I recently purchased a pair of Traveller ED 8x32 as I've been looking for a nice pair of mid sized binoculars and these have had good reviews. When I received them I noticed the optics were great. Nice big sweet spot, sharp, bright and very little CA. Unfortunately the rest of the binocular seemed to scream Made in China, where they are assembled of Japanese components. The first things I noticed was the hinge was very loose, the eyecups had play in them when extended and the focus wheel was quite stiff. I was also very disappointed in the finish. There is no texture on the barrels for grip in wet weather, and a very visible raised seam on the outside of the barrels that makes them look like a $50 pair rather than $429. In comparison my Cabela's Guide 8x32s, which are made in Japan, have a very nice finish with a barely noticeable seam on the inside of the barrels. They also have a tight hinge, secure eyecups, a smooth focusing knob and locking diopter. So even though the Travellers had great Optics I returned them.
A couple weeks later when they went on sale for a great price I decided to try them again since I have heard that binoculars made in China can have great differences in build quality within the same model. When the new pair came the hinge was tighter, eyecups more stable and the focusing much smoother. I was very happy that I had ordered a new pair until I tried to adjust the diopter and it did not change the focus in the right barrel at all! So back they went.
My purpose here is not to slam Opticron but I can't figure out why they switched the production of their upper tier mid sized model to China. No doubt to keep costs down but I would have gladly paid an extra $100 for a pair made in Japan with better build quality and an attractive, practical finish like my Cabela's. If Cabela's can have theirs made for a retail price of $249 and sell them for much less I have to think Opticron could charge a little more and keep their production in Japan. It's a shame because the optics in the Traveller are superb. I have been hesitant to post this since I know Opticron is a quality company but sending an email to customer service , even at good companies, usually results in a nice reply such as: Thank you for letting us know your concerns and we are sorry to hear that you were disappointed in our product. We will forward on your email to the appropriate department. Slam me if you will for posting this but my hope is that someone with pull at Opticron will see it and maybe change will result. I also know that many others have had a much more favorable experience with these and I'm very happy that theirs are working out.
A couple weeks later when they went on sale for a great price I decided to try them again since I have heard that binoculars made in China can have great differences in build quality within the same model. When the new pair came the hinge was tighter, eyecups more stable and the focusing much smoother. I was very happy that I had ordered a new pair until I tried to adjust the diopter and it did not change the focus in the right barrel at all! So back they went.
My purpose here is not to slam Opticron but I can't figure out why they switched the production of their upper tier mid sized model to China. No doubt to keep costs down but I would have gladly paid an extra $100 for a pair made in Japan with better build quality and an attractive, practical finish like my Cabela's. If Cabela's can have theirs made for a retail price of $249 and sell them for much less I have to think Opticron could charge a little more and keep their production in Japan. It's a shame because the optics in the Traveller are superb. I have been hesitant to post this since I know Opticron is a quality company but sending an email to customer service , even at good companies, usually results in a nice reply such as: Thank you for letting us know your concerns and we are sorry to hear that you were disappointed in our product. We will forward on your email to the appropriate department. Slam me if you will for posting this but my hope is that someone with pull at Opticron will see it and maybe change will result. I also know that many others have had a much more favorable experience with these and I'm very happy that theirs are working out.