8x32 SE? (1 Viewer)

After they get wet I look for evidence of water inside.

Regular as rain.

Henry,

Is that Product Guide from your original production run #500 SE made in 1997?

I wonder if Nikon has updated the sealing on the SE? Even if they did, they might not advertise it, so people didn't go testing their limits and leaving them out for an hour in the rain and sticking them in their freezers.

All those $20 (used to be $10) repairs would chip away at their bottom line.

However, I've read too many posts about SE owners using their bins in a light rain (not drenching or dunking them) without harm to believe they were all BSing.

It's certainly more believable that salespersons for camera stores would BS about them in their ads, as John S. suggested, but there again, I've seen many more stores make this claim during the SE's heyday than the three stores I posted above.

In fact, I remember a time where it was the rule rather than the exception.

Perhaps Nikon refused to take returns from them because of their ads so they changed their ad copy?

There are also not as many stores carrying the SEs as their used to be.

It would be great if the SEs could be used in a misty or light rain. Beyond that, I can't see much anyway since the rain distorts the views, and I don't exactly like to stand there getting soaked.

So I wouldn't need them to submersible WP, but given how often it rains in the Valley of the Clouds, it would be nice if they could take a some sprinkles w/out the fear of fogging or fungi.

I babied my SEs, as anyone who saw the pix of my 501 SE in the Classifeds could see.

With the LX, I still took more caution than I probably needed to, but I knew that I didn't have to worry about a light rain or cold temps so if the forecast was for rain that day and I was going for a hike, I'd take the LX and leave the SE inside.

To beat a dead horse to death (again), I wish that Nikon would have done what Swift did with its Audubon porros (they made the 804 FMC with "showerproof" EPs, and then made the 820 model WP).

As far as I can tell, the only thing Nikon changed on the SEs since 1997 is the AR coatings.

I think if they had sealed them better, the focuser would be stiffer like it is on the WP Audubon.

...Is that Product Guide from your original production run #500 SE made in 1997?

I wonder if Nikon has updated the sealing on the SE? Even if they did, they might not advertise it, so people didn't go testing their limits and leaving them out for an hour in the rain and sticking them in their freezers.

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The same quote appears in the current SE Product Guide as of March 2009.

So I'll put them back in the fridge,take them out and spray them with lysol,move the focus back and forth,and that will protect them from mold and mildew?Cool

In my 2000 Nikon catalog, the page with all three of the Nikon SE series they talk of a 1999 Louisiana State Champion Senor 3-D archer using the 10x42SE on the course and in the field. I am sure it is hot and muggy down there. I don't think it is a good idea to take this series out in the pouring rain myself every day.
Steve

Brock,

There are no "seals" to improve, but the SE design has a few features you can see that might make it a little more rain or splash resistant than most Porros. For example, the prism housing has no front cover plate for water to leak around and the seam of the back plate is mostly covered over by the rubber armor. Also, the eyepiece tubes and back plate are cast as one piece rather than the tubes screwing into the plate and the rubber armor of the objective tubes squeezes under the prism housing armor when the tubes are screwed on. Still, there are no o-rings or gaskets where the objective tubes attach, just metal against metal and water can enter around the objective lenses and eyepiece eyelenses just like any other non-waterproof binocular. I think these design features and some luck probably explain the reports of high water resistance.

BTW, I noticed on the Nikon Vision Co. website that Nikon's "waterproof" binoculars have different ratings. The Monarchs and Action EX are waterproof to 1 meter for 5 minutes, the Premier LX-L are 2 meters for 5 minutes and the IF marine types are 5 meters for 5 minutes.

Henry

henry link said:

Brock,

There are no "seals" to improve, but the SE design has a few features you can see that might make it a little more rain or splash resistant than most Porros. For example, the prism housing has no front cover plate for water to leak around and the seam of the back plate is mostly covered over by the rubber armor. Also, the eyepiece tubes and back plate are cast as one piece rather than the tubes screwing into the plate and the rubber armor of the objective tubes squeezes under the prism housing armor when the tubes are screwed on. Still, there are no o-rings or gaskets where the objective tubes attach, just metal against metal and water can enter around the objective lenses and eyepiece eyelenses just like any other non-waterproof binocular. I think these design features and some luck probably explain the reports of high water resistance.

BTW, I noticed on the Nikon Vision Co. website that Nikon's "waterproof" binoculars have different ratings. The Monarchs and Action EX are waterproof to 1 meter for 5 minutes, the Premier LX-L are 2 meters for 5 minutes and the IF marine types are 5 meters for 5 minutes.

Henry

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Thanks, Henry. I knew there had to be some truth to their fabled "water resistance," or as you more accurately put it - "a little more splash resistant" - even if though they are not advertised as such by Nikon, and are not water sealed, because I've read it too reports over the years about this to dismiss them all as false.

