As for where to view 8x bin in the Twin Cities area, in my experience REI has had a good selection (esp. of Nikon) as has Cabela's (but not sure now with the buy-out by Bass Pro Shops).
--AP
There is a propensity for the observer to see anything new as better. That’s what the advertisers are paid the big bucks to entice you to think over, and over, and OVER THE TOP! “Everybody has one; SO SHOULD YOU.” If you don’t, you’re silly and less than a good observer. Just think, spending only $2,500 will put you in contention to be a REAL person!
A few years ago, a salesman came into my shop wanting me to carry his line. He was so excited because all of them had ASPHERIC optics. He used the word “aspheric” so often, I think he wanted me to swoon. I thoroughly reviewed his samples. Not only did two of the three have bits of foreign matter throughout, the performance in chromatic and field curvature put that performance behind any number of much cheaper Asian imports. Although not one of the BIG THREE European firms, it was still from a company that commanded respect.
Since chromatic aberration and field curvature are two good reasons designers use aspherics here and there—although production costs are a magnitude higher—and since this salesman kept using the term over and over, I asked him to tell me what it meant and what it would mean to my customers.
Apparently, he thought the WORD alone had magical powers. He did the best he could but just danced around the issue. I told him I had done design and optimization work—pointing to Zemax-EE, then on my computer screen—and that overall his expensive samples were not nearly up to the cost they carried.
Feeling the young fellow meant well, but that he had been duped by a boss who knew a lot about sales but little about optics, or a young wife wanting to be taken to a nice restaurant, I had the fellow sit while I dragged out Sidney Ray’s Applied Photographic Optics.
Across the nation, route salesmen, regional salesmen, and importers concentrate on selling through buzzwords and a keep up with the Jones’s technique because that’s all most vendors really understand or care about understanding. And, as long as consumers fail to do any serious study on the matter ... that will be all that’s required.
‘Bottom line is Alexis’ last comment:
“On the question of optical improvement over the past ten years, I agree with others that in the binocular field as a whole, and especially in the upper tier, it hasn't changed very much. However, when it comes to $300 roofs, they have (on average) improved a lot in two areas: field of view and contrast/CA control.”
My bottom line is from Desiderata:
“... Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals ...” :cat:
Cheers,
Bill
