Looking around for reviews etc preparing me for my next purchase of a pair of binoculars I'm coming to the opinoin that most mid-priced pairs are in fact the same with the odd cosmetic difference, regardless of the brand name, and are made by one or two Japanese manufacturers, the real difference being the mark up and marketing effort that the brand name then applies to "their" binoculars.
The higher priced ones are actually made by the maufacturers themeselves who inturn regulate the price that these are offerd at though a system of dealership pricing which effectively keeps the prices high and avoids discounting.
Have I lost touch with reality or is this is the way it is?
I am sure some will view it that way; but I am not an expert on the optics industry and do not really know. However, I would be wary of taking at face value unsupported comments made on these forums regarding manufacture, etc.
In any event, my impression is that many binoculars in a particular price class -- cheap, midpriced, or expensive -- are pretty similar in many respects. However, reviews of midpriced binoculars do find pretty substantial differences in optics and ergonomics between them. And all I personally worry about is which ones look to be the best in the price range I am looking at. Here are some links to reviews of midpriced binoculars if you are interested:
http://www.birdwatching.com/optics.html
There are a number of excellent articles on this page. In particular, check out the Midpriced Binocular Roundup link with the accompanying chart, as well as the "Binocular Picks for Every Price Range" chart.
http://www.betterviewdesired.com/index.php
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Public.../Age_Binos.html
Hope this helps,
Jim