Hermann
Well-known member
Some here think that the market for a 50mm would be limited, yet all agree that they either love their 10x50 SV's, and/or would appreciate a lighter 50mm. Didn't one of your famous, veteran US birders exclusively use a beat up old pair of 10x50's ??? ..... :smoke:
In theory everyone would love 8x60s or 10x70s, with 98% transmission and >70 degrees AFOV. Oh, and a weight below 800gr. Of course.
In reality the great majority of birders use 42mm bins, with 32mm bins a distant second. And 50mm binoculars are a distant third, even in countries with long and dark winters like Sweden.
You don't believe that? Go to one of the places where lots of birders meet in the autumn. Falsterbo, Öland, the Scillies, Helgoland, to name a few places in Europe.
All this talk that Zeiss "needs" to design a 10x50 SF is utter nonsense. What they need to do to compete in the market place is making binoculars a sufficiently large number of people will actually *buy*. Not what some forum heroes on Birdforum deem desirable. And if you're serious about wanting a 9x50 SF - well, ask them to make you one.
BTW, all those comparisons with Swarovski don't really make much sense. Swarovski can afford to make binoculars that don't make much profit. They make their money with other products. And judging my what I see they sell a heck of a lot more 42mm (and 32mm) bins than anything else.
Hermann