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Who is the best binocular maker? (1 Viewer)

I think you should read "best binocular brand".

The "brand" is still responsible for the quality of the final products, product innovation (to some extent at least), customer service, reputation and warranty/service.

Zeiss and to a smaller extent Leica get a minus from me for their OEM adventures. It smudges the brand reputation IMO. o:)

Don't even think of going there Swarovski...:-O
 
Bob,

I found a Nikon post reorganisation report online from around 2010 I think. At that time the sports optics division had 12 employees in Japan, no manufacturing facilities anywhere, and a procurement office in China. I was told they were already contracting out in Japan some time prior to that date.

I'm just passing on what I've been told by various individuals in the industry. I can't say how reliable it is, but it seems credible to me.

David


This is what Nikon states in its monthly news releases going back to 2008. (There is some interesting information here in these news releases if one wants to take the time to prowl through them.) The announcements about the binoculars come from Nikon Vision Co. LTD, a subsidiary of Nikon Corporation.

The EDGs were introduced in 2010 by Nikon Vision Co. LTD, a subsidiary of Nikon Corporation.

http://www.nikon.com/news/2010/0312_edg_binoculars_01.htm

In 2012 the same corporation introduced the Monarch 7 series:

http://www.nikon.com/news/2012/0712_monarch7_01.htm

And incidentally the Monarch HGs were introduced by the same Nikon subsidiary in 2016.

http://www.nikon.com/news/2016/0714_monarch_hg_01.htm

Proof of where they are made hasn't appeared yet.

Bob
 
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It sounds like Swarovski is about the best according to popular opinion with Zen Ray Oops!:-O I mean Zeiss a close second. Interesting about Nikon. It sounds like they are farming more and more of their stuff out especially the low end stuff. That is kind of sad.
 
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It sounds like Swarovski is about the best according to popular opinion with Zen Ray Oops!:-O I mean Zeiss a close second. Interesting about Nikon. It sounds like they are farming more and more of their stuff out especially the low end stuff. That is kind of sad.
Steady on with the Zen-Ray wise cracks Dennis ! 3:)
They come in a solid 466th spot according to Chuck ! LOL 8-P

Don't feel too sad about Nikon ...... Zeiss does exactly the same thing :cat:



Chosun :gh:
 
This is what Nikon states in its monthly news releases going back to 2008. (There is some interesting information here in these news releases if one wants to take the time to prowl through them.) The announcements about the binoculars come from Nikon Vision Co. LTD, a subsidiary of Nikon Corporation.

The EDGs were introduced in 2010 by Nikon Vision Co. LTD, a subsidiary of Nikon Corporation.

http://www.nikon.com/news/2010/0312_edg_binoculars_01.htm

In 2012 the same corporation introduced the Monarch 7 series:

http://www.nikon.com/news/2012/0712_monarch7_01.htm

And incidentally the Monarch HGs were introduced by the same Nikon subsidiary in 2016.

http://www.nikon.com/news/2016/0714_monarch_hg_01.htm

Proof of where they are made hasn't appeared yet.

Bob

Bob,

I haven't been told who manufactured the EDG, only that Nikon weren't manufacturing in house at that time. I think most the recent Monarchs have been made in China, and I was told by a Nikon employee they changed manufacturer at some point for the 5 and 7. The M7 x30 was a Kamakura design which Nikon opted to have made in China, with Kite, Maven and Opticron taking other manufacturing locations and market restrictions. The MHG I'm again told is made by Kamakura, but I think in Japan, but even these details are getting increasingly vague. We know one or two Opticron models switch countries, and possibly companies, during the manufacturing process, and I'm sure they are not alone in following that path.

I'm told the Japanese OEMs are totally discrete on what they make for who, and their customers are generally not keen to tell either, but those in the trade seem to have a good idea about the major models.

David
 
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I can't compare like with like, but:

1. Swarovski.
2. Zeiss, but my only experience is with the Conquest 8x32 HD. Which is an excellent bin.
3. Leica, but only on the basis on the 8x20 Ultravid (though I have the Monovid, which is astonishingly good and, I find, more usable than the Ultravid). On the other hand, that 8x20 is often said to be the best of its spec, and I can believe it.

