Dave Bennett wrote:
If I am not mistaken it was my pair of Fujinon 16x70 FMT-SX Binoculars
(snip!)
Also, I assure you they are not worn out. They've been babied since the day the arrived.
Thanks for weighing in on this, Dave. Bruce made the comment that he thought that the quality of lower-priced binoculars has shot way up in recent years, and I would tend to agree. My "worn out" remark was referring to the possibility of excessive wear on the focusing mechanism, which can happen even during normal use, with time, to any binocular. Machined, mating surfaces slowly wear, and the inevitable end result is slop that can, in some cases, make achieving precise focus or alignment impossible. The old pair of 8x40's that I inherited from my dad have this condition, and it is only the low power that makes them still very usable. Sounds like you're pair is still tight, though, and if you corroborate Bruce's impressions, then by gosh, it must be true, though I am truly, pleasantly amazed that the inexpensive Bears can hold their own against a much pricier binocular. On the other hand, I believe that all the locally-owned Bears were purchased from a discounter (my own included), so I really have no idea what the original MSRP was for the Bears. Maybe the true price-point disparity isn't truly so great after all. I have been very happy with my Bears, and although I think there is slight room for improvement in some areas, for what I paid, I cannot fault them at all. Especially eye-relief, as you noted, and the wide apparent field. I too thought the resolution was very good in my own pair. It will be very interesting to compare them with the Oberwerks when they arrive... And Dave, will you be attending "Binopalooza" next month? I'd sure like to have a peek through your Fuji's...would you be willing to take part in the "shoot-out"? Chuck __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? LAUNCH - Your Yahoo! Music Experience http://launch.yahoo.com