I can help with this mystery as I had the audacity to ask exactly this same question and got my answer straight from the horses mouth - the good folks in the Bintel store Sydney.
Why are some TV EPs stamped Japan and others Taiwan and why am I paying big dollars for a Taiwan made eyepiece?
The answer is surprising:
Although stamped as from Japan or Taiwan all Televue EP's are strickly made to TV spec's and thus are indeed sourced from different factories around the world dependent on who makes the particular lens/glass better. I have a TV 20mm plossl that must be at least 15 years old and is still stamped Japan.
However, here is the surprising part - although the EPs may be originally made in Japan or Taiwan etc
all TV EPs are actually shipped back over to the Televue Suffren NY factory and quality checked in the TV factory before going out for sale.
Apparently the same one man is tasked with the QC job of checking all the EPs for the past 13 years- he is actually from next door - a Kiwi
Small world!
The folks in the Bintel store told me it must be quite a daunting job to do nothing else all day long but test EPs!
... every time you buy a new piece ... the heavens won't co-operate .... throw clouds and rain at yah .... !!!
the days of crappy stuff from Taiwan are long gone especialy for high end products, as they compare to any place else where in the world.
