nicolas1970i
Well-known member
The eyecups on my Pentax SD 8x42 WP have broken, after only two years of use, this is the second pair of Pentax to which it happens (first one was a pair of DCF 8x36 IIRC), and I'm a little peeved...
I've sent them to the reseller for repairs, but it's still unclear whether the warranty will cover it (they're waiting for an answer from Pentax, it says "30 year warranty" on the box, but not sure if this applies to optics only).
In the meantime, I am thinking about upgrading (I was very impressed with a pair of Swarovski that a friend let me try on a safari last summer), and I would like to find a pair that has more durable eyecups, if that is a brand (or price range ?) problem.
I'll grant that I have not always treated them with kid's gloves, and I wonder if it might also have been caused by fine sand getting inside the grooves.
I'm looking potentially for an 8x42 in the mid-range to high-range (I would look for the latter second-hand), among those models :
Vortex Viper or Razor, Nikon Monarch 7, Zeiss Terra ED or Conquest (and maybe Zeiss Victory and Swarovski EL 8.5x42).
Besides the eyecup issue, as I often bird in humid environments, with large variations in temperature, fog and water proofing is also very important to me - I can't say that I was happy on that point with my Pentax binos until now, either.
Which among the above models would have the sturdier eyecups, and excellent fog and water proofing ?
And which would have the best warranty coverage if such an issue arose again ?
If I was to buy one second-hand, without the original receipt, are there manufacturers who offer lifetime warranty which would still be valid ?
Thanks in advance for your help !
I've sent them to the reseller for repairs, but it's still unclear whether the warranