OK, Today SHOT Show kicked off and I started my day meeting with Vortex.
After seeing their list of new products:

Viper PST 2.5–10x32 FFP Riflescope with EBR-1 Reticle (MRAD) ETA Spring 2013
Viper PST 2.5–10x32 FFP Riflescope with EBR-1 Reticle (MOA) ETA Spring 2013

Viper HS 6–24x50 Riflescope with Dead-Hold BDC Reticle (MOA) ETA Fall 2013
Viper HS 6–24x50 Riflescope with V-Plex Reticle (MOA) ETA Fall 2013

Razor HD 12x50 Binocular ETA Spring 2013
Razor HD 10x50 Binocular ETA Spring 2013.
These binoculars are ultra sleek for a bino with a 50mm objective. They felt great in my hands with the comfortable thumb indents underneath. They are made in Japan.

Crossfire II 10x42 Binocular ETA early Spring 2013
Crossfire II 8x42 Binocular ETA early Spring 2013

Razor HD 16–48x65 Angled Spotting Scope ETA Spring 2013
Razor HD 16–48x65 Straight Spotting Scope ETA Spring 2013
Razor HD 11–33x50 Angled Spotting Scope ETA Spring 2013
Razor HD 11–33x50 Straight Spotting Scope ETA Spring 2013
Razor HD 18x/23x Long Eye Relief Eyepiece ETA Spring 2013

Diamondback 20–60x80 Straight Spotting Scope ETA Spring 2013
Diamondback 20–60x80 Angled Spotting Scope ETA Spring 2013
Diamondback 20–60x80 Angled Spotting Scope ETA Spring 2013
Diamondback 20–60x80 Straight Spotting Scope ETA Spring 2013
These spotters are on par with the old Vortex Skyline ED series at about 1/2 the price. If you are looking for a quality spotter at a great price this should be on your check list.

I figured let's get over there first, put in the first SHOT Show order so we can be first to get a shipment (one likes to delude oneselves that this actually is the way it works. It isn't reality unfortunately). I was excited about some of these products and wanted to see what the deal was. The Razor HD 11–33x50 was of particular interest as it would be a nice line up addition to the Nikon 13-30x50 ED, and the Minox MD50 16-30x50 in the stable of quality compact spotters. I was anxious to see if the new Razor would be something as good, if not better to offer. The first thing I asked and was disappointed to learn was that the eyepiece is not removable. OH well, no option to go with a fixed straight power eyepiece. That was the only down side to this very nice scope. I think it's quality will make it a winner (what one can tell in the basement of a convention center). Their current Razor scope is a great optic and as this is it's smaller version I see no reason why it would be less than.

Vortex's home run will be their Viper PST 2.5–10x32 FFP Riflescope with EBR-1 Reticle (offered in both MOA or MRAD). What a sweet scope and at $799.99 I think this will be their #1 seller of their new products.

BTW, Vortex discontinued their Vortex VMX3 Magnifier for Red Dot Scopes (PN# VMX3) w/ Swing Mount so we bought their remaining inventory and are blowing these out at $219.99

Leica was next on my list. I arranged it this way as after everything I had heard about their new Rangefinder I had to be the one of the first kids on line to see it. I have already done a post specifically on the new Leica Geovid HD-B 8x42 - Yards Model, #40047 and Leica Geovid HD-B 10x42 - Yards Model, #40049 so please see it or my web site for the specs and info on it. I will say that they did do a great job on it. It feels great in my hands, is as good optically as any binocular I have ever looked thru and it is, as promised, the most state of the art rangefinding binocular on the market.

They also released the CRF-1000-R. This new and improved Rangemaster CRF 1000-R replaces the existing CRF-1000, which presented the opportunity to purchase hundreds of their remaining inventory of the CRF-1000's and be able to offer them for only $469.99 or $499.99 with a CRF Tripod Adapter

As usual we purchased Leica's booth at the show so a crazy amount of "Certified Pre-Owned" product will be arriving next week (NO there are none of the just released Geovid HD-B's in that shipment as they have none for sale yet).

