Recommendations for mid-level (US$400-600) 8x42s? (1 Viewer)

[rdnzl]

China will make and sell you what you ask for.

If you, as 'chief procurement officer' have asked for low quality goods for a cheap price, then I am fairly certain that the Chinese companies you are dealing with will oblige your request.

In my experience, China has the capability to delivery high quality (aerospace/other high precision goods) if they are required.

Edit - I am now interested in your experiences.... please share ....
Why did you go to China to buy, instead of sourcing hardware locally, if you are not happy with the quality of Chinese goods?
What engineering standards did you specify and what tolerances and materials did you use on your engineering drawings?
Did the company not meet your detail specifications or did you not specify what you required in enough detail (if they used cheapest materials)?

I was kinda hoping for some answers.

 

[albie...]

Please excuse me if this has already been mentioned or if I have missed something . I firmly believe that a brand new Nikon E2 8x30 would fit the bill. It's made in Japan and covers the mid range very well , in fact imo punches way above it . The Nikon E2 can be had brand new for less than $500us if you don't mind buying it off of ebay . I bought the 8x30 and the 10x35 from ebay with no issues at all .
Link NEW Nikon 8X30EII CF WF Binocular Telescope Sports Watching 8X30E2N FROM JAPAN | eBay

 

[lmans66]

Perhaps ...on the Nikon but having that porro design is one that many are not as fond of today. So I would stick with a roof design,...the Verano by Opticron. I hold them in my hands now and was using them today. A quality bin for the mid price range.

 

[albie...]

Perhaps ...on the Nikon but having that porro design is one that many are not as fond of today. So I would stick with a roof design,...the Verano by Opticron. I hold them in my hands now and was using them today. A quality bin for the mid price range.

You do know that this thread hasn't been active for a year ??
Many are still fond of porros although my main bin is a roof . If I didn't need to wear glasses I would still have my E2's

 

[exup]

You do know that this thread hasn't been active for a year ??
Many are still fond of porros although my main bin is a roof . If I didn't need to wear glasses I would still have my E2's

E2s are reported to be very good mid level bins, they are on my list for a few years ..... However, today they cost £700 ( latest better coatings), a massive increase from when they were classed as good value.

 

[Elkhornsun]

The best value is with the Nikon Monarch 5 and the Vortex Viper HD. If you request the price by email with BH Photo Video they will sell the Viper HD for $399.00 to anyone in the USA.

With China's manufacturers they will specify German, Japanese, and other as quality categories from best to worst. The stuff that ends up in big box stores is the lowest quality. Many German companies have their products produced in China and these are as high a quality as the ones produced in Germany.

 

[Binocollector]

Many German companies have their products produced in China and these are as high a quality as the ones produced in Germany.

Definitely not.
I shared this story already on the forum but a friend of mine works in QC for a large auto parts company making transmissions and stuff. He says QC in China is so bad that they have to check everything twice and actually consider getting their stuff that they outsource somewhere else.