Telescope Reviews: Changes in The Binocular Industry

While I have been defending Fujinon pretty heavily lately, I would like to make it known there is a company in China that is producing some pretty good looking clones of the F series. And, frankly, I intend to buy some for my shop. They will not be sold as Fujinons, but with the market being what it is, it might be good for list members to be wary.

Also, without mentioning any names, I only know of VERY FEW companies on the planet that are now getting at least SOME of their binoculars from Japan or China. And, of course, SOME of the Japanese companies are getting SOME of their products from China. Our Helmsman is produced by a Japanese firm. However, I had the option to purchase it from Japanese or Chinese factories.

Also, it should not be assumed that all Chinese instruments are junk. Across the board, Chinese instruments are not as good as those from Japan. BUT, how long will that remain so? As I have said from the beginning, let a name and price tag take you in a certain direction, but, BUY a particular instrument.

These threads are being filled by folks wanting to talk about optical quality, and how it is going in the sewer. Well, I agree . . . to a point. We are certainly seeing a hiccup in the industry right now. Those who want the best are left with four options:

1) They can either get off their wallet and spend enough money to buy a winner that will perform well for years, all the while keeping their user off the collimation threads. They will probably cost $500+. Or,

2) They can sit back and enjoy the beauties of nature with a less than legendary instrument and let the more geekie among us worry about levels of performance that don’t matter to them. Or,

3) They can sit back and enjoy the beauties of nature with a less than legendary instrument and try to convince themselves that whatever they are using is just as good as anything else on the market, and that those who would spend more are just being foolish. Or,

4) They can enjoy the beauties of nature with a less than legendary instrument, but, succumbing to jealously, feel the need look at those who have chosen to make a better investment as being foolish, snobby, or both. And who, although they don’t know field curvature from distortion, are ready, at the drop of a hat, to find fault with better instruments and spread their misinformation to all who will listen.

Methinks the first three options are pretty healthy. The last one would go a long way on some lists. Unfortunately, there are just too many watchdogs on CN.

When I see comments like “One glimpse of the "China moon" tells me these binos are utter trash,” it makes me wonder if the real subject is optics or nationalism.

Well, grass will not grow where I spit while thinking about offshoring (and I have just finished an article on the subject). I’m as John Wayne, Wyatt Earp, Davy Crockett, Theodore Roosevelt, American Redneck as you can get. But, I can’t bring myself to bend the truth for the Stars & Stripes or anything else.

So, yes, China is struggling right now. Even so, some of their products are moving up in quality, rapidly. I DIDN’T say ALL; I said SOME. I didn’t say they were THERE; I said they were moving up RAPIDLY.

I am old enough to remember when “Made in Japan” was a joke. Many things from Japan in those days seemed to come PRE-BROKEN.

Today, let’s say bad things about LEXUS, ACURA, HONDA, YAMAHA, MITSUBISHI, SONY, NIKON, FUJINON . . .

Our own people wouldn’t listen to Demming. The Japanese listened well enough to learn to kick our collective butts. Why bother going to war to take a country when you can just buy it a piece at a time . . . with its own money?

And China? From where I sit, they are farther down the road of production than Japan was at the same point in their growth.

So what? Well, while we are not going to see $1,000+ binoculars going for $60 anytime soon, we are soon to see binoculars that will match that quality for HALF the price! And isn’t that really all a rational person would expect?

Whether they like it or not, the binocular buying public needs to prepare for the growing wave of CHINESE binoculars . . . Even the CHINESE binoculars that some take as Japanese and the CHINESE binoculars SOME take as European.

The fact remains that whether you buy a winner or a loser is not based on the country of origin; it is based on your ability to LEARN something about optics and your ability to withstand getting sucked into believing urban legends or everything you read on the net.

I never cease to be amazed by the people who will trash one company or model while extolling their own choice, when they are often the same binocular, differing only in advertising and cosmetics.

Or how about marketing like der “Adlerblick Fernglaser”? Man, you don’t get much more German sounding than that! Of course, the instrument was Asian.

If the Chinese get good enough to produce products of such quality as to fool the experienced and caring American merchants, then I guess we will have a new source for high quality AND inexpensive instruments. Is that time coming? Yes! Should we hold our breath? Hardly.

So, what is on the horizon? Well, this is what I see. Just as Gibson, Fender, and Gretsch guitars are turning to Asia to regain the market share taken these last few years by Ibanez, Jackson, Dean, and two dozen others, so, too, will it be with optics. The big names will keep their big names. But, they will do so by turning more and more to Asian products and riding shotgun on the QA of those products.

I am also amazed at some of the folks here on CN who will go to the mats defending the quality of this or that product that didn’t even exist even 5 years ago—except under another name. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily.

You have a lot of young entrepreneurs wanting to sell a product and make a name for themselves. Are they going to do it by selling the best equipment in the world? NO, they are not. So, how will they do it? They will do it by providing fast, friendly, personal service, and by standing behind their products. Look at Garrett. Zach has Cory. You think that doesn’t mean something to me and my dollars? I don’t have any of his products. But, if I did, I would know who to beat if I had a problem. I also know that the problem would go away quickly. And, of course, all the others are building their own following.

“Hey, dude, what kind of guitar do you have?”
“I have Gretsch Nashville 6120, a Rickenbacker 375 Deluxe in Maple Glo, and a Guild Starfire III.”
“Humm! I never heard of any of them; Did you get’em at Wal-Mart?”

The times, they are ‘a changing.

Just a thought.

Bill