Zeiss Quality Problems

[sean davis]

Since I posted this

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=38023

I have waited 7 weeks for the bins to be repaired and was just today told that the delay is becuase the factory in Germany has been closed down for 4 weeks. And with no news or indication at all of when the bins will be returned either repaired or replaced.

And my second pair now has a very loose diopter/focus wheel that just pops out too easy. It is not a result of abuse and not what I would consider normal wear and tear for bins that are only a couple of months old.

Also, I was cleaning the lense on my 8X42FL and noticed a large piece of something of the front element. Surprise when I found that it is inside the bins. Its a piece of lint about 4 to 5mm long and 1mm wide floating around in there. Not a small piece of dust by any standard.

I have now been incovenienced by these bins, with both pair faulty when almost new and such lousy warranty service. Two months or more is just way too long. To have these problems with such lousy service for a premium model is just astounishing.

So if you are considering Zeiss, consider whether you would be a happy customer if you were in my shoes. The optics are great, but the rest of the problems may happen to you.

Sean Davis

[Otto McDiesel]

So if you are considering Zeiss, consider whether you would be a happy customer if you were in my shoes. The optics are great, but the rest of the problems may happen to you.

Sean Davis

I did consider a pair of 10x42 FL. They were unconvincing, and i also considered the warranty and service issue. I bought an Ultravid.

[Robert Ellis]

Where is denco when you need him to read something?

[TTT]

Actually I think you have point. The owner of a local binocular store where I live told me that out of around 10 brand new FLs he had recieved, he had to send back 3 or 4 due to defects (double image). According to him problems with new Swarovskis and Leicas were very rare.

[xenophobe]

Wow.... I'm sorry to hear that. I have found a speck of dust in my trinovid 12x50's and three tiny spots on the inside of one of my objectives on my Ultravids, but neither warrant being sent back.... the 12x50 were purchased used, so I'd have to pay, and my Ultravids don't warrant being sent back at this point. Neither of these affect the view, even when I do know what is wrong. They're not visible unless you're looking at the wrong end anyways.

[sean davis]

Xenophobe, I tend to agree. On its own the lint/dust would not overly concern me and I can certainly accept less than perfect product becuase to do otherwise is silly and unrealistic. But I do wonder if the lint can get caught up in the mechanism somehow.

Regards

Sean Davis

Wow.... I'm sorry to hear that. I have found a speck of dust in my trinovid 12x50's and three tiny spots on the inside of one of my objectives on my Ultravids, but neither warrant being sent back.... the 12x50 were purchased used, so I'd have to pay, and my Ultravids don't warrant being sent back at this point. Neither of these affect the view, even when I do know what is wrong. They're not visible unless you're looking at the wrong end anyways.

[John Traynor]

The internal optical system of nitrogen filled, watertight bins costing $1600(USD) should be free of dust, lint, hair and other foreign matter.

[xenophobe]

My Ultravids don't have any particles. There are three small spots near the edge of the lens where the coating appears bubbled. Granted, they shouldn't have come that way, but they're smaller than a pen tip and don't affect my viewing. I've considered sending them in, but I can't detect the flaw viewing in the daytime or at night.

My Trinovids has a spec of dust. I'm not happy with that, but I paid $850 for them... and it's so minor that I'm not about to complain.

[jcbouget]

Since I posted this

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=38023

I have waited 7 weeks for the bins to be repaired and was just today told that the delay is becuase the factory in Germany has been closed down for 4 weeks. And with no news or indication at all of when the bins will be returned either repaired or replaced.

And my second pair now has a very loose diopter/focus wheel that just pops out too easy. It is not a result of abuse and not what I would consider normal wear and tear for bins that are only a couple of months old.

Also, I was cleaning the lense on my 8X42FL and noticed a large piece of something of the front element. Surprise when I found that it is inside the bins. Its a piece of lint about 4 to 5mm long and 1mm wide floating around in there. Not a small piece of dust by any standard.

I have now been incovenienced by these bins, with both pair faulty when almost new and such lousy warranty service. Two months or more is just way too long. To have these problems with such lousy service for a premium model is just astounishing.

So if you are considering Zeiss, consider whether you would be a happy customer if you were in my shoes. The optics are great, but the rest of the problems may happen to you.

Sean Davis
I think that we must be careful about not asking too much from binoculars or manufacturers. If we inspect by every possible means the best binoculars, I'm quite sure we will often find faults.

My excellent Zeiss 10x40 classic has a small piece of lint, exactly as described above, but it is not on the glass, just on the barrel. With a knock this particle could have fallen on the lens, but it never happened. I also have noticed that in one barrel, an internal stop is decentred, and in low light conditions the field in this barrel appears brighter in one side than in the other. However, this effect is generally invisible, unless I am especially looking for it.

I have also the 22x60 true-fluorite Takahashi binocular, a perfect optical device as far as sharpness, contrast and chromatic aberration are concerned. Inside one barrel, there is a filament of glue. This represents therefore an obstacle 60 mm long and about 0.5 mm wide, so much more large than a small particle. Does this filament have a visible consequence ? NO. This binocular was also slightly out of collimation, which is much more serious than an anaesthetic particle of dust, but is not visible by a quick inspection. I would prefer by far a perfectly collimated unit with a particle inside the lenses...

About the service : according to a French forum, Swarovski has the best binocular service, but the delay is at least 4 or 5 weeks. Of course if the factory is closed during summer, the delay is extended. I've read awful things about Leica's service. Maybe it depends on countries. There is also several reports on faulty Leicas, but it's always hazardous to make generalizations with only a few accounts.

On the other hand, we do not have to accept faults that damage the view or the ease of use at this price. If the focus wheel pops out too easily, and often alters the diopter adjustment in normal use, then the binocular is faulty and must be fixed.

Jean-Charles

[Bill Atwood]

I think that we must be careful about not asking too much from binoculars or manufacturers. If we inspect by every possible means the best binoculars, I'm quite sure we will often find faults.


I totally agree. I think we should feel highly priveleged to pay $1,000 - $1,700 for miscollimated bins with garbage inside them.

[raymondjohn]

Dear Sean

I am not surprised that you are having difficulties in dealing with Zeiss in Oz.

Recently I ordered a quick camera adaptor from Melbourne through a dealer. The product when it came was second hand but they were selling as new.

I also had a long wait when I ordered my 65 FL.

The problem appears to lie with the distributors in Melbourne who I gather are not held in very high regard in the industry.

Best luck

raymondjohn

[sean davis]

John

My story is in fact much much longer. The rest of the sad story relates to the australian and New Zealand distributor who also sold me used product as new, which I returned. But that is not relevant to the majority of readers here.

I think what I have posted relates to Ziess product as a whole, unless of course the factory has not been closed for 4 weeks and the delay is for some other reason. But the rest of the problems as posted relate to the product and not the distributor.

Sean


Dear Sean

I am not surprised that you are having difficulties in dealing with Zeiss in Oz.

Recently I ordered a quick camera adaptor from Melbourne through a dealer. The product when it came was second hand but they were selling as new.

I also had a long wait when I ordered my 65 FL.

The problem appears to lie with the distributors in Melbourne who I gather are not held in very high regard in the industry.

Best luck

raymondjohn