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New vs old Bushnell Custom Compacts (1 Viewer)

I had an old pair of Bushnell Custom Compact 6x25s that seemed to have collimation problems. I called bushnell and was told that they had a lifetime warranty and would be either fixed or replaced. All I had to do was to ship them in and include $10 for return postage. After Bushnell got them they sent me a letter saying that one of the prisms was broken and that parts were not available and that they would replace my old model with a new one for $189.95. I called them and told them what I had been told before I sent them in. They finally dropped the price to $100 and I just paid the $100 for a new pair. I have mixed emotions about the deal but it's done now. It's not what I was told originally but they are great binoculars (at least the old ones were) for $100.

My question is how do the new 7x26 Custom Compacts compare with the old model like I had?

Thanks a lot,

David Enoch
 
DavidEnoch said:
I had an old pair of Bushnell Custom Compact 6x25s that seemed to have collimation problems. I called bushnell and was told that they had a lifetime warranty and would be either fixed or replaced. All I had to do was to ship them in and include $10 for return postage. After Bushnell got them they sent me a letter saying that one of the prisms was broken and that parts were not available and that they would replace my old model with a new one for $189.95. I called them and told them what I had been told before I sent them in. They finally dropped the price to $100 and I just paid the $100 for a new pair. I have mixed emotions about the deal but it's done now. It's not what I was told originally but they are great binoculars (at least the old ones were) for $100.

My question is how do the new 7x26 Custom Compacts compare with the old model like I had?

Thanks a lot,

The new ones are sharper, brighter and better. I would not expect any "lifetime warranty" to cover a broken prism (which was probably caused by a fall or other hard knock), and think, on balance, Bushnell was very generous and gave you get a heck of deal.
 
chartwell99 said:
DavidEnoch said:
I had an old pair of Bushnell Custom Compact 6x25s that seemed to have collimation problems. I called bushnell and was told that they had a lifetime warranty and would be either fixed or replaced. All I had to do was to ship them in and include $10 for return postage. After Bushnell got them they sent me a letter saying that one of the prisms was broken and that parts were not available and that they would replace my old model with a new one for $189.95. I called them and told them what I had been told before I sent them in. They finally dropped the price to $100 and I just paid the $100 for a new pair. I have mixed emotions about the deal but it's done now. It's not what I was told originally but they are great binoculars (at least the old ones were) for $100.

My question is how do the new 7x26 Custom Compacts compare with the old model like I had?

Thanks a lot,

The new ones are sharper, brighter and better. I would not expect any "lifetime warranty" to cover a broken prism (which was probably caused by a fall or other hard knock), and think, on balance, Bushnell was very generous and gave you get a heck of deal.
My Nikon and Leica warranties will address a broken prism.
John
 
chartwell99 said:
DavidEnoch said:
I had an old pair of Bushnell Custom Compact 6x25s that seemed to have collimation problems. I called bushnell and was told that they had a lifetime warranty and would be either fixed or replaced. All I had to do was to ship them in and include $10 for return postage. After Bushnell got them they sent me a letter saying that one of the prisms was broken and that parts were not available and that they would replace my old model with a new one for $189.95. I called them and told them what I had been told before I sent them in. They finally dropped the price to $100 and I just paid the $100 for a new pair. I have mixed emotions about the deal but it's done now. It's not what I was told originally but they are great binoculars (at least the old ones were) for $100.

My question is how do the new 7x26 Custom Compacts compare with the old model like I had?

Thanks a lot,

The new ones are sharper, brighter and better. I would not expect any "lifetime warranty" to cover a broken prism (which was probably caused by a fall or other hard knock), and think, on balance, Bushnell was very generous and gave you get a heck of deal.


I guess my main complaint was that I was told that for postage both ways they would either be fixed or replaced. If they had told me that they were out of warranty and parts were not available it would have been different. They also didn't tell me anything about damage that would not be covered by warranty. I agree that I am getting some nice glass for $100. It's a good enough deal that I am not mad, just a little disappointed. You may be right that they went above and beyond how I should have been treated. To be honest, I didn't consider that. Thanks for your insight.

David Enoch
 
I finally got my new 7x26 Custom Compacts

DavidEnoch said:
I had an old pair of Bushnell Custom Compact 6x25s that seemed to have collimation problems. I called bushnell and was told that they had a lifetime warranty and would be either fixed or replaced. All I had to do was to ship them in and include $10 for return postage. After Bushnell got them they sent me a letter saying that one of the prisms was broken and that parts were not available and that they would replace my old model with a new one for $189.95. I called them and told them what I had been told before I sent them in. They finally dropped the price to $100 and I just paid the $100 for a new pair. I have mixed emotions about the deal but it's done now. It's not what I was told originally but they are great binoculars (at least the old ones were) for $100.

My question is how do the new 7x26 Custom Compacts compare with the old model like I had?

Thanks a lot,

David Enoch


Well, my new Custom Compacts just came in. It took about 10 weeks to get them instead of the 3 to 4 weeks Bushnell had told me but I didn't miss too much so no big deal. I wish I had the old ones here so I could make some comparisons. The rubber textured finish on the new ones and the poly carb body are very functional, but I do miss the traditional feel and style of the old ones. It seems that the new Custom Compacts are a little bulkier than the old ones but I may be wrong on that. From what I can tell so far, optically the new ones are at least as good as the old ones. I need to redo a resolution test I did with the old ones. My old 6x25 CC were about equal to my Swift Audubon 825s in resolution. I still have the Swifts so I can compare the new Custom Compacts to them.

I wish Bushnell would make the Custom Compacts Water and Fog proof. That is fairly standard in their other high end binoculars and I don't know why they don't do it with the Custom Compacts. I also wish they would use the screw out type of eyecups instead of the rubber type that will eventually crack up.

Is there a better way to protect the lens than the two plactic caps that cover the eyecups? There is no cover on the objective lens. I wish there was a one piece cover that would cover all the lens and when taken off would stay attached to the strap.

David Enoch
 
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John Traynor said:
My Nikon and Leica warranties will address a broken prism.
John

John,
They may or may not, within reasonable practicalities. My 1990 Leitz 7 x 42 BA Trinovids just recently went out of collimation. I don't know what caused it as they have been lightly used recently. Maybe an inadvertent bang or bump? Or they fell off the kitchen table and no one mentioned it me?

I called Leica. They told me if the binocular needed parts replaced I was out of luck as they no longer had any for the old Leitz Trinovids. If they could fix them they would return them to me with an estimate of the cost of repairs. I'm not sure about their replacement procedure. In that case, I already own the model that replaced the Leitz. A 7 x 42 Trinovid BN.

Cordially,
Bob
 
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DavidEnoch said:
My question is how do the new 7x26 Custom Compacts compare with the old model like I had?

Thanks a lot,

David Enoch

I note that the old BVD article that named the Bausch & Lomb 7 x 26 Custom Compact as the "Reference Standard" for compact binoculars stated that they "were not fully multi-coated."

I just received in my mail the 2006-2007 "Time & Optics, Ltd. Optics Buying Guide" (catalog) out of Millersburg, Ohio 44654--1-800-308-0727. No website listed!? It states that the Bushnell 7 x 26 Custom Compact is "Fully Multi-Coated."

This probably explains the rumor that they have been improved.

Bob

PS: This is a really nice 86 page catalog. It doesn't list Nikon, Zeiss or Pentax, but has Leica, Swarovski, Kahles, Kowa, Stokes, Vortex, Leupold, Swift, Bushnell, Eagle, Celestron and Meade and their Spotting Scopes, tripods, accessories, books etc.
 
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