Telescope Reviews: Japanese Quality vs. Chinese?

Japanese Quality vs. Chinese?

I have been researching 60mm and larger astro binos for six years. I have read everything I could find on the internet and astro publications about them during that time. Allow me to offer another data point in this "Japanese Optics= Superior Optics, Consistent QC; Chinese Optics = Inferior Optics, spotty QC", discussion.

I purchased my first pair of 20X80s in 2001 after many month of research (reading CN reviews, Yahoo Binocular forum, excelsis.com, magazines, books). They were a pair of Japanese Orion 20X80s, list price was $399. I bought mine on sale for $340 and free shipping. IIRC, the Orion Megaview selling for ~$500 was the only 80mm binos considered "better" than the model I selected.

A few month after my purchase a much more experienced binocular astronomer than I, and owner of the same Orion 20X80, posted he was upgrading to a Fujinon 16X70 FMT SX. Price for the Fuji was ~$600 at that time. His web site: http://www.stargazing.com/

Fuji FMT SX is considered by many to be a "reference standard" 70mm astro bino offering near premium optics at a very attractive price. Water proof, fog proof and Mil spec construction. I recall Florian ordered a pair from one dealer, found some minor(collimation or other) issues with the first. Ordered a 2nd from another vendor, had problem with that one also, returned that pair and received a 3rd pair. The 3rd pair was perfect. Everything he wanted in a Giant Bino. (I think dealers were Oberwerk & Adorama)

Not long after receiving his 3rd pair of Fujinon FMT SX Florian offered his Japanese Orion 20X80 for sale. Another forum member purchased it and was very pleased. I still have my Orion 20X80 but I prefer to use my lower cost Chinese 80mm LW: 2 lbs lighter, wider FOV, handholdable for short sessions.

As for the Japanese(Vixen,etc)= "premium optics", consisten QC, Chinese optics= "often inferior" supposition, please see the following CN user report:

http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=182

I believe my own Japanese 25X100s also have a Vixen connection. My Vixen catalog from 2001-2002 show 100mm binos looking identical to my ProOptic 25X100. My Japanese 25X100 is of solid construction, very good workmanship. Average to good, not premium optics, IMO.

I've been to China about 1/2 dozen times for business and pleasure during the last decade. Considering the size of the country, their pace of development is simply astounding by European and North American standards. (Think 1.3 billion people, 10% annual growth vs. 300 million, 3% growth for a decade). Take another country in that region, S Korea, the quality of Samsung & LG (Goldstar) and Hyundai products have improved greatly in a very short time as well. In many cases they are superior to well established American brands.(Just go to your local Sears or BestBuy and check out their appliances dept). Many of us are old enough to remember the early Toyota, Datun and Honda subcompacts from the 1970s. I suggest it would be best to avoid generalizations about the techincial know-how & capabilites of countries with such rapid growth....

Erik D