Yes.
The collection which I am co-hosting recently acquired the 8x30 model of the Blaser primus.
A brief impression:
- finish: first class; nice materials and haptics
- mechanics: excellent in every respect: hinge, focus wheel, eyecups
- optics: very good central sharpness, little CA; off-axis sharpness okay but not outstanding
So overall a very nice binocular. In many respects, esp. finish and mechanics, a true premium bino. And premium also the price!!!
When using the bino for a brief while, I had the feeling that I had already seen image characteristics that were very similar to the Primus. So I went back and checked two other 8x30: the Kite Lynx and Nikon Monarch 7 (these latter two being - arguably - essentially the same binocular). The following was interesting:
- different body armour and weight, but
- identical dimensions of all three glasses
- individual parts, such as the focus wheel, exactly identical in size and placement
- looking into the tubes from the objective side: exactly same grooving/blackening of the tube walls, same baffling, same placement of the screws (as far as those are visible) in all three binos !!
- slightly different look of antireflection coatings in the Primus
- slightly different look of the eyepiece in the Primus
My assumption therefore: all three binoculars are essentially made by Kamakura Japan, the Primus gets just some makeover (in Germany?) with nicer materials, different coatings and a different eyepiece (which results in a small difference in FOV).
The Primus costs three times as much as the Nikon or the Kite (it costs about as much as a same size Ultravid HD+). It is sold in Europe primarily by weapons shops and shops selling hunting gear.
I find it a very nice bino, but too expensive when compared with an Ultravid or EL SV.
For what it's worth.
Canip
