

<PAGE>


                            AXSYS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
                        (formerly Vernitron Corporation)

                               OFFER TO EXCHANGE
                          0.75 SHARES OF COMMON STOCK
                            PAR VALUE $.01 PER SHARE
                                      FOR
                   EACH OUTSTANDING SHARE OF PREFERRED STOCK

                       PURSUANT TO ITS OFFERING CIRCULAR
                            DATED FEBRUARY 13, 1997

                         THE EXCHANGE OFFER WILL EXPIRE
                      AT 5:00 P.M., NEW YORK CITY TIME, ON
                    MONDAY, MARCH 17, 1997, UNLESS EXTENDED


                                                              February 13, 1997

To Brokers, Dealers, Commercial Banks,
      Trust Companies and Other Nominees:

      Axsys Technologies, Inc. (formerly Vernitron Corporation), a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), is offering (the "Exchange Offer"), upon the terms
and subject to the conditions set forth in the enclosed Offering Circular,
dated February 13, 1997 (the "Offering Circular") and the enclosed Letter of
Transmittal to exchange 0.75 shares of its Common Stock, $0.01 par value per
share (the "Common Stock"), of the Company for each outstanding share of its
$1.20 Cumulative Exchangeable Redeemable Preferred Stock, par value $.01 per
share (the "Preferred Stock"). Consummation of the Exchange Offer is subject to
a number of conditions which are described in the Offering Circular and which
may be waived by the Company.

      We are asking you to contact your clients for whom you hold shares of
Preferred Stock registered in your name or in the name of your nominee or who
hold shares of Preferred Stock registered in their own names.

      The Company will not pay any fees or commissions to any broker or dealer
or other person for soliciting tenders of Preferred Stock pursuant to the
Exchange Offer. You will be reimbursed for customary mailing and handling
expenses incurred by you in forwarding any of the enclosed materials to your
clients.

      The Company will pay or cause to be paid all transfer taxes, if any,
applicable to the transfer and exchange of Preferred Stock to it or its order,
except as otherwise provided in Instruction 7 of the Letter of Transmittal.

      For your information and for forwarding to your clients for whom you hold
Preferred Stock registered in your name or in the name of your nominee or who
hold Preferred Stock registered in their own names we are enclosing the
following documents:

      1.    The Offering Circular;

      2.    A Letter of Transmittal (to be used to accept the Exchange Offer);



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      3.    A form of letter which may be sent to your clients for whose
            accounts you hold Preferred Stock registered in your name or the
            name of your nominee, with space provided for obtaining such
            clients' instructions with regard to the Exchange Offer;

      4.    A Gray Notice of Guaranteed Delivery;

      5.    The  Guidelines  for  Certification  of  Taxpayer   Identification
            Number on Substitute Form W-9; and

      6.    A return envelope addressed to ChaseMellon  Shareholder  Services,
            the Exchange Agent.

      WE URGE YOU TO CONTACT YOUR CLIENTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. The Exchange
Offer will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on Monday, March 17, 1997,
unless extended. The time and date of such expiration, as such may be extended
pursuant to the procedures described in the Offering Circular, is referred to
as the "Expiration Date."

      To participate in the Exchange Offer, Preferred Stock or confirmation of
any book-entry transfer into the Exchange Agent's account at the Depository
Trust Company, the Philadelphia Depository Trust Company accompanied by a duly
executed and properly completed Letter of Transmittal (or facsimile thereof),
together with any other required documents, must be delivered to the Exchange
Agent as indicated in the Letter of Transmittal and the Offering Circular prior
to the Expiration Date.

      Holders of Preferred Stock who wish to tender their Preferred Stock and
(i) whose shares of Preferred Stock are not immediately available, (ii) who
cannot deliver their shares of Preferred Stock, or any other documents required
by the Letter of Transmittal prior to the Expiration Date, or (iii) who cannot
complete the procedure for book-entry transfer on a timely basis, must tender
their Preferred Stock according to the guaranteed delivery procedures set forth
in the Offering Circular under "The Exchange Offer -- Guaranteed Delivery
Procedures."

      Any inquiries you may have with respect to the Exchange Offer or requests
for additional copies of the above documents should be addressed to the
Exchange Agent at its address or telephone number set forth on the back cover
page of the Offering Circular.

                                          Very truly yours,

                                          AXSYS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

NOTHING CONTAINED HEREIN OR IN THE ENCLOSED DOCUMENTS SHALL CONSTITUTE YOU OR
ANY PERSON AS AN AGENT OF THE COMPANY, OR THE EXCHANGE AGENT, OR AN AFFILIATE
OF THE COMPANY, OR AUTHORIZE YOU OR ANY OTHER PERSON TO USE ANY DOCUMENT OR
MAKE ANY REPRESENTATION ON BEHALF OF ANY OF THEM WITH RESPECT TO THE EXCHANGE
OFFER NOT MADE IN THE OFFERING CIRCULAR OR THE LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL.




