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Is Vortex Optics next?? (2 Viewers)

im not sure that is true except as fantasy, sorry. you need layers of education and skill, master craftsmen, apprentices, academic parallels, tool makers, lines of communication, materials supply and distribution. and will.

Jape,

Go look at the Graduate Schools of Physics in the State Universities and Private Universities in the USA. Pick a few at random and see how many of the Physic's Grad Students are from China and ask yourself: "If the American Schools are so bad why are so many students from China coming here to study?"

The binocular industry worldwide amounts to very little. The Glass industry is a different thing. There is a Schott Glass Plant about 20 miles from my home that employs 200 people.

http://www.us.schott.com/advanced_optics/english/about-ao/locations/duryea.html

They can get as many tool makers and craftsmen as they need from Johnson College of Technology in nearby Scranton, PA. I have a friend who graduated as a machinist from there years ago and even after he retired he was sent to South Korea to work on problems in Nuclear Reactors there.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to education in the USA in one small corner of North East Pennsylvania.

Bob
 
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With their Japan-built products Vortex has routinely been selling at a similar level to Nikon, Bushnell and Leupold, and that is, in the best years, selling upto 20% of the binos sold in the USA. It remains to be seen if this will continue now they are sourcing from China, but they have a good reputation in the market.

Lee
 
As well I am willing to assume that most US consumers are now perfectly accepting of "Made in China" and that moreover, most who purchase binoculars shy of the alpha level buy on brand / reputation / salesperson's advice / price / wide availability and not country of manufacture.
 
With their Japan-built products Vortex has routinely been selling at a similar level to Nikon, Bushnell and Leupold, and that is, in the best years, selling upto 20% of the binos sold in the USA. It remains to be seen if this will continue now they are sourcing from China, but they have a good reputation in the market.

Lee

Lee:

It seems you are privy to sales numbers in the USA. Where do you get
those numbers, and can you post a link ?

Thanks, Jerry
 
Lee:

It seems you are privy to sales numbers in the USA. Where do you get
those numbers, and can you post a link ?

Thanks, Jerry

These numbers are available if you pay for them and I have a friend in the optics trade who has given me access to them from time to time. Strictly speaking my friend shouldn't have done this so both the friend's name and the organisation compiling the statistics must remain confidential. There may be more than one source for this type of info and for all I know maybe anyone who can pay up can obtain them.

Lee
 
My Nikon Monarch 7 10 x 42 are made in China and build quality and feel appear excellent, at least to me.

My 8x30 Monarch 7's were also made in China and in less than a month after purchase the rubber armor was loose on one barrel and one eyecup wouldn't stay extended. They promptly got returned and I opted to pick up some Viper HD's MIJ to replace them.

It's a shame as I loved the size and glass in the M7's, but the design/construction was lacking.
 
I got a China made Razor 8x42 recently[/B and am impressed with build quality, optics and mechanics (this is my first Vortex bino), even when I compare it to my German and Austrian alphas. It was expensive, but in my view is worth its price every penny.

We have to get used to the fact that in the future, even expensive instruments are coming from China. Just see what has happened lately to the astro market: Those here who like to look at the night sky with binocular telescopes will know what I mean....


One question....WHY?

You guys have to understand something. American consumers are spoiled rotten. We (not me) have demanded high quality and cheap prices. That doesn't work very well, so what we're left with is cheap, throw away products that are relatively inexpensive.

The USA can make anything and everything anybody else can, but Americans are not willing to open up their pocket books..........cheap crap rules. Oh, and our libtard education system has been dumbing down American kids for decades now.

So true! I can't tell you how many folks I recommend a decent binocular to and their comeback is "I found a binocular on (fill in the blank) for $50, I think I'm gonna get that one."

Number one question at the pharmacy...."what's my copay?" If it isn't "free," they don't want it. I don't care if it cures cancer, fixes your double chin, gives you a full head of hair, and the ability to practice safe sex for 24 hours, they don't want it! HAHA! Same for binoculars!

With their Japan-built products Vortex has routinely been selling at a similar level to Nikon, Bushnell and Leupold, and that is, in the best years, selling upto 20% of the binos sold in the USA. It remains to be seen if this will continue now they are sourcing from China, but they have a good reputation in the market.

Lee

Question for you Lee, HAHA! Is a Chinese Vortex in your future? I all ready know the answer! ;)
 
Question for you Lee, HAHA! Is a Chinese Vortex in your future? I all ready know the answer! ;)

Chuck
I haven't had a look through a Vortex yet so I can't give a definitive reply to that one. I know the eyecups on my made in China old-model Terra 8x32s are better in some ways that those on my $*@*@* SFs so I have no inhibitions about MIC binos.
I will look out for them at Bird Fair. The list of exhibitors at this year's Bird Fair is still being added to on the website so I don't know for sure if Vortexes (Vortices? :-O) will feature there but if they turn up I will take a look.

Lee
 
Hi Lee,

Yes, Vortex will be there for what will be approximately our 11th year at the Birdfair.

Same place (we presume) As the past 7 years, Marquee 1, Stands 1+2.

If you want to take a look at the Vortex line up in the meantime, our current list of dealer days and shows is on our website.

All the best
Dave.
 
Stellar customer service, I was about to throw up when I read it. Vortex has a arrogant, do not care customer service. My emails and phone calls from years ago have STILL not been replied to.
And yea I tried al least four of their binoculars in different models they were all out of focus.
 
