The ‘sx’ series of binoculars
are made to "milspec" (made to U.S. military specification).
FUJINON are the manufacturers, FUJINON are known for their
lenses, FUJINON make the best broadcast lenses (used for
TV and film) in the world; FUJINON have patented their own
system of coatings on the lenses.
It is the coatings that give that final
‘edge’ on the competition, it is the coatings that make
colours appear true, it is the coatings that stop points
of light appearing as star-shapes.
The ‘fmtr-sx’ series is also waterproof
(meaning waterproof for one hour at a depth of 6 meters);
and are also remarkably rugged – you should be able
to drop one and it should remain intact…though this
is not a guarantee, I would never recommend a drop-test!
Q. Why, then, are these so inexpensive
(the same quality in the other ‘big’ makes are priced at
around £900.00)?
A. Because this is a very traditional
binocular-shape, it is not the compact roof prism design,
it will not stand out in a crowd, it will never be a fashion
accessory, the 7X50 and 10X50 are quite heavy, the 10X70
and 16X70 really do need a tripod.
All can be used with the rubber eyecups
folded down to give perfect vision whilst wearing spectacles.
This is a feature of nearly all binoculars these days but
it is very rare that the system actually works. The field
of view (the area you can see left-to-right and up-and-down
without moving the binocular) is EXACTLY the same with or
without spectacles.
These are the latest models, each has
lens caps (tethered and tight-fitting on the 7X50 and 10X50)
and each is supplied in a strong case.
Definitely the best handheld binocular
but quite heavy (1.5Kg.), no problem for the soldier (he
isn’t going to whinge, "It’s too heavy…when are we
going home") but think hard about this one if you’re
only 50Kg in weight and struggle to carry a camera. If that
presents no problem and you really do want the best handheld
binocular at a sensible price, this is the one to go for.
The following link is to the web page
of an independent binocular-enthusiast who has compared the
Fujinon 10X50 with two other top 10X50s: http://www.holgermerlitz.de/fujinon10x50.htmll It is very long and quite technical, and some of the
English is a direct translation from the German,
if you wish to see my own one-page summary click
here
If you’re going to be sitting in a hide
watching wildlife or on the roof of a tall building on a
surveillance operation and you need something as good at
the 7X50 or 10X50 above; if you need to look through the
binocular for long periods; if you can mount the binocular
on a tripod, then this one really is amazing. It is the
closest to ‘flat field’ (meaning, a perfect image to the
very edge) that you are likely to see. It has the same huge
eyepieces as the 7X50 and 10X50 which means that looking
through one of these is more like looking through a window
that peering down a tube.
It CAN be held in the hands, but it
is JUST a bit too heavy (about 3Kg), mounting it on a tripod
means you can just sit back comfortably and peer into the
binoculars for hours. If you visit us (at the office or
at a fair) PLEASE do look at these before wasting your money
on an impressive-sounding 20X or 30X binocular!
To maintain the quality and increase the strength, the
absolute best (though this is the one binocular I have never
had in stock) is the FUJINON 15X80 at £2,800.00
(+ £235.00 for the mount, tripod not included). I would
LOVE to get one of these for a customer, merely so that
I could play with it for a few days. [top]
