I broke my SF so you don't have to... (1 Viewer)

[arran]

Zeiss FL repair

I had a 10 x42 zeiss FL which fall from about 1 m high on the stone floor.
Impact was on the rubber surrounded objective part and no visual damage.
The bin was a bit out of collimation.
Zeiss repaired it for free within 2 weeks

 

[[email protected]]

Hi guys and gals!

Thanks for your many supportive and helpful replies!

It's never good to damage one of your prized possessions in this way... :-C

I'm sorry the pics of the bins aren't better. I only had a handheld compact camera to work with, and now the bins are in the mail, so I can't take any more pictures for a while.

Anyway, they should arrive at Zeiss' sometime in the next couple of weeks, and then I will hopefully know more about what has happened to the bin, and if it can be fixed and for how much...

That really sucks High North. I can feel your pain. It is bad enough to drop them but then they break. Breaking $2500 binoculars just isn't right but let us know if Zeiss fixes them for no charge or if they have to replace them. I am thinking they will replace them and you will probably be better off if they do. I know Swarovski would repair or replace for no charge so it will be interesting if Zeiss tries to charge you anything.

 

[Pinewood]

Hello,

My Zeiss FL dropped about 50 cm from a chair, jamming one eye cup. Zeiss USA repaired it, promptly and without charge. To be sure, I was pleased, but I think Zeiss is trying hard to match that Austrian brand's customer service.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur

 

[brocknroller]

Perhaps Leica will also feel pressured to follow Swarovski's customer service example. Nah. :cat:

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[ceasar]

Within six weeks of getting a new Nikon 10x32 EDG I, which was an open frame dual hinge binocular, I carelessly let it drop off my Kitchen table 3 feet onto a hardwood parquet floor -- twice! Both times it landed on the front edge of one of the objective tubes and it suffered no damage other than scuff marks on the rubber rim of the tubes. This binocular had thick, heavy and very ugly hinges. Rumor has it that Nikon had to discontinue the EDG I because Swarovski had a patent on this type of hinge and threatened to sue Nikon.

Bob

 

[HighNorth]

To ease the pain of the SF`s absence, try this combination of coffee and whiskey.
1) Hot whiskey with brown sugar dissolved in it.
2) Double shot of espresso.
3) Very cold heavy cream that has been very slightly whipped (enough to make it light enough to float on top, but not so light that it will dissolve).
4)Layer these three ingredients in that order in a small glass, stratified.
5)Take sips and all three substances will mix in your mouth.

I thought maybe a Swarovski SLC would assuage my loss, but I think that drink would also be useful!

 

[brocknroller]

I thought maybe a Swarovski SLC would assuage my loss, but I think that drink would also be useful!

The SLC HD certainly feels robust, and they are made with hunters in mind, so they have a reputation for taking a beating and keep on ticking. Steve (mooreorless) used his 7x30 SLC for hunting for 20 years, dragging them through the mud, the blood, and the beer (mostly mud and beer, he's not that great a shot ).

A while ago, someone posted the results of a "drop test" for various binoculars including the top tier. If anybody still has a link to that test, please post it. I had it bookmarked on my old computer, which is now defunct (no, I didn't drop it!).

I think somebody already mentioned these tests with the Conquest HD (including shooting it):

Target Practice with Your Conquest HD

WARNING: Watching this video will make you think about "upgrading" to a Conquest HD.

Btw, the Conquest HD comes with a 5-year No Fault Warranty. If you drop them, kick them, or shoot them, they will be repaired or replaced free of charge, after which, you get a limited lifetime transferable warranty. At least here in the U.S.

Brock

 

[mooreorless]

Brock they auctioned off that Conquest HD after all that. This made me want to get one, esp. with the shot stuck in the outer covering, I think they were using low brass. I won't reply about the shooting part of your post.

 

[NDhunter]

Highnorth,

There is no way this should be improper use - this is supposed to be the 'best birding binocular' in the world. Of course it needs to be able to hold up to some bumps and bruises along the way and not snap like a kids toy with the 1st drop.

I'm sure Zeiss will look after you. If not, expect a **** storm here, and then Zeiss would realize the error of their ways.

It would be interesting to be a mouse in the corner at Zeiss this
week. I would think some durability testing was performed at some
point. But it seems maybe not.

I don't need to add to the drama, but this is a big issue.
I have dropped a binocular or 2 over the years, and have not had one
suffer damage other than cosmetic or go out of collimation.

I found one big selling point of these from the advertising push and video was the balance
of these to the ocular side of the optic.
My engineering background, tells me the frame was built too weak up front, and so that may
be the cause of a break like that.

Maybe Lee can interview the designer, so we can find out what is going on
here. |;|

Jerry

 

[ceasar]

Maybe Lee can ask him if the drop testing is done on a stone tile floor. :h?:

Bob

 

[etudiant]

I found one big selling point of these from the advertising push and video was the balance
of these to the ocular side of the optic.
My engineering background, tells me the frame was built too weak up front, and so that may
be the cause of a break like that.


Jerry

Evidently the design is less tolerant of manufacturing defects than is advisable. Steve C has highlighted the flaws in the casting that failed.
The finish penetrations makes it clear that the casting had flaws that extended well into the part.
If that is representative of what the process yields, the design is too ambitious. Either the process or the design must be changed in that case, because simply inspecting out the defective parts is a band aid fix that just a guarantees future trouble.

 

[Troubador]

Maybe Lee can ask him if the drop testing is done on a stone tile floor. :h?:

Bob

Bob
I heard today from someone who visited the British Bird Fair that one of the UK’s best known naturalists (Simon King), was demonstrating how tough the SF is by dropping it repeatedly from about 1.5 metres.
If I understand correctly Simon had several audiences throughout the day and dropped the SFs several times for each of them, all without any damage.

