Nikon 7x42 EDG I - Refurb (1 Viewer)

BinoBoy said:

The Nikon EDG 7x42 came today.

They appear to be as new. The focus knob is very tight. It takes a lot of force to pop it up to get at the diopter adjustment. I haven't tried changing the diopter yet. My first thought was that since I wear glasses, I should just leave it at zero and never disturb it. But now I'm thinking that I should try it out while it is still under warranty. From what I've read in the Nikon forum, it seems that the drifting diopter was caused by the focus knob rubbing against the diopter ring and moving it. It looks like they've sorted out the focus knob, so hopefully that will fix the diopter problem also.

My serial number is 000157, so I assume I got he 157th one made. The hinge is a tiny bit looser than I would like, but the optics are spectacular. Today was rainy and gloomy but they still delivered beautiful views.

I'm happy with my purchase so far. Only time will tell if I got a good deal.

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Coming soon to a birdforum near you....

I will contribute to this as well as I placed an order before the listing disappeared.

The bins arrived today but I was busy with other stuff that had to be done so I didn't get much of any time with them. So far, they appear to be in good order but it is too early to confirm.

If things go well I will keep them and if not I will return them under the sellers 30 day return policy.

CG

Hint..hint... buy... buy... subliminal advert... If I sell my Nikon 8x32 and Swift Eaglet 7x36 I have listed in the classifieds, I'll be able to pay for these... subliminal advert ... buy... buy.. hint, hint!!!!

Good luck with them. I've been using a 10x32 EDG I that I purchased new in July 2010 and they are still working fine except for a bit of bubbling along the edge of the right ocular tube.

Just remember to make sure that you push the cover of the focus wheel all the way back down after you set the diopter so the diopter wheel is completely covered. If you don't you can inadvertently move the diopter wheel when you are focusing the binocular.

Bob

I spent some time with the EDG I 7x42s today. The diopter and everything else seems to be working as intended.

I'm even starting to like the objective covers. I've read posts saying that they were too loose and wouldn't stay on. So far, mine are staying on. I turned them so that the covers go out to the sides rather than down.

So far, no complaints at all.

It seems Nikon fixed the problems, hence the "refurbishing." I wasn't sure if they could, because when something went wrong with an EDG I, they replaced it with an EDG II, but apparently the main reason was to get them off the market because of the threat of litigation by Swaro, not because they weren't able to make the repairs.

However, if that's true, why is Nikon allowed to sell refurbs now? Did they strike a deal with Swaro? Perhaps Mike could give us insight into what goes on with these refurbs.

Anyway, I'm pea green with N-V since I wanted to buy one of these but I was a day late and $600 short.

Congrats! on a great deal.

<B>

BinoBoy said:

So far, no complaints at all.

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Good to hear (read). Mine are due in tomorrow..... :t:

Having done a lot of refurbs, I'll say a refurb. probably
has more time and attention into it, so it could be
even better.

For those considering a Nikon refurb here is an account of my experience.....

The refurb binoculars came in a generic white box w/ generic labels identifying the binocular, serial #, and that it is a refurbished product.

The binocular, objective and eyepiece covers, case, neck strap, winged eyecups and caps, instruction manual, and a small piece of paper listing the Nikon 90 day warranty came in the generic box. I believe this to be all the accessories and the exact same accessories that come with a new one as they are pictured on page 9 of the manual and everything matches.

Cosmetically, everything looks new and was wrapped in plastic. (After close inspection I did find a very small ding on the frame of the binocular. It is slightly larger than the tip of a needle and is not really visible until you go looking/feeling for it. I also noticed the seam of the rubber inserts to the frame to not be perfectly uniform in two areas about 1/2" in length; the first the rubber insert rising above the frame about 1/64" vs remaining flush with the frame; and the other, the hairline seam opens up another hair so the rubber insert is about 1/64" away from the frame vs butting into it and creating the hairline seam. Again, nothing you notice, something you find when you go looking for perfection).

