[David Swain]

Yes, we are definitely in the twilight zone now. I expect Elvis to appear any moment bearing a spreadsheet enumerating the batch numbers and production dates of the SE modules.

How about this? After the EII was introduced in 1998, Nikon got a flood of returns the following year for peeling and bubbling covers. Around 2000, they "relaunched" the EII with the new peelproof covers and black frames and the 800xxx serial numbering.

However, so many early EIIs were on the market, sitting unsold in obscure camera shops, that they continued to surface through 2012. Meantime, a slow trickle of "black" EIIs were sold through 2006 in the US, when Nikon decided to discontinue bringing it into the US, focusing instead on the lucrative Monarch series and high-end roofs; there was sufficient demand, however, for the SE series to justify importing small quantities. Around this time, stocks of prisms and eyepieces/objectives were depleted, and Nikon began manufacturing them with current glass, indicating this shift to Ecoglass with the 550xxx indication. Perhaps a thousand of these have been built, with recent ones handsomely branded with the black/gold livery of the Monarch 3/5/7 and EDG II.

That's my story, and I'm sticking with it!

David

[Brigadier]

Originally Posted by brocknroller

Let's reexamine the facts before us. The first known incidence of black body 550 SE was reported in 2012, but we now have the first historical record of a black body EII 800 series appearing a decade earlier in 2001, which here-there-to had only been known to exist in the past three years. Looking at that paradox, the only possible explanation is that the BB 8x30 EII you own is from the future and was transported back in time. <B>

Brock - That's great to know, because it means that my EII must have uber-spectral coatings that haven't yet been invented, giving me views that SV owners can only dream of...

[ceasar]

There is no question that some of them sat on dealers shelves for years without being sold. There have been enough comments about that here to establish that fact. Nikon must have been aware of that. Surely some of the dealers would have contacted the company to see if they could be discounted to help sales.

Anyway, I'll ask this again. Has anyone been able to compare, side by side, a "black" bodied EII with a "gray" bodied EII. If so can we have a detailed report on the differences between their coverings? Specifically, how do they feel? Are they harder and more pebbly, more resistant to stretching? I personally know that the "gray" covers will definitely stretch over a period of use and this probably contributes to the "bubbling" of these covers.

Bob

Still outside the nut shell.

[brocknroller]

Originally Posted by ceasar

There is no question that some of them sat on dealers shelves for years without being sold. There have been enough comments about that here to establish that fact. Nikon must have been aware of that. Surely some of the dealers would have contacted the company to see if they could be discounted to help sales.

Anyway, I'll ask this again. Has anyone been able to compare, side by side, a "black" bodied EII with a "gray" bodied EII. If so can we have a detailed report on the differences between their coverings? Specifically, how do they feel? Are they harder and more pebbly, more resistant to stretching? I personally know that the "gray" covers will definitely stretch over a period of use and this probably contributes to the "bubbling" of these covers.

Bob

Still outside the nut shell.

I answered this question earlier or perhaps on another thread, but don't have time to dig it out, so I'll reiterate.

The rubber on the gray body EII's is a sorry excuse for what they call "armoring". It's thin and flimsy, and repeated exposure to heat and humidity causes it to bubble or start peeling off.

Your hands on the armoring no doubt contribute to the heat. I've noticed that the areas that bubble up are where my hands are in direct contact with the armor.

The BB version's armoring is much more robust and harder, it reminds me of the Bakelite pebbly armor on the original E series. The pebbly texture is about the same size as the rubber version, but since it's harder, I find it provides a better grip.

I've had the 10x35 BB EII out in 90* weather, sitting on a table, while I used other bins, and there were no ill effects. It's as if the armoring was molded onto the body rather than glued on. It's too hard to stretch.

I've cropped the photos of the two I posted earlier to give you a closer look.

In the lower left hand corner of the GB EII, you can see where the armoring is separating from the body, and you might be able to make out the bubbling on the right side of the armoring, which is a shade different in color. That has glue below it, but it never flattened down completely.

To the right is the BB EII. Looks similar in texture, so you really can't tell from just looking at it that it feels quite different, but once you touch it, you'll find that it isn't soft like the GB rubber, it's hard, more like Bakelite than rubber.

I've only had the BB EIIs for about a year and a half, so it's not a long test run, but so far, no problems. Brigadier has had his time-slip BB EII since 2001, he could confirm the armor's robustness.

<B>

[Brigadier]

Originally Posted by brocknroller

To the right is the BB EII. Looks similar in texture, so you really can't tell from just looking at it that it feels quite different, but once you touch it, you'll find that it isn't soft like the GB rubber, it's hard, more like Bakelite than rubber. I've only had the BB EIIs for about a year and a half, so it's not a long test run, but so far, no problems. Brigadier has had his time-slip BB EII since 2001, he could confirm the armor's robustness. <B>

Yes, I can confirm that the black body leatherette feels hard and has certainly proved hardwearing. After 11 years of use, there's no peeling or any other sign of wear for that matter.

The only parts of the binocular showing wear are the rubber eyecups.

[lilcrazy2]

My BB 8x30 EII was purchased from the UK and has ser # 800xxx AM.

It would only seem logical to me, that in any manufacturers quest to cut down on "gray market" sales, that they come up with different serialization numbers or color schemes to differentiate the intended global target area.

[Stanbo]

I have just received a e-mail from my friend Kinno in Japan who has asked me to see if I can keep this thread going. It appears that the workers in his optical factory watch Birdforum during their sake break and are highly amused by the claims about numbering.

Stan

[FrankD]

Now THAT is a good story...!

[NDhunter]

Originally Posted by Stanbo

I have just received a e-mail from my friend Kinno in Japan who has asked me to see if I can keep this thread going. It appears that the workers in his optical factory watch Birdforum during their sake break and are highly amused by the claims about numbering.

Stan

Stan:

Interesting your post, you should see if your friend can find out from
the factory source about the numbering system. I'm not sure why it
would be such a top secret.

One reason for the numbering question, is that the numbers are not
in sequence, and with an armor change, and how that applies.

I do hope that the sake break. has not had an effect on how the numbers are selected !

Jerry