Interesting -- thanks for posting. With those close-up pics I can now comfirm that this seems to be the exact same binocular as the Kite Cervus HD 8x56 that I own. Only that I don't see any false pupils or reflections in the ocular. But the rest looks exactly the same. Eyecups, inside of the tubes, coatings etc.
Too bad as I had assumed the Kite Cervus was "Made in Japan". I guess it isn't and I further would speculate that all the other mid-range AK-prism binos are from the same Chinese source, like the "Pirschler" models by DDoptics (I have the 15x56 and 10x45 -- both of these do show false pupils BTW). They are still quite good but my (also MiC) DDoptics "Nighteagle" is better -- no false pupils (thanks to SP-prisms), longer eye-relief, about the same amount of CA, sharper on axis and cheaper, as well as lighter but still with magnesium chassis and metal focus wheel.
I think I should reduce part of my collection.
I mean -- it is nice that Chinese optics got that good but my already growing suspicions I had before your review are now confirmed and they are actually MiC. I guess only the most expensive models by Kite and DDoptics are Made in Japan, like the Kite "Bonelli" and SHG line by DDoptics.
So much for the claim by DDoptics "most of our products are made in Japan" -- which translates to "one or two of our products are made in Japan, the rest is overpriced Chinese stuff you could get from Svbony for half the price."
Of course neither GPO nor Kite nor DDoptics mention "China" anywhere on their homepages. I wish they were more honest, like Maven for example who exactly name where each binocular comes from.
All those big talk about "developing in house", etc. is a bad joke.
Of course I should have suspected all that but hope dies last as they say. It's the same in other industries. Companies stretch the rules as far as they can. If they don't communicate clearly where something comes from -- just assume it's China. And if it's "Made in Germany" it's often just about "how much value is generated in Germany" -- which means, inspecting a China-made bino by a highly paid German worker will generate enough "value" to warrant "Made in Germany", unless there are other rules involved.
Now I wonder who actually makes those binos that seem to be the same from each supplier just with some slight cosmetic changes here and there.
Kunming Optical? Another of the dozens of Chinese suppliers?
And since there are a few others selling (or having sold) similar models, like the Bushnell Forge 8x56, Vixen New Foresta 8x56, etc. I am thinking those are also the same binos under different names.
So how much "better" would all those be compared to something like an 10x56 "Eyeskey" Captor ED or similar China-binos I wonder? For about a third of the price. Well, having German Headquarters for "development" and "quality control" (meaning -- "open Chinese cardboard box and check bino" -- if they even go that far) are expensive. They could as well just drop-ship the stuff.
Yeah of course an Eyeskey Captor ED has no AK-prisms but fact of the matter is that production tolerances got so good in recent years that it is nowadays actually more expensive to make a good Schmidt-Pechan-prism compared to an AK -- simply because you don't need the dielectric mirror coating.
Sorry for the rant. I very much appreciate your reviews, Neil. This one was just maybe too eye-opening for me.
