow transmission rate.

[Robert Ellis]

The production end of the market is tiny, there are less than about a dozen active bino factories is Asia that turn out binoclars sold under a hundred or so different brands.

You are correct about the Monarch, Noble, Activa and you can add the waterprrof Olympus, the EO Ranger, and the new Swift Ultralight roofs to that list. All the same binocular.

[leicaeddy]

Waterproof Olympus, do u mean EXWPI? (called Magellan in Amr) The full sized models are made in Japan and the compact models are made in China.

[Robert Ellis]

Some of the models in this related group are assembled in Japan using parts from the same Chinese outfit. That way they can stamp the "Made in Japan" logo on it. QC is probably a bit higher, but who knows as Chinese manufacturing is coming along swimmingly.