They don't have stone floors at the Bird Fair though.

Lee

 

[jan van daalen]

Bob
I heard today from someone who visited the British Bird Fair that one of the UK’s best known naturalists (Simon King), was demonstrating how tough the SF is by dropping it repeatedly from about 1.5 metres.
If I understand correctly Simon had several audiences throughout the day and dropped the SFs several times for each of them, all without any damage.

They don't have stone floors at the Bird Fair though.

Lee

Ha Lee,

Be carefull with that!
We had the "indestructable" Fujinon Airdrop which was resistend against several G-forces but when I dropped in on the floor it broke.....at the hinge:C

Jan the....

 

[kabsetz]

Since the speculation on High North's unfortunate SF accident continues on high gear and quite a few posters seem to think that a quality binocular should not break "so easily" I feel compelled to reiterate that, really, every accident is unique. While it is possible to model various kinds of shocks and load directions, and I'm certain Zeiss has done plenty of this during the design of the SF, real life incidents have a mind-boggling variety of different impact speeds, impact angles, direct and rotational momentums, surface hardnesses etc.

It is simply impossible to know whether or not a single binocular should or should not have survived a particular accident. Also speculating on whether or not there was a casting flaw is something that can be ascertained only by inspecting carefully the broken parts, something Zeiss is very likely to do once it gets it back.

Kimmo

 

[oetzi]

How true.

Doing "drop-tests" with binos is useless, unless
1. any impact can be recorded and repeated
2. every bino is dropped on a vast multitude of different areas.

Every model is different, has strong or weak areas and points, where an impact, heavy or light, may or may not trigger a defect. So its of no practical value, when one person claims his bino being more robust than another one, simply because it survived a fall without any apparent defect. Too many variables make judgement impossible.

OTOH, maybe thats why some companies offer a warranty along the lines "you buy it, wreck it, we replace it free of charge" (= we know that the average customer accepts no responsibility whatsover when his own actions are threatening his own wallet). Charging evereyone a bit more as a result.

People like HN, who take responsibility for its own actions, are not necessariliy the norm with customers.

 

[HighNorth]

People like HN, who take responsibility for its own actions, are not necessariliy the norm with customers.

Good to know you think I'm a responsible customer! (although I am a "he" actually - we have not adopted gender neutral pronouns in Norway just yet!)

Of course, I would very much prefer that Zeiss repaired the bin for me free of charge, or send me a brand new bin. In the event that I can't have that, I would be willing to pay for repairs, but only up to a point...

Of course, how Zeiss will treat this incident will also affect my trust towards the company, including whether or not I would consider buying other Zeiss products in the future, or whether or not I would recommend other people to buy Zeiss products.

 

[jan van daalen]

Good to know you think I'm a responsible customer! (although I am a "he" actually - we have not adopted gender neutral pronouns in Norway just yet!)

Of course, I would very much prefer that Zeiss repaired the bin for me free of charge, or send me a brand new bin. In the event that I can't have that, I would be willing to pay for repairs, but only up to a point...

Of course, how Zeiss will treat this incident will also affect my trust towards the company, including whether or not I would consider buying other Zeiss products in the future, or whether or not I would recommend other people to buy Zeiss products.

Yo Viking,

At least you had the "guts" from the beginning to come clean how it happened, but by turning it into your last phrase, you put Zeiss IMHO in a difficult spot.
If they give you a new bin, it can be explained as they were motivated by the media exposure and if they don't give you a satisfactory solution.......

There is no doubt in my mind that Zeiss will solve this when the fault lies at Zeiss. Let's wait and see what they find out.

In a different life I witnessed how a former colleague accidently her Walther P5 handgun dropped on the ground on which occasion it went of. According to Walther this was not possible. After more than 1000 (recorded and documented) similar attempts it happened again. Under a special angle, height etc..... is seemed possible.

Having said this, there is guarantee; coulance guarantee and there is media exposure guarantee, but is it still possible that Zeiss will get full credit when they handle this situation in full integrity? Because IF it turns out that the bridge/hinge was correct and Zeiss says NO to your claim, this would mean that you will never buy a Zeiss product again and wil warn all your friends for Zeiss, while in fact Zeiss acted properly.

Like you, I'm very curious to the outcome and what made this hinge break down.

The fact that Zeiss USA gives a NO FAULT guarantee is in the fact that this is a Zeiss USA initiativ and paid by their budget.
Zeiss Scandinavia is well known for their extreme (Swarovski +++) service level and since Norway is part of Scandinavia......

Jan

 

[brocknroller]

Here's a link to Pete Dunne's javelin toss of the Nikon EDG I. Actually, he did two javelin tosses, one 10 ft, the other 100 ft.! The EDG survived both practically unscathed. In the long toss, they hit dirt not rock, so it's not apples to apples, but a meter vs. 100 ft. should about even things out, and it's still quite impressive that a double hinged roof survived a long javelin toss like that.

EDG Javelin Toss

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[Vespobuteo]

I think I want to hear what Zeiss has to say first, before I start suing left and right!

Don't forget up and down!

But I doubt that you have to pay any enormous sums of money for this incident. I think Zeiss would pay you for your real life testing efforts.
:smoke:

 

[HighNorth]

Don't forget up and down!

But I doubt that you have to pay any enormous sums of money for this incident. I think Zeiss would pay you for your real life testing efforts.
:smoke:

Of course, I have no intention of suing anyone, just to be clear on that! It's not part of Norwegian culture.