Pride of ownership or folly, restoring used bins? (1 Viewer)

When I decided to get serious about binoculars I had naive wish lists. The Nikon 7x35 E FMC Criterion was the ONE. One of my early decisions was to buy in a range that allowed a professional CLA and the necessary shipping. Well it turned out I was on the end of a longline of folks drooling over Nikon E FMC bins. Most with deep pockets, much deeper than mine. It turned out that a minty EII 8x30 was the sensible purchase. :king:

I just bought a used Celestron 7X42 Ultimas of the 90s era locally and cheap. They meet my needs in reputation, condition, build, and optical performance. This thread is not about them. It is to ask about the decision to send decent used bins like these out for automatic service?

The final result would be a clean fine tuned 25 year old modern classic Porro bino. The final cost is estimated from $175-200 CAD, all in. That answers the question about recouping the investment when sold, no. However there is a sense of pride in the end result.

Please let me know your thoughts, experiences, and comments on pending foolishness.

Canuck Bob said:

When I decided to get serious about binoculars I had naive wish lists. The Nikon 7x35 E FMC Criterion was the ONE. One of my early decisions was to buy in a range that allowed a professional CLA and the necessary shipping. Well it turned out I was on the end of a longline of folks drooling over Nikon E FMC bins. Most with deep pockets, much deeper than mine. It turned out that a minty EII 8x30 was the sensible purchase. :king:

I just bought a used Celestron 7X42 Ultimas of the 90s era locally and cheap. They meet my needs in reputation, condition, build, and optical performance. This thread is not about them. It is to ask about the decision to send decent used bins like these out for automatic service?

The final result would be a clean fine tuned 25 year old modern classic Porro bino. The final cost is estimated from $175-200 CAD, all in. That answers the question about recouping the investment when sold, no. However there is a sense of pride in the end result.

Please let me know your thoughts, experiences, and comments on pending foolishness.

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You will have a great time learning the ins and outs of instrument repair and restoration. I would counsel you not to get sucked into the ludicrous idea that tweaking screws willy-nilly will equal “collimation.” As one person on a bino forum so aptly points out “Two or three OPINIONS” do not equal DATA,” nor do the myriad “collimation tips” available on the internet equal data. For ONE person, or others with the same IPD, those tips would work from adequately to excellently—certainly making the item saleable IF YOU HAVE LEARND TO STARE. They would not, however, equal clinical, 3-axis collimation. :cat:

More often than not our understanding rests with the magnitude of our humble willingness to understand.— WJC (c. 2017)

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Bill, is that another way of saying that a person convinced against their will is of the same opinion still? :h?:

Ed

Bill, after some more considering the plan is to send the bins to Cory for inspection and the work. The advice of Suddarth Optical will be followed. I only wish to own first line binoculars.

These binoculars have these issues. The right diopter adjustment is too loose for me. The view is a bit low in contrast. However the EII was the comparison view, tough competition. Your evaluation in threads classifying them as light duty, well baffled, with good optics sold me on looking at the Celestron's. The BVD review article was reassuring as well.

Early research on collimation and service convinced me of a number of things. It is possible to be out of collimation and think all is well for me. The best view comes from properly aligned binoculars. 25 year old binoculars (specially non-WP Porros, my preference) need the grease refreshed and cleaning if they are to be first line binoculars. Avoid auction sites unless last resort. Decent binoculars are high precision gadgets not to be butchered by me.

If I may Bill, one quick question. Would the 7x42 Ultima benefit with any mods like edge blackening or chamber blackening? I can't help a bit of hot rodding if sensible!

I get a lot of pleasure out of restoring old bins, and monoc's, I often pick them up on the auction site with issues that I think I can resolve, really satisfying when you have cleaned up an old optic, replaced the worn covering and made it look and view near new, inevitably though, I sometimes buy something that turns out beyond restoration. One thing I found you do need is a lot of patience, trying to rush is a mistake, and when something is proving difficult, if you walk away and come back another day a solution often presents itself, if it don't, try what I have done before, ask Bill !! Helped me out of a hole more than once.

elkcub said:

Bill, is that another way of saying that a person convinced against their will is of the same opinion still? :h?:

Ed

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Eddy:

How dare you insinuate that saying could be attributed to me ... even though I did father it. And, of course, your assessment is correct. But then, scriptures teach “lean not on your own understanding.” The scriptures are full of double entendres. You know: maximum birds with minimum stones. (Relax folks; that, too, is just a saying). When we lean, we decenter ourselves and are more easily apt to lose our balance.

