Where have all the porro prism binoculars gone?

"Where have all the porro prisms gone? Long time passing…" My apologies to one of my heroes, Pete Seeger, but where, indeed, have all the porro prism binoculars gone? The answer is mostly China - the lower production costs of the porro prism binocular versus the roof prism binocular make the porro the king at the low end of the binocular world. At the premium end of the binocular world, it is quite another story. Premium grade porro prisms are in danger of going extinct and that saddens me. Some of the best binoculars I have ever tested, used and owned were high grade porro prisms, such as the Nikon Premier 10x42SE, the old Swarovski Habit SLs, the Zeiss Classic porros and so many more. How I wish I had not sold some of those, now! Yes, the roof prism binocular is slimmer, trimmer and sexier compared to the old clunky bodied porro prism binocular, but, to the surprise of many, porro still have the optical advantage. If you value sheer optical performance, it is still tough to beat or even equal a high grade porro prism binocular. My thanks to Steiner and Fujinon for not following the premium binocular pack with their fine premium porro prism binoculars. The Steiner 7x50 Commander and Fujinon 16x70 are some of the last of a dying breed.

Hey, there..this post was really useful for a newbie like me...will be looking for more like this stuff...keep up the good work! Thanks (Posted by  GamerForever: 11:41 AM  )