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New Opticron Spotting Scope. (1 Viewer)

As you mentioned boats Joe.S

Birdforum member and birding guide Peter Ericsson who lives in Thailand and guides all over South East Asia has had an MM3 50 ED with HDF zoom since we first launched the product. It is fair to say that his scope gets into a lot of hot and humid jungles, used on dry salt pans, used in wet highland woods and has never once had a problem despite being used hard every day.

You and other subscribers to this forum may be interested to read the one and only 'scrape' he has had whilst using the scope. This text is copied from Peter's Facebook page

A one day shorebirding gave Wayne from South Africa a lot of target birds. Here are his 10 best:
Spoon-billed Sandpiper
Nordmann's Greenshank
Asiatic Dowitcher
Malaysian Plover
White-faced Plover
Long-toed Stint
Chinese Egret
Pallas's Gull
Black-headed Ibis
Painted Stork

Another amazing thing happened. I somehow dropped my Opticron scope in the sea while on a boat ride to the sandspit. The scope stayed floating on the surface for the 20 seconds it took to pick it up.
No damage, no water in the scope. Just had to dry the cover and it was back to normal.


The link to the page is below

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?....128751497385.129520.690732385&type=3&theater
 
As you mentioned boats Joe.S

Birdforum member and birding guide Peter Ericsson who lives in Thailand and guides all over South East Asia has had an MM3 50 ED with HDF zoom since we first launched the product. It is fair to say that his scope gets into a lot of hot and humid jungles, used on dry salt pans, used in wet highland woods and has never once had a problem despite being used hard every day.

You and other subscribers to this forum may be interested to read the one and only 'scrape' he has had whilst using the scope. This text is copied from Peter's Facebook page

A one day shorebirding gave Wayne from South Africa a lot of target birds. Here are his 10 best:
Spoon-billed Sandpiper
Nordmann's Greenshank
Asiatic Dowitcher
Malaysian Plover
White-faced Plover
Long-toed Stint
Chinese Egret
Pallas's Gull
Black-headed Ibis
Painted Stork

Another amazing thing happened. I somehow dropped my Opticron scope in the sea while on a boat ride to the sandspit. The scope stayed floating on the surface for the 20 seconds it took to pick it up.
No damage, no water in the scope. Just had to dry the cover and it was back to normal.


The link to the page is below

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?....128751497385.129520.690732385&type=3&theater



He wasn't the 'one'. It takes a special kind of person to be the one and that responsibility falls on my broad shoulders.
 
Why put my service notes in the public domain? Seeing as you have already done so I will carry on with a reply: Yes, I was aware it had modifications. What do I tell a potential buyer? It has a hole somewhere and it’s been filled with nitrogen and sealed which ''hopefully will prevent future misting in the scope'' (to quote your engineer). I’m not sure this instils confidence in a future buyer and helps the resale value?

That’s good to hear that it was only my scope that fogged-up but it’s still no consolation for me that I was the ‘one’.

If it had known I was the only one I wouldn't have said anything. But, I'm not privy to that information and as far as I know there could be others in the same boat as myself.

Your scope is now a celebrity. Opticron seems motivated to follow-up here. I would expect the same going forward.

--AP
 
I’m not sure this instils confidence in a future buyer and helps the resale value?

Hi Joe - Your scope was repaired and modified by our service technicians so is covered by the remainder of the 30 year warranty that applied when it was purchased new.

I doubt very much that a warrantied repair would have any effect on the resale value since the remaining warranty is entirely transferrable to the next owner.

Indeed we often have people send us products for a check over so any necessary repairs and/or cleaning etc. can be done prior to re-sale.

HTH

Cheers, Pete
 
Hi Joe - Your scope was repaired and modified by our service technicians so is covered by the remainder of the 30 year warranty that applied when it was purchased new.

I doubt very much that a warrantied repair would have any effect on the resale value since the remaining warranty is entirely transferrable to the next owner.

Indeed we often have people send us products for a check over so any necessary repairs and/or cleaning etc. can be done prior to re-sale.

HTH

Cheers, Pete

Thanks, Pete. That’s some reassurance at least.

I’m less disgruntled now, still not totally convinced, but I hope you can understand why I felt like I was stuck with a lemon.

Anyhow, it's good to know that I'm very much in the minority. They are obviously tough little telescopes and that bodes well for other MM3 scope owners.
 
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Hi, Im wondering if someone (from Opticron?) could then explain to me the difference between 'nitrogen waterproof' which i was told the MM3 60 was via email (date 8th Feb 2016) by Opticron - and which was what made my mind up to make the purchase, and what is now noted in this thread by Opticron staff who say that the MM3 is 'weatherproof' and 'not nitrogen filled' Many thanks
 
Interestingly, the two US websites I just looked at state that the MM3 is nitrogen-filled, see:
https://www.eagleoptics.com/products/opticron-mm3-50-ga-ed-angled-spotting-scope
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1188274-REG/opticron_41151_mm3_50_ga_ed_45.html

However websites that I have looked at in the UK simply state that the MM3 is rainproof, as they seem to have simply copied and pasted the text from the Opticron marketing team.

If the MM3 is indeed not nitrogen-filled, Opticron/BHPhoto/Eagle Optics better get their story straight before somebody instructs a lawyer...!

Perhaps (hopefully!!!) there is some simple explanation and this is a misunderstanding, but to me as somebody who's looking at buying a travel scope this year, this seems very confusing and does not instill confidence in the manufacturer's transparency.
 
Interestingly, the two US websites I just looked at state that the MM3 is nitrogen-filled, see:
https://www.eagleoptics.com/products/opticron-mm3-50-ga-ed-angled-spotting-scope
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1188274-REG/opticron_41151_mm3_50_ga_ed_45.html

However websites that I have looked at in the UK simply state that the MM3 is rainproof, as they seem to have simply copied and pasted the text from the Opticron marketing team.

If the MM3 is indeed not nitrogen-filled, Opticron/BHPhoto/Eagle Optics better get their story straight before somebody instructs a lawyer...!

Perhaps (hopefully!!!) there is some simple explanation and this is a misunderstanding, but to me as somebody who's looking at buying a travel scope this year, this seems very confusing and does not instill confidence in the manufacturer's transparency.

Not sure this makes a difference, although lawyers will disagree. o:D
Ordinary air is 80% nitrogen, so as long as the glass is reasonably sealed to keep out moisture, there will be no discernible impact.
I'd actually be much happier if optics still had desiccant ports such as were the norm on military gear. That design accepts that leaks will happen and allows the user to deal with the potential consequences.
 
Really I think that Opticron should have just replaced Joe's scope with a new MM4. Though obviously with the story out on a public forum they would be wary of the floodgates opening on them to other MM3 purchasers wanting the same.
 
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