John Dracon
John Dracon
A dermatologist might shed some light on this. It could be one's diet.
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Cosmetic Issues (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter SUPPRESSOR
- Start date
SUPPRESSOR
Well-known member
I think its more to do with the armour same thing used to happen with the green fls and not just from hand sweat ,but, from the rubber bands of the objective covers.
I suppose it could be something with the 14, pints of Guinness I drink every nightB
peter
I think its more to do with the armour same thing used to happen with the green fls and not just from hand sweat ,but, from the rubber bands of the objective covers.
I suppose it could be something with the 14, pints of Guinness I drink every nightB
peter
After 14 pints are you sure you are seeing anything properly?
Bob
brocknroller
porromaniac
Three reports on armoring/skin interactions....
The first is regarding what happened the eyecups on my Nikon 8x32 LX/HG. After using them for over a year, I started noticing bubbles appearing on the rubber eyecups (the HG/HGL's have two components - a metal frame covered by a rubber cup).
The bubbles were only in areas of the rubber eyecups that came in direct contact with my skin, not the top which protrudes into my eye orbits, or the bottom which is away from my face. They were also discolored in those body contact areas. I'm not diabetic but I do suffer from acid reflux if that counts!
I never discovered what caused this premature decrepitude, but looking at other LXs for sale on the 'bay, some have eyecups with a similar discolored, bubbly appearance.
The second case is from my brief (two week) encounter with the Nikon 10x42 HGL. Within two days of light handling, the softer (than the HG), brown armoring started showing blotches. By brushing the armoring in one direction with a cloth I could minimize the appearance of blotching.
I started washing my hands and I did not use sunblock (I don't think I bought them in the summer), yet they still continued to show more wear with each use! I could only imagine what these would have looked two years later. I've seen some well used HGLs for sale online, and the armoring shows the same blotchiness in the areas where you hands/fingers hold the bin, which are discolored, but much worse than my sample.
I was able to restore the armoring at least to the point where they didn't look they were two years old though they looked older than two weeks, and I managed to sell them for what I paid ($1,000), which is the most I ever paid for a bin (my limit is usually around $500-$600). At the time, the 10x42 HGL, which had been out for less than a year, sold for $1,400 retail.
While you can expect armoring to wear with continued use over a period of years, these two incidents were unexpected and showed that whoever designed the rubber armoring for the eyecups on the HG and the body armoring on the HGL didn't do a thorough testing before allowing them to go into production.
Then there's the flimsy rubber covering on the grey body Nikon EIIs, which was an ill-conceived design. When it's humid and hot, the heat from your hands causes the coverings to bubble, and some have reported that the covering on their samples peeled off.
The armoring on the newer black body EIIs don't need babying or maintenance the way the grey body models do. So at least Nikon addressed the issue, though it took them long enough. Still great optics for the price, worth putting up with having to repair the armoring after exposure to heat/humidity if you see a sweet deal on a grey body EII.
Brock
The first is regarding what happened the eyecups on my Nikon 8x32 LX/HG. After using them for over a year, I started noticing bubbles appearing on the rubber eyecups (the HG/HGL's have two components - a metal frame covered by a rubber cup).
The bubbles were only in areas of the rubber eyecups that came in direct contact with my skin, not the top which protrudes into my eye orbits, or the bottom which is away from my face. They were also discolored in those body contact areas. I'm not diabetic but I do suffer from acid reflux if that counts!
I never discovered what caused this premature decrepitude, but looking at other LXs for sale on the 'bay, some have eyecups with a similar discolored, bubbly appearance.
The second case is from my brief (two week) encounter with the Nikon 10x42 HGL. Within two days of light handling, the softer (than the HG), brown armoring started showing blotches. By brushing the armoring in one direction with a cloth I could minimize the appearance of blotching.
I started washing my hands and I did not use sunblock (I don't think I bought them in the summer), yet they still continued to show more wear with each use! I could only imagine what these would have looked two years later. I've seen some well used HGLs for sale online, and the armoring shows the same blotchiness in the areas where you hands/fingers hold the bin, which are discolored, but much worse than my sample.
I was able to restore the armoring at least to the point where they didn't look they were two years old though they looked older than two weeks, and I managed to sell them for what I paid ($1,000), which is the most I ever paid for a bin (my limit is usually around $500-$600). At the time, the 10x42 HGL, which had been out for less than a year, sold for $1,400 retail.
While you can expect armoring to wear with continued use over a period of years, these two incidents were unexpected and showed that whoever designed the rubber armoring for the eyecups on the HG and the body armoring on the HGL didn't do a thorough testing before allowing them to go into production.
Then there's the flimsy rubber covering on the grey body Nikon EIIs, which was an ill-conceived design. When it's humid and hot, the heat from your hands causes the coverings to bubble, and some have reported that the covering on their samples peeled off.
The armoring on the newer black body EIIs don't need babying or maintenance the way the grey body models do. So at least Nikon addressed the issue, though it took them long enough. Still great optics for the price, worth putting up with having to repair the armoring after exposure to heat/humidity if you see a sweet deal on a grey body EII.
Brock
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SUPPRESSOR
Well-known member
After 14 pints are you sure you are seeing anything properly?
Bob
Well, I don't drink more than 3,pints of Guinness a year its more likely to be the Yorkshire tea I drink plenty of that nice and strong too.
