Bosma is making three different 8x42 ED bins (1 Viewer)

Weird coincidence.

Frank mentions cryptically he's found another open-bridge ED bin then he starts the Vanguard EDT thread. At the same time I was making a comment on another thread about Bosma being a major OEM for Vixen these days and wanted to add a link to their web site. So I google to find the site then I can't help but click on the bins link. And there they are ... three new 8x42 ED bins.

http://www.bosma.com.cn/en/lbinoculars.asp

They're all wide angle (8.1 degree) FOV roof bins with 42mm ED objectives. That's the same FOV as the Hawke ED.

The first two (303317 and 303322) have identical optical specs but the 303317 is an "normal" "closed-bridge" design whereas the 303322 is an "open-bridge" design which seems to have more rubber on it than the Promaster or Hawke. They both have a rather unusual "trumpet-like" flare at the objectives.

The third one is another "open-bridge" design with slightly different optical specs and more "bare metal" frame exposed. I think it's powder coated metal like the Promaster or Hawke but unlike say the Bushnell
Elite which seems to have exposed oxidized Mg).

I suspect there is a single maker out there making the magnesium open-bridge enclosure as these are very similar (with some cosmetic changes) to the Promaster Infinity Elite ELX ED and the Hawke Frontier ED. Even the little details look similar (but not identical) to those bins: the diopter setting is different in all these bins: some like the Hawke; some like the Promaster. The focus knob is similar.

Dimensions and weights are not given in the specs so it's difficult to tell if they're the same size as the Promaster or Hawke EDs but given the latter two are the same size I suspect these are too.

10x versions of each are available. See the web site for specs.

http://www.bosma.com.cn/en/productgn_info.asp?id=976

Item NO.
303317
Model
8X42
Power
8X
Objective Diameter
42 mm
Prism system
Roof
Rrism glass
BAK4
Focus system
Center
F.O.V. (ft/1000yds)
426
F.O.V. (m/1000m)
142
Exit pupil (mm)
5.2 mm
Eye relief (mm)
17.2 mm
Near focus (m)
2.0 m
Eye cup
Twist up
Water /Fog proof
YES
Adapt to tripod
YES

http://www.bosma.com.cn/en/productgn_info.asp?id=978

Item NO.
303322
Model
8X42
Power
8X
Objective Diameter
42 mm
Prism system
Roof
Rrism glass
BAK4
Focus system
Center
F.O.V. (ft/1000yds)
426
F.O.V. (m/1000m)
142
Exit pupil (mm)
5.2 mm
Eye relief (mm)
17.2 mm
Near focus (m)
2.0 m
Eye cup
Twist up
Water /Fog proof
YES
Adapt to tripod
YES

http://www.bosma.com.cn/en/productgn_info.asp?id=980

Item NO.
303319
Model
8X42
Power
8X
Objective Diameter
42 mm
Prism system
Roof
Rrism glass
BAK4
Focus system
Center
F.O.V. (ft/1000yds)
426
F.O.V. (m/1000m)
142
Exit pupil (mm)
5.2 mm
Eye relief (mm)
16.6 mm
Near focus (m)
2.0 m
Eye cup
Twist up
Water /Fog proof
YES
Adapt to tripod
YES

As Vixen uses Bosma I suspect we might see these under the Vixen brand.

And we've seen Opticron using the same OEM as Vixen in the past so these may appear as Opticron bins in the UK.

And from the other thread ... I speculate ... the RSPB HD is made by Bosma.

Bosma is making a bunch of ED bins including a "closed hinge" ED bin and the specs are very similar to the RSPB bin including eye relief are both 17.2mm. FOV is a little narrower (but you can ask an OEM to reduce the field stop and improve stray light performance). Shame they don't provide dimensions. Does the RSPB HD use the center focus for diopter setting (and locking?). That would be another feature match (and one that the Vanguard uses too).

http://www.harpersphoto.co.uk/product/rspb_8x42_hd_binoculars/


Model: 8 x 42
Magnification: 8x
Lens Diameter: 42
Exit Pupil mm: 5.2
Eye Relief mm: 17.2
Field of View deg: 7.5
Close focus m: 2
Height mm 140
Width mm 125
Weight g: 670

Click to expand...

