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ED Binoculars How low Can they Go ? (1 Viewer)

gcole

Well-known member
United States
I have been watching the ED binocular price range for a few months on the internet sites & wonder if the China versions are being lowered due to bad economic conditions worldwide or their ongoing pricing competion in the binocular market ? I see the advertising " great value for the money ", but how low before the value really just means low end junk ? ...gwen
 
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The Chinese are squeezing lower costs out of everything, including cars and machinery, as well as optics.
It seems clear that their ability to lead the world in binoculars is limited primarily by their weighting of the profit potential. There is little money in producing a direct alpha challenger, because of the marketing spending needed even before volume sales are begun. Instead they are gradually absorbing the market from below. For users, it means a wave of better gear at budget price points, with good glass now selling for under $200 here in the US, as illustrated by the latest Cameraland deals.
 
The Chinese glass maker CDGM makes an ED glass (H-FK61) which is said to cost only a little more than BK7, so "ED" binoculars could be priced close to the bottom if glass cost is the only criterion.
 
Henry .... Would one notice a big difference in optical quality, compared to the top Alpha brands if everything else was equal ? .... gwen
 
I wouldn't write off Chinese optics. In the astronomy field they produce some good equipment and they are getting better. The same will happen in the binocular field. Search for some of the Chinese optic manufacturers and a lot of what they turn out look identical to well established brands.

Try Intane-optics.com, united-optics.com, longperng.com.tw

I know one at least makes a range of binoculars and I would guess they make them and others brand them.

Do you recall 25 years ago, Japanese car were not rated that good. Now who tends to be at the top?

As they learn to produce ED glass more efficently then the cost of ED glass goes down, so the use of it in binoculars will rise and to an extent competition will cause prices to lower.
 
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