Only returned one instrument to the makers (suppliers, whatever) and that was to Swaro for my old Habicht 10x40s. A minuscule amount of slack developed on the focus wheel after a year, but you want perfection. Though I'd bought them elsewhere, took them to In Focus (retailers) expecting them to be adjusted by the shop. Went to collect them and found they'd been sent to Austria and arrived back. Focusing now perfect, no charge by Swaro or shop. In the box was a work note by Swaro saying (in German) "Complaint!". Evidently they were surprised to be asked to fix the "problem", but like I say, you want perfection. They served me well for 25 years and have gone to a relative.

Swaro's only fault (if people consider it one) is a bit of stiction. I hardly notice it now, and in fact found a way to improve it. A couple of years ago I thought my 10x42 SVs had developed a horrific problem and posted on BF about it. The focus wheel only moved a small amount each way and made a grating noise. I'd forgotten that the night before, I'd knocked the bins off a coffee table on to the carpet, in to a small gap between table and wall. I'd retrieved them by lifting them up by the focus wheel (???!!) thereby pulling out the dioptre adjustment, and next day trying to use them normally (sigh). But after this mishap, stiction was all but eliminated. So now, a couple of times a year, I briskly turn the dioptre to its full extent each way, and stiction is reduced so that it's scarcely noticeable. No idea why this works, but for me it does.

Excuse the lengthy answer to a simple question. Probably won't return here until tomorrow. Eyes getting tired from screen and playing with a new optic which arrived today, Canon 18x50 IS. Will report on that in due course in the appropriate place...
 
David, post 28,
The company of Kamakura in China is much larger then the one in Japan, if the situation is still comparable to the data the company supplied in their own flyer some years ago. So "made in China" still does not tell us the whole story.
The dealers know exactly who is making what and where and, like the makers, they want it to be a secret generally.
Gijs van Ginkel
 
David, post 28,
The company of Kamakura in China is much larger then the one in Japan, if the situation is still comparable to the data the company supplied in their own flyer some years ago. So "made in China" still does not tell us the whole story.
The dealers know exactly who is making what and where and, like the makers, they want it to be a secret generally.
Gijs van Ginkel

Gijs,

I'm aware of that, but If I understood my sources correctly, even KK subcontracts outside the company in China.

David
 
To my eyes and for my needs, probably something like :

1 Swarovski
2/2a Zeiss/Nikon
4/4a Meopta/Kowa
6 Leica
7 Leupold

These could probably all be lumped together at 1 and 2, though, in reality. Very little differences and up to personal preference, IMO, I just find Swarovski to be the best in terms of follow-up (compared to the alphas) and find Leica to show the least improvement between models.
 
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I vote for Nikon, at least my eyes and wallet do, based on the MHG, the SE, and the EDG (not necessarily in that order).
 
David
"The M7 x30 was a Kamakura design which Nikon opted to have made in China, with Kite, Maven and Opticron taking other manufacturing locations and market restrictions."

Are you saying the M7, Kite, Maven and Opticron 8x30's are basically all the same Kamakura design and just made at different manufacturing locations? So if you wanted one you would be best off buying the cheaper M7 or does the Kite, Maven and Opticron's have upgrades designed into them?
 
David
"The M7 x30 was a Kamakura design which Nikon opted to have made in China, with Kite, Maven and Opticron taking other manufacturing locations and market restrictions."

Are you saying the M7, Kite, Maven and Opticron 8x30's are basically all the same Kamakura design and just made at different manufacturing locations? So if you wanted one you would be best off buying the cheaper M7 or does the Kite, Maven and Opticron's have upgrades designed into them?

Same design, but not necessarily the same glass, coatings or engineering. The Kite was made in Japan with Japanese components for the European market.. We think Maven was the same but for the US market. The Nikon was made in China with Chinese components, and the difference is evident in the view. Opticron paid for a modification to x32 instead of the x30 (which may give them more market freedom), and recovered some of the costs through a mixture of Chinese and Japanese components and assembly. I think it offers more glare resistance than the M7 and Kite, but for me falls a little behind in colour fidelity. I'm not sure it would bother most users.

David
 
This is a rehash of many other threads - with the same vagueness - are we talking quality of the product, just optics, reliability etc.?

If returning /complaining about a bin due to focusser issues counts as a negative, then a certain brand has to be well down the list....
 
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Sancho. Did you get an MHG or are you still using the SE for your birding outings?
I got an MHG in 10x to 'complement' my SE 8x, having foolishly sold my SE 10x42 some years ago to assuage the guilt of splashing out on a new 'gruppo' for my roadbike. I haven't used the MHG much but I'm very impressed.
 
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