Leica 8X32BA Focus stiff

[Texbaz]

Hello,
I have had my Leica 8x32BA trinovid binoculars for about 4yrs and only used them a handful of times. The optics are just great not to mention the fit and form are right on. The only concern I have is the Focus wheel seems to be stiff compared to other binoculars (different brands) It just seems like the wheel should rotate with extreme ease almost fluid. Can anyone offer any info, I really hate to send them in for repair but I find myself not wanting to use them for shear lack of poor focus.
Is this a problem/trait that is common to the older BA's or is their something I can do at my level.

Thanks

[Rich N]

Hello,
I have had my Leica 8x32BA trinovid binoculars for about 4yrs and only used them a handful of times. The optics are just great not to mention the fit and form are right on. The only concern I have is the Focus wheel seems to be stiff compared to other binoculars (different brands) It just seems like the wheel should rotate with extreme ease almost fluid. Can anyone offer any info, I really hate to send them in for repair but I find myself not wanting to use them for shear lack of poor focus.
Is this a problem/trait that is common to the older BA's or is their something I can do at my level.

Thanks


Some Leica BNs have somewhat stiff focusers.

Sometimes when you split the focuser wheel to adjust for the difference between your eyes, if you snap it together at the wrong point the wheel can be a little stiffer. You might try adjusting the focus for your right eye just a little differently and see if the focuser feels better when you snap it together.

Good luck,
Rich

[Den]

Hello,
I have had my Leica 8x32BA trinovid binoculars for about 4yrs and only used them a handful of times. The optics are just great not to mention the fit and form are right on. The only concern I have is the Focus wheel seems to be stiff compared to other binoculars (different brands) It just seems like the wheel should rotate with extreme ease almost fluid. Can anyone offer any info, I really hate to send them in for repair but I find myself not wanting to use them for shear lack of poor focus.
Is this a problem/trait that is common to the older BA's or is their something I can do at my level.

Thanks

Hi
I've had both 10x42 and 8x32 BA trinovids and both had stiff focussing wheels from new. The original Leitz trinovids with fold-down eyecups I had in the 80's had a smooth focus. Seems to be a trait with Leica. Recently switched to Swarovski after over 30 years of Leica. Wished I'd done it sooner.

[Bill Atwood]

Has anyone has tried sending them into Leica for servicing?

[Swissboy]

Has anyone has tried sending them into Leica for servicing?

I had done this some years ago, not because the focussing was too stiff but because there was too much play in it. Leica was able to take care of it.

Meanwhile, however, I have another problem with these binoculars: the focus changes itself in hot conditions. This means I have to refocus to infinity almost every time I want to look at a distant object. It's been rather annoying lately. I might send them in again, but as these are a pair that I want to replace anyway, I may also save the money. They are still perfect around the house where I hardly ever encounter such hot conditions.

Robert

[IanF]

I have had my 8x32BA's for a few years now and use them almost daily. The focus control on mine is far less stiff than when I first got them so I suspect it may just be insufficuent use. Having said that mine were never so stiff as to cause any problems with use.

[Texbaz]

Thanks for all the replies. I have located a Leica dealer just a stone throw from my house, which was surprising. This dealer probably has Leica binoculars in stock and demo's that I might be able to compare mine to. This dealer claims to have been selling this brand for 25 years, he should be able to offer some advice from a dealer perspective. I hope that the dealer's experience will help to assess my current focus discrepancy. I probably should have sent them in under the first 3-year passport period, I still feel this should be, covered under the 30-year warranty covering workmanship discrepancies. And finally, I was able to locate the Leica address In New Jersey. I have read about nightmare stories about repairs gone wild, bad, crazy, from the New Jersey facility. This has me concerned. B (:

[Bill Atwood]

Where have you heard these Leica stories Tex??? I haven't heard anything bad.

[Texbaz]

Bill,

I have been to the LUG a few times and to the Leica forums page over the past 4 years and have read about Leica NJ nad their QC problems Binoculars and camera. I had a conversion with a Leica binocular owner who said they lost his binoc's for 3 months whe they found them they sent them to him still not fixed. Certainly this is a very small sampling but, senarios such as these have me concerned B (:

[Bill Atwood]

Interesting Tex, and disappointing as well. The forums at photo.net were a little more positive the last time I checked. Wonder if one of the nonaffiliated shops could loosen up my focus a bit.

[Texbaz]

I was outside doing a little yard work so I put my Leica and my Leupold (9X25a Gold Ring) close to where I could grab them. Within a short time, overhead I saw a Turkey Vulture hunting. Grabed The Leupolds first. He was about 75-100 yards or so, away and just riding the current south wind almost motionless.