It matches up quite well (apart from FOV which I handwave away!)

Kevin,

I am going to have to check out your links from work. Here at home my computer is too slow and I hae to download new software to view the page. With dial-up that could take hours.

Oh, ignore the flash crap ... I do. It doesn't add value on the Bosma site.

Get Firefox and add the NoScript extension to turn off flash and scripting on a site by site basis. In fact you can brows that site even without Javascript turned on ...

The trumpet flare may be to accommodate the parts that make the open bridge.

I am surprised I did not notice it before but I was just browsing the Cabelas Optics catalog and noticed their original Alpha 10x42s. You guessed it, the body design is identical to that of the Promaster and Hawke models. The original Cabelas' Alphas were introduced about a year and a half ago if memory serves me. No mention of ED glass in their design and they are now listed on sale at $299.

They are similar but not identical in specs
http://www.promaster.com/products/p...culars&sm=sm2_601&dir=&page=PROD&product=1194

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...box.jsp.form23&Go.x=23&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1

FrankD said:

I am surprised I did not notice it before but I was just browsing the Cabelas Optics catalog and noticed their original Alpha 10x42s. You guessed it, the body design is identical to that of the Promaster and Hawke models. The original Cabelas' Alphas were introduced about a year and a half ago if memory serves me. No mention of ED glass in their design and they are now listed on sale at $299.

Click to expand...

I speculated on another thread that the enclosure on the open bridge Vortex bins (Viper and Razor) might be the same enclosure (but that's speculation as I have neither bin. SteveC?).

Nice to see other bins using the name enclosure. It seems well made and with different amounts of armor one can get ones own "look".

I think this open bridge Mg alloy enclosure if being turned out by an OEM in China and sold to many ODMs who do their own optical design for the "contents" of the enclosure. So they may vary quite a bit optically.

Tero said:

They are similar but not identical in specs
http://www.promaster.com/products/p...culars&sm=sm2_601&dir=&page=PROD&product=1194

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...box.jsp.form23&Go.x=23&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1

Click to expand...

I wouldn't be suprised if they were more similar to the previous generation Promasters Elite 8x42 except in the open hinge enclosure. THough the lack of info ont he Cabelas sight makes this difficult to determine (both have the same FOV ).

http://www.promaster.com/products/p...culars&sm=sm2_601&dir=&page=PROD&product=6958

Though with their rebate the price is decent for an entry level roof.

So that was probably the intermediate in the evolution to the Promaster ED.

Tero said:

So that was probably the intermediate in the evolution to the Promaster ED.

Click to expand...

Could be though I think something like a "menu choice" might be more likley i.e. Cabelas came to the ODM just after they got the enclosure so they could have those optics in that enclosure.

Of course if someone looks through them that would put a stop to our Armchair Bin Evaluations

How do you spot ED glass? After all, there are alpha bins with no ED glass.

Well as luck would have it, I went to the Cabelas in Post Falls, Idaho last weekend. Now that Frank brings it up, I remember seeing the Alpha in a Cabela's catalog. With the Promaster/Hawke reviews, it does seem like somebody would have remembered it. The Cabela's Alpha appears a lot like the Vanguard, it would have to be a better instrument than the Vanguard. A local Sportsmans Warehouse has those, and to put it mildly, they do not impress me. I posted about them on that thread.

The Vortex Razor has a different enclosure than the Promaster/Hawke. There is a three finger gap in the Razor bridge. The Razor focus knob is also somewhat smaller too. So similar, yes, identical no.

The current Cabelas Alpha Extreme (it is linked in one of the above posts) is not at all like the Promaster/Hawke. For one thing it is smaller. It appears to be a Bushnell Excursion EX with a much better rubber, camoflage armor. Also has less fov than the Bushnell too. They cost less than $200, but I think they are better optically than the EX. The Cabela Alpha Extreme is also similar to the Leupold Mojave, but there are a number of differences in the length between hinges, Mojave shorter, overall length, Mojave shorter. Optically, I thought the Alpha Extreme and Mojave were awfully similar, but the Cabelas glass has a 390+' fov and the Mojave is 350-'. So at the Leupold price of about $350 vs the Cabela Alpha Extreme at $200, the choice seems a no brainer to me.

