Are any contemporary Tele Vue eyepieces still made in Japan?

[25585]

My 1980s TV 32mm Plossl is Japanese made, it is the model with a smooth stem. Ditto 40mm Plossl.

Are these and any other TV eps still Japanese, or are all TV eps made in Taiwan now? 

[FLO]

Please don't consider this a definitive answer, it is more a snapshot, but looking along our shelves I can see most of the Plossls, all the DeLites and half the Naglers are made in Japan. The Panoptics, Ethos and Delos are made in Taiwan. This might of course change over time. 

Regardless of where an eyepieces is made, it is design, materials, manufacturing and QC that determine quality and performance. 

HTH, 

Steve 

[John]

The plossls, Nagler T6's, DeLites and the Nagler 3-6 zoom are Japanese made. The other models are made in Taiwan.

All are shipped to Tele Vue in the USA for individual (not a sample) testing before release for sale.

 

[Davey-T]

My 2 X Powermate is made in Japan.

Dave

[25585]

20 hours ago, FLO said:

Please don't consider this a definitive answer, it is more a snapshot, but looking along our shelves I can see most of the Plossls, all the DeLites and half the Naglers are made in Japan. The Panoptics, Ethos and Delos are made in Taiwan. This might of course change over time. 

Regardless of where an eyepieces is made, it is design, materials, manufacturing and QC that determine quality and performance. 

HTH, 

Steve 

My Panoptics are superb so no problem. I was curious as the Plossls have been around for decades, and wondered if cost saving had moved country of manufacture, as Vixen has done with certain eps.  

[John]

5 minutes ago, 25585 said:

My Panoptics are superb so no problem. I was curious as the Plossls have been around for decades, and wondered if cost saving had moved country of manufacture, as Vixen has done with certain eps.  

I believe there is a method in the eyepiece types that Tele Vue have made in Taiwan vs Japan. I read somewhere what the reason is but I can't recall what it was now

It's something to do with the larger, heavier eyepieces being Taiwan made but I can't recal the exact details.

[Saturnalia]

What about coating upgrades over the years...?

A friend has an older Panoptic 24mm made in Japan - anyone know if the new Taiwanese ones have updated coatings...?

 

[John]

5 hours ago, Saturnalia said:

What about coating upgrades over the years...?

A friend has an older Panoptic 24mm made in Japan - anyone know if the new Taiwanese ones have updated coatings...?

 

Tele Vue coatings are updated periodically but only they would know exactly when that has occured in the life of an eyepiece range. The differences in performance between the older and newer coatings are slight - an old Panoptic is still an excellent eyepiece

[Saturnalia]

Thanks for the info John.