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Which of the better bins survive hard knocks? (1 Viewer)

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eronald

Well-known member
Looking at the self-repair thread, and people who mention their bins damaged by drops, I wonder which of the better bins survive drops best?

I assume that every piece of equipment one really uses ends up knocked/dropped once every year or two, or at least the backpack that contains it gets thrown or dropped.

Edmund
 
I don't know if you are aware of the "endurance test" carried by Allbinos some years ago

https://www.allbinos.com/18.1-binoculars_review-summary-Endurance_test_of_8x42_binoculars.html

They tortured the hell out of a series of binoculars (waterproofness, low and high temperature, etc.) and among other tests they drop the binoculars twice (from 0,5 m, landing on the eyecups and from 0,7 m landing on the flat side).
Obviously, such a test is to be taken with a pinch of salt (i. e. the Leica binoculars failed to pass the waterproofness test while most users in the forum claim to have 0 problems in that regard), but is nevertheless interesting and can make you have a good time investigating which binocular took the beating better. There are 20 binoculars from leading brands (and some from other lesser known ones).

Zeiss Victory FL, Alpen Rainier HD ED, Steiner Ranger Pro, Swarovski EL and Nikon HG took the first 5 positions in this order.
 
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eronald said:
Looking at the self-repair thread, and people who mention their bins damaged by drops, I wonder which of the better bins survive drops best?

I assume that every piece of equipment one really uses ends up knocked/dropped once every year or two, or at least the backpack that contains it gets thrown or dropped.

Edmund
Click to expand...

Hi,

while I personally was able to avoid dropping optics so far, my SE, which I hat loaned to friend who needed every mm of its eye relief, took a plunge from the jeeps dash to the car floor two years ago in Argentina. Luckily without damage...

If you want sth nearly indestructible I would recommend a Docter 7x40 B/GA - the civilian successor of the east german army EDF made by Carl Zeiss Jena.

The latter was specified to withstand what amounts to driving nails into the wall on a regular basis. Citing from the test procedure to be run through after regular service - just those referring to drops and hits:

Drop test: 0.75m once onto the lower side - this one is cute, considering what lies ahead...

Acceleration test with 15g impulse of 5-10ms: 250 times on objective end, 150 times on narrow side

Acceleration test with 120g impulse of 1-5ms: 2 times on objective end, 4 times each on lower side and narrow side

Vibration test: 30-80Hz, 6g: 2h on objective end, 1h each on on lower side and narrow side

Some compromises come with that though - no phase coating (not too terrible at 7x), 15 ft close focus and last but not least, individual focus.

Joachim
 
Joachim:

Your point is good, but the Docter mentioned is an older military binocular, fully armored and not anything
one would purchase for regular use.

Docter is now out of the binocular business, as of 2017 or so.

Jerry
 
I was just thinking that after 2 or 3 years until you get better or you give in to service, you're stuck with the "damaged" glass so it had better still be good :)

A $1500 bino makes sense if it lasts 10 years or so, but if it's gonna be mediocre after the first time it gets knocked to the floor from a table, one might as well fast-forward and get a good $300 pair instead :)

I used to have pro cameras, and one feature you pay for is they just keep on working in spite of the dents, and they can be repaired.

Edmund
 
I would also say the Meopta Meostar glass is very durable, saw them in the sandbox used by NATO, and performed well in the dust without problems, in fact they were the only civilian glass I saw in use. They are really a tough glass.

Andy W.
 
dries1 said:
I would also say the Meopta Meostar glass is very durable, saw them in the sandbox used by NATO, and performed well in the dust without problems, in fact they were the only civilian glass I saw in use. They are really a tough glass.

Andy W.
Click to expand...

Hi, Andy:

During the days of Desert Shield/Desert Storm, I removed MUCH DUST from every optical surface on many WATERPROOF binoculars returning from the sandbox. I think that stuff must make flour look like Pebbles ... or at least Bam Bam. Most of those instruments were rugged, collimated, and in for nothing more than cleaning! But if the bino can’t be seen through, collimation doesn’t really mean much.

The Middle Eastern sand is, in the words of Aristotle ... “Bad Ju Ju.” :cat:

Bill
 
Steve C said:
The Zeiss Conquest took not one, but two blasts from a 12 gauge shotgun, and despite lead pellets embedded in the armor and shot damage to the eye cups, still worked.. That test is worth watching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qri4RuT7Bk
Click to expand...

