On Wed, 07 Jun 2006 14:46:00 -0400, chuck wrote:

Seems I misunderstood and thought real Fujis could
be bought for under $100.

Technically, these are Fujis because they are made
by Fuji exclusively for Defender. It's anybody's
guess whether they are identical to Fuji's branded
binoculars. It's my guess they are not in the same
league as Fuji's least-expensive binoculars. Which
does not mean they should be avoided, maybe just
approached with tempered expectations.


A reasonable approach. Personally, I feel that my 25 year old "real"
Fujinons are the best purchase I ever made, though I really couldn't
afford them at the time. I figured every boat needed one first class
piece of gear aboard and that's the one I chose. They have saved my
butt a number of times. Nowadays, most of my cruising time is on
deliveries. The one item that *always* comes along is the Fujinons.
Maybe it's just my security blanket, but when we're hitting an
unfamiliar inlet after dusk because we're running behind, they seem to
become *everyone's* security blanket.

IMHO, an excellent pair of binoculars is one area where anyone who
strays far from the marina can justify the cost. If you often have
guests, buy that $100 pair as well and let them have fun looking
around without risking the good stuff.

Anecdotal experience: On several recent deliveries, the boats had
well-used Steiners aboard. Without exception, the Steiners had
mechanical problems of various sorts that rendered them useless.
However, I have trouble believeg that this is typical. The ones I've
handled in stores seem optically as good as my Fujinons, and don't
feel that flimsy. Any comments?

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