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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

EL 10x42 casing deterioration. (2 Viewers)

I try to keep my hands clean before handling most anything I'm fond of.
Bins, scopes, musical instruments, nose picking 8-P...
I think it's paid off.

I think this is very wise Kev and it was a relief to see your list stop before it gave too much information.........

Lee
 
Lee,
I wonder if there's any mileage in setting up a "Binocular Sniffing" sub-forum... :-O:eek!::-O

Great idea Mando, and there have been many comments about bino-aromas over the years, with one bino being memorably described as a stinking old used auto tyre. But thinking back over those years I suspect that a whisky-tasting sub-forum would be first on the list.

Lee
 
Umh, ... Lee
Can you please get on that?
I've got SO much to say! B :)

My wife and I cracked open a bottle of Glenlivet Founder's Reserve last night...

Oooohhh! B :) I'd forgotten how much I enjoy a really nice Speyside malt. I've been a little sidetracked by some of the more "tangy" island malts lately, and the Glenlivet is a delightful return to something a little lighter.

On the subject of sniffing binoculars - I have a very nice pair of Pentax Marine 7x50s in their case. When I open up the case and inhale the aroma therein, I get such a waft of nostalgia - the smell of those Japanese-made hard cases and the hard, pebbly, leatherette covering of the binoculars - it takes me right back to my early birwatching forays in the early 80s, watching lapwings, redshank, grebes, herons and the like over the millpond and flood meadows that were (then) local to me.
 
Lee,
I can't seem to get into the Whisky Bar...

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Can you show me the way to the (old) Whisky Bar? Oh, don't ask why... Oh, don't ask why...
 
The only "rubbery" smell I've encountered that's actually unpleasant is on the strap of my BogPod bino-tripod adapter. I wonder whether it's natural or synthetic? It does stretch and grip very well, properties not needed in bino armor. Fortunately I don't need to use it that often.

I agree I have the same Bogpod, and when new it is a very smelly affair.

It does go away in time. I recently got new tires on my pickup, and the
garage has that new tire smell, not so bad actually...

Jerry
 
scratched metal parts?

Bins came back today.

New front caps were an unexpected bonus.

Any photos? What did they do to the worn metal parts?

By the way, it has not been discussed here so far: The picture you posted in post #7 shows a number of scratches to the metal parts as well. Since you say you did not abuse the binoculars, I wondered about how these scratches could get there. One thing I could see would be any metal parts you are wearing, in particular any rings?
 
EL SV 10x32 - Before and After RA Replacement

While looking for information about the new Zeiss SF 32, I came across the following
It's from the Twitter account of Steve Rogers of South West Optics at: https://twitter.com/swoptics

The RA shows even more deterioration than the OP's unit!
For future reference it seems worthwhile to include it here


John
 

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I have similar issue on my 8X32 SV & 10x32 SV; 8X32 SV had been fixed with new armor and i found Swarovski also upgraded the lens with new coating, more greenish compared to 10x32SV. Very impressive for the service. However, recently another 10x32 armor degraded a lot after frequent use ~ 3 years. I sent it to the service last week, hoping i can get it back within few months under current situation. The solution to fix this issue maybe to daily clean the armor and put it in the moisture proof box. I might not get more Swarovski as its amor is very vulnerable as i ever owned Leica 10x42BA over 15 years, 10X42HD and never saw this issue. I still have one 10x42SV for over 7 years and it is still new in the box, only use few times.
 

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Swarovski SV 8x32

Crikey, I thought mine were bad! These are mine, 6 years old and the second time that they are going in for the armouring to be replaced (first time was a single split). First to go was the glue on the eyecups - fixed with superglue, then the underside go the oculars where they rub on my stomach. The rest of the splits are just where the rubber has worn thin and I've patched them using superglue and duck tape. They get used pretty much everyday, but not abused and they live in a padded case inside my rucksack when I'm not wearing them. They were nibbled by an albatross too and one point which put a couple of holes in the armouring!.

