Need for new? (1 Viewer)

Do optics manufacturer's bring out new products because they are so much better than the last one or is it a case of stimulating the market for new sales?
I only ask because I have the urge for a new set but will todays binoculars be that much better than my old pair of ten year vintage?

Yes, new prism coatings are better and there is lots of Chinese ED glass available. Mechanics are the same...or worse...but optics are better.

If you have an alpha pair that is ten years old, it still OK, but even they have improved.

flossiepip said:

Do optics manufacturer's bring out new products because they are so much better than the last one or is it a case of stimulating the market for new sales?
I only ask because I have the urge for a new set but will todays binoculars be that much better than my old pair of ten year vintage?

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Which binocular make and model do you own and what is your budget if you were to purchse a new model?

I have RSPB High Grade's which I have had for close on ten years and in their day were thought of a good set of mid priced binoculars. I would now be looking to spend around the 5/6 hundred pound mark but having watched STUFF on youtube maybe I ought to have a good think!

flossiepip said:

I have RSPB High Grade's which I have had for close on ten years and in their day were thought of a good set of mid priced binoculars. I would now be looking to spend around the 5/6 hundred pound mark but having watched STUFF on youtube maybe I ought to have a good think!

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You bring up a good point. In the end responsible consuming is up to us.
A consumer who thinks about what they buy is a good thing! The shopping centers where I live (USA) seem to be filled with mindless zombies who have been programmed to consume stuff.

Binoculars have a long life span most last 10 years and many far longer in my opinion . Unlike some electronics there is not a new model every 2 months. They don’t use batteries (at least mine don't). They can provide exercise and a low environmental impact activity that (I hope) helps people appreciate nature. Hopefully to the point of protecting nature from the 6 billion humans.

My view is they are a positive force for the environment (compared to a lot of other things) even though there is toxic stuff produced in the manufacturing, transport etc. The European Union has stronger environmental rules (compared to many other parts of the world) about what chemicals can go into their products and how waste is disposed of which contributes to a higher price.

I could only find this link which discusses the binocular you mentioned. Others probably know a lot more about it or have actually used it and may be able to help. http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=111455

Nothing beats a first hand experience. If you can find a local birding club and go on a field trip. The other birders will be happy to let you compare your binoculars to theirs and you might be able to judge for yourself if a change is worth it. .



TVC

Tvc15_2000 said:

.....Nothing beats a first hand experience. If you can find a local birding club and go on a field trip. The other birders will be happy to let you compare your binoculars to theirs and you might be able to judge for yourself if a change is worth it. .

TVC

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There is another side to be considered as well: If your binoculars are decent at least, you may have become quite accustomed to them. So maybe, you think they are really better than they are. And even a quick comparison with other types may not reveal the shortcomings of yours. So it takes a rather thorough comparison. Then consider costs of a change as well. That's when you have to decide whether a change makes sense for you. In my case, this has led to sticking to my Leica APO77. Except for being lighter weight and a somewhat wider angle zoom, I would not gain all that much for the costs involved. Besides, I'm by now at an age where better optics no longer compensate for lousier vision. So it's my eyes now that set the limit anyway.

Definitely don't run after a new model just because it's fasionable. But I have a brother and a close friend who both hesitated way too long to change (like several years or even close to a decade or so). It's only after they finally got a modern piece of equipment that they realized what they had been missing all those years before.

Thanks for that.
You do kind of think that your dammed if you do and dammed if you dont. At the end of the day I will "measure my needs and cautiously proceed"

Thank you.
I do believe that a new pair would give me an incease in optical performance but would it then make the greater cost just? Its a hard one.

Some measured thoughts on this subject in the next to last paragraph in this review by Holger Merlitz:

http://www.holgermerlitz.de/meopta8x32.html