The Leupolds are about 10 years old, compacts, that you pre-focus they have a fairly large depth of field. The bird was very sharp lots of detail overall view kind of dull contrast . Then I grabed the Leicas man, what difference even though they are of a lesser magnification, the contrast and resolution were night and day. I had been viewing some Humming birds still in the area this morning so, the focus was still set for close up, I rotated the focus knob to the infinity mark and put them to my eyes, BOOOYA!!!! nice I really like these 8X32's hope I'm not being over critical with this focus stuff. Oh well I'll see the Dealer tomorrow I'll have: 1. given them to him to ship out 2. traded them in on a pair of Swarovski 8x30 SLC or 10X42 SLC 3. Take them home and I ship them out B (:

[Bill Atwood]

That reminds me of my 1st experience with the 8x32BAs. My first pair of birding bins were the Swift Ultralight 8x42s. I hadn't had them very long when I happened to pass thru Norman OK. There I stopped at Christopher's to look at some of their optics. Picked up the Leica's and WOW! My bank account hasn't been the same since.

I would think twice before trading in for the Swaro 8x30s. I've never seen a pair with sharpness equivalent to the Leicas. Plus the focus wheel is at the front. Ugh. Personally (for 32s) I would look at the Nikon SE or LX, the new Swaro ELs or Leica Ultravids.

[Texbaz]

Yeah your right Bill,
I really need to think about my next course of action. If I would have taken some time and looked at some of the other threads in the Leica catagory, I would have seen other Leica owners with similar obsevations concerning the focus wheel, ( trinovids, ultras,) this just might be one of those minor flaws in Leica design I'll have to live with. A visit to the dealer down the road is definetly priority #1 for tomorrow morning, I mean I can actually walk to this dealer from the house and I live somewhat, in rual part of Ellis county couldn't believe it when I looked up the location. B (:

[Bill Atwood]

I get jealous when I hear you guys talking about walking into your local optics shop. The nearest one where I would actually make a purchase is over 300 miles away.

I may give a bino repair service a call to see if they can deal with the BA wheel stiffness.

[Texbaz]

I had the opportunity to stop in one our local Wolf camera store today. Found they had a sampling of the Nikon 10x25 which is nice but it just doesn't have a very quality appearance to me also, the focus wheel much to small, but it was nice. As for the stiff focus on my BA's, I picked up three different Leica's (all BN's), 8x32, 10x32, and 8X42 all of these samples had far smoother focus from end to end than does mine. I think I will just have to live with this problem, as I am not very sure about sending them to Leica. I also, looked at some Zeiss compacts and the Leica Compacts, they all seem cheap in construction when compared to the Leica BN series. I have had a chance to use my 8X32BA a lot lately and have started to find a much better appreciation for them, even with the stiffer focus, some things I can live with and I guess this is one.

What was really bad, they had a Leica M7 and a Contax G2 I wished I had not gone in there.

[salty]

I get jealous when I hear you guys talking about walking into your local optics shop. The nearest one where I would actually make a purchase is over 300 miles away.

I may give a bino repair service a call to see if they can deal with the BA wheel stiffness.

300 miles to your nearest optics store! wow, it takes me a 25 min walk to get to at least 3 stores that sell top-end optics! i wouldnt worry too much about your bino stiffness, they will probaly charge a fortune for nothing. ps my 10x42bn's are working very nicely! :bounce:

[Pinewood]

I get jealous when I hear you guys talking about walking into your local optics shop. The nearest one where I would actually make a purchase is over 300 miles away.

Bill,
How far are you from Central Camera, Wabash Avenue, the Loop, Chicago?

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood :brains:

[Bill Atwood]

Downtown Chicago would be a little closer, 3-1/2 - 4 hrs. I wonder how their prices are. I think there is a Bass Pro shop in the northern suburbs too. Now that I think of it, there is a Bass Pro near St. Louis (Chesterfield?) which would be a couple hours away.

I guess what I meant earlier was, the closest shop that I would actually buy from - Eagle Optics. Good prices, good service, good people.

[Bill Atwood]

Back to the thread, I will weigh in on the side of those who have issues with Leica bin focus. I have owned some 8x32BAs for a number of years. It was when I went shopping for some 8x42s that I noticed the 8x32 focus was rather stiff and rough. I purchased the Ultravid 8x42s and the focus was noticeably easier and smoother. Although..................

