What Discontinued Binocular Would You Redesign and Bring Back If You Could ? (1 Viewer)

[Trinovid]

Imagine an up to date(redesigned)Alpha Grade made Leitz Trinovid 6x24...

A redesigned 6x24 Trinovid could be a great addition to the Retrovid range - something with the dimensions of a x24 would appeal to general purpose users as well as the usual birders/optics nerds.

I'd love a 6x24 Trinovid.

So glad to see that there are others also interested in seeing some top quality offerings in the lower magnification ranges.
Much as I enjoy my 8x binoculars, I'd really enjoy having the ability choose less magnification and gain a larger exit pupil, along with greater image stability, all in a more compact package.

 

[LeadLenses]

Modern porros do exist - between the Habichts, Fujinons, Nikons (and from what I can gather the APMs edge into that zone) they cover everything from 8x30 to 10x70.

7x42 roof at around the level of the Conquest ... I think Meopta do/did a 7x42 that is still available.

modern 7x50 - Fujinon

US-made - Fraser Volpe - specialist product, but binoculars made in the West need to offer something special to justify paying Western workers Western salaries. Boeing doesn't make the 707 anymore, for instance...

Hey Patudo, thanks for the comments. If I may:
Are these truly modern porros? Habichts are an old design that seemingly have a lot of drawbacks. I am glad they are still being made.
Nikons porros are made to a low price point. They are OK and if I had to buy a blister pack binocular, they would be it.
Fujinons are IF and therefore only of interest to astronomers and sailors, but I am glad they have that option.

Where can one buy the Meopta 7x42 in the States? Looks like they are available from German Amazon (1 available) and maybe one other Euro seller. I guess I have an option for the time being.

The Fraser S250 14x41 (why 41?), only $4,295. I’ll take mine in yellow…. It sure is a specialist product that I suspect is sold almost exclusively to government agencies who do not care about the price, but are required to purchase made in the USA equipment. I bet they are good, though.

I don’t understand you comparing consumer grade binoculars to civil aviation airliners. The Boeing 707 isn’t made for a lot of reasons, but I’d say the fact that it was originally designed with four turbojet engines is a big reason that it isn’t made anymore. Probably heavy compared to newer airliners, too. I see the military tanker version flying overhead all the time. I digress…
Are wages in Japan or Germany or Austria less than the US? Not by much if they are at all. The standard of living seemed pretty high when I was in Germany and Austria, if not higher than in my own neck of the woods here in Weatern Pennsylvania. But somehow they can make the alpha grade binoculars we love to discuss. Meanwhile, we make almost no high grade consumer goods here anymore. I’m getting pretty deep in the weeds, but that is the deal the US made with the vanquished countries after WW2: you (Germany and Japan) can have unfettered access to the US market as long as you don’t go communist. In exchange, we (‘Merica) will provide for your defense. It worked out well for a while, but perhaps has outlived its usefulness.
Then there is China and the petrodollar and inflation and the American tendency to only look towards next quarter’s earnings and lawyers and unions and…so American manufacturing is f’ed. Much easier to call up Kamakura or whoever makes SVBONY’s and put an order in and sell them on Amazon. Pretty sad, but maybe I’ll have my American made binoculars when the dollar is not the reserve currency of the world.

 

[Binocollector]

I understand the frustration. I sometimes wish, there were more German manufacturers of binos around then just Zeiss. I'm not counting Leica as they seem to produce in Portugal. And Steiner is very much unclear about the origin of their products.
I wish Optolyth was still around. They have a message on their homepage which says they stopped production because of Covid but I suspect they won't be back.
And they clearly stated they grind their lenses in house as well as coating them. I do love my Optolyth 8x30. If they'll ever be back I'll buy another Optolyth for sure.
I think you could get a Meopta directly from their website.

Home | Meopta :: Better view of the world

www.meopta.com

 

[mfunnell]

I’m getting pretty deep in the weeds, but that is the deal the US made with the vanquished countries after WW2: you (Germany and Japan) can have unfettered access to the US market as long as you don’t go communist. In exchange, we (‘Merica) will provide for your defense. It worked out well for a while, but perhaps has outlived its usefulness.

I'll dive into the weeds with you then: there's a wonderful book (The Puritan Gift, Hopper & Hopper, 2009) which describes how the US taught their defeated enemies how their business acumen and engineering know-how won the war, and taught how to emulate that for themselves. Meanwhile, back at home (mostly through Harvard Business School - at which each Hopper taught at one time or another) the US convinced itself that such things (acumen and know-how) were very old-fashioned ways of thinking in a time when financial slight-of-hand and political lobbying return substantially higher margins.

The rest, as they say, is history - and requires only home-grown stupidity. (Note: here in Oz-stralia, we mostly import our stupidity in exchange for rocks we dig up: in Colonial times our idiocy was imported from the UK but now, often, arrives from elsewhere).

...Mike

 

[Dennis Mau]

An improved EDG from Nikon would be nice. If Nikon had perfected the EDG's they could have easily been the best binoculars out there.

 

[Nethero]

Where can one buy the Meopta 7x42 in the States? Looks like they are available from German Amazon (1 available) and maybe one other Euro seller. I guess I have an option for the time being.

Unfortunately the MeoStar 7x42 were discontinued in 2016 (I think). If you can find a pair for a good price I would get them.

They are extremely 7x42 SLC-like (nearly indistinguishable other than having a slightly more saturated color rendition than the SLC). I had a set of the 7x42 SLC Neus for a while and it was a tossup which was better optically. To me it was a draw.

Also, there is a set of 7x50 MeoStars on eBay from a South Korean seller for $900. Supposedly they are new despite the serial showing a 2012 manufacture. Just FYI if you are interested.

At any rate, I love my 7x42 Meoptas.

 

[tenex]

Modern porros do exist - between the Habichts, Fujinons, Nikons (and from what I can gather the APMs edge into that zone) they cover everything from 8x30 to 10x70.

But many of these (Fujinon, Nikon SP, APM) lack central focusing, and aren't very practical for terrestrial use.

If they make a Nikon SE again, I'd rather see it in 8x30. The smaller porros fit my hands better.

Do try an E2, with the latest coatings. I just got one and suspect you would love it.

How much better might a Binuxit with modern coatings be than an E2? Does the equipment still exist to manufacture any of the classic Porros mentioned in this thread? The last to be made were Nobilems... who has the old Jena plant now? I'd love to see those without the silly Docter armor that was trying so hard not to look like what they were.