Hi Chuck,
The Swiss Nikon store lists both models currently as „in stock“, see
https://store.nikon.ch/token/--categories<{_NIK_sportoptics_category}--/grid/priceDesc;0;30
although their prices are among the highest I have ever seen for the WX.
Much has been written about the WX, some of it controversial. Here are some of my thoughts, fwiw:
- a 7x50 or 10x50 binocular that costs more than twice as much as the next most expensive same size premium model will perhaps always stir some controversy („who are these ultra rich guys who can afford such a luxury?“)
- whether the WX is the „best binocular ever made“ I don‘t know - I think there was a time when some very nice wide-angle binoculars with even more FOV were on the market (even if their edge sharpness may not have been that great). But in a number of respects (above all: edge sharpness combined with wide FOV), the WX is in my experience the best binocular currently available. In some other respects, however, the WX is no competition for other premium binos (too heavy, too big, useful only for a limited number of applications)
- the WX is the result of Nikon‘s corporate culture that allowed 3 optical and technical experts to create, for Nikon‘s 100 year anniversary, a binocular that would beat all the others on the market in terms of FOV, sharpness (esp. off-axis), contrast and probably also CA, irrespective of the development cost involved, the size and weight of the bino, and the saleability of such an instrument (I wonder whether any of the European premium makers would today allow their R&D departments to create a new model that they knew in advance would never return a profit)
- the WX is an excellent demonstration of the fact that you cannot ignore or overcome the laws of optics, and that optical instruments are ALWAYS the result of a number of compromises. There is a price for the excellent performance characteristics of the WX - size, weight, huge eyepieces, and transmission numbers (in the high 80 percent range, whereas premium models today tend to be in the mid 90 percent) due to the sheer amount of glass involved. Even after more than 100 years of binocular development, you cannot have WX - like performance in a body the size of a Papilio
- I personally prefer the 7x over the 10x model in daytime use, because of the even more impressive „immersion experience“ you get with the 7x. If you have a chance to mount the 7x on one of the top floors of a high rise building and panning over the city, this will give you the most flight-like experience you will ever have with a binocular. The 10x on the other hand is more impressive under the night sky because of its greater „reach“, however: don‘t mount it side-by-side with an EL SV 10x50, or you will not love your Swaro any more (at least for a moment, until you realize that the EL SV with its clearly narrower FOV is actually the much more versatile instrument in practical terms)
- in a way, due to the limited number of applications for which the WX is an outstanding instrument, it is not really a competition for other premium binoculars. It IS kind of a luxury - maybe that‘s what you mean when you use the term „boutique“. If you happen to live in a „place with a view“ (ocean-side, high-rise building, mountain top), the WX may be a wonderful tool, and the individual focusing is not an issue. The same is true for astronomy, esp. panning the milky way or star fields on general. The limitation here is that you can only really use the WX mounted, in contrast to other 7x or 10x binoculars
Again, as I mentioned, my 2 ct fwiw. For a review of both models, I recommend Holger Merlitz‘ website.
Canip