In another thread I mentioned that I currently have some under $300 roofs to demo. Nikon Sporter, Bushnell Legend, Celestron Nobles. I prefer the focus feel of all of these to the Ultravids. They are all smoother and easier. The Nikon can be stiff, but is silky smooth and quickly loosens up with a few rotations. The Celestrons maybe a little too easy. The Bushnells are inbetween. All can be easily focus with one finger, where I usually use 2 on my Leicas. When stopped the Leica seems to stick, and needs a little extra effort. Seems like a small matter, but when you are doing some critical study and focusing it becomes larger to me.

[Curtis Croulet]

I think those cheaper bins accomplish their smoothness with lots of grease. Someone recently said Leica has metal-to-metal contact in their focus, no lubrication at all, and I suspect that maybe my Zeiss FL is similar. The result doesn't glide like the focus of many cheap bins, but it is more likely to be usable over a wide range of temps. My Eagle Optics Ranger Platinum Class varies from very light and smooth in hot weather to almost immovable in cool weather.


When stopped the Leica seems to stick, and needs a little extra effort. Seems like a small matter, but when you are doing some critical study and focusing it becomes larger to me.

This was my impression with the Ultravid I tried back in July, but some people said the Leica's focus improves with use.

[Bill Atwood]

If this is the case Curtis, I wouldn't mind a little grease. Even if I had to ocassionaly send them in for a lube job.

My BAs haven't improved with time. That and the slickness of the armor is the only thing I can complain about. Otherwise for a 32mm they are fantastic.

[Rich N]

The armor on some of my Leica BAs gets chalky. The chalky coating can be washed and rubbed off but, I hope Leica has found a better type of armor. Armor that doesn't get slick, or chalky or shows scratches so easily.

Anyone know if the Ultravids have a better armor?

Rich

[Bill Atwood]

My Ultravid armor is OK I guess. Although it does seem to be getting less "grippy", maybe they just need cleaning.

I really love the feel of the armor on the Swift 8.5x44 porros. Don't know how it holds up though.

[Keith Reeder]

Strange variations in experience!

My twopennorth: my 8x32 BAs have been well used in the 8 or so years I've had them: the armour doesn't do anything but sit there looking black and rubbery - no chalkiness at all.

They don't strike me as feeling slippery either. Smooth, but not "slick". I hate that "super grippy" feel you get from some rubber anyway. As long as the strap is around my neck, the bins are safe enough.

The focus wheel is as smooth as butter, and always has been as I recall.

And optically, I'm as impressed when I look through them now as I was the day I bought them.

[chartwell99]

Strange variations in experience!

My twopennorth: my 8x32 BAs have been well used in the 8 or so years I've had them: the armour doesn't do anything but sit there looking black and rubbery - no chalkiness at all.

They don't strike me as feeling slippery either. Smooth, but not "slick". I hate that "super grippy" feel you get from some rubber anyway. As long as the strap is around my neck, the bins are safe enough.

The focus wheel is as smooth as butter, and always has been as I recall.

And optically, I'm as impressed when I look through them now as I was the day I bought them.

The armor on the Leica BA/BN series is actually polyurerthane, which I suspect has been supplied by a number of vendors. The first examples (bins marked "Leica Camera GmbH") were smooth without any tacky qualities at all. Apparently, attempts to remedy this problem (bins marked "Leica Camera AG") resulted in somewhat more tacky armor that occasionally gets chalky in humid conditions (Leica USA Service recommends a vinyl protectant product called "ArmorAll" as a fix and its works pretty well if not overused). Interestingly, the problem does not seem to affect the green version of the armor. I know I am in the minority, but I prefer the hard rubber armor of the Zeiss Classic series, and am not surprised to see Leica return to rubber for the Ultravids. I also share blythkeith's impressions of the Leica 8 x 32 - it's still a wonderful, and fully competitive, optical tool.

[Keith Reeder]

Hi there, Chartwell99,

interesting and informative posting there.

I did actually wonder whether climate/humidity would have an impact on the chalkiness problem - now I know!

;)

My bins are actually marked "Leica Camera" (not "Leica camera AG" - but I guess that's not an issue) and as you suggest, the change in armour would explain the slightly more "secure" hand feel - mine are (to me) perfect in that regard.

And in every other!

Love 'em to bits.

[Pinewood]

mine are (to me) perfect in that regard.

And in every other!

Love 'em to bits.
Keith,

I would agree, although I am curious about the new Zeiss 8x32 FL. Curiosity is not enough to make me spend a lot of money on marginal improvements.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood :news:

[Keith Reeder]

Hi Arthur,

I know what you mean - I've been actively avoiding situations where I might find myself "just having a go" on some of the new kids on the block in case they are better than my babies.

Apart from the fact that I can't afford to replace the Leicas, it'd be like cheating on them!

;)

(It can't be healthy to be so emotionally attached to pair of bins, can it?)

:D