I think there might also be a bit of wish fulfillment involved since I'm sure many SE owners wish their bins were "water resistant," like they are still advertised by some online stores.

However, I am fairly certain that during its heyday, there weren't only three or four stores that listed the SEs as being "water resistant". There were many.

So I have to wonder where that information came from? If it was just a case of "monkey see, money do" (hey, if their store advertises them as "water resistant" and ours doesn't, we may not get the sale...).

Or if there was some common source where this misinformation was gleaned?

A bit of SE history we may never know.

mooreorless said:

In my 2000 Nikon catalog, the page with all three of the Nikon SE series they talk of a 1999 Louisiana State Champion Senor 3-D archer using the 10x42SE on the course and in the field. I am sure it is hot and muggy down there. I don't think it is a good idea to take this series out in the pouring rain myself every day.
Steve

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In Louisiana, binoculars are required to be "hot sauce resistant".

Ooo wee! Dat's good gumbo, I guraaawn tee!

Here's a trivia question: What was the name of the TV cajun chef who used to say that on his program?

I don't mean that Dom Delouise look-a-like Paul Prudhomme, who is so obese that last year when he got shot with a .22 caliber bullet, he thought he had been stung by a bee.

The cajun chef I'm talking about was older, gray hair, tall, not heavy but he did have a HUGE beer belly. He always wore denim shirts and red suspenders, and he liked to add extra hot sauce and cups of salt to his recipes. Ooo...wee! ™ was his trademark.

First correct answer (since I can't find his name myself, that might be hard to determine) gets a BF No Prize!

This goes back a ways. Maybe 12-15 years ago.

brocknroller said:

Here's a trivia question: What was the name of the TV cajun chef who used to say that on his program?

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Ans: Justin Wilson

and my understanding was that he was not a real cajun.

Don't blast me just what I was told. Still a good show

Ardy said:

Ans: Justin Wilson

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Ooo Wee! I dink dat's the right answer!

DING! DING! DING!

BE IT FOREVER KNOWN THAT ALBANY ARDY IS THE PROUD RECIPIENT OF GLITZY AND GLAMOROUS...

BIRD FORUM NO-PRIZE!

STAND A LITTLE TALLER! WALK A LITTLE PROUDER!

YOUR SERVICE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY NO LONGER GOES UNRECOGNIZED, THOUGH I’M SURE WHEN A NOR’EASTER HITS ALBANY AND YOU'RE BURIED UNDER SIX FEET OF SNOW, YOU WOULD HAVE PREFERRED A SELF-PROPELLED SNOW BLOWER!

Oh, dat be Albany, Oregon. Wat dat case, you wanna big sump pump to suck out the flood waters.

Old Justin made it to the ripe old age of 87 despite all that hot sauce (or maybe because of it) and a high salt diet and the cholesterol from the myriad potfuls of crawdaddies he devoured.

As it turns out, I'm makin' some cajooon fish tonight for supper. I bought the spices from Sisko's in New Orleans.

Here's a photo of dat cajoon cook hisself for dose who never had da pleasure of watching his show:

http://www.robertyounger.com/Justin%20Wilson.jpg

Thanks again, Ardy!

I recall a show where Justin roasted a very large Roast of Beef in a very large (what else?) oil drum over a well stoked fire. Above the Roast rotating on a spit was a very large Ham with none of the fat trimmed from it. As it rotated the fat from the ham melted and dribbled onto the big haunch of beef below it adding, Justin gar-un-teed, the proper flavor to a perfect roast of beef!8-P
Bob

Briggz said:

and my understanding was that he was not a real cajun.

Don't blast me just what I was told. Still a good show

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Sorry, couldn't resist the challenge... (o)<

brocknroller said:

Ooo Wee! I dink dat's the right answer!

DING! DING! DING!

BE IT FOREVER KNOWN THAT ALBANY ARDY IS THE PROUD RECIPIENT OF GLITZY AND GLAMOROUS...

BIRD FORUM NO-PRIZE!

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Does that mean I won the first pair of Nikons waterproof SE's ??:t:

Ardy said:

Does that mean I won the first pair of Nikons waterproof SE's ??:t:

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BUT, OF COURSE, not.

I recall him saying
"You might have to dip up the last sauce on some bread. It ain't no sin to dip. Even if it was, who gives a damn?"

ronh said:

I recall him saying
"You might have to dip up the last sauce on some bread. It ain't no sin to dip. Even if it was, who gives a damn?"

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Ooo wee! Dat sound like him, fer shure!

I'm not a gourmet cook by any means, though I know my way around the kitchen (freezer...microwave...plastic ware .

No, I do a wee bit of cookin', nothing fancy, but I enjoy watching the Food Channel.

