Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/04/11

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Binoculars, Old and New
From: Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>
Date: Sun, 11 Apr 1999 03:57:26 -0400

At 04:20 PM 4/11/99 -0300, Robert G Stevens wrote:
>Marc:
>
>Have you looked through any of the Fujinon 7x50 Marine binoculars?  I have
>a set and the manual says they exceed other brands in light gathering
>ability including the best Ziess 7x50.  

Yes, I have looked through them.  I hope I will never be so embarrassed
again.  The manufacturer is known in astronomical circles as "Fuzzinon" for
a reason!

Fujinon produces cheap junk and charges a lot for it.  Swift does a better
job of matching price to quality.  And we shan't discuss those overpriced
humiliations Nikon markets.

But, for the best stuff, you have to Pay Big Bucks.  There is no escaping
the economic realities.  Pentax makes some World Class Optics, but they do
not sell these outside of Japan, as they would sell for 120% of Zeiss or
Leica prices in the US, and they have conceded the quality optics market
here to the Germans and US firms (Leupold, for instance, comes to mind) for
that reason.  I have seen some of Pentax' better gear, and it is wonderful.
 But, it costs a bundle!

Avoid Fuzzinon.  There is an old saw which runs along the lines of, "the
agony of horrid performance persists long after the exultation of a low
price", and this applies to both Nikon and Fujinon.  Their best gear is
just not up to the price they charge, and their lower-end gear can be
bettered by off-brand firms like Docter or Swarovski for less money.

Marc



msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!