As usual, Swarovski are repairing for free.

Mark
 

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They were nibbled by an albatross too and one point which put a couple of holes in the armouring!
Probably Wandering then? Quite a bite. We've visited SGI and used to greatly enjoy all the reports from Bird Island staff on the website, which were unfortunately dropped several years ago leaving the newsletter primarily of interest to philatelists. Glad to hear from you. What an amazing place to "work".
 
I bought a pair of EL 8x32 in September 2012. I had to have the casing replaced in October 2015 and December 2017. The casing is disintegrating by the day at the moment and will need to be replaced again, but I’m not sure if the Swarovski factory is up and running again. I find them to be excellent binoculars and they do a great job in replacing the casing, but being without them for a month every two years is hardly a satisfactory situation. I use them virtually every day and the only time they’re in the case is when I’m travelling.
 
Wow, you guys have un-peeled (pun) a previously un-heralded problem with Swaros.
Good job though.

After watching an "unboxing" vid on the new NL, I noticed the maintenance soap and hand brush. I suspect this a reflection of the culmination of all the problems logged with Swaro armor?


Rob
 
Wow, you guys have un-peeled (pun) a previously un-heralded problem with Swaros.
Good job though.

After watching an "unboxing" vid on the new NL, I noticed the maintenance soap and hand brush. I suspect this a reflection of the culmination of all the problems logged with Swaro armor?


Rob

It's why I'm tempted to keep my distance from the new NL (despite how promising it seems to be, from an optical standpoint).

I've owned the previous EL 'FieldPro', with the 'soft touch' rubber armouring, and I couldn't help babying it. The EL WB (model which came before the fieldpro) had better rubber armouring in my opinion.

Binoculars shouldn't have to be cleaned with a soap and brush to remain in good condition, for f*cks sake. If they're designed for serious field use, they should also be constructed in a way that reflects their intended use.

I've got a pair of old Zeiss porros (60 odd years of age) and the rubber armouring is still going strong.

Are the manufacturers today building status symbols/'toys', or are they building 'tools'?

I think Leica is a step above the rest as far as build quality is concerned. But, to be frank, they're all losing their footing in that area.
 
It's why I'm tempted to keep my distance from the new NL (despite how promising it seems to be, from an optical standpoint).

I've owned the previous EL 'FieldPro', with the 'soft touch' rubber armouring, and I couldn't help babying it. The EL WB (model which came before the fieldpro) had better rubber armouring in my opinion.

Binoculars shouldn't have to be cleaned with a soap and brush to remain in good condition, for f*cks sake. If they're designed for serious field use, they should also be constructed in a way that reflects their intended use.

I've got a pair of old Zeiss porros (60 odd years of age) and the rubber armouring is still going strong.

Are the manufacturers today building status symbols/'toys', or are they building 'tools'?

I think Leica is a step above the rest as far as build quality is concerned. But, to be frank, they're all losing their footing in that area.
I don't think there are any problems with Swaro armour in general. There might be a few rare cases due to extreme usage. Those binoculars obviously had very heavy usage by the look of them with all the wear even on the magnesium and the armour deteriorated probably from a combination of factors like sweat, possible contaminants like sun screen, insect repellent and most importantly being exposed to UV light. Some older binoculars like your Zeiss porros and the Leica Trinovid BN's probably did have tougher armour, but they were not near as comfortable to hold and use so there are trade-offs when it comes to armour. It is a probably a good idea that Swarovski is including a soap and brush because it probably will extend the life span of the armour if you clean off contaminants once in a while especially if used under harsh conditions. I wouldn't avoid the new NL's because of a few isolated cases of armour deterioration because I think you will be missing out on a great binocular and most likely you will never have a problem with the armour. Swarovski deserves praise for replacing the armour at no charge because I don't think many manufacturers would go that extra mile to do that.
 
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