January 11th Aimpoint announcement

[Tokarev]

Nice.

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[jsbhike]

If not being able to see through the optic is better then why have the front lens at all? If that was even patented on single points that patent has long since expired. And it appears they may offer a clear front lens cover as well.

[SomeOtherGuy]

As far as them resting on their laurels? They have perfected the dot optic. There isn't anything left to do other than make cheaper versions.

In the last 15 years the price of a 50" 1080p television has dropped like 75-80% for comparable quality and features. The performance of a $1000 mid-level laptop has gone from OK to extraordinary, even while inflation has cut the real value of that figure by maybe 30%. Japanese-made rifle telescopes have improved by perhaps three orders of magnitude at a given price point. Leupold has emerged from the fog of 1970's rural logging Oregon and started to make some modern scopes. Chinese rifle optics have gone from a total joke to an OK option, and Japanese optics have gone from middle-market to extend to the alpha class and everything below.

And with all that, Aimpoint is cutting roughly one-third off the price of an extremely simple optical device (far, far simpler than any variable telescope) that is no different functionally? One that was absurdly, outrageously overpriced to begin with?

Why can't they find some cost savings with modern manufacturing? Even if it's kept all in Sweden. Swedish warplanes are price competitive on the global market, and hardly anything has higher prices and technical requirements than that. Swedish cars were price competitive (in the luxury class, where they fit) when they were still Swedish, and the remaining Volvo brand (not so Swedish as it once was) remains competitive in its class. Mora knives are among the cheapest knives on the market yet very well made for their price; in particular good quality control, which many cheap knives fail at. A lot of other Swedish technology is fairly priced for its quality and features, even when compared to east Asian manufacturing.

I'm sure the optic is fine and has the usual Aimpoint reliability, but this is like Leupold's pricing for Mark 4 scopes.

[prepare]

In the last 15 years the price of a 50" 1080p television has dropped like 75-80% for comparable quality and features. The performance of a $1000 mid-level laptop has gone from OK to extraordinary, even while inflation has cut the real value of that figure by maybe 30%. Japanese-made rifle telescopes have improved by perhaps three orders of magnitude at a given price point. Leupold has emerged from the fog of 1970's rural logging Oregon and started to make some modern scopes. Chinese rifle optics have gone from a total joke to an OK option, and Japanese optics have gone from middle-market to extend to the alpha class and everything below.

And with all that, Aimpoint is cutting roughly one-third off the price of an extremely simple optical device (far, far simpler than any variable telescope) that is no different functionally? One that was absurdly, outrageously overpriced to begin with?

Why can't they find some cost savings with modern manufacturing? Even if it's kept all in Sweden. Swedish warplanes are price competitive on the global market, and hardly anything has higher prices and technical requirements than that. Swedish cars were price competitive (in the luxury class, where they fit) when they were still Swedish, and the remaining Volvo brand (not so Swedish as it once was) remains competitive in its class. Mora knives are among the cheapest knives on the market yet very well made for their price; in particular good quality control, which many cheap knives fail at. A lot of other Swedish technology is fairly priced for its quality and features, even when compared to east Asian manufacturing.

I'm sure the optic is fine and has the usual Aimpoint reliability, but this is like Leupold's pricing for Mark 4 scopes.

Perhaps with government contracts they're not worried about being price competitive. Not that that is a sound strategy but if gov contracts are their bread & butter...

[Five_Point_Five_Six]

If not being able to see through the optic is better then why have the front lens at all? If that was even patented on single points that patent has long since expired. And it appears they may offer a clear front lens cover as well.

No one said it was better as far as I know. Just that it was possible in a pinch.

[jsbhike]

No one said it was better as far as I know. Just that it was possible in a pinch.

So Aimpoint could include the clear lens cover they offer and it would be better instead of the black one?

[jsbhike]

Perhaps with government contracts they're not worried about being price competitive. Not that that is a sound strategy but if gov contracts are their bread & butter...

Are these going to be .gov only like the PRO was for the first year or 2?

Not sure about optics, but firearm manufacturers do cater to .gov even though US sales are something like 65%/35% post 2001(prior was around 80%/20%.)

[Five_Point_Five_Six]

So Aimpoint could include the clear lens cover they offer and it would be better instead of the black one?

They probably could, but it might cost more. The black ones are most likely cheaper to produce but they offer a clear front lens for people such as yourself who seem to get hung up on such things to purchase separately if they so choose.

[jsbhike]

They probably could, but it might cost more. The black ones are most likely cheaper to produce but they offer a clear front lens for people such as yourself who seem to get hung up on such things to purchase separately if they so choose.

The flip up covers they sell for 30mm Comp and PRO are the same price whether transparent or black. The occluded eye preference crowd could always black out the transparent lens, but kinda hard to see through the black cover.

[Five_Point_Five_Six]

The flip up covers they sell for 30mm Comp and PRO are the same price whether transparent or black. The occluded eye preference crowd could always black out the transparent lens, but kinda hard to see through the black cover.

I don't know that anyone is saying they prefer the occluded lens, just that it can be used if need be. This seems to bother you more than it probably should and is easily remedied by buying whatever lens cap you want to use or ditching them altogether.