We all make mistakes; when I bought the Fl I had already owned a Trinovid 10x32 with a detentless and flawless diopter, so I reckoned the Zeiss would be OK in this respect. It wasn't, though, and that is not what I expected for a new, 1500 euro pair of bins.
You say, it was a manufacturing defect; rightly so. But I'm the sort of customer who trusts the manufacturing precision and outstanding quality control of a renowned brand like Zeiss. If it's not good, that's it! One strike out! If Leica can do it and Zeiss can't, on ALL their binoculars, there must be something really lacking in the quality control department. Really lacking!
I don't trust them any more.
If you have no trouble with your FL's, that's great, enjoy them.
I want to see a diopter scale that I KNOW will stay where I set it. I've owned a zillion of binoculars with wandering diopters that were easily fixed by taping it down. The trouble with the new, under-the-focus-knob diopter mechanisms, is that you can't see it - except for the Leica's. You have to trust it won't move. I don't like that.
I only trust my eyes.
B
Kind regards,
Ronald
Ronald,
I can understand your frustration and disappointment with the defect in your Zeiss diopter. For that price, I'd have high expectations too.
I felt the same way when I bought my first sample 8x32 LX and found the focuser was so loose I had to keep my finger rested on top of it so I wouldn't accidentally move it just from holding the bin.
I would also overshoot my targets and have to "back peddle" to achieve sharp focus.
After reading BF reviews of this bin, I thought it was the "norm" since there were other complaints about the focuser moving too fast.
Going from close focus to infinity in only 1/2 turn is not everybody's cup 'o tea.
Only later did I learn that my first sample was defective, and that while the LX focuser does turn fast, it should be smooth and precise, not loose.
So I bought a second sample and was well pleased with it. In fact, it's the best bin focuser I've ever used.
I'm afraid if you are going to have a "One Strike And Your Out" policy for bins, you could have just as easily wound up with a bad sample Leica and be putting them on your blacklist instead.
When the Ultravids first came out there were numerous complaints about the focusers being too stiff. Some had stiff focusers, some didn't.
Sample variation occurs at all price points, as you know from the zillions of bins you had with wandering diopters.
A zillion and one, apparently. Check out the new BF thread titled: Zen ED2 7x36 Dioptre problems.
However, because you got a bad sample Zeiss on the first try doesn't mean that Zeiss manufacturers inferior bins, but simply that you got a lemon.
The real failure wasn't in manufacturing a dud, this happens all the time with just about every product that isn't hand made. It's inherent to mass production.
I recently bought a can opener to replace one that lasted only about six months. The new one was a dud from the gitgo.
If you otherwise like the FL and you bought it new with a warranty (or have a transferable warranty), I suggest you send it to Zeiss for repairs.
Even if you don't have a warranty, you should call them anyway. They would much rather have a satisfied customer write on bin forums about how their problem was taken care of rather than a customer knocking their bins.
I'm sure most people would agree that Zeiss makes high quality products, I could argue that they are overpriced, but I don't doubt their quality, though from your story and others I've read about the Zeiss FL, they could improve their quality control.
The QC person who checked your sample at the factory perhaps missed this problem (but apparently so did the store salesperson who sold it to you and so did you when you first checked out the bin),
or it's something that only develops over time with use.
Whichever the case,
you are stuck with the problem now. So you can sell it to somebody else who might not be as bothered by it, and perhaps take a beating with the sale price since if you didn't mention the defect, it could come back to haunt you in your ratings, or send it back to get repaired and then enjoy using the bin or sell it for a nice price.
That's my tuppence.