Next was off to see Minox over in the German Pavillion. I was pleased to be shown a host of new products.

#66525 ZA 5i 3-15x50 SF w/ Illuminated Plex Reticle @ $669.00

#66515 ZA 5i 2-10x50 w/illuminated Plex Reticle @ $679.00

They also released a new, Made in Germany line of high end illuminated scopes:
#66554 ZE 5i 1-5x24 w/ illuminated German #4 Reticle @ $1399.00

#66564 ZE 5i 2-10x50 w/ illuminated German #4 Reticle @ $1599.00

#66574 ZE 5i 3-15x56 SF w/ illuminated German #4 Reticle @ $1699.00

#66584 ZE 5i 5-25x56 SF w/ illuminated German #4 Reticle @ $1799.00

These seemed, when first presented to me, to be not such a great idea as Minox is not perceived as a $1500.00 to $2000.00 scope player, however, after checking out the scopes (as best as can be under the circumstances) they do have a quality product priced below the competition. "Equipped with a 30 mm riflescope tube, a 5x magnification and a red dot reticle with 11 brightness settings, the new ZE-i line offers the user maximum flexibility and precision for short and long range shooting distances."


While there I, of course, asked about grabbing up some deals and I hit it out of the park....
Their ZA-3 3-9x50 Riflescopes have been discontinued as they are going to focus on their ZA-5 (5x power) line. We jumped on this opportunity to buy their remaining inventory in Plex, BDC, XR-BDC and #4 reticles. The deal we cut is allowing us to offer these to you @ $300.00 (your choice of reticle) including your choice of a BF 8x25, BF 10x25, BF 8x42 or BF 10x42 binocular. This deal is only going to last as long as our supply of scopes does but this is more than half off. We're thrilled to bring you this deal

Next on the agenda was Steiner who I was really looking forward to meeting with. They had a hierarchy change since last SHOT Show and I was curious to see if we could grow our offerings from them. They came to the table ready to really create some significant opportunities and I was more than pleased.
We are receiving a shipment of:
Steiner 10x42 Police Binocular, #645 which sells for $599.99 and we are now offering it for only $399.99
Their Steiner Safari Pro 8x22 Compact Binocular, #231 will be only $99.99 and if you want with with a new Steiner Predator Xtreme Riflescope (new not a demo) you can add it for a penny.
In demos we grabbed a bunch more of their Steiner 8x42 Predator Xtreme Binocular, #2481 @ $299.99 (reduced from $399.99), and their Steiner 10x42 Predator Xtreme Binocular, #2581 @ $349.99 (reduced from $499.99).

They are also going to be sending us show samples of their Military line of riflescopes:
Steiner Military/Tactical 1-4x24mm (DM1 Reticle), #5142
Steiner Military/Tactical 3-12x50mm (G2 Mil-Dot Reticle), #5312
Steiner Military/Tactical 3-12x56mm (G2 Mil-Dot Reticle), #5356
Steiner Military/Tactical 4-16x50mm (G2 Mil-Dot Reticle), #5416
Steiner Military/Tactical 5-25x56mm #'s 5525 & 5550 G2 Mil-Dot & MSR Reticles
These scopes are as good as anything offered in this catagory but have not been marketed correctly, IMO. These demos will allow an opportunity to grab them at a reduced price.

I had a limited meeting with Meopta that will be followed up with an extensive meeting in the next few weeks that I feel will be very productive.

I finally met Charles from Zen-Ray . He did not have a booth at the show, however, we arranged a meeting which was long overdue. He is a very nice guy who is interested in putting out a quality product at an affordable price. We chatted a while and are arranging a deal for the ZEN-RAY - ZEN ED2 - 20-60x82mm Angled Spotter
We discussed their binocular line and how their new PRIME HD binoculars, in both 8x42 and 10x42, were being received. According to Charles, these binoculars have a total of 20 pieces of optical lenses, including few field flattener lenses. This is what he attributes how bright and edge to edge clear this new unit is.
Additionally, I got a first look of their new 32mm ZRS HD binoculars. It does appear to be another winner from the Zen-Ray stable of optics. According to Charles, the 32mm ZRS HD will be available for sale in April for about $220. I think this model will do very well if its optics performs as good as its 42mm siblings.

