How much a SCRATCH can compromise... (1 Viewer)

Yes,,,The Evil word..SCRATCH,,SCRATCH..o lord ,what a nightmare..and yes it happened..Listen,i never used the objective covers in ANY of my binos,and NEVER scratched them(maybe a light cleaning mark in coatings,but never the glass)..Now i used the covers in the ZEN at ALL times,AND WHAT????????..i dont even know what happened,or how is it possible..never even cleaned them(well,not with sand paper,anyway)..only blew the dust with a blower a couple times:-C..and loot at THAT...IS DEEP ..Short but deep nasty scratch,and HURTS!!!!! yes it DOES..HURTS...but :smoke:,it doesn't seem to have ANY effect in performance...or does it?

Sorry to hear about your nightmare.

You say a short but deep scratch?

Is it in near the middle or edge?

While i am no expert, I did have a somewhat similar experience with a digital camera. Something must have gotten wedged in between the lens and the cover (which closes when camera is turned off)

The scratch was really only noticable when taking shots of a clear blue sky.

if you are not seeing anything through the bins in normal use, you might want to try looking at a solid single color to see if the scratch does show up.

have you tried contacting ZR? Which ZR's do you have?

You might be one of the first to test the warranty and/or repairability of the ZENS.

Please keep us posted

Richard

As far as lens caps go, they easily fall off. In transporting binoculars, the case is the best insurance against damage. I do not always use a case. More often I use it if it can hang on the belt for smaller models.

The scratch will bother you as much as you will let it. Just go on birding. Enjoy the birds.

mayoayo said:

i dont even know what happened,or how is it possible..never even cleaned them(well,not with sand paper,anyway)..only blew the dust with a blower a couple times:-C..and loot at THAT...IS DEEP ..Short but deep nasty scratch,and HURTS!!!!! yes it

Click to expand...

If you do not know of anything that could have caused this you may want to send it back for examination. This may be the result of a stress fracture. Imperfections in and/or improper mounting of the lens can cause chipping or cracking, usually with large temperature changes. Stress fractures are usually deep and will probably continue over time until the lens splits. Just a guess without seeing or examining the crack.

EDIT: Stress damage is a lens defect and should be covered by warranty, but you may have to explain the difference to a dealer or distributor. You might try to take a strong magnifier, about 10x, and look at the scratch from the side and about a 45-degree angle (harder to see than you would think). If the scratch is deeper than it is wide then this would probably be a crack, not a scratch. Then look at the ends of the scratch. If you see a real fine leader or a fan shaped spider web effect this would also point more towards a crack instead of a scratch.

I'd tend to agree with Tero in that the scratch will bother you to the degree you let it bother you. I would call Charles at Zen Ray (you are both in the same city) and see what he says about repair. One problem would be if it is a stress fracture as Surveyor indicated, it might have a tendency to get larger with time. The deep aspect of the scratch tends to cause me to agree with Surveyor.

Just like a new car, you can get really upset on the first chip on the nose. You cry over it and swear that you will spend that $800 on a set of clear bra as heavily promoted by the auto dealers. After few more months of driving, you probably don't even care if your door hits the car parked too close next to yours. I have scratches pretty much on every binoculars and camera lenses I have. I don't really see much difference performance wise. Those things are meant to be used and worn in the field. Negotiating through lower bushes can be especially treacherous to the glasses without cover on.

If it is just an external scratch, don't let that bother you. Remember, you are watching birds through the binoculars, not staring at the objective glasses all the time. However, like Surveyor said, if it is structure or mechanical failure, you probably want to contact manufacturer directly. They seem to have a good service reputation.

Well,i pretty much agree with all you..Binos are only tools,just forget about it and keep birding...It was shocking to discover it,though,because is a deeper scratch than your average cleaning mark,and cant think of the cause..My scope fell once,objective first ,on a gravel beach,and got a smaller mark than this one!!!!..
I transported the ZEN,in my recent trip to Spain,inside their hard case,it really feels secure ..maybe once or twice i put them inside my backpack,while birding,with the objective covers on,and maybe ,maybe,the objective cover fell off ,and they got scratched..but i dont know with what!!!...all my sharp instruments(pocket knifes and tools) stayed home ,observing airport security codes..( this prove that despite all security measures,scratches happens)..
In any case,I can not see any difference in performance,although i havent looked at stars yet.I hope no refraction spikes appear as a consequence of this.One of the things i love about the ZEN ED is how sharp stars show,just pin point and free of any coma(my unit anyway)
I dont think this has anything to do with a stress fracture,it looks like a surface scratch,although it went into the glass ,beyond coatings...If by any chance ,the scratch changes in size ,or become a crack,i will then contact ZEN..
Funny that i noticed this JUST when i got home,It was very exciting to do some birding in my country.When i lived there,i wasnt that much into birding,..It was a real pleasure to slowly discover all the most common ,and rare,species ..I am so happy i can appreciate and enjoy all those wonderful creatures,and is so interesting to rediscover my own country as a fantastic and "exotic" birding paradise,after all those years..I will move back there,hopefully in the next year,and i will look for a place to live next to the limits of the DELTA DEL EBRO NATIONAL PARK..You are all invited to visit!..Climate+birds+GASTRONOMY!!!!!
by the way,the ZEN ED were a delight to use and have become my favorite binocular ever,..definitely an instant classic!
Gosh i already forgot about that scratch!

http://www.iberianature.com/regions/catalonia/delta-del-ebro/

Cool. Good luck with your plan.

Surveyor said:

If you do not know of anything that could have caused this you may want to send it back for examination. This may be the result of a stress fracture. Imperfections in and/or improper mounting of the lens can cause chipping or cracking, usually with large temperature changes. Stress fractures are usually deep and will probably continue over time until the lens splits. Just a guess without seeing or examining the crack.

EDIT: Stress damage is a lens defect and should be covered by warranty, but you may have to explain the difference to a dealer or distributor. You might try to take a strong magnifier, about 10x, and look at the scratch from the side and about a 45-degree angle (harder to see than you would think). If the scratch is deeper than it is wide then this would probably be a crack, not a scratch. Then look at the ends of the scratch. If you see a real fine leader or a fan shaped spider web effect this would also point more towards a crack instead of a scratch.

Click to expand...

Interesting comment Surveyor. I wonder how often a stress fracture can occur in a lens? Nice to know.

Dennis