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

Scratched eye lenses on victory rf binoculars (1 Viewer)

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Bskytl

New member
New member here, made a mistake larger by trying to clean eye piece glass on Zeiss victory binoculars. Sent a customer service email tonight to Zeiss customer service asking about getting fixed. Has anyone ever sent in for such repairs? Wondering if they buff the scratches out or replace the glass eye pieces. Anyone ever send into repair for this reason? If so what were the results and price
To fix approximately. Thanks for any info or help
 
Welcome to the Birdforum.

I do know that they cannot buff out any scratches, there are multi layers of coatings, and that
means the lenses need to be replaced if they are that bad.

I recommend you learn how to properly clean your lenses on all optics, treat them very gently,
lots of cleaning recs. with any net search.
If you need some help, try cleaning the lenses first, you may find they are not so bad.

All companies will charge for that kind of damage. I would expect Zeiss would charge up to
$100. per lens replacement, at the most. Your binocular is covered by wty., so they will give
it a checkup also.

This will take weeks, so don't expect to get it back very soon.

Good luck, and let us know how things work out.

Jerry
 
Thanks, yes I was thinking I was cleaning correctly using wipes and cleaner for glasses. Knowledge is expensive and after doing some research see better ways of cleaning. Thanks Jerry. I'm assuming the change can take place in the states and they won't have to send over to Germany
 
Bskytl said:
Thanks, yes I was thinking I was cleaning correctly using wipes and cleaner for glasses. Knowledge is expensive and after doing some research see better ways of cleaning. Thanks Jerry. I'm assuming the change can take place in the states and they won't have to send over to Germany
Click to expand...

A good way to clean the lenses is to start by gently brushing with a soft lens brush. Blowing with your breath can sometimes help but your breath puts moisture on the lens and although this appears to dry off in seconds I suspect it coats any remaining dust and fibres and then they are stuck to the lens and tricky to remove. Brush is best.

I think your bins will need to go to Germany.

Lee
 
I don't clean my lenses often--only when they clearly look like they need it.

After brushing and/or blowing away anything on the lenses I wet a cotton ball with lens cleaner and gently clean the lenses with that, then I lightly touch/dab dry them with a clean, dry lens cloth.

Bob
 
Bskytl said:
New member here, made a mistake larger by trying to clean eye piece glass on Zeiss victory binoculars. Sent a customer service email tonight to Zeiss customer service asking about getting fixed. Has anyone ever sent in for such repairs? Wondering if they buff the scratches out or replace the glass eye pieces. Anyone ever send into repair for this reason? If so what were the results and price
To fix approximately. Thanks for any info or help
Click to expand...

How did you try to clean it? What did you use? If proper care was taken, the fault may not be yours as some coatings can be unreasonably soft and scratch-prone.
 
ceasar said:
I don't clean my lenses often--only when they clearly look like they need it.

After brushing and/or blowing away anything on the lenses I wet a cotton ball with lens cleaner and gently clean the lenses with that, then I lightly touch/dab dry them with a clean, dry lens cloth.

Bob
Click to expand...

It was some time ago now but I'm sure I was taught in science (presumably in relation to using microscopes) that cotton wool balls scratch glass and so we weren't to use it.

Personally I like the brush, lens wipes and lens cloth approach, but dried mud requires wetting/washing somehow...
 
james holdsworth said:
How did you try to clean it? What did you use? If proper care was taken, the fault may not be yours as some coatings can be unreasonably soft and scratch-prone.
Click to expand...

James, I take full responsibility. I had a tendency to clean too often. Used a eyeglass cleaner and papers most times. Other times a wet wipe. Sending off too fix and will be much more careful in the future. Just hope others learn from my mistake. What do they say? "Knowledge can be expensive";)
 
Update... I contacted Zeiss and they will replace my eyepiece glass with a quote of $125 to$175. So I figure with shipping it will be a $200 lesson.
 
Bskytl said:
James, I take full responsibility. I had a tendency to clean too often. Used a eyeglass cleaner and papers most times. Other times a wet wipe. Sending off too fix and will be much more careful in the future. Just hope others learn from my mistake. What do they say? "Knowledge can be expensive";)
Click to expand...


These materials should not scratch a modern lens coating.
 
Bskytl said:
Update... I contacted Zeiss and they will replace my eyepiece glass with a quote of $125 to$175. So I figure with shipping it will be a $200 lesson.
Click to expand...

That sounds reasonable, did you ask about when they will do the
job, and how long it will take? Fall is a busy time for some here.
Let us know how things turn out.

Jerry
 
Bskytl said:
James, I take full responsibility. I had a tendency to clean too often. Used a eyeglass cleaner and papers most times. Other times a wet wipe. Sending off too fix and will be much more careful in the future. Just hope others learn from my mistake. What do they say? "Knowledge can be expensive";)
Click to expand...

For others to learn from your mistake (if indeed you made a mistake) you would first need to identify and define your mistake.

Cleaning frequently is only a danger if you don't exercise due care and attention to removing hard particles carefully every single time you clean and making sure that anything you use to brush or wipe the lenses with is not carrying hard particles from your previous cleaning. Never use your lens cleaning kit for cleaning anything other than your lenses. Don't be tempted to use your lens cloths to wipe your binocular or scope or camera bodies. After a while, wash your lens cloths in warm soapy water and rinse them well, then rinse them again.

Lee
 
He said he used eye-glass cleaners and wet wipes - both of which would remove hard particles. I don't see the OP as doing anything wrong other than frequent [but correct] cleaning.

If this happened to me, I would tell Zeiss I cleaned the lenses in the proper fashion yet they still scratched and see what they say....there have been reports of alphas with very soft or delaminating coatings on here and elsewhere. My friend had an FL that had the coatings come off in chunks and they were repaired FOC.
 
james holdsworth said:
He said he used eye-glass cleaners and wet wipes - both of which would remove hard particles. I don't see the OP as doing anything wrong other than frequent [but correct] cleaning.

If this happened to me, I would tell Zeiss I cleaned the lenses in the proper fashion yet they still scratched and see what they say....there have been reports of alphas with very soft or delaminating coatings on here and elsewhere. My friend had an FL that had the coatings come off in chunks and they were repaired FOC.
Click to expand...
Well, not if you wipe the dirt particles around and around like I see so many birders do. Also, coatings are hard but very thin which means a lot of rubbing will eventually scratch and/or remove them.
 
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