[lilcrazy2]

Dennis

Thanx for winning my bet for me with days to spare. Despite your "glowing" reviews to start this thread, I knew they wouln't last long. I thought to myself in the beginning that the only reason you bought them was to "suck up" after that disasterous fairy tale you started reciting to all of us and got caught in.

"Fools Gold" huh? I see a glimmer of the old Dennis shining thru.

Let me get this surprised look off my face

[black crow]

Don't have a long history with Dennis but I'm not sure how fair that is. The focuser is a real issue for these otherwise fine binoculars. It might not be something one notices until real cold weather sets in.

I can't believe I'm defending Dennis. Life never ceases to surprise me.

[denco@comcast.n]

Originally Posted by lilcrazy2

Dennis

Thanx for winning my bet for me with days to spare. Despite your "glowing" reviews to start this thread, I knew they wouln't last long. I thought to myself in the beginning that the only reason you bought them was to "suck up" after that disasterous fairy tale you started reciting to all of us and got caught in.

"Fools Gold" huh? I see a glimmer of the old Dennis shining thru.

Let me get this surprised look off my face

I still recommend them for a warm climate but they get progressively stiffer the colder it gets. I don't know I might keep them for summer birding. They irritate me when I try to use them when it is cold. If the focuser was just a little easier to turn. Try them in the cold and see what you think. There are alot of binoculars like that especially the Chinese made ones that get stiffer in the cold. Porros too. It's sounds like there are other cold weather complaints so I think it is only fair to let people know about this problem. Optically they are great.

[Steve C]

If the focuser is an issue of such magnitude, why does not somebody contact Sightron? It might be a very simple, under warranty, fix to send it in and have the focuser adjusted, cleaned, and relubed with a different grease. It seems that focus tension is never right (for somebody) regardless of what you pay for it.

[black crow]

Seems doubtful if everyone experiences the problem. Sounds like a design problem.

[lilcrazy2]

Originally Posted by black crow

Don't have a long history with Dennis but I'm not sure how fair that is. The focuser is a real issue for these otherwise fine binoculars. It might not be something one notices until real cold weather sets in.

I can't believe I'm defending Dennis. Life never ceases to surprise me.

Obviously you as well as others did not see Dennis's post before he edited it and changed it completely(which he does quite often). Before the edit, he emphatically stated that he was sending the Sightrons back, and referred to them as Fools Gold. Shame I didn't post his quote in my response, before he edited it to make himself look better.

[denco@comcast.n]

Originally Posted by Steve C

If the focuser is an issue of such magnitude, why does not somebody contact Sightron? It might be a very simple, under warranty, fix to send it in and have the focuser adjusted, cleaned, and relubed with a different grease. It seems that focus tension is never right (for somebody) regardless of what you pay for it.

I haven't had a problen with the Zeiss FL or Nikon EDG. Let me tell you Steve the focus is too tight on the Sightron Blue Sky II especially in the cold and if somebody says it isn't they are blowing smoke UNLESS mine are defective. But I am hearing other complaints so I think mine are normal.

[denco@comcast.n]

Originally Posted by lilcrazy2

Obviously you as well as others did not see Dennis's post before he edited it and changed it completely(which he does quite often). Before the edit, he emphatically stated that he was sending the Sightrons back, and referred to them as Fools Gold. Shame I didn't post his quote in my response, before he edited it to make himself look better.

Changed my mind Lilcrazy. I guess I can do that. Sorry it upset you. I am still on the fence on them. Might keep them for the summer. I have to say I wouldn't recommend them anymore if you are planning on using them for winter birding. Somebody should contact Sightron about the problem. I don't think I want to go through the hassle of sending a $200.00 pair of binoculars back to the manufacturer.

[FrankD]

Just for s.... and giggles I am going to put my pair outside for the next hour to see how the focus fairs. It is 27 F here right now so I think that is cold enough.

[lilcrazy2]

Originally Posted by denco@comcast.n

Changed my mind Lilcrazy. I guess I can do that. Sorry it upset you. I am still on the fence on them. Might keep them for the summer. I have to say I wouldn't recommend them anymore if you are planning on using them for winter birding. Somebody should contact Sightron about the problem. I don't think I want to go through the hassle of sending a $200.00 pair of binoculars back to the manufacturer.

I'm not upset in least - merely amused by you as usual. It's a shame you edited out your comments in both threads, as people could have seen your true feelings and diss on this bino, particularly your Fools Gold comparison. Nothing like backpedaling for the sake of a little PR smoothover. After reading your Fools Gold comment, is why I chose to make the analogy that I could see a glimmer of the old Dennis shining thru.

And I would be surprised if you have not already contacted the ebay seller Matchsupplyonline for a return.

Tom

"You can fool some of the people some of the time"

[Steve C]

Originally Posted by denco@comcast.n

I haven't had a problen with the Zeiss FL or Nikon EDG. Let me tell you Steve the focus is too tight on the Sightron Blue Sky II especially in the cold and if somebody says it isn't they are blowing smoke UNLESS mine are defective. But I am hearing other complaints so I think mine are normal.

Dennis,

I am not trying to tell anybody who says the focus is stiff that they are not. Let me put it this way...if they were mine and I had issues with stiff focus I can guarantee you that by now I would have called Sightron and asked a few questions. I am surprised nobody else seems to have thought of that. Maybe it can be adjusted on an individual basis or maybe it is a design flaw. I don't know and won't pretend to venture an opinion. I do think compaines service and warranty departments are there for their customers to use.

