BirdForum is the net's largest birding community dedicated to wild birds and birding, and is absolutely FREE!

Register for an account to take part in lively discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="brocknroller" data-source="post: 1615049" data-attributes="member: 665">Tokyo Rick,I didn't say they were the same bin, only that they had the same specs, or if you want to be a stickler, similar:Minox BD vs. Leupold CascadesER: Both 16mmFOV: 5*; 5.2*Close Focus: 11.15'; 13'Weight: 28 oz./25.4 oz. Made in: ChinaFocus: Both InternalDiopter adjustment: On the center focus "wheel"We're not talking about mid-priced roof clones or Chinese big bins clones, which have proven to be rebadged versions of the same bins. However, if they don't have the same optics, there might have been some corporate spying going on, or one might have been reverse engineered from the other, because what are the chances of two companies bringing out the first porros with internal focusers with close to the same specs within a year or two of each other? I agree with your maxim (though are you really buying a whole truckload to sell in Tokyo? <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />, but now that I know they are both made in China, I don't think that the Minox badge gives the BD more "pedigree" than the Cascades anymore than an "Astrophysics" badge on a 10.5x70 or 15x70 IF EP big Chinese bin gives it "pedigree" since they come from the same factory in China. Although I guess you're "banking" on that illusion to sell your truckload of BDs at a nice profit when the economy picks up again! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />The Minox focuser does seem better designed (the thin, spiny wheel on the Cascades is Bush League, IMO) so I do think the Minox should sell for a bit more, but I stick by my original statement that at $549, they were a rip off. And the proof is in the puddin'. If they can afford to sell them for $259 and still turn a profit... well, you're in finance, I expect better of you! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />I know a guy who had both bins, in fact, he bought them back to back, and he said that optically, he couldn't see any difference btwn them. The nose room on the Minox was a bit tighter than the Leupold. With my ample proboscis (wow! I really have learned how to spell the word), I'd be turning the focuser with my nose!I haven't tried the Minox yet, so I can't confirm or deny his observations. However, I can say that the ergonomic design of the Leupold is superb (SE-like). They feel great in my hands and Leupold put extra rubber cushioning where your thumbs rest on the bottom, which is right where you need it.However, the focuser was too tight and so was the FOV, which is why I didn't buy them (had them on "spec"). If Leupold or Minox had designed these bins with a degree wider FOV (7.5*), I would own a pair (a good sample, with Chinese bins, you sometimes have to buy more than one to get a good sample - the seller I got them from had SIX pairs, probably part of a truckload <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />. If you have tired both bins, perhaps then you could explain why the Minox BD deserved to sell for $349 more than the Leupold (a difference of more than the price they are selling for now!). And don't say "pedigree"! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />Kahless the Unforgettable Lives!</blockquote>

Verification