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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Kevin Purcell" data-source="post: 1760132" data-attributes="member: 68323">Or if it was due to the previously rumored patent infringement issues (which of course were naver made explicit). I wrote about this issue before. Clearly there is no patent on open bridge configuration: that has a long history of prior art. But the optomechanics in the bin is often patented and often interesting to see it (e.g. the Swaro EL mechanism is interesting). Perhaps they infringed (on a EU patent).It does seem very odd to put a bin into production and then release the same optics in a new enclosure just a year or so later with a different look. That's a lot of work.Perhaps it's a combination of the two: a optomech redesign to avoid patent issues which then lead the designers to reconsider the look. The two hinge open bridge is now passé so perhaps the single hinge open bridge enclosure was considered a bigger differentiator (as Kabsetz suggests).Did the weight drop too? The specs for the 8x42 are now 785g (27.7 oz) in the PR but the Nikon Sport Optics web site hasn't been updated<a href="http://www.nikonsportoptics.com/Products/Binoculars/EDG/index.page" target="_blank">http://www.nikonsportoptics.com/Products/Binoculars/EDG/index.page</a>says 28.6 ounces = 811 grams so the new version is perhaps 26g or almost 1 oz lighter than the older EDG. Perhaps that's another reason to go with the single hinge open-bridge design?But it's still very odd. But it may make the older EDG collectible.Rick, did you ask them about this. Did they very politely not answer the question? <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /></blockquote>

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