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Sent my brick and green pairs of Yosemites in for service...got NIB black ones back (1 Viewer)

Wuchak

Well-known member
I had two pairs of first gen Yosemite 8x30's. One brick and one light green. The eyecups failed on both. They would come up beyond stop and/or wouldn't stay up. I mailed them in for service after talking to customer service and trying to convince them just to mail me new eye cups.

Just got a box back today with two new pairs of them in black. While I am happy that Leopold stood behind their product and sent replacements I'm disappointed that I don't have the brick and green models with their more svelte armoring. If I'd known they were going to swap them I would have found an alternate source for eyecups and swapped them myself. So be aware that if you send in a pair of first gens in a now unavailable color you may get a basic black new pair in return.

It is possible that they discovered something else wrong with the ones I sent in other than just the eyecups but there is no paperwork indicating that such is the case.

I kept the other pairs around as nice loaners once I got my Gold Ring 8x32 HD's. Plus I really liked the look of them and the colors. Not even going to open the boxes on these. Looks like I have an early start on my Christmas shopping. : )
 
I expect that they thought you would be pleased with two pairs of new binoculars in exchange for two pairs of old ones?
 
Thats a problem with just about any company depending on a different manufacturer to supply the product.

A design change from the first gen to the second gen, I know I have read they were made by different companies. They dont keep parts very long any more.
 
Wuchak,

Leupold was the first company to come out with those modern inexpensive 6x30 & 8x30 Porro prisms. I purchased one and wrote the first review of them here on BF. Their rubber like exterior had 3 colors: Ivory with a greenish tinge to it, Brick Red, and Black and they sold like hot cakes and then everybody else came out with their own versions. Those Leupold originals were the best and I can understand why you were disappointed.

I had an Ivory colored one and was going to buy the other colors but kept putting it off. Then Leupold dropped them and came out with uninspired plasticky versions of them and they lost their distinctive character.

My brother still uses my original one.

Bob
 
Since I have generally read good things about the little Yosemite's I decided to get a pair. I tend to favor lower powered binoculars anyway. Optically they are very good for their price range and are a very usable pair of binoculars. That said I decided to also get a pair of the Vortex Raptors in 6.5x30. The Raptors are slightly bigger and optically about identical to my eyes. The difference is in the overall fit and finish. The Raptors are way ahead of the Yosemites. The Yosemites rubber covering is sloppy and makes them look toy like. This is coming from a person who really likes Leupolds. I have 3 other of their bino's and 3 of their spotting scopes.:smoke:
 
Since I have generally read good things about the little Yosemite's I decided to get a pair. I tend to favor lower powered binoculars anyway. Optically they are very good for their price range and are a very usable pair of binoculars. That said I decided to also get a pair of the Vortex Raptors in 6.5x30. The Raptors are slightly bigger and optically about identical to my eyes. The difference is in the overall fit and finish. The Raptors are way ahead of the Yosemites. The Yosemites rubber covering is sloppy and makes them look toy like. This is coming from a person who really likes Leupolds. I have 3 other of their bino's and 3 of their spotting scopes.:smoke:

I liked the Raptors feel better, just from specs the close focus was farther than I needed in a back yard spot.
 
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