[matt green]

thought i'd give the oportunity for folk to put forward any ideas/features they would really like to see on forthcoming binocular trends,lets pretend that all the major binocular designers are going to read this thread with pen and paper in hand with blank cheques signed for ''binocular developement''.
i'll get the ball rolling by sudgesting interchangable objectives,32mm for summer birding then replace them by screwing on a pair of 42/50's for winter.
also i would like to see ballbearing focus mechanism's instead of axle type's.
just a thought,anyone else with idea's.

matt

[Otto McDiesel]

I want a 9x35 Swarovski EL wide angle and flat and sharp edge to edge with HD objective lenses.

[Robert Ellis]

6+9x or 7+10x duovid style, 32-35mm ED objectives, SE eyepieces, EL body.

[paj]

Originally Posted by matt green

thought i'd give the oportunity for folk to put forward any ideas/features they would really like to see on forthcoming binocular trends,lets pretend that all the major binocular designers are going to read this thread with pen and paper in hand with blank cheques signed for ''binocular developement''.
i'll get the ball rolling by sudgesting interchangable objectives,32mm for summer birding then replace them by screwing on a pair of 42/50's for winter.
also i would like to see ballbearing focus mechanism's instead of axle type's.
just a thought,anyone else with idea's.

matt

Mine would be Nikon HG's with a slightly slower focus.....that's the only thing that spoils an otherwise perfect pair of bins....the focus is too fast!!

Oh...and move the strap attachments to the side to make them hang flat against the body.

paj

[Sandra (Taylor)]

I would like a pair that, when you're focused on a gull, a little console on the front of the binocular tells you what sort of gull it is! Then I'd have no need to say "I don't do gulls"

[Otto McDiesel]

Originally Posted by Sandra (Taylor)

I would like a pair that, when you're focused on a gull, a little console on the front of the binocular tells you what sort of gull it is! Then I'd have no need to say "I don't do gulls"

C'mon now, it would take the fun out of it.

[Mickymouse]

What I would like is a quality bin with zoom BUT instead of going from a reasonable mag to something ridiculous, start realy low say about 4 so you could have a huge field of view to get on the bird, then zoom into something sensible, say about 12 tops.

Mick

[Gregory Sargean]

Increased attention to the high end of the porro prism market.

[Hanno]

a) Self-cleaning mechanism
b) Built-in Swiss army knife and cigarette lighter
c) Beer can holder.

[FrankD]

An 8x35 combination in a mid priced roof prism glass using HD or FL elements somewhere in the configuration. Weight would be no more than 24 ounces and length would be no great than 4.5 inches.

[Atomic Chicken]

Greetings!

I've wanted this almost forever:

A Leica Duovid with 7x and 10x magnifications, 35mm objectives, and a weight of 24 Oz. or less. Price under $1,250 would also be nice while I'm dreaming!

Best wishes,
Bawko

[tom24]

I'm with your choices Hanno.

[solentbirder]

Internally adjustable eye-relief (in addition to the normal adjustable eyecups).

Variable aperture (iris installed in each barrel like those found in SLR camera lenses).

Gyro-stabilization of the binocular itself (no moving parts in the optical path).

Perfect and permanent collimation (surely this must be achievable with current technology ?)

Hi-tech low-weight construction (some astronomical telescopes are using carbon fibre now).

Built in filters (polarizing, neutral-density....)

High quality interchangeable eyepieces - there's no reason that an industry standard fitting couldn't be agreed. This means you could buy a single 'body' and change the configuration as you like.

..oh.. and it should be half the price of current models !!!

[Otto McDiesel]

Originally Posted by Hanno

a) Self-cleaning mechanism
b) Built-in Swiss army knife and cigarette lighter
c) Beer can holder.

And what about binoculars that take us to various places, instead of us taking them? I'd like my Ultravids to take me to Spain or the Balkans from time to time, say, on a Saturday morning....

[Swissboy]

Originally Posted by Otto McDiesel

And what about binoculars that take us to various places, instead of us taking them? I'd like my Ultravids to take me to Spain or the Balkans from time to time, say, on a Saturday morning....

Dream on guys! But the onset of this thread was on the serious side:

"...lets pretend that all the major binocular designers are going to read this thread with pen and paper in hand with blank cheques signed for ''binocular development''."

I am afraid they have stopped taking notes by now.

[Otto McDiesel]

Originally Posted by Swissboy

Dream on guys! But the onset of this thread was on the serious side:

"...lets pretend that all the major binocular designers are going to read this thread with pen and paper in hand with blank cheques signed for ''binocular development''."

I am afraid they have stopped taking notes by now.

In a couple of years there may be a 7x Swarovski EL with HD lenses. There is no 7x in the EL line-up, and Swarovski will never let Zeiss take the supremacy (with or without FL). And Leica already builds Duovids and 32 mm binos, so they'd better listen to what you are asking for. A 7-9x35 Duovid with APO lenses could be THE thing, as long as eyepieces are wide angled, the thumb rest is eliminated, and the focuser is smooth. As North Americans and Europeans get older and wealthier, there certainly is a market for $2500 binoculars. And no, $2500 is not much for great binoculars. I see the middle class paying more for TV's and SUV's all the time.But don't take my word for it, i've never made a $ selling anything. I am also impulsive: i went birding one morning, did not see any birds, got pixxed, and left for a 4oo km hike through the Alps that afternoon. I can easily see myself leading Swaro to bankruptcy. But hey, we'd have great binos after that...

[Otto McDiesel]

A modern 8x32 Binuvid porro prism with a lil' red dot on the right prism housing would also be nice.

[iporali]

Originally Posted by Otto McDiesel

A modern 8x32 Binuvid porro prism with a lil' red dot on the right prism housing would also be nice.

Yeah - count me second in line!

And then some technical wishes:
- "My" dual-speed focusing http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=43511 ... well, actually Leica has already used that in some of their research microscopes
- Solar-powered image stabilization
- Ultra-thin diffractive-optics (DO) lenses
- ED eyepieces for low off-axis CA
- nanotechno-diamond anti-scratch coatings

I am not saying that I would necessarily buy such things though...

Ilkka

[matt green]

i wonder if it might be possible to have some kind of macro ability in one or both eye pieces,just twist the objective end and 'hey presto' focus down to 20cm's.camera lenses have been built this way for many years.just a though.

matt

[henneman]

In the local liquor stores they sell fake binoculars that are really liquor flasks so booze can be smuggled into football games. The quality is quite low, and they are useless as optical devices. Perhaps the usual suspects, Leica/Swaro/Zeiss, could make one that was one-half flask, and the other half high quaility binoculars.

[bradshrike]

A Leica 7x32 BN or Ultravid or Swaro 7x32 SLC or EL. The BN's would have to include objective covers and the Ultravid objective covers need to be re-designed to be just like Swaro's.

[Robert Ellis]

Or how about a stabilized, image intensified 12x or 15x compact? As steady and bright as a low power fullsize but with the detail delivery of a small scope.

[ceasar]

Originally Posted by henneman

In the local liquor stores they sell fake binoculars that are really liquor flasks so booze can be smuggled into football games. The quality is quite low, and they are useless as optical devices. Perhaps the usual suspects, Leica/Swaro/Zeiss, could make one that was one-half flask, and the other half high quaility binoculars.

The only flasks I ever saw designed as binoculars were designed as Roof Prism's!?

[xenophobe]

I've changed my mind since the last time this question was asked... now....

1) APO Ultravid 10x42
2) 16x60ish Trinovid (to compete with the 15x56 SLC) (stargazing)