• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Canon 10x42IS Mk II by Swarovski!? (1 Viewer)

D

dipped

Well-known member
I was speaking to a current user of the Canon 10x42IS binoculars today who has heard that Swarovski have taken these apart with a view to producing their own version now that the patent on them has run out.

Could be exciting times ahead if Swarovski are able to shave some weight off and produce a more birder friendly version (eg rounded eye cups).

Time will tell what will come to pass. I would expect a big price hike if it comes to fruition.
 
If Swarovski can't come up with different technology that would surpass Canons they should give it a second thought now rather than sneak up on them after the patent runs out. I suspect that Canons have been taken apart by lots of optical companies to see how they could build it better.

Nobody seems to have found a way to improve them and sell them profitably.

I tried them once and had no problems at all with the eye cups and their view was about as good as it gets. I've been thinking about buying one for a while but with Canons indifferent warranty and the 10x42IS's "waffle iron" like ergonomics I always had 2nd thoughts.

I probably would have bought a 12 x 36 if their stabilization button worked like the one on the 10x42 and didn't have to be held down. Little things like that are also problems.

Bob
 
Why would Swaro or Zeiss ever do such a thing?
If they legitimize IS optics, they destroy the perceived value of their installed base, as not only Sony and Panasonic, but also the Chinese could launch competitive IS designs in a flash for much less than $2000.
The evidence to date suggests strongly that the alpha makers will not embrace IS except as a last resort, because it highlights their weakest side technically.
Interestingly it seems some digiscoping oriented users are ditching their spotting scope in favor of the Nikon P900 super zoom, so the market is moving in a way that should worry the alpha marketing gurus.
 
dipped said:
I was speaking to a current user of the Canon 10x42IS binoculars today who has heard that Swarovski have taken these apart with a view to producing their own version now that the patent on them has run out.

Could be exciting times ahead if Swarovski are able to shave some weight off and produce a more birder friendly version (eg rounded eye cups).

Time will tell what will come to pass. I would expect a big price hike if it comes to fruition.
Click to expand...

If that is really the case, the day after the Swaro IS hits the market, your friend will receive a subpoena from Canon's lawyers to appear in court for a lawsuit against Swarovski for retroengineering Canon's IS design.

Can I believe Swaro would do it? Well, let's see, they stole the open bridge design from Zeiss, the flield flatteners from Nikon, the pull out focuser from Leica, and screw out eyecups from Meopta. Nah, never happen. ;)

<B>
 
brocknroller said:
If that is really the case, the day after the Swaro IS hits the market, your friend will receive a subpoena from Canon's lawyers to appear in court for a lawsuit against Swarovski for retroengineering Canon's IS design.
<B>
Click to expand...

I disagree strongly.
Competitive analysis is standard in most industries.
The auto companies all have engineering divisions that purchase, dismantle and cost analyze competitors cars. Plus there are multiple approaches to achieve stabilization.
Swaro of course does not afaik have a relationship such as exists for Leica/Panasonic or Zeiss/Sony, but I'm confident Olympus or Ricoh would be happy to make a deal if asked.
The most logical approach though, at least imho, is for Swaro to buy the Canon IS program.
Canon's offerings are clearly not sweeping the market despite their technical superiority, presumably because of poor marketing and unappealing design.
Those are problems Swaro can fix, while Canon gets rid of a marginally performing distraction.
 
I don't know why Swarovski needs the bother. They will compete with the binoculars they have now and cut into their sales. There is no guarantee that the public will like Swarovski's version of them to buy enough to make them profitable. I think it will be difficult to design their ergonomics to make them attractive. And by the time Swarovski would get them up and running the SV line also will be needing an upgrade to stay competitive.

Nikon is situated perfectly to do something like this, if it can be done, and doesn't seem interested.

Bob
 
Last edited:
Following up a few points I've been trying to find out how long a patent lasts and it seems in the USA it's 20 years.

The original MK1 12x36 IS was reviewed in BVD in 10/96 so the patent could be about to run out on the IS version in this model. That if correct would at least make it reasonable to consider seriously the possibility of a Swaro IS model at some point in the future.

I still think as I did when I first saw the original version that IS binoculars are the future (present for some), of binoculars.
 
werewolf said:
The 10X42 appears to be gone from Canon's website.

http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/binoculars/image_stabilizer
Click to expand...

But still apparently available if you enter 10x42 ISL as a search item.
Hope it is just a glitch, but Canon too is struggling with the slump in camera sales.
The optics landscape is getting a massive makeover because cellphones have killed the non specialty camera market. Simultaneously, Chinese competition is squeezing the margins for every optics maker. I think Pentax folding is just the beginning, there is much more pain yet to come.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 9 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

dorubird
Swarovski Habicht 7x42 dissection
2 3 4
Replies
66
Views
12K
William Lewis
W
yarrellii
Canon ISIII 12x36 First impressions: amateurs vs professionals
2 3
Replies
41
Views
10K
yarrellii
yarrellii
Will K
Swarovski and Vortex Scopes - A Brief Comparision
Replies
7
Views
5K
Will K
Will K
W
Swarovski twilight glass
Replies
12
Views
3K
dries1
dries1
mgp13
Zeiss SFL 8x40 review from Australia
Replies
7
Views
3K
GrampaTom
G

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top