[casscade]

Where can I find these for sale, any links it ideas. Thanks.

[David Swain]

Occasionally a cache of new old stock is found at a photo shop, and in a flurry they are snatched up, generally for resale at a hefty profit. One such cache was discovered last summer by a BF member, and I was lucky enough to get a pair at the 2005 price. But I sincerely doubt there are many left in the US for sale new.

The large online auction site is the place to go, and a reputable seller in Hong Kong has had a somewhat steady supply, although recently I think they have only had the 10x35 (search on UK E*ay). The 8x30 is still available from several online outfits in the UK, although not for international sale, as far as I know. They are still readily available in Japan, at very dear prices.

Another strategy is to make connections within your local birding community and find used pairs which have been neglected since their owners got ELs (or whatever). I bet there are a lot of EIIs out there, gathering dust.

Now a word of heresy: they are very good binoculars for the right user who can take care of them, doesn't have a penchant for pelagics or birding in the rain, either has very close-fitting glasses or none, and can get along with a small, finicky exit pupil. I'm not sure they are worth the $400-500 they have been selling for, particularly since you can get new SEs for $500-600. But 8x30EIIs are utterly unique and (almost always) a delight to use.

Good luck!

David

[Kammerdiner]

casscade,

There's a pair on eBay as I write, <2 hours to go. I bet it hits $500, though.

Sorry to those BF'rs out there who are no doubt bidding already.

Mark

[FrankD]

I would likely be one bidding if it wasn't for the eye relief issue. They just don't work with my facial dimensions...and I don't wear glasses. I had my first eye-opening experience with them when I compared them directly with an 8x42 Nikon Venturer that was my favorite at the time. I could not get over the difference in apparent sharpness or color representation. Quite extraordinary actually.

[Roadbike]

Originally Posted by casscade

Where can I find these for sale, any links it ideas. Thanks.

There are no web dealers advertising EII binoculars as regular stock that I'm aware of. You might look at dealers based in Japan, the Rakuten International site and on the Yahoo Japan auction site. Some of those transactions may require use of a broker.

You will find EII binoculars on Ebay usually for a substantial premium over their MSRP. Also just keep trolling the net for EII but vary your searches some. A labor intensive way to find them is to call or visit Nikon binocular dealers and hope to find the remaining stock that is certainly still out there waiting to be discovered. That was how I found the 8x30 and 10x35 EII. One was at a dealer near Leesburg, VA and the other at one in Greensboro NC.

[casscade]

I would love some but as u guys stated I will not pay a rediculas price for them. friend of mine just picked up a new se10x42 for 425.

[James Bean]

There's currently an 'as new' 10x35 EII on UK eBay for BIN £350 + £10 p&p, having 15 days to go, from a UK seller with excellent feedback. It's £55 more than I paid for one from Hong Kong brand new last year, but it's not a bad price considering all prices are going up and EIIs are becoming scarce...

[normjackson]

Suggest you also do search on the letters and numbers printed on the EII. Seen two examples this month of 8x30 EIIs not being listed as EII presumably because the seller didn't identify them as such; it isn't obvious at all without the gold box they came in. I got a pretty good deal from a UK retailer and, while this thread was active, some Canadian guy got an absolute corker of a deal on UK eBay (you probably don't want to know the details).