Emerald is getting a little old (not him, but the Baaam! Plus, he looks too much like George W. Bush .

I used to like Yan Can Cook, he was a riot ("If Yan cun cuuk, so cun jooou!")

My favorite now is Everyday Italian with Giada De Laurentiis.

Mama Mia! Una ragazza molto bella! And she makes some nica meat-a-balls, too!

Julia Childs was a riot, but my all time favorite was the French Chef:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/3523/saturday-night-live-the-french-chef

Just back from 7 days in the field where my 10x and 12x SE's were used every day hard and have some feed back.
Days reached high 80's in the Gila National forest and the nights fell into the 20's with a full moon. We set up camp in a dry creek bottom that felt much colder!
We would wake at 330am and immediately move from a warm sleeping area into the field and because of the Moon phase we were able to start glassing for game without delay.
At no point did the SE's fog due to temp change. Also they never externally fogged due to warm breath on EP lenses.
It did not rain so no new reports on this end but I have had them out enough in wet weather to know I don't fear rain and feel comfortable out in it with my SE's.
On another front though..... There was a lot of dust to deal with! It was dry and very, very dusty! If your planning to use your SE's on the Nikon tripod adapter in dusty conditions make sure you wipe down both the plastic inside adapter piece and the center bar on the bin. I failed to do this in the dark and scratched the bin center bar when adjusting on the tripod..... Oh well, I guess there broken in proper now|| On the positive side with such extreme dusty conditions the bins did go through the paces on this front. The 10x's were literally caked with dust and dirt most of the time and frequently had the focus adjusted..... I cannot detect any dust penetrating the bin. As a matter of fact now that I'm home and have cleaned all the gear they still look like new! Except for the new tripod adapter scratches that is

CLRobles said:

Just back from 7 days in the field where my 10x and 12x SE's were used every day hard and have some feed back.
Days reached high 80's in the Gila National forest and the nights fell into the 20's with a full moon. We set up camp in a dry creek bottom that felt much colder!
We would wake at 330am and immediately move from a warm sleeping area into the field and because of the Moon phase we were able to start glassing for game without delay.
At no point did the SE's fog due to temp change. Also they never externally fogged due to warm breath on EP lenses.
It did not rain so no new reports on this end but I have had them out enough in wet weather to know I don't fear rain and feel comfortable out in it with my SE's.
On another front though..... There was a lot of dust to deal with! It was dry and very, very dusty! If your planning to use your SE's on the Nikon tripod adapter in dusty conditions make sure you wipe down both the plastic inside adapter piece and the center bar on the bin. I failed to do this in the dark and scratched the bin center bar when adjusting on the tripod..... Oh well, I guess there broken in proper now|| On the positive side with such extreme dusty conditions the bins did go through the paces on this front. The 10x's were literally caked with dust and dirt most of the time and frequently had the focus adjusted..... I cannot detect any dust penetrating the bin. As a matter of fact now that I'm home and have cleaned all the gear they still look like new! Except for the new tripod adapter scratches that is

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Charles,

Next time bring some Gumbo with hot sauce with you, that will keep you warm!

The SE's are vulnerable to scratching on the center post and surrounding bare metal. My 8x32 SE had tiny scars from an adapter, and the 12x50 SE also had a few adapter scars and the serial # was completely gone (even though the plastic that covers the serial # was intact!), apparently from rubbing against previous owners gloves and/or tripod heads (I was the 5th owner), but the optics held up great.

One of the SE's (and any external focuser bin's) other vulnerabilities is that dust (or cat hair) can get sucked into the focuser tubes.

I had a cat hair get sucked inside my Nikon EIIs, and it got stuck to the bottom of one of the EPs. So I had a natural hair reticle on one side.

Fortunately, it eventually fell off and out of the optical path.

Suggestions for next trip:

(1) Bring some tarp with you and carefully lay it on the ground in the area where you intend to set up your tripod and bins. You might also want to pour some water around the edges of the tarp in case dust is forced out underneath as you walk around (if you can spare the water).

(2) You can never be sure if you got all the dust off in the moonlight unless you use a flashlight, which might scare off the game. Stargazers use small red LED flashlights to get their equipment ready in the dark. The red light allows you to see what you are doing w/out ruining your dark adapted vision, and it probably wouldn't scare off the game. My red LED flashlight has a flexible tube that snakes around my neck, so I can have both hands free while setting up the equipment.

I'm glad to hear no dust got inside the bin (or Gila monster scales.

"Battle scars" are part of using bins in the dark, be it for owling, hunting, or stargazing.

Wear them proudly, my friend!

Thanks for that report.

Speaking of SE serial #'s, the SE I bought earlier this year, one of the last high-numbered ones, has a sticker for the serial number--no engraving at all. I took the sticker off, thinking it was just protecting the number, and lo, no number.