To sum it up, I don't think anyone would object to the cosmetic condition of this unit. The bin and accessories are in excellent cosmetic shape. If it weren't for the minor items mentioned, the cosmetic condition of the binocular would be "mint".

Next post, the diopter ring and focus wheel... an OMG moment!!!

CG

Nikon and Canon refurbs are very good condition sometimes hard to pick out from new.

Mike

This is the continuation of post #7.

Being pleased with the appearance of the binocular, it was time to get to the operating parts. First the hinge, nice smooth and uniform with the right amount of tension and no play, another excellent to perfect mark. Then, on to the focus wheel and diopter ring. The focus wheel was like the hinge, nice smooth and uniform with the right amount of tension and no play, excellent to perfect. Then, to the diopter ring... then to the diopter ring... holy cow, the focus wheel would not raise up to expose the diopter ring!!!!

I figured I had better read the manual to see if I was doing something wrong. Nope! Pull up the focus wheel and expose the diopter ring. Three positions: fully down - focus wheel engaged and diopter ring disengaged, fully up - focus wheel disengaged and diopter ring engaged, in-between - focus wheel and diopter ring both disengaged.

So, I gave it another pull with notably more force and it would not budge. I was a little shocked by this since the unit was supposed to have been to Nikon and refurbished. How could they let this go back out? Having looked thru the binocular and finding the view quite sharp, I started thinking that maybe I could get by with them as they are, but, decided this better get resolved now. I do have a 90 day warranty in place. So, I pulled on the focus wheel with considerable more force, to the point I felt that my grip on the wheel could crush it, or, if the wheel did pop up, I would pull it clear off the binocular. Still no luck, the focus wheel would not lift up.

I did notice my last he-man effort to lift the focus wheel actually exposed about a 1/16" of the diopter ring. So I tried to rotate the diopter ring and found that I could. I was about to lift the binocular to my face and try adjusting the diopter, but gave another tug to the focus wheel... this time it popped up with only a little force applied to it!!! Yea!

I have no idea what was holding the wheel from being raised up - maybe a suction??? I don't know - but the focus wheel and diopter ring work fine and as described in the manual, and the focus wheel will now lift up with an appropriate amount of resistance.

The focus wheel operation is still excellent, no play and smooth and the right amount of tension. The diopter functions fine and rotates with the right amount of resistance, not to easy and not to hard.

I've been playing with this mechanism for a day now and everything is still working fine and as it should so I think this part of the binocular is excellent too... just had a scare at the start, but that has gone away. (Sidenote: the diopter ring is the friction type and not the preset detents type).

The eyecups appear to work fine. There are three locking positions and fully retracted. (The eyecup can actually be extended beyond the third locking position if needed to a fourth point of resistance, BUT, the manual says not to do this as the eyecup can detach). Again, like everything else with the binocular, the eyecups seem new and work as they should.

Next post, the view.... yes, another OMG moment!!

CG

I had exactly the same experience except that it didn't take quite so much force to finally get the focusing knob up. It took me three tries to get a good enough grip to pull the knob up at all. I exposed just the edge of the diopter wheel and couldn't find the zero mark. Then I realized that I hadn't pulled the focus knob up high enough. Another try brought the knob all the way up.

Since then, it has worked fine.

I had a bizarre coincidence today.

I went for a walk on the beach at sunset with my EDG I 7x42s. When I got to the Port Canaveral jetty, Tom Dunkerton and Mike Frieberg were out on the pier. Tom is a locally based pro photographer who is sponsored by Nikon. Mike is in town because there is a one day bird festival at Lake Apopka on Saturday. They were at the jetty because we've had a Brown Booby hanging out there recently. It wasn't there today unfortunately.

I asked Mike about the refurb warranty and he confirmed that it is 90 days and then nothing. I also found out that Mike is getting close to 700 on his life list!

Hi BinoBoy. Congrats on the new EDG's. I'm wondering, are there any identifying marks on the binocular itself which would show it to be a refurb? I recall back in the refurb thread that someone wrote that Nikon refurbs had a couple of small drill marks near the serial number. My concern here is that there ought to be a way for a potential buyer on the secondary/used market to identify whether he's buying a used refurb bin or a used first-quality bin.

peatmoss said:

Hi BinoBoy. Congrats on the new EDG's. I'm wondering, are there any identifying marks on the binocular itself which would show it to be a refurb? I recall back in the refurb thread that someone wrote that Nikon refurbs had a couple of small drill marks near the serial number. My concern here is that there ought to be a way for a potential buyer on the secondary/used market to identify whether he's buying a used refurb bin or a used first-quality bin.

Click to expand...

My old refurbed Nikon 10x35 EII has a small slot stamped under the SN. I have also read here that small dots were stamped under the SNs to identify them.

Bob

I don't see any such marks around the serial number or elsewhere on the binoculars.

It has occurred to me that the biggest downside to buying a refurb is that they might be hard to resell in the future. You could, of course, not tell the buyer that they are refurbs. I think that would be unethical, though. If the bins never develop a problem, the buyer would never know. But it would really be bad to send your bins in for service with a major problem and be told that they are refurbished and that you have no warranty.

So, I suspect I'll just be keeping these. That's not a bad thing though. I like 'um.

This is a continuation of post #9.

My first glance thru the refurb 7x42 EDG was quite late in the afternoon. It was overcast skies, flat light, and thru a glass window (it was cold outside). I was pleased with the level of detail I could see with the unfavorable conditions and was looking forward to a sunny day to see what was in store for me.

There was a trace of snow on the ground the next day and skies were still overcast and lighting flat. It wasn't till early afternoon before the skies cleared and the sun came out in full force.

I grabbed the EDG's with much anticipation, headed out back, and viewed the top of a pine tree sticking up beyond the roof two houses down. (Something I've looked at many times with many binoculars and am very familiar with and the level of detail I can see in the cones).

However, the level of detail I imagined wasn't there so I worked the diopter and focuser for quite some time searching for the optimal resolution the bins had to offer. I was getting disappointed with what I was seeing (or the level of detail I was not seeing). I wasn't finding it. I kept at it, but the view just wouldn't pop as I expected. Was the diopter not working as it should??? and still thinking how it looked so much better the prior day in flat light and thru the window. Thoughts of returning the bin were now starting to flash thru my head. :C

I decided to look at a pine tree in my own back yard, much closer, one I have viewed many times with many bins. The detail in the branches and needles was there and looked wonderful! I went back in the house to tend to a few items and was wondering what was going on with the EDG's....

I came back out thinking maybe distance had something to do with what I was experiencing so I focused on the house one down from my own. Again, the level of detail in the brick and weathered siding was very high and what I was expecting out of this binocular.

So what was going wrong before??? I focused on the original pine tree and cones figuring things to be better but there was no improvement.. it just wouldn't focus/diopter in the detail as I anticipated.... THEN, it occurred to me ... there was a very slight heat vapor, not visible as it often is, rising from the sun baked wood shingles into the chilly cold air and distorting the fine detail from the view!!!!

And I had started thinking they would go back.... :'D

I'm very pleased with the view thru the 7x42 EDG. It's been discussed already on this forum, but I'll post my impressions... after some more time with it.

CG

cycleguy said:

This is a continuation of post #9.

My first glance thru the refurb 7x42 EDG was quite late in the afternoon. It was overcast skies, flat light, and thru a glass window (it was cold outside). I was pleased with the level of detail I could see with the unfavorable conditions and was looking forward to a sunny day to see what was in store for me.

There was a trace of snow on the ground the next day and skies were still overcast and lighting flat. It wasn't till early afternoon before the skies cleared and the sun came out in full force.

