Why are the binoculars?

      As I mentioned I am a professional developer of optic and optoelectronic devices with more than 20 years experience. The binoculars observation is my hobby for more than 25 years. I often travel and observe objects in different parts of the world and this improves my skills, which correlates with my theoretical and practical knowledge.

Also, considering that I lived in the period of the USSR, I was given a great deal of experience and understanding of what had happened at that period and what happens now. In the USSR only a few plants were engaged in designing and prototyping the binoculars and no more than 5 plants were engaged in serial/mass production.

As for Japan there had been more than 100 companies in optics manufacture since the late 40s, nowadays there are no more than some ten. In Europe up to the present day, there have been more than twenty companies which produce binoculars, now there are only few once. The other European companies place orders for OEM and ODM agreements. In the US about two companies produce binoculars, the rest ones place orders for OEM and ODM agreements.

Until the early 90's, actually, we did not hear anything about Chinese binoculars. In the 70-80s, binoculars from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, and Macau were occasionally shown. Zeiss Binoculars were also produced in Hungary in Zeiss factory till the beginning of 2000s.

Nowadays modern binoculars are produced in China, Philippines, Japan, some brands in Austria (Swarovski, Kahles), Germany (Zeiss, Leica, Docter), Portugal (Leica), the USA (Bushnell, etc). Also nowadays binoculars are produced in Russia, Belarus. During the period of the USSR  binoculars were not produced In Ukraine. There are some prototypes in Ukraine but no serial production.

I believe that the greatest contribution to the development of binoculars was made by German / Austrian and Japanese companies. The contribution of the USA and Soviet companies were not quite great, but it allowed us to understand the engineering development and essential priorities.

I have learnt the most interesting optical schools of Germany / Austria, Japan, the USA and the USSR, which were established in the end of the 19th century and were significantly developed from the 20-30s to the 90s of the 20th century. But only some of them have been still developing and provide us with the phenomenal binoculars.

In terms of the USSR collapse many scientific materials had been lost. In the end of 80s of the 20th century there was a significant decline in optical industry and the USSR optical school began their way out. In 80-90s many famous optical scientists passed way. It is quite difficult for me to estimate the real position Russian optical school nowadays, I can assume it has the developing level on rate of the 90s. I guess some private Russian optical companies have reached the level of China industry for internal consumption, probably a little bit lower.