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New Nikon Venturers (1 Viewer)

Donzo98

Well-known member
Hi Everyone...

I just noticed that B&H Photo in NYC now lists the new Venturers. They are listed as special order only (likely because they are not yet available). No specs given either. Does anyone know for sure if there were any changes other than the weight??

Prices are as follows in USD:

Nikon 8x32 LX (new version)... 899.95
Nikon 8x32 LX (old version)... 699.99

Nikon 8x42 (old version)... 899.99
Nikon 8x42 (new version)... 1199.95

Nikon 10x42 (old)... 999.99
Nikon 10x42 (new)... 1299.95

Pretty big difference in cost if you ask me...

Don
 
Donzo98 said:
Hi Everyone...

I just noticed that B&H Photo in NYC now lists the new Venturers. They are listed as special order only (likely because they are not yet available). No specs given either. Does anyone know for sure if there were any changes other than the weight??

Prices are as follows in USD:

Nikon 8x32 LX (new version)... 899.95
Nikon 8x32 LX (old version)... 699.99

Nikon 8x42 (old version)... 899.99
Nikon 8x42 (new version)... 1199.95

Nikon 10x42 (old)... 999.99
Nikon 10x42 (new)... 1299.95

Pretty big difference in cost if you ask me...

Don


Given the prices, I hope Nikon tweaked a bit of additional performance out of the new bins.

I have never been able to get the Venturers to give me the focus "snap" I get from other bins. The image is very bright and the edge-to-edge sharpness is very uniform, but I never seem to get to the point where I stop trying to bring it into crystal sharp focus. Though image qualities vary, I never have this problem with the EL, Ultravid, BN or SE. I've experienced this with several samples and just found it odd that so many reviews praised the Venturer's sharpness.

Someone else mentioned this on BF but I cannot recall the poster.

John

PS
I will say that these fit my hand better than any bin I've held, the color purity was incredible, eye relief is superb, and the build quality is first-rate. If only the optics had that "snap"....
 
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Are we in a sort of reverse "price war?" It might be educational for all of us if someone (maybe like the guy from Eagle Optics) could explain the different stages of mark-up for imported optics. I have to think that some of the recent prices, aside from reflecting R&D and marketing expenses, reflect an attempt to intentionally create a perception of exceptional quality and exclusiveness by charging more than really necessary, by playing on customers' assumptions that a more expensive binocular is automatically "better."
 
Curtis Croulet said:
Are we in a sort of reverse "price war?" It might be educational for all of us if someone (maybe like the guy from Eagle Optics) could explain the different stages of mark-up for imported optics. I have to think that some of the recent prices, aside from reflecting R&D and marketing expenses, reflect an attempt to intentionally create a perception of exceptional quality and exclusiveness by charging more than really necessary, by playing on customers' assumptions that a more expensive binocular is automatically "better."

I agree 100%. I've yet to figure out how come computers, electronic gadgets, etc. continually come down in price when technological advancements are made, but the optics industry seems to be headed in the other direction, at least with the "big four" (Leica, Zeiss, Swaro, Nikon LX).

I'm a firm believer that there comes a point of diminishing returns when it comes to optics, especially binoculars, and I think things are getting ridiculous. I struggled when the top brands were $1000.00, now the price line is inching upwards of $1500.00 if you want the latest and greatest. Where does it end?

I like those $450.00 refurbished Venturer/LX's more and more everyday. Sure the EL's, FL's, Ultravid's and new LX's are lighter in weight, but I seriously doubt they provide any better view, and saving a few ounces is not worth another $900.00 to $1000.00, at least to me it's not.
 
From the info at B&H the optics have not been altered, although they seem to tout the "Eco" glass as one of the weight saving measures.

They also mention a new rubber covering material to improve grip, and new eyecups with clickstops.

Wish these had been available when I bought my Ultravids last Winter. I just didn't like the weight difference. If the performance is the same as the previous model it will be a sweet bin. Will probably be lookin at it, the new Zeiss, and Brunton Epochs this winter.
 
Buster said:
I like those $450.00 refurbished Venturer/LX's more and more everyday. Sure the EL's, FL's, Ultravid's and new LX's are lighter in weight, but I seriously doubt they provide any better view, and saving a few ounces is not worth another $900.00 to $1000.00, at least to me it's not.

Totally AGREE!!! Ewins has some great prices, but their service SUCKS!! Their packing is horrendous, and I received a pair of 8x32 SE's that looked like a truck ran over them. I sent them back, but it took NUMEROUS phone calls to get it straightened out. The bottom line is... for 450 or whatever their most recent price is for an 8 or 10x42... its a pretty damn good deal.

The new Venturers will cost at least 1200... nearly 3 times as much as the refurbs. THAT IS BIG BUCKS TO ME!!

Don
 
Donzo98 said:
Totally AGREE!!! Ewins has some great prices, but their service SUCKS!! Their packing is horrendous, and I received a pair of 8x32 SE's that looked like a truck ran over them. I sent them back, but it took NUMEROUS phone calls to get it straightened out. The bottom line is... for 450 or whatever their most recent price is for an 8 or 10x42... its a pretty damn good deal.

The new Venturers will cost at least 1200... nearly 3 times as much as the refurbs. THAT IS BIG BUCKS TO ME!!

Don

Don, sorry to hear you had a bad experience with Ewins. My 10x42's came packaged pretty well, although the factory box was a bit tattered. The binoculars themselves looked as good as new, but I couldn't get them to focus properly. I retuned them to Nikon and just received them back yesterday. The invoice said they repaired the helicoid, whatever that is, and adjusted the the alignement. They're now every bit as good as the pair I purchased brand new a couple of years ago.

While it was a little bit of a hassle having to send them back to Nikon, they remedied the problem in quick order, and I'm still only into the binos about $465.00. Nikon repaired them under warranty and paid for return shipping. I only had to get them there. Still a great deal in my opinion.
 
Buster said:
The binoculars themselves looked as good as new, but I couldn't get them to focus properly. I retuned them to Nikon and just received them back yesterday.

Buster...

Please describe the focusing problem you had.


Don
 
Don, after some closer comparison with my other pair of the same binos, these simply weren't as sharp and the focus wheel was a bit more sensitive. Pretty similar I guess to what John Traynor described as them not "snapping" into focus. I never experienced this with the first pair, and now that the problem has been remedied with these, I'm still of the opinion that this was a good deal on one of the best binos available.
 
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