When I was doing ARMY optics, I noted one fellow in the shop working inordinately long (3 days) on an aiming circle trying to remove an aberration that, because of the 1930s design of the thing, could never be completely removed.

Overlooking the old, “No good deed will go unpunished,” I tried to explain what he was up against in a manner that would make sense to his Armored Calvary (10th Mountain Division) background. But, after I thoroughly explained his goal would forever be unachievable and that for all practical purposes his instrument was “perfect,” his retort was—as he stormed away from this navy interloper:

“I don’t need to know anything about ‘optics’; I just want to do my job.”

It didn’t seem to matter to him that he couldn’t do his optically-oriented job without knowing something about optics.

The saying originated at Ft. Lewis in Jan-Feb.? 2011. :cat:

Bill

Sadly my finger dexterity is no longer sound enough to tackle binocular repair. However the satisfaction of making the restore happen is a worthy pursuit. I just see a modern classic Porro as so beautiful and nicely represents the fading of the gear-head era.

After writing the above it became necessary to add the valid contrary opinion. It is sensible to fix the right diopter with an o-ring. The view is great and I'm happy with the performance specially considering the money involved, common sense versus idle fantasy(?).

Canuck Bob said:

Bill, after some more considering the plan is to send the bins to Cory for inspection and the work. The advice of Suddarth Optical will be followed. I only wish to own first line binoculars.

These binoculars have these issues. The right diopter adjustment is too loose for me. The view is a bit low in contrast. However the EII was the comparison view, tough competition. Your evaluation in threads classifying them as light duty, well baffled, with good optics sold me on looking at the Celestron's. The BVD review article was reassuring as well.

Early research on collimation and service convinced me of a number of things. It is possible to be out of collimation and think all is well for me. The best view comes from properly aligned binoculars. 25 year old binoculars (specially non-WP Porros, my preference) need the grease refreshed and cleaning if they are to be first line binoculars. Avoid auction sites unless last resort. Decent binoculars are high precision gadgets not to be butchered by me.

If I may Bill, one quick question. Would the 7x42 Ultima benefit with any mods like edge blackening or chamber blackening? I can't help a bit of hot rodding if sensible!

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Bob ... quick answer:

Yes, what you suggest WOULD make the instrument better. BUT—and as they say it’s a BIG but—you would probably never notice the difference. And, if you couldn’t, why go to the trouble. If you want to tinker and learn, it’s a GREAT project. If you want to improve it for yourself or give it more value for a sale, don’t bother.

The Celestron Ultima, the Swift Ultralight, and Carton’s Adlerblick Fernglasser are basically the same inside. If you are interested, I have a clean 9x63 Swift Ultralight w/case I’ll be selling for $150 max—I haven’t decided yet. And, of course, I’ll stand behind it. :cat:

Bill

Canuck Bob said:

Sadly my finger dexterity is no longer sound enough to tackle binocular repair. However the satisfaction of making the restore happen is a worthy pursuit. I just see a modern classic Porro as so beautiful and nicely represents the fading of the gear-head era.

After writing the above it became necessary to add the valid contrary opinion. It is sensible to fix the right diopter with an o-ring. The view is great and I'm happy with the performance specially considering the money involved, common sense versus idle fantasy(?).

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That's up to you. I think it is Steve C who quotes Theodore Roosevelt:

"Do what you can, where you are, with what you have." :cat:

WJC said:

Bob ... quick answer:
Edited ...

The Celestron Ultima, the Swift Ultralight, and Carton’s Adlerblick Fernglasser are basically the same inside. If you are interested, I have a clean 9x63 Swift Ultralight w/case I’ll be selling for $150 max—I haven’t decided yet. And, of course, I’ll stand behind it. :cat:

Bill

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Literally 5 days late. Those would be perfect binos but the well is dry. I noticed the Swift's are very sought after and valued more.

Bob

If the issues you are having visibly affect your use of the binocular (fungus on the lenses, out of collimation, etc) - yes. But the cost of doing so needs to be balanced against how much you will be using them compared to the EII.

There have been further developments with the haze issue. A good clean of the lenses was done Thursday night. Once into the cleaning it seemed strange. Instead of pushing a film around a bit the film was hard. I use optical wipes and got out my Windex. It worked like a darn but took a few applications.

The weather is just starting to accommodate backyard testing but through window testing indicates an improvement. The comparative test with the EIIs will be repeated.

Edit: quick report, haze view gone, not quite EII but close enough to be pleasing. It is still an impact to note how 7x is different to 8x in the view. Also I paid 10x more for the EIIs, there isn't 10x's the view.