I grabbed the EDG's with much anticipation, headed out back, and viewed the top of a pine tree sticking up beyond the roof two houses down. (Something I've looked at many times with many binoculars and am very familiar with and the level of detail I can see in the cones).

However, the level of detail I imagined wasn't there so I worked the diopter and focuser for quite some time searching for the optimal resolution the bins had to offer. I was getting disappointed with what I was seeing (or the level of detail I was not seeing). I wasn't finding it. I kept at it, but the view just wouldn't pop as I expected. Was the diopter not working as it should??? and still thinking how it looked so much better the prior day in flat light and thru the window. Thoughts of returning the bin were now starting to flash thru my head. :C

I decided to look at a pine tree in my own back yard, much closer, one I have viewed many times with many bins. The detail in the branches and needles was there and looked wonderful! I went back in the house to tend to a few items and was wondering what was going on with the EDG's....

I came back out thinking maybe distance had something to do with what I was experiencing so I focused on the house one down from my own. Again, the level of detail in the brick and weathered siding was very high and what I was expecting out of this binocular.

So what was going wrong before??? I focused on the original pine tree and cones figuring things to be better but there was no improvement.. it just wouldn't focus/diopter in the detail as I anticipated.... THEN, it occurred to me ... there was a very slight heat vapor, not visible as it often is, rising from the sun baked wood shingles into the chilly cold air and distorting the fine detail from the view!!!!

And I had started thinking they would go back.... :'D

I'm very pleased with the view thru the 7x42 EDG. It's been discussed already on this forum, but I'll post my impressions... after some more time with it.

CG

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CG

Great story and thanks for posting.

I did something similar a year ago. I was looking through a glass window so I wasn't really checking for sharpness or anything but I couldn't under stand why the view was a bit 'milky' when there was no light source shining my way.

Why?

Because I was wearing a white shirt and it was the reflection of this in the window that caused the milky view.

Doh!!

Good luck with your Nikons

Lee

BinoBoy said:

I had a bizarre coincidence today.

I went for a walk on the beach at sunset with my EDG I 7x42s. When I got to the Port Canaveral jetty, Tom Dunkerton and Mike Frieberg were out on the pier. Tom is a locally based pro photographer who is sponsored by Nikon. Mike is in town because there is a one day bird festival at Lake Apopka on Saturday. They were at the jetty because we've had a Brown Booby hanging out there recently. It wasn't there today unfortunately.

I asked Mike about the refurb warranty and he confirmed that it is 90 days and then nothing. I also found out that Mike is getting close to 700 on his life list!

Click to expand...

Good to see you out at the jetty! Enjoy the refurbed EDGs. That is interesting you found a little ding in the bins. I honestly have looked at a bunch of refurbs in the past and couldn't find a cosmetic fault. Of course, if they are refurbed we all know that something was wrong with it at some point. Enjoy them!

All the best,
Mike

Where did you get the refurb EDG?

mikefreiberg said:

Good to see you out at the jetty! Enjoy the refurbed EDGs. That is interesting you found a little ding in the bins. I honestly have looked at a bunch of refurbs in the past and couldn't find a cosmetic fault. Of course, if they are refurbed we all know that something was wrong with it at some point. Enjoy them!

All the best,
Mike

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Mike,

It was probably the sample that Peter Dunne used in his Javelin toss and garbage bin basketball ball tests.

What about the SE? You haven't responded to the questions on that thread. Why are the prices so HIGH ($799-$829) for an 8x32 SE?

Is Optics Planet correct in posting that Nikon has discontinued the SE?

Brock

brocknroller said:

Mike,

It was probably the sample that Peter Dunne used in his Javelin toss and garbage bin basketball ball tests.

What about the SE? You haven't responded to the questions on that thread. Why are the prices so HIGH ($799-$829) for an 8x32 SE?

Is Optics Planet correct in posting that Nikon has discontinued the SE?

Brock

Click to expand...

See post 30 in the SE thread for Mike's comment. They are discontinued.

Bob