SUPPRESSOR
Well-known member
The amount of 15,year old Leica trinovids I bought and sold over the years ,after a bit of work with the armorall they looked better than new. After the first hour with my new SFs looked like I had had them a couple of years. Still I have them back like new......well they are new!!! But, they will have to be babied to keep them looking that way.
Those Leica Trinovids are tough aren't they? Toughest binoculars made I think.
SUPPRESSOR
Well-known member
Yes, I think they were.
Sagittarius
Well-known member
I, also, believe the old Trinovids were the best built binoculars of all time !
Heck, Leica still makes the toughest binocular, today, in the Ultravid.
Look at a cut-away of the Ultravid compared to the other members of the Big 4.
The adjusting mechanism and lens mounting brackets are superior to all others currently available.
The red ball signifies a well built instrument. :t:
If Leica would build a Duovid with HD glass, I would, seriously, consider buying one.
Heck, Leica still makes the toughest binocular, today, in the Ultravid.
Look at a cut-away of the Ultravid compared to the other members of the Big 4.
The adjusting mechanism and lens mounting brackets are superior to all others currently available.
The red ball signifies a well built instrument. :t:
If Leica would build a Duovid with HD glass, I would, seriously, consider buying one.
So the interior build quality is also superior to the big three. I know the Leica Trinovids are really built well and the armour on them although kind of hard will LAST forever.
Sagittarius
Well-known member
Yes, imo, they have always had the best interior build quality, Dennis.
Leica was my first choice in a new binocular in 2013 when I purchased my Zeiss HT.
I decided to go with Zeiss because of the new HT glass and its light gathering ability because I'm a hunter and liked the reviews on it at the time.
It was a very hard decision for me to not buy the Leica and go with the Zeiss.
If the Leica HD+ glass would have been available at that time, I would now own a Leica Ultravid.
SUPPRESSOR
Well-known member
I part exchanged a pair of Leica ultravid HD Plus a short while ago they are well put together,but, way too much CA for my liking I should have known better as I have owned 2, pairs of of ultravid HD and they all suffered from excessive CA.
The 12x50 swarovision I part exchanged them for had none and my new Zeiss SFs are just as good in this regard!!
suppressor
Sagittarius
Well-known member
That's good to know, Suppressor !
If Leica could bring their view up to Swarovski and Zeiss standards, they would be the brand to own.
SUPPRESSOR
Well-known member
Something to do with the compact design so I have been told!!
brocknroller
porromaniac
The Denver Post...July 2, 2065
Fifty years after a nuclear explosion caused by deteriorated wiring on an abandoned Titan 1 missile housed in a silo in Deer Trail, Colorado, 60 miles from downtown Denver, FEMA workers wearing Hazmat outfits entered the suburbs of the city, which were decimated by the explosion.
So far, only one artifact was found, a pair of 20th century Leica Trinovid binoculars. FEMA agent, D. Mao III told the Post, "My grandfather, who was vaporized in the blast, owned these Leica binoculars, they were his second favorite after his Swarovski 8x32 SV EL, which must have been obliterated, we only found the Peregrine falcon logo, but the Trinovid was found unscathed. Not only does it work properly, but even the armor is completely intact. They will last forever, although he didn't."
Fifty years after a nuclear explosion caused by deteriorated wiring on an abandoned Titan 1 missile housed in a silo in Deer Trail, Colorado, 60 miles from downtown Denver, FEMA workers wearing Hazmat outfits entered the suburbs of the city, which were decimated by the explosion.
So far, only one artifact was found, a pair of 20th century Leica Trinovid binoculars. FEMA agent, D. Mao III told the Post, "My grandfather, who was vaporized in the blast, owned these Leica binoculars, they were his second favorite after his Swarovski 8x32 SV EL, which must have been obliterated, we only found the Peregrine falcon logo, but the Trinovid was found unscathed. Not only does it work properly, but even the armor is completely intact. They will last forever, although he didn't."
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SUPPRESSOR
Well-known member
Ha! Excellent and don't forget the cockroach,that and the trinovids only thing that can survive!!
Suppressor and Juliet
Your experience with the armour is very puzzling.
I have used SFs for several days now with not the slightest sign of marks and I have seen Gerold Dobler's pair of SFs that he has been using for many months without any babying (bins are tools to be used as far as he is concerned) and there are no marks on his either.
Lee
Your experience with the armour is very puzzling.
I have used SFs for several days now with not the slightest sign of marks and I have seen Gerold Dobler's pair of SFs that he has been using for many months without any babying (bins are tools to be used as far as he is concerned) and there are no marks on his either.
Lee
SUPPRESSOR
Well-known member
Lee,
As you say it is very puzzling and I don't have an answer for it I only posted what I see. There is a photo on the web (just type in zeiss sf binoculars and go on to images) that shows exactly what I had on my pair,the photo shows a pair of sf bins,collins bird guide, and a zeiss leather folder of some kind the grease marks are just like the ones I had.
Do you have bionic hands that could explain it!!
When the Zeiss Rep comes next week I am asking him to advise Zeiss to ship a tube of colgate extra white toothpaste and a toothbrush with every pair of SFs!!
It will be interesting to see if other future owners report the same marks as time goes on.
peter
HighNorth
Well-known member
Three time Zeiss SF owner here! Of all the three bin's I've handled, none have had issues with stains on the armour. One did, however, have a slight issue with a broken bridge.
HN
Peter
You said you were not diabetic, do you mean you have had your blood sugar recently tested and you were OK?
Lee
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