Day 2 I continued on my never ending quest for information and deals. I stated the second morning at Zeiss.
This was an interesting meeting as they are introducing a new line of binoculars as well as a new line of riflescopes. These are kind of a new optics area for them as they are priced for mass marketing. Not that there is anything wrong with this, just a new direction for one of the Big Three Euro's known only for top end optics.

I checked out the two new Terra ED binoculars first. They seem to be made well and felt nice in my hands. Good eyecups, smooth focus. They seem to be a good quality optic that fits nicely into the sub $500.00 price range.
Terra ED 8x42 @ $349.99
Terra ED 10x42 @ $399.99
These binoculars give Zeiss a firm footing in this saturated price catagory with an optic that will do very well. Oddly (and I thought it was weird but later someone commented the same thing to me) they smelled funny. I realize this is not the an everyday thing to mention, but I noticed it so I am mentioning it.
The new riflescopes seem nice, however, until they are out there being used and proven for a few months I can only comment on what I can observe in a convention hall. Going off of track history I would think they'll be "Zeiss quality" as I cannot see Zeiss putting out anything sub-grade. They seem to be made well, however, time and use is the only way to know for sure. Again, getting into a price range out of the expected for Zeiss:
Terra 2-7x32 Z-Plex #20 @ $349.99
Terra 3-9x42 Z-Plex #20 @ $399.99
Terra 3-9x42 RZ6 @ $449.99
Terra 4-12x42 Z-Plex #20 @ $449.99
4-12x42 RZ8 $499.99
These are expected to arrive in late Spring
These all have the Zeiss Hunting Turret
As a personal note they went with an acrylic packaging which may look nice on a display shelf but I personally do not think it will travel well (shipped from the factory to Zeiss - Zeiss to us - us to you) That may result in scratchy or cracked plastic boxes on delivery which kinda defeats the nice clean presentation this type of packaging is meant for. Just my $.02

We, as usual, expect a delivery of demo goods from Zeiss in the next week or so. As soon as it is in and received we will get it posted.

For my next meeting I walked a few rows over to meet with Swarovski . First off let me say that in the past few years I like what Swarovski has been doing. Not only with their products but just the way they have been doing business. They had some regime changes a couple of years back and I think these changes have turned out to be a good thing. They have made working together enjoyable as well smooth. When you work with folks and need their assistance in order to provide customer service it's nice to know they actually care. We got a new Sales Rep a short time ago and I could not have designed a better choice. He knows the products, does training with our staff, and sincerely asks if there is anything he can do for us & for our clients. We had a productive meeting in which we discussed a possible local optics event day where training and product testing would be available to our clients for digiscoping as well as general binocular and spotter use.
They went over their new 4W reticle in their Z6 & Z6(I) Riflescopes with me, which I think will be a popular addition to their offerings.
We discussed shortage of popular product and they do feel that the supply of their Swarovision 10x42 EL Range will improve this year as well as the supply of their Swarovision 12x50 EL ( which in that power optic is the one to get, IMO).
I did comment to them that their new line of ATX/STX Modular Spotting Scopes have been extremely well received, especially for photography applications. We can hardly get the 95mm Objective in quick enough. Good news on that system is that they are now beginning to receive the STX Straight Modular Eyepiece for it.

I then went to to meet with my friend and Rep Roger Bushnell. He's been our Rep going back longer than I can remember. A great guy. Even though we really not do all that much with Bushnell he is very attentive and manages to get us demos and refurbs. He'll be sending a list soon enough that we'll share with you.

I then went to a meeting with Leupold . This was a first for me as we have never handled their products. A month or so ago a Leupold Rep came in the store and met briefly with me. We had a discussion that went very well. He arranged for us to meet at SHOT to discuss Camera Land becoming an authorized dealer. We had about an hour long meeting with a great guy from Leupold, just discussing our business model and theirs and if we'd be a good fit. We have scheduled another meeting, and it looks like we should be moving forward. I think this will be a great addition to the optics lines we now offer.

