High End Scopes Quality

[Mach 1.5]

Following on from my visit to the shoot show yesterday I did notice a couple of the expensive German scopes seem not to be the quality that they used to be? The focus ring on the two big brands were more like a scope from China!. Seems the glass is good but the class has long gone and no gloss black. Mach 1.5

[jumbuck]

Quality has taken a nose dive in recent years with nearly everything. With Chinese rubbish made to a lower price and to a low level of quality the top end manufacturers, brands have to compete some how and so cut corners it is Nearly everything we buy nowadays feels and is made to a price. Just look at German cars, no better now than Korean or the good ole Ford. Or even Weihrauch, it pains me to say they are not a patch on what they used to be and that's from a Die Hard dedicated follower

[look no hands]

Quality has taken a nose dive in recent years with nearly everything. With Chinese rubbish made to a lower price and to a low level of quality the top end manufacturers, brands have to compete some how and so cut corners it is Nearly everything we buy nowadays feels and is made to a price. Just look at German cars, no better now than Korean or the good ole Ford. Or even Weihrauch, it pains me to say they are not a patch on what they used to be and that's from a Die Hard dedicated follower

I've been saying this about German products for years, Top Gear reckoned the new Ford Mondeos are just as good as their BMW equivalent, regarding air rifles look at some of the Chinese offerings that have been relabelled by Diana and the mass improvements over the years with rifles like the Remington Express.

Pete

[Mach 1.5]

I'll stick to buying second hand from a few years ago then. Weihrauch's ain't what they used to be but was really shocked at the S & B scopes and for that price also!! The Zeiss weren't much better and not a patch on my 3-9 X 36 from the mid 80's.
Mach 1.5

[PhatMan]

Hello to All,

What many chappies don't seem to realise or appreciate, is that the Chinese make exactly what the customer asks and is willing to pay for.

Customer asks for shite, built down to el-cheapo price, then that is what the Chinese will make them.

Ask the Chinese (and pay them) for top-notch quality, and that is what the customer will get.

There was a very enlightening documentary some time ago on the BBC about a large electronics Expo in China.

The stands were divided essentially into three (3) sections :

a) cheap and shite quality
b) average price and average quality
c) Expensive and excellent quality

Each section had similar products, but as the price went up, so did the quality.

It is the customers fault that most of the Chinese stuff here is shite.

Have fun & a good Sunday

Best regards

Russ

[JerryD]

Best scopes I have (subjective view) are my Bushy 4200 8-32x40s (old Bausch & Lomb design), followed by Leupold VX3 boosted 20-50x50. They are all in excess of 10 years, some older still (Leup is from the late 90s AFAIK), but the brightest and clearest glass I have come across.

I've had Nightforce, Bushy 6500, seen Kahles, Sightron and even S&B but wouldn't put them as clear as the Bushy 8-32s. I know they are higher mag (except for the 6500) but still rate the Bushy more highly for clarity and ease of use.

So yes, for me older is better. Shame that neither Premier Reticles Leups nor the Bushy 4200 series are available any more


.

[Zambi666]

Im still using a Seben BA 4-12x 56 which has been on my hw90k for best part of 10 years. Its been flawless in operation.

[lensman57]

Quality has taken a nose dive in recent years with nearly everything. With Chinese rubbish made to a lower price and to a low level of quality the top end manufacturers, brands have to compete some how and so cut corners it is Nearly everything we buy nowadays feels and is made to a price. Just look at German cars, no better now than Korean or the good ole Ford. Or even Weihrauch, it pains me to say they are not a patch on what they used to be and that's from a Die Hard dedicated follower

It is not just recently either. In 2011 I bought a Leica M 75mm F2 Apo Summicron for not much short of £2000.00 brand new. These were only made in Germany. The focusing ring felt rough as if someone had forgotten to lubricate the helix. I have some 50 year old Leica lenses ( the silver ones ) that feel like a Rolls Royce in operation. Competeing against cheap junk from the far east has taken its toll on the European manufacturing.

A.G

[rabbitwrecker]

So true, Russ...

Got to respect a Leica man, AG.....

[lensman57]

So true, Russ...

Got to respect a Leica man, AG.....

About the only decent buys that I made my friend. I used to be very seriously into photography and and I must have over £8000.00 worth of digital cameras, both Nikon and Canon, that are not worth the postage if anyone ever bought them for fun. I 'd probably get my money back on the Leicas. Lovely stuff to work with particularly my old M3.

Regards,

A.G

[stillair1]

As an aside , Leica have been manufacturing microscopes in china for few years to compete in the bottom end of the market. Quality looks ok on the outside. But not a patch on the old stuff inside.
High end scopes not only have good glass, but also fine build tolerances internally for accurate adjustment.