The End of (Another) Era - HR WP (1 Viewer)

Another product line is coming to the end of its life as we are now running down the last of our stock of the HR WP porro prism binocular.

We are the last of the suppliers of a variant of this internally focused, fully waterproof binocular. It has been praised for its razor sharp image and equally criticised for its narrow field of view but I think overall it has had more fans than haters

The 10x42 is already out of stock but if anyone is thinking of adding one to their collection we do still have a few of the 8x42 model.

https://www.opticron.co.uk/our-products/binoculars/hr-wp-binoculars/hr-wp-8x42

Cheers, Pete

It's always a pity to learn that a product has reach the end of its life. Two questions come up instantly:
- Will there be a replacement in the same area (quality porros)? (I'm afraid I know the answer).
- Is this the top of the range porro in the Opticron range or is the SRGA superior optically but lacks the waterproofness?
Thanks!

This is one model that doesn't deserve criticism. Razor sharp image and excellent 3D effect is worth sacrificing the fov.

I bought the Minox versions of these about 12 years ago, always one of my favourites.

Fov a bit narrow; focussing not the fastest but silky smooth and the central dioptre correction operates on the left eyepiece.

For those long rambling walks on a warm spring day when nature is stiring, the view they provide just adds to the general feelgood factor.

Not mainstream, not perfect, won't suit everybody, but in their own way - irreplaceable.

Those HR WP jobs tick a lot of boxes. Multi-coated, waterproof, screw-up eyecups, decent eye relief, and nicely packaged - the rounded shoulders make it about as easy to hold (for me anyway) as a porro can be. I thought the image was very good even after having looked through a dazzling range of alphas at last year's Birdfair. Very comparable with Opticron's version of the Tract Toric roof (down to the field of view seeming a bit tight, although good sharpness to the edge partly compensates for that). I just wish I'd known about the diopter adjusting the left eyepiece.

Pete I know you have said Opticron don't do alphas... but I was wondering whether an improved version of the HR WP could meet the demand it would seem is out there for alpha class (or close to it) optical quality in a waterproof package at less than alpha prices? That was, of course, the unique selling point of the Nikon SE, now long out of production. Admittedly, that no one has attempted a comparable product since might well mean that the business case for a top class porro doesn't stack up. I just wonder, though, how much more it would cost (both at your end and at the consumer's) for Kunming or Xi'an's finest to turn out something comparable to the HR WP, but with the field of view extended to say 120-130m for the 8x42? MSRP of the Swift 820ED Audubon (probably the most likely competition right now) is just over 800USD; the HR WP as offered in your link is "only" 250GBP.

It's not really a question of the cost of the individual item, it's about the return on investment. I suspect that if we asked a sub-contractor in China to build something to meet or exceed the optical quality of the HR WP they could achieve it and probably at a lower cost per unit.

However, to get to that point there has to be a substantial investment in tooling, samples etc. If any of the optical components required have to be custom made, the minimum order quantities for those components quickly move from hundreds to thousands and that stock has to be paid for in advance.

Even with a fantastic price/performance ratio, I'd guess that we'd be talking about sales in the tens of units a month, not hundreds, so you start to get a picture of why it's hard to "go it alone" with something like this.

Not sure that helps much but it's kind of where we are I'm afraid!

Pete

For anyone in the US that might want a pair of these, I found that this shop has maybe a dozen 8x42 HR WP in stock and a few of the 10x42 HR WP. I made sure to post this AFTER I ordered mine.

http://www.enerdynet.com/optics/

I received the 8x42 HR WP I ordered and found everything said about them here is true. A really nice Japanese made porro at a bargain price. Very nice.