Build them, and we will come
.....
The American market currently rules the binocular world in one respect, if Americans won't buy it, then manufacturers won't make a product or if they do, they won't make many of them. A recent translated interview with a Zeiss Sports Optics marketing manager says that for the present, Americans aren't buying porros at all, no matter how well made they are, so there is no incentive for manufacturers to make them. Nikon has a reasonable sized market in Japan that allows the SE series to keep one production line going. Perhaps this is why Yukon can still make porros in 7x50, 10x50, 12x50, 16x50 and 20x50 (pretty much the way Pentax does). But in spite of the fact that Swaro, Tasco and others make CF waterproof bins, there really weren't many new porros being made until Leupold came along (Go Leupold). Even so, Leupold's best quality bins are HD roofers. It's really a shame.
The Zeiss manager's comments constitute a circular argument. There is no incentive for buyers to buy them, because there are so few, high quality porro prism binoculars made today.
I am a porro fan, so are many of the birders, hunters, and stargazers I know. But for the most part, we have been relegated to becoming "collectors" because most manufacturers are putting their latest innovations and highest quality optics into roofs.
The only innovations I've seen in the porro design in the past 10 years have been updates with WP/FPing, twist-up eyecups, closer focus, and the internal focusers of the Minox BD BPs and Leupold Cascades.
The one update I was most looking forward to, the Swift 820 Audubon, was disappointing. Sharp optics, but low ER, hard, oversized eyecups, flexy focuser rack, shoddy paint and construction, basically, not up to par with the 804s).
So it's not just a matter of updating older designs, you also need to keep the older model's mechanical quality -- and overall QC at the Japanese level.
There are only a couple handfuls of high quality center focusing porros available today (and I own one of them - 8x32 SE, most of the others have been discontinued, and I own some of those too - 8x30 E2, 804 Audubon, CZJ 8x50).
Please translate this into German and send it to the Zeiss SO manager:
Build a new line of porros on par with the Zeiss B/GA line with center focusing, updated coatings, comfortable twist-up cups, and lighter weight magnesium frames.
Keep the prices reasonable (no more than half of what top roofs cost), launch a marketing campaign to re-introduce the porro design to America, and the porros will sell so fast, you won't be able to keep up with the demand!
Build them, and we will come.
N.B. You might want to hold off on production until the American economy recovers from its "perfect storm" of financial crises.
Cc: Nikon, Bushnell, Pentax, Celestron, et al.
Other "new" porros I'd like to see:
WP 8x30, 10x35, and 7x35 E3s (make them more robust than the E2).
WP 8x32, 10x42, and 12x50 SE IIs (fix the blackout problem and add a 8x42 and a 10x50 to the line-up)
WP 8-12x50 XL Zoom, on par with the 8-16x40 premium LX zooms, which had too small exit pupils at high powers, but otherwise were the best zoom bins ever made.
If there is no 7x35 E3, build a Prostar-level 7x42, based on the Prostar 7x50 design, but for terrestrial use, with center focusing, good close focus, lighter weight, and better ergonomics.
WP B & L Zephyrs (Bushnell) in a variety of configurations with the latest coatings, and updates listed above.
Pentax porros with the high quality optics of the PIF series, but much lighter and w/ center focusing. More configurations and closer focus.
The PCF Vs were very good, but Pentax needs to redesign the EPs to make wider FOV designs. Both their porros and roofs could use a wider fields of view.
A new Swift Audubon ED (see comments above). Also add an 8x32 like the earlier SP line and bring back the 10x50 Audubon/Kestrel with updates.
The Swaro Habicht line could use an update every 20 years or so, don't you think?
You've read the criticisms of the line on BF, address those, update the ergonomics and the coatings, and you will have new fans.
Fujinon FMT-level porros with center focusing and lighter weight. We're not using these in battle, they don't need to be bomb proof, just well built. Drop 20 oz. off the 10x50 and make the close focus ~16 ft.
The Docter Nobilems are fine as they are, but they are hard to find. Get more distributors in the US, and not just hunting suppliers, and do some promoting! Docter could add some smaller porros such as 8x32, 7x42, and 8x42.
I'm sure there are others, but I'm too tired to think of them! Add your own. Don't limit yourself to old designs. Make up new ones.
Brock
P.S. Thanks Norm for posting that link. I recently saw those reviews when I went to his page looking for the review of the Docter 10x50. Kudos to Holger for his great reviews, and for chronicling what is about to become history -- high quality porro binoculars.