I was just about to post that same link. The Zeiss Conquest really is built like a tank, but still feels sleek and precise. It's a wonderful instrument, and I really appreciate they have two lengths of eyecups.

Marc
 
I remember my Nikon 10x32 EDG I; the one sold only in North America with the dual hinges.

Shortly after I got it I was careless with it and if fell off my kitchen table 3 feet and landed on the front edge of the left ocular tube on the parquet wooden tile floor. When I got my breath back I examined it closely and except for a skid mark on the rubber bumper surrounding the front of the left optical tube nothing else was wrong with the binocular.

About 6 months later the same thing happened again. Again caused by my carelessness. And again no damage resulted from the fall.

A couple of years later its covering started bubbling and coming loose so I contacted Nikon under my warranty and they replaced the binocular at no charge to me with a new single hinged 10x32 EDG II which I still have and use often!:t:

Bob
 
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Bill,

The moondust in Afghanistan did make flour look like pebbles, and when it got wet.....*&%$##@. The Meostars were only observed in small #s, but they did handle bumps and bruises well, the dust ok. Most all the glass out there are IF for good reason.

Andy W.
 
WJC said:
Hi, Andy:

During the days of Desert Shield/Desert Storm, I removed MUCH DUST from every optical surface on many WATERPROOF binoculars returning from the sandbox. I

Bill
Click to expand...

Would it help to overpressure the barrels, to further reduce the risk of air and dust exchange with the outside?
 
etudiant said:
Would it help to overpressure the barrels, to further reduce the risk of air and dust exchange with the outside?
Click to expand...


Binoculars cannot be pressurized, some roof types are simply purged with a gas like N to remove normal air.

How dust, fungus and other impurities get inside sealed binoculars is a good topic for discussion. o:)

Jerry
 
etudiant said:
Would it help to overpressure the barrels, to further reduce the risk of air and dust exchange with the outside?
Click to expand...

For a short time? Yes.
For a prolonged period? No.
It could be done, but the bino would rapidly go the way of the WX and for the same reason. :cat:
 
NDhunter said:
Your point is good, but the Docter mentioned is an older military binocular, fully armored and not anything
one would purchase for regular use.
Click to expand...

Hi,

well, the Docter is clearly NOT a military model - albeit being derived from one. It has no reticule and no infrared sensor or laser protection.

I know one birder who uses them on a regular basis as he needs extra-long eye relief which they provide due to the military model having been designed for use with gas masks.

The view was good - maybe not quite as good as a top of the line 7x40 but very usable.

I didn't know that Docter Optics (which still exists) has axed their sports optics department... thanks for that info.

Joachim
 
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eronald said:
A $1500 bino makes sense if it lasts 10 years or so...
Edmund
Click to expand...

A premium bino that's well cared for will last much longer than that. I've found the higher end bino's hold up well. In fact, only binos I've had problems with are the cheap ones. My dad has and still uses as his primary glass a pair of Leica's that have to be going on over 30 years old, never been serviced. He's got his money's worth out of them. My Swarovski 10x42 and 8.5x42 were made in 2010, they're almost 10 years old and in perfect shape.

As far as knocks go, they're well constructed and most have rubber armor. At the end of the day it's still a precision instrument made with glass so I recommend due care but don't be afraid to use it either.

Some have mentioned video's on bino "durability testing". I've seen the Zeiss video and there's a video of a Leica Noctivid tossed around a swimming pool. I hope my glass will never see anything like this but it's nice to know it's built to the same standard.
 
I got a batch of RTH 4 inch f/1.8 lenses used for aerial photography. They were priced very low, for good reason.
Only 2 out of about 20 were O.K.

Most were opaque because the front elements had been sandblasted.
It is possible they forgot to put the front filters on.
Normally they were used at 250ft height above the ground in terrain following mode, and around 500 knots with image motion compensation cameras. 70mm double sprocket film at about 8 frames a second.

A Fujinon large Porroprism binocular was dropped from about 9 feet onto concrete and was completely O.K.

The Hassleblads on the moon were subjected to incredible temperature changes.

Some military optics are shipped with gravity meters. If specified limits are exceeded they are rejected as unfit for service.
 
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