I was also pretty impressed with the Cabela's/Steiner Outfitter binocular. Easily the optical equal of the Promaster at about the same price. The Outfitter is only available in 10x42. It was (is?) on sale for $499.

Tero said:

How do you spot ED glass? After all, there are alpha bins with no ED glass.

Click to expand...

Without a refractometer it's a bit difficult

Though a look through it should show if the whole optics package is good enough.

Steve C said:

I was also pretty impressed with the Cabela's/Steiner Outfitter binocular. Easily the optical equal of the Promaster at about the same price. The Outfitter is only available in 10x42. It was (is?) on sale for $499.

Click to expand...

Interesting. Cabela's is striking up exclusive deals with European ODMs: first Meopta and now Steiner.

Any mention of ED objectives on the typically uninformative Cabelas web site or are they just very nicely optically designed. Or perhaps reducing the EP CA with interesting lenses (LaK?).

Also curious that they're only in 10x42. Perhaps to bias them to hunters ... I though Steiner already had enough hunter bias . But then again there are still quite a few 10x birders still around.

Perhaps time for a new thread?

Yes there does appear to be bias. Probably the bias is simply because 10x sells more units. That does seem to be a hunter bias but there are plenty of birders who like 10x too. But the Euro and Outfitter certainly are only in 10x. But I suspect a big chunk of Cabela's cash comes from hunters. Another bias that bugs the devil out of me is that there are a lot of garments there that I would actually buy except for the fact they only sell them in camo patterns of various sorts. Now, I am a hunter, but aside from a couple of boot pairs I use feeding cattle in the winter, I own not one single square measure of camouflage.

The Outfitter did not have anything on it that indicated ED glass. Nor did any of the sales folk seem to have a clue to what "ED" might mean. No, that did not surprise me. No mention of country of manufacture anywhere I saw either. The outfitter seemed to be good enough I did wonder if the glass was German, or maybe came from some Asian clime, hence the reduced price. The design is quite obviously pure Steiner.

I think about 90% of Cabelas optics are sold to hunters. I talk to people and they buy mail order from the usual places for birding.

I was not that impressed with the Mojave, maybe because I just think the open frame is a sales gimmick. They were not bad, maybe a little above Monarch overall. Probably better quality control than Bushnell. The Leupolds in the bigger sizes have all seemd solid enough, but the 8x32 I did not care for.

The Excrsion EX 8x36 was a pretty good idea, if they had just made sure my pair was mechanically good, I might still have it. It is about as big a jump in quality from 8x25 to 8x28 as it is then to 8x36. In these lower brands. Optics sharpness etc. And I was quite comfortable with them. Felt like an 8x32 in hand.

Steve C said:

No mention of country of manufacture anywhere I saw either. The outfitter seemed to be good enough I did wonder if the glass was German, or maybe came from some Asian clime, hence the reduced price. The design is quite obviously pure Steiner.

Click to expand...

Ah, you read my mind.

I meant to ask "did you check the Made in badge".

Odd that you didn't see it (it seems to be a requirement in the US) though it may be transparent tape and green lettering. Though the Germany on the Steiner badge may suffice but it would be nice if it was explicit. Interesting cobranding if nothing else!

Though if it was "Made in Germany" I could see that as being a selling point as "Euro" appears to be one (though not Czech).

That does surprise me with the general political tenor of most "huntin'" types I know

It does say Steiner/Germany on one eyecup assembly and Cabella's/Outfitter on the other. The information on the Cabella's website says german engineered (what's Bosma got to do with this?). However, since Steiner is a German company and they may well have actually designed the thing, they (Cabella and/or Steiner) could have had the production shifted elsewhere (Bosma?), and still not be legally accused of anything fishy. Whatever is going on it's a fine binocular that I would have no problem owning. If I go back to Cabela's, I'll take a loupe and look closer. Sometimes "Made in China" is rather indistinct

Bosma I don't think has anything to do with this ... we just drifted off track from the original discussion.

I did suggest a new thread