From Leupold I went to meet Annie from ScopeCoat. We started selling ScopeCoat riflescope neoprene covers a few months ago but other than emails and phone calls I never had the pleasure of meeting Annie. Glad I had the opportunity as it makes working together so much more pleasant when you've actually met the people you are doing business with. To give credit where credit is due she spent a year contacting us before we moved forward with her products. Not for any other reason than I was always so busy when she would call that it kept getting pushed to the back burner, however, she never gave up on me and now we sell a ton of these great protective covers. A shame we waited so long as these covers are an inexpensive way to protect your scope investment.

We became a Kowa dealer a few years ago. They work with independant sales reps and the guy who called on me was a nice guy. The kind of rep you want to work with so we opened with Kowa. I have always known that their Spotting Scopes were awesome but was not very familiar with the rest of their line. We've been selling their spotters fairly consistantly but never really got into their binocular line. I think that 2013 may bring an expansion deeper into the Kowa line. Ray, our rep, is coming in soon to further this so stay tuned.

One more meeting on day 2 and I'd be done (to be honest I was already done. Dragging at this point, lots of coffee and water, no food and talking non-stop since 8:30 in the morning gets very exhausting). My last meeting of the day was with Vero Vellini. My Steiner rep also reps this line of hunting slings and straps and he wanted me to check out their product. It seemed like a fair enough request so I made an appointment to check out their offerings. Glad I did as their products seem to be top quality, priced well and something that is a nice fit for us.
From their web site:
"The Vero Vellini line includes a full range of rifle and shotgun slings and binocular straps and harnesses designed to meet any hunter's preference and taste. Every Vero Vellini sling features leather end panels for a classic look and non-slip rubber backing for a superior carry. From Wide-Top Rifle slings to Tactical and Shotgun slings, from binocular and camera straps to the Bino-Pal™ binocular harness, Vero Vellini takes European craftsmanship and combines it with modern materials to achieve the ultimate in balance, comfort, flexibility and dampening."
We opened up with them and as soon as our web builder can get the info on our site we'll be in business. Very exciting product, IMO.

Day 3 arrived to a huge breakfast and only 3 appointments. Today would be a fine, low pressure day. I had already seen most of what I had come to SHOT to see and left 3 appointments for my last day, Brunton, Nikon & Pentax

My first appointment was with Brunton who, quite honestly, I knew next to nothing about. As you may or may not know last year I opened an OffShore Tackle Shop, Pelagic Outfitters, with my buddy Chris. Our Daiwa Rep Eric is now with Brunton and requested that I come and check out their optics. He's a good guy so if he honestly thought it was worthwhile what could I lose other than an hour of my life I could never get back.
Having not really known anything about their products I asked around. Basically I was informed that they made a better than good optic but had little if any presence on the optics end of the business due to poor marketing, however, they are a huge player in Outdoor Gear, Solar Portable Power Mats, etc.
With little expectation I went to their booth (small in the back of the lower level) and asked for the VP of sales as Eric was not at the show. I was introducted to Joel, a very personable guy who is VERY excited about his product line. We chatted about Brunton and about Camera Land. While chatting he showed me some different binoculars, which, IMO were superior to what I had expected (how do they have such great glass and nobody knows about it?) and then we discussed pricing. I thought for a relatively unknown their prices were a bit high. Not that the optics were not worth what they were priced for and then some, as they were. Just that everything is perception and how do you get a guy to spend $500. - $2300 for a name they do not know. Having metioned this I again saw how VERY enthusiastic Joel is about the product and the company.
He explained that they have, as other companies these days do, a no fault warranty, however, theirs was put into place out of need to be able to use your optics as you desire rather than as a marketing tool. He explained that he wants the Brunton user to use their optics in the field without concern that they may be damaged. I was now a bit more interested as he was showing that they may actually care about the end user rather than corporate headquarters.
He then started going over the line with me and to say I was impressed would be an understatement. Not your average optics, in the standard sizes and all optically superior to what I was expection.
8x45, 11x45, 15x51, 10.5x43, 8.5x43, 8x44 & 11x44....Interesting. Also shows these are not the generic binoculars that, without mentioning names, can possibly be all coming down the same assembly line with different mfg packaging while all being the same. Their binoculars are priced from $99 - $2299 which is bold, however, in a plain brown wrapper test I can see many people picking out these optics vs similar priced options.
We then went over their Spotters ($149 - $4395) which were as impressive.
Next we moved onto their riflescopes (BTW, the "Do Eric a favor and stop by this booth" seems like Eric was doing a favor for me by suggesting it). They have a very broad selection from entry level thru $1695 high end.
We discussed the line and I was told that even their ECHO® 3-9x40, BDC Reticle is an impressive scope and @ $149.99 can't be beat in it's price range. I was intrigued and proposed bringing these in and offering them with a "Buy it, try it and if you do not like it send it back" offer would they agree. Surprisingly they did.
Sometime in the next couple of weeks we will be an official Brunton dealer and our first "sale" will be to offer their ECHO® 3-9x40, BDC Reticle @ $149.99, with a "love it or return it" offering.
Stay tuned for this company as I think this is one hour of my life not wasted.