When I had the Sightron we were having bluebird weather. If I had them now I would know how I felt about the stiff focus. It is now winter here in full force (thank the Lord, FINALLY).

Neither am I surprised you have pulled out the "I changed my mind" rationalization either.

[black crow]

Originally Posted by lilcrazy2

Obviously you as well as others did not see Dennis's post before he edited it and changed it completely(which he does quite often). Before the edit, he emphatically stated that he was sending the Sightrons back, and referred to them as Fools Gold. Shame I didn't post his quote in my response, before he edited it to make himself look better.

Actually I did see the original quote. But I wasn't put off by it. Like I said I don't have the history you guys seem to have. If I didn't know better I'd swear you were brothers.

[denco@comcast.n]

Originally Posted by FrankD

Just for s.... and giggles I am going to put my pair outside for the next hour to see how the focus fairs. It is 27 F here right now so I think that is cold enough.

Let me know. Maybe mine has too much grease in it or something.

[Twobits]

Room temp 58 all day... Order of focuser stiffness...Hardest to turn with one finger...Vortex Viper 6x32..next hardest... Minox 8x33... In the middle..Sightron 8x32 Next Leupold Katmi 6X32....Easiest... Swift Eaglet 7x36... Viper and Sightron are like new....Minox is lightly used,[my Wife,s] The Leupold and Swift my most often used.. Not a very technical test but thats my take on focuser stiffness.

Twobits

[denco@comcast.n]

Originally Posted by Twobits

Room temp 58 all day... Order of focuser stiffness...Hardest to turn with one finger...Vortex Viper 6x32..next hardest... Minox 8x33... In the middle..Sightron 8x32 Next Leupold Katmi 6X32....Easiest... Swift Eaglet 7x36... Viper and Sightron are like new....Minox is lightly used,[my Wife,s] The Leupold and Swift my most often used.. Not a very technical test but thats my take on focuser stiffness.

Twobits

OK. EVERYBODY that has a Sightron Blue Sky II put it in the refrigerator for one hour. Take it out and see how stiff the focus Is. Try the focus before and after you put it in the refrigerator. A refrigerator is about 40 degrees so this should be a good test. I am still keeping the Sightron. It's too good optically and it is light. I am going to sit here while I watch TV and rotate the focus for an hour and see if it loosens up. HaHa!

[black crow]

Not my refrigerator. At 30 degrees all my lovely food would freeze. Mine clocks in at about 40 degrees.

[Alexis Powell]

As someone who often posts to complain about the stiff focus of cheap bins (ironically, it surpasses edge of field sharpness as the domain of the alphas), let me point out that it is not just problem for those of us who live in places that get cold in the winter, it is also an issue for birding in spring and fall in the mountains if you hike/camp because equipment gets cold overnight. I find it bizarre that this, and not optical qualities like having superb contrast, backlighting performance, and CA control, is what separates alpha bins from the best of the rest.

--AP

[BrightIdea]

refrigerators ought not be 30 degrees.

The focuser is stiff to start. NOT unusable.

In the cold it gets stiffer. NOT unusable.

(EDIT: I didnt try these at 0degreesF. Perhaps they are unusable at that temp. )

Chasing warblers at 20 deg F would be difficult. (In my neck of the woods that's not an issue @ 20degF!)

Tom, you called this one last week. Took him a little bit, but alas he found a way to diss them.

[Steve C]

FWIW...the Theron does not stiffen up. I left them with lens caps in place on the back porch last night. I had to shovel off 4 inches of snow when I went out the door. The Theron was just fine.

Edit: OK they stiffen a little, but they are easily usable.

[Chas4045]

Originally Posted by denco@comcast.n

OK. EVERYBODY that has a Sightron Blue Sky II put it in the refrigerator for one hour. Take it out and see how stiff the focus Is. Try the focus before and after you put it in the refrigerator. A refrigerator is about 40 degrees so this should be a good test. I am still keeping the Sightron. It's too good optically and it is light. I am going to sit here while I watch TV and rotate the focus for an hour and see if it loosens up. HaHa!

Well I did it and mine are a tad bit harder to turn, but I can manage it with one finger (index) no problem! Maybe you guys are just weak!

[jaymoynihan]

Originally Posted by Chas4045

Well I did it and mine are a tad bit harder to turn, but I can manage it with one finger (index) no problem! Maybe you guys are just weak!

Try the freezer.....

[black crow]

Or how about absolute Zero! I do a lot of birding when it's minus 459.67

I'm keeping mine cause the stiffness has never caused me a problem. Were I a winter hunter I might feel differently.

[FrankD]

I did leave my unit out on the porch yesterday afternoon...temps were in the high 20's F. The focusing did stiffen up slightly but no worse than many other bins I own. It is certainly smoother, even at the colder temps, than some of the porros I have on hand.

I do feel the need to again mention the amount of time that I have owned this bin...going on 4.5 months. It is looser, in regular room temps, than it was originally so I am left believing that regular use makes the focusing mechanism smoother in all temperatures. We are talking about a $200 binocular though so I don't expect it to offer the same type of cold weather performance as something like the Leicas with their lubeless design.

[black crow]

After comparing it head to head with the Kowa's at almost $500 I'm more convinced than ever that this is my best full priced binocular by far. I'm actually considering it in the 10x as I don't own that size outside of a small compact.

[Alexis Powell]

Originally Posted by BrightIdea

Chasing warblers at 20 deg F would be difficult. (In my neck of the woods that's not an issue @ 20degF!)

But chasing sparrows is very similar (high species diversity + complex physical environment = lots of quick views at varying distance), and is a real possibility at those temps in the midwestern states.

--AP