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Killer Deal on 7x42 Discoverer (1 Viewer)

You've pretty much summed up my feelings about these binoculars. For the money paid, they were a very, very good deal. And I am very happy with my purchase.

I had no problems watching people stagger in and out of a bar (over by my sister's place) last night around midnight. The image of the Discoverers was nice 'n sharp, making it super easy to make out details at distance. The bar was about a quarter of a mile off in the distance, and lit just by the glow of one street light and various neon signs.. 8-P

.

Now to buy some of those Browning 8x32's and give them a whirl.. :)
 
Well, my Discoverers have bit the dust. Let this serve as a warning to those who have them. When I carried the binoculars in my backpack the focus knob would sometimes catch on something inside and become jammed at one of the limits. This morning it apparently got a bit too forcefully jammed into the limit and broke the linkage that focussed the left side. Opening up the focus knob I found that it focusses the two barrels by moving two plastic sliders, and the tab for the left side's slider was broken off. Plastic! In a 30 oz binocular that's otherwise built like a tank? Argh!

Well, it appears I will no longer have to curse the Discoverer's collapsing eyecups or its loosey-goosey lens caps. It is a shame for all that glass to go to waste, though. Pfff, time for the magic credit card to do its little dance...
 
bkrownd said:
Well, my Discoverers have bit the dust. Let this serve as a warning to those who have them. When I carried the binoculars in my backpack the focus knob would sometimes catch on something inside and become jammed at one of the limits. This morning it apparently got a bit too forcefully jammed into the limit and broke the linkage that focussed the left side. Opening up the focus knob I found that it focusses the two barrels by moving two plastic sliders, and the tab for the left side's slider was broken off. Plastic! In a 30 oz binocular that's otherwise built like a tank? Argh!

Well, it appears I will no longer have to curse the Discoverer's collapsing eyecups or its loosey-goosey lens caps. It is a shame for all that glass to go to waste, though. Pfff, time for the magic credit card to do its little dance...
Click to expand...
Have you considered starting out with sending the binocular to Bushnell for repair? They are advertised as having a Lifetime warranty. It would be worth the cost of postage to put that warranty to the test. There's no reason (yet) to simply write them off as "going to waste."
 
I think luczink has it right. You seem to have nothing to loose and everything to gain by sending them in and testing the warranty.

I would surely change the backpack. If it ate your Discoverers, I would bet it has the potential to eat the next binocular too. Plastic is ubiquitous these days.
 
THis is why I prefer to keep bins in a case when they're in a back pack it should help reduce impacts and other odd interaction.

Regarding the warranty ... having opened them yourself may have invalidated that. I'd still ask them though and explain why you did what you did.
 
I agree. Send them back. What would it cost you? Postage? If you are going to be picking up a new pair then what could it hurt?

...and on another note, if you are quite fond of those 7x42 Discoverers and cannot find any around then let me know. The local Cabelas still has a few demos left in the Bargain Cave. ;)
 
lucznik said:
Have you considered starting out with sending the binocular to Bushnell for repair? They are advertised as having a Lifetime warranty. It would be worth the cost of postage to put that warranty to the test. There's no reason (yet) to simply write them off as "going to waste."
Click to expand...

The cost of postage is considerable, and coverage by warranty is questionable. If it could be repaired, cost or no, after the wait I'd end up having the same binoculars with the same limitations, and the same point-of-failure in the future. I might check into repair in the future and use them as backups, but for right now I've decided to move on in terms of my primary binoculars and that is my current concern. Optically I was content with them, but the bulk and weight and ultimate point of failure made me decide to move to something a bit smaller. They were a bit of a bear to carry in serious terrain.

BTW, I've noticed that the identical-looking Meade Montana 7x42 are available at B&H now for $149.
 
Steve C said:
I would surely change the backpack. If it ate your Discoverers, I would bet it has the potential to eat the next binocular too. Plastic is ubiquitous these days.
Click to expand...