My next appointment was a total comfort zone appointment, Nikon . Camera Land has been an authorized Nikon dealer since 1957 and everyone there is like family. It's like going to a meeting with your buddies. Short of them having this meeting in one of our back yards during a BBQ I could not feel more relaxed.
I was shown their new Aculon A211 Binocular Line which seems a nice and refreshing addition for them. They have phased out the Action line, while keeping the Action Extreme's. I was impressed with the new Aculon A211 10x42 which @ $99.95 should be a best selling unit for anyone. In a Porro Prism binocular this, for sure, is a grand slam.
We discussed the constant shortage of their ED 50 13-30x50 Spotting Scope and I was happily informed that they are on top of it and that should not really be an issue this year.
Overall Nikon's line is a strong, dependable line for us. The Monarch 3's and 5's that were released last year have been great sellers and they say that the backorder problem on their Monarch 7's should ease somewhat this year.
It was a nice relaxing meeting with friends. A nice change from the hectic atmosphere in some of the other booths.

Last, but not least, was Pentax . This meeting is something I look forward to as well as dread. I look forward to it as two people at Pentax, Pat and Allen are two of the greatest folks in the industry and we have worked together for more than 25 years. Finishing the show (I had to be back in Camera Land so this was it for me) with them was a great plan. Day 3 was a wind down day and what better way to do it than with them. I dread going to the Pentax booth because as a general rule their line is stale. Corporate Pentax has treated their Sports Optics division as a step child for so long I think they forgot that it exists. I did order 20x60 PCF WP II's and in spotters their PF80-ED's & PF65-ED II's as these three items are great quality and consistant sellers.
I was informed that 2013 would be an exciting year at Pentax as they have new people at the top who plan to totally revamp the line and add life to it. Can't wait for SHOT 2014.

This wraps up my report. I am back in the store so please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Yes, we picked up loads of demos and deals and those goods should arrive and be checked in by the end of the month I would think.
Thanks for taking the time to read this I hope it was informative.

Interesting recap Doug. Thanks for taking the time to put it together.

BTW, I agree with you on the Kowa spotting scopes. I especially like their long eye relief eyepieces. It makes them about the easiest to use spotter out there...

So Doug,

Why don't you carry Nikon scopes. I noticed that Bear Basin no longer carries their scopes either?

quote:

Originally posted by Bob in TX:
So Doug,

Why don't you carry Nikon scopes. I noticed that Bear Basin no longer carries their scopes either?

It is a complex corporate stance that Nikon Japan does not want cameras and riflescopes on the same web sites as their camera division and their sports optics divisions are two separate divisions and the camera folk, I guess, are not into hunting.

Geez-What corporate BS!

Thanks Doug!

Bob

quote:

Originally posted by Bob in TX:
Geez-What corporate BS!

Thanks Doug!

Bob

Don't get me started

all the more reason not to buy any of their products- it's not like they are the only company to make cameras and scopes. my money, my choice- spend it elsewhere...