Thanks for the interesting (probably much more concerning than interesting if one was a NL owner...) and forthright report, NZbinodude. A lot of folks would have kept very quiet until the binocular they were having those issues with was safely out of their hands.
A few questions, if I may:
- Did you think the other binoculars you've owned (you've mentioned owning the 10x32 FL, 8.5x42 EL and if I remember rightly, one of the Leicas) held up better over the same amount of use than the NL?
- Can you give a rough estimate how many hours you've been out with your NL over the month you've had it, what you were using it for, and the conditions you encountered? I ask this because I'm pretty sure one month's light use by some of the more serious field observers here would work a binocular harder than others (such as myself) might in a year or three. I spent a good many days every week between April and the end of September birding (not by choice...) and pretty much the only cleaning I felt I needed to do was to clear eyelash oil/dust from the eye lenses every now and then. But I didn't go when it was raining, was never in a prone position, etc.
I do agree (for what it's worth) with your assessment that the NL feels better built than Zeiss's SF, I haven't handled a NL myself but if its build quality is similar to the EL I did think the perceived build quality of the EL is ahead of the SF (though I'd note that for my own birding the latter is probably more than adequate). I'd also agree that many birding binoculars now are probably not intended to be regularly covered in sand, dust, and the blood and guts of your enemies. Most of us probably don't, and will never, use them that hard. I know something like a 7x40 Zeiss Jena is complete overkill for my own needs, but, for sure, there are those whose requirements are much more demanding - and for those folks, there are binoculars out there that will handle that kind of work. I don't know if the 10x40 Habicht you're thinking about has the kind of ultimate survivability of the 7x40 DF or comparables, but it does have a really good reputation for durability and mechanical integrity. There's a Birdforum member called PHA who has used his in Patagonia, another beautiful but harsh landscape that seems to resemble your South Island a lot, for decades and really rates them - and I reckon the 10x40 model would be a great choice for the keen-eyed younger outdoorsman. They are one of the very few great classic porros that have in fact been updated (coatings, waterproofing) in the way gcole wishes others were. If you do get one, I'd love to know how you get on with it.
Good luck whichever way you go.
Hi Patudo,
I've owned a couple of 8.5x42 Swarovski EL's (1x pre-Field Pro, and 1x Field Pro edition); a Zeiss 8x42 FL and 10x32 FL; and 2x Leica Geovid HDB's.
I kept and used each of them for anywhere between 3-12 months.
One of the Geovids had a 'squeaky' hinge, but it wasn't enough to bother me. The Zeiss 10x32 FL was a demo model that I'd bought online, and upon arrival, the hinge 'badge/cap' had fallen off and it had some rattling inside one of the tubes. Zeiss sent me a brand new pair, and they were fine.
The two 8.5x42 Swarovski EL's I had were absolutely fine. Quality control was great. I do feel that the armor on the pre-field pro version was a little more durable, but that's me nitpicking.
I mainly use binoculars for spotting alpine animals in the South Island wilderness. Conditions can be atrocious (as Mask of Porro can attest to) and binoculars need to be able to handle getting wet and dirty. That said, I take very, very good care of my gear, and I rarely subject them to abuse.
Re: how much I've used the NL's and in what conditions: I've probably spent a total of 5-6 hours behind them, but only in my backyard at home during sunny/warm weather, and on one hiking trip (again in sunny/warm conditions) where they spent the majority of the time in their padded case in my backpack. I haven't got them dirty or wet (aside form rinsing them under the tap that one time), and I've babied them the whole time. They're in such good condition (cleanliness wise) that they could be re-sold as a mint pair.
It's because of the low volume of light use that I was disheartened when one of the eye cups suddenly seized up. It's not like I got them dirty or clogged up.
When I turned the eye cup, the two tubes locked up and the entire eye piece assembly came out of the bino. It did that several times before I just put the NL's aside and got in touch with Swaro NZ, who promptly sent me a pair of new eye cups.
^Shit happens, no big deal. But to now have the focusser play up as well - I'm not sure I'm keen on taking any more chances with the NL platform.
If it wasn't for these issues, I would have been happy with the build quality of the NL's - even though they're a far cry from some of the millitary-grade Porro's out there. I still stand by my earlier comments that the NL's are better made than the SF's.
I'm definitely going to go for a pair of Habichts or something similar. I just need something reliable with good glass. I can understand that some people need an extra wide field of view or butter smooth focusser etc,etc...but I'm not in that camp.
Buying the NL's probably wasn't the smartest thing to do (considering my specific needs) - but I didn't expect a $5k NZD pair of binos, touted as 'the best of the best' to have such elementary problems. A faulty eye cup is forgivable, but for a focusser to slowly degrade over the course of 4 weeks during very light use...yeah, nah. It just makes you ask yourself "what's next"?
Lets hope this is an isolated incident and that everyone else's NL's continue to impress.
Cheers.
