Is the EDG not precisely a Premier (HG L) upgraded with ED glass and dielectric coatings? That's how I see it.
Dorian,
If you experienced "Rolling Ball" in the full sized Premiers, you would see it differently, literally! Plus, if the EDG is the upgrade to the Premier, then why is the Premier line still extant?
I haven't tried the EDG II, but the EDG I and Premier were very different ergonomically.
The eyecups are different, the "on-the-EP" diopter of the Premier is also different than the hideaway diopter ring on the EDG II, the distortion level is very different, the FOV is different, the coatings are different (Premier/HGL is "warmer"), the Premiers are sharp to the very edge where the image compresses, the EDG isn't sharp to the very edge but the image doesn't compress at the edges due to AMD.
The only thing the same is that they apparently have the same number of EP elements, which to me is a superficial likeness, considering the differences in distortion, FOV, and color balance.
The differences go well beyond prism coatings and ED glass. I think most people trying each model could easily tell them apart. If the person was sensitive to RB, it would be very obvious as soon as he panned with the bin.
Both being Nikons, they probably share some designed parts such as the internal focuser. I can't confirm that, but economically it makes good sense.
The High Grades are what they purport to be. They're built to an entirely different standard – or grade – than the Monarchs, which are mostly plastic and impractical to service. If Nikon revamped the HG L optics with new glass types and coatings, and maintained the high construction quality, and priced the result at 2012 levels, we'd end up with another EDG.
I think you're right about the timing, coming a year after the tsunami. But once Nikon has recouped its losses, a Premier ED price will depend largely on how much "padding" Nikon adds.
Consider that the EDG I, with the same optics as the EDG II, sold for a thousand dollars less. The 8x32 EDG I sold for $999; EO is selling the 8x32 EDG II now for $2,299.95!!! That's $300 more than the same model cost last year from the same store.
I think that's Nikon recouping its losses from the tsunami. Once they've done that, they could upgrade the Premier's coatings and glass for a reasonable price increase.
Meopta updated its Meostar with ED glass for only $100 more. Even the upgraded Zeiss Conquest HDs, which are "Made in Germany," are selling for $999. Pentax 8x43 ED, $999. Swaro CL, $929.
Nikon could upgrade the Premier w/out going nuts on the price, at least after they have recouped their losses.
If they maintained the narrowish field of view of the 42 mm HG Ls and somehow kept the price down, to differentiate them somewhat from the EDG models, they'd still have trouble with Chinese competitors. The truth is, a wide field is the latest mid-range checkbox feature. In the past we saw flurries of interest in good eye relief, dielectric coatings, and ED glass. Now manufacturers are catching the wide-field wave.
They could redesign the Premier EP (wish they would and put some pincushion in the full sized models like the midsized ones), but that would push up costs, and Nikon was way ahead of the game with long ER. Even now, Leica can't compete with it.
And the only Premier model that is a bit narrowish in regard to FOV is the 8x42. The 8x32 is very good at 7.8*, and the 10x42 is standard at 6* (seemed wider than spec to me when I compared it with the 10x42 SE).
But consider the Minox 8x43 HG APO, with its 7.2* FOV. Cost: $1899. The Swaro CL has a 7* FOV, the Pentax 8x43, 6.3* (now that's too narrow for this price point!).
Here's the big difference with the flurry of WA cheaper ChinBins - the Nikon Premiers are sharp edge to edge and with the SV EL, ZR Prime ED, and Hawke Panorama ED adding field flatteners, it's not a trend that's out of style, but rather the Premiers were way ahead of the pack in that regard and now the trend is "in".
Sure the ZR 7x36 ED2 had a super WF, and it was impressive, but the edges weren't very good. Not terrible considering the WF, but my point is that there's a trade off with making WF bins. If it's not edge performance, then its pincushion. So you can ride the WF ChinBin wave, but only if you don't mind the image getting "wavy" at the edges. For those who do, there's the Premier.
Nikon has more binoculars than you can shake a stick at.
Well, I have a big stick.
Most of those models are at the lower price points. Nikon only has ONE bin in the mid-tier price point, the Premier.
If anything they need to cut back their range to something focused and approachable, rather than compete with their own EDG, or make something so similar (an upgraded HG L) that only optics geeks could spot the difference.
I agree about that approach on the bottom end, there are models that overlap in the Monarch line up, and I suspect the "3" will disappear once the "7" comes out, and so will the "X", but if Nikon were not to offer an updated, competitive product in the mid-tier line, with Swaro, Zeiss, Leica, Meopta, Pentax, Vortex, and others offering bins with dielectric coatings and ED glass in the same price segment, I'm not sure if the Premier would keep selling.
Perhaps the Monarch 7 ED will fill that gap, can't say for certain at this point, but it seems unlikely since they are calling them Monarchs, but if not, and they are priced to compete in the $400-$500 price point, that leaves the Premier to represent Nikon in the $1,000-$1,300 segment, which is filling up with dielectric/ED roofs.
The average punter is not interested in whether a binocular will provide daily service for 20 or 30 years, which is really what you're paying for when choosing an HG L over a Monarch.
True, the Premier is not designed for your average "punter" or average hunter for that matter, they buy the Monarchs.
However, my point still stands (though the horse has been nearly beaten into the ground
, that other companies have upgraded bins in the same price segment as the Premier, and as of now, Nikon does not.
Because of that, there could be consequences for Nikon. I think they need to either "shit or get off the pot" with the Premier line.
Brock