Hi Guys
As has been mentioned on another thread, the latest FLs come with different eyecups. They also come with a revised rainguard. I don't know when the change was made (Gary?) but I have discovered that there is more to the seemingly minor changes than meets the eye.
When I purchased an 8x32 FL a few weeks ago I noticed straightaway that in cross-section the rim of the eyecup was rounded rather than squared off as on my 2004 8x42 FLs.
Two weeks of field use in the Outer Hebrides have revealed the following improvements:
The rounded rim allows faster fitting and unfitting of the rain guard. This is A Good Thing despite Lotutec coatings.
The eyecup is stiffer to screw up and down to adjust its height so that it can be left in a position in between the click-settings and it doesn't move.
The rim mates more securely with my spectacle lenses, and I have tried different designs and the improvement is consistent. This may be because of my spectacle prescription and the improvement may not be evident to everybody but its there for me.
The rainguard cups have a slightly larger internal diameter but within this internal diameter there are 3 small rubber ribs around the perimeter that, if you push the rainguard down over your eyecups all the way, 'lock' under your eyecups and remain securely there. And yet you can whip them off quickly when you need to.
All in all a thoughtful and practical redesign of two of the most mundane components of a pair of binoculars.
Well done Mr Zeiss.
Lee
As has been mentioned on another thread, the latest FLs come with different eyecups. They also come with a revised rainguard. I don't know when the change was made (Gary?) but I have discovered that there is more to the seemingly minor changes than meets the eye.
When I purchased an 8x32 FL a few weeks ago I noticed straightaway that in cross-section the rim of the eyecup was rounded rather than squared off as on my 2004 8x42 FLs.
Two weeks of field use in the Outer Hebrides have revealed the following improvements:
The rounded rim allows faster fitting and unfitting of the rain guard. This is A Good Thing despite Lotutec coatings.
The eyecup is stiffer to screw up and down to adjust its height so that it can be left in a position in between the click-settings and it doesn't move.
The rim mates more securely with my spectacle lenses, and I have tried different designs and the improvement is consistent. This may be because of my spectacle prescription and the improvement may not be evident to everybody but its there for me.
The rainguard cups have a slightly larger internal diameter but within this internal diameter there are 3 small rubber ribs around the perimeter that, if you push the rainguard down over your eyecups all the way, 'lock' under your eyecups and remain securely there. And yet you can whip them off quickly when you need to.
All in all a thoughtful and practical redesign of two of the most mundane components of a pair of binoculars.
Well done Mr Zeiss.
Lee