These days, for similar pricing to a Vortex Viper HD or Razor HD binocular you can get a Meopta MeoPro or Meopta MeoStar. IMO, there's no question that the Meopta is a far superior optic all around
 
Stellar customer service, I was about to throw up when I read it. Vortex has a arrogant, do not care customer service. My emails and phone calls from years ago have STILL not been replied to.
And yea I tried al least four of their binoculars in different models they were all out of focus.
This year in UK, I found that three separate enquiries, by email, were answered very quickly and politely.
 
Vortex Customer Service is excellent and prompt. That’s the reason Vortex has become so successful. Legions of hunters who routinely abuse their optics and get them repaired or replaced regularly will attest to that. Whether a Vortex glass is the best optic for you is another question. Everyone’s eyes and face are different so it really comes down to picking a price point and comparing what’s out there.
 
i simply do not understand why a rather large place like the usa empire does not have the education, skill base or other ability to make good optics. can they not make good glass? just beer bottles? is it because they freed their slaves and thus have to use cheap factories abroad? sold yourselves out it seems. the countries that lost the ww2 both germany and japan make the best optical devices you all say and now you disparage the chinese. well they certainly seem to make better 'things' than usa does. and better profit for your masters too. stop buying the chinese, japanese and german stuff and see if any americans have the ability to make them from amongst your educated class and manufacturing cities. cant be that hard.

There us a certain amount of leading edge U.S. based optical work that we consumers never see when it is produced, but do reap the benefits from down the road a few years.
 
i simply do not understand why a rather large place like the usa empire does not have the education, skill base or other ability to make good optics. can they not make good glass? just beer bottles? is it because they freed their slaves and thus have to use cheap factories abroad? sold yourselves out it seems. the countries that lost the ww2 both germany and japan make the best optical devices you all say and now you disparage the chinese. well they certainly seem to make better 'things' than usa does. and better profit for your masters too. stop buying the chinese, japanese and german stuff and see if any americans have the ability to make them from amongst your educated class and manufacturing cities. cant be that hard.


FWIW, it isn't "all that hard."

Germany has placed a large Schott Glass manufacturing plant 20 miles from where I live in Northeast Pennsylvania's Anthracite Coal Region.

It has 200 employees. It is a very important plant in that it is the center of research, technology and development for all Schott plants in the USA.

https://www.us.schott.com/advanced_optics/english/about-ao/locations/duryea.html

I don't think they would have settled here if there weren't people with the "education, skill base and other ability to make good optics."

Bob
 
As I said in an earlier post, time will tell with Vortex, there are others vying for a piece of the pie, Tract, Meopta, even Zeiss and Nikon are muscling into the mid-range market, after all Vortex is a mid-range product.
As consumers look at Meopta which has more US presence now offering high quality optics in the midrange line, hunters I know are liking their products, so more competition for Vortex.

Bob, we have the best academic institutions here in the US, that is not the problem, the problem is below as quoted by jpraider of which I agree with, (as it relates to the youth education system).

"our libtard education system has been dumbing down American kids for decades now".

Folks I know in the military, they say the same thing today.

Andy W.
 
I have lived long enough to remember people saying much the same about Japanese manufacturing as some are saying about Chinese today. My father insisted on buying a totally inferior German camera back in the early 1960s instead of the excellent Yashica I had requested on the advice of the photo shop that wouldn't touch Japanese products.

In fact I was in a major London photo retailer about 25 years ago when someone came in enquiring about Panasonic cameras and was told to try the hardware shop further down the road as proper photo shops don't handle that stuff. They did handle other Japanese brands by then, but not something that sounded like a vacuum cleaner. That shop has gone but Panasonic remain!

Times change
 
i simply do not understand why a rather large place like the usa empire does not have the education, skill base or other ability to make good optics.
Clearly we do have the educational system, knowledge and skills to make good consumer grade optics as we once did. And other more technically advanced products. You are asking the wrong question. The question should be whether there is a business opportunity that would support the cost of developing the means of production, distribution and sales. It would appear that no such opportunity exists.

can they not make good glass? just beer bottles?
Clearly we can. Just look back in history.
is it because they freed their slaves and thus have to use cheap factories abroad? sold yourselves out it seems.
Why do you post claptrap like that?
the countries that lost the ww2 both germany and japan make the best optical devices you all say and now you disparage the chinese. well they certainly seem to make better 'things' than usa does.
Markets and business opportunities clearly evolve over time and the business of sport optics has changed too. The Chinese are clearly capable of and do produce high quality optical, electronic and many other components. And consumers have clearly chosen and voted with their credit cards. I see no reason to disparage Chinese products. Possibly you are doing so.
and better profit for your masters too.
????
stop buying the chinese, japanese and german stuff and see if any americans have the ability to make them from amongst your educated class and manufacturing cities. cant be that hard.
Why would an American consumer want to stop buying quality goods from other countries just to attempt to resurrect a long dead industry? What you seem to be asking makes no sense.
 
Clearly we do have the educational system, knowledge and skills to make good consumer grade optics as we once did. And other more technically advanced products. You are asking the wrong question. The question should be whether there is a business opportunity that would support the cost of developing the means of production, distribution and sales. It would appear that no such opportunity exists.


Clearly we can. Just look back in history.

Why do you post claptrap like that?

Markets and business opportunities clearly evolve over time and the business of sport optics has changed too. The Chinese are clearly capable of and do produce high quality optical, electronic and many other components. And consumers have clearly chosen and voted with their credit cards. I see no reason to disparage Chinese products. Possibly you are doing so.

????

Why would an American consumer want to stop buying quality goods from other countries just to attempt to resurrect a long dead industry? What you seem to be asking makes no sense.

:t::t::t:

Three thumbs up to that! Roadbike!

Bob
 
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