It has nothing to do with the pack. The tacky rubber focus knob sticks out from the body and catches on anything it touches. While in the bag - any bag - anything in there with it can turn the knob up against the limit. I would have needed to devise something to prevent that. The case that came supplied with the binoculars is much too bulky to use in the field. Don't have that much room in my pack.

As far as opening it up, well it died on the first station of the transect and was dead weight in the state it was in so I had to take the chance that I might be able to reconnect something inside. The knob came off when the c-retainer was popped off, and will go back on the same way, though it'll be obvious it was opened due to the marks on the inside.
 
bkrownd said:
BTW, I've noticed that the identical-looking Meade Montana 7x42 are available at B&H now for $149.
Click to expand...

There is a reason why the Meade Montana and the Weaver Grand Slam 7x42 binoculars are identical looking to your Discoverer. If you don't like the limitations of the Discoverer, you will get the same deal with a Meade or a Weaver.
 
BTW, I've noticed that the identical-looking Meade Montana 7x42 are available at B&H now for $149.
Click to expand...

They may be based on the same design (optically and physically) but they are not identical optically or physically. The Meade I owned had a less than ideal focus tension/speed. It also displayed noticeably more field curvature than the Discoverer....disturbingly so.
 
thanks for the info. The Discoverers were "Made in Japan". Any markings on the Meade?
 
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bkrownd said:
Did anyone determine if they have identical coatings?
Click to expand...

The transmission etc may (or may not) be similar, but each seller will typically use some different set of coatings or generally do something different so "their" version of the basic binocular is somewhat different from their competitors. So, my guess the coatings and some other features will be different. Not much there these days in 7x42 till you hit Meopta. Canon makes what is probably a decent 7x42 glass, but it is a degree less fov than your B&L.

The new Bushnell Excursion EX 7x36 looks interesting, 488' fov.
 
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Japan for the Meades as well.

...and, yes, several of these new 7x36 roofs look interesting. The specs make them notable...now lets see if the optics follow through.

;)
 
After a about a year of looking to get a Discovery 7x42, I recently picked up a mint condition B. and L. 7x42 roof binocular. It was one of the last B. and L. versions made with the PC-3 prisms, XTR /FMC / Rainguard lens coatings and B. and L. neck strap. It came with the B. and L. leather case. It is Japanese made.
The eyecups are very firm and the image is bright and clear, there is some minor deterioration at the edge as to be expected but the 8 degree FOV / 56 degree Afov is very useable and pleasing. Light transmission is very good and internal reflections are very well controlled and equal to my BD Minoxs. There are no other major aberrations.
It is reasonably heavy but ergonomically it is very easy to hold.
This binocular is a keeper.

Chris
 

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All the pluses mentioned above I will wholeheartedly second. Bought mine in the summer of 03 and sold it last month on ebay after 6 yrs of continuous heavy use. The armor in the molded parts of the barrels was detached and the mentioned rubbery focus knob was loose, but except for some cleaning marks on the ep's (I usta be a fanatic about wet-daubing after each use....live & learn). The thing was a little heavy, but I like that, as it makes for a steadier view (inertia & all that). I put neoprene grommets around the ep barrels as mentioned and noticed the grease....cleaned that with a few q-tips lightly dipped in alcohol.

It was hard to sell, but got myself a 7x42FL as a retirement present (the first glass that really showed a superior image to the ol' B&L) and really decided I had to cut the inventory back (also peddled my HHS Audubon roof....didden wanna to that either) and this month will probably put the Swift 8x32 Ultralite (my longtime camera bag bino) on the block, too.

But I gotta say, to all who have the B&L, for the $ it can't be beat. And the Bushnell lab in KC is really good about repair/replacement. Send the bino in w/a $10 check, they will do the warranty work and send it back. If not repairable, they'll replace. I just got a brand new 7x26 Elite Custom when they couldn't economically repair the polycarb-bodied Custom I sent in, and it's a dandy, like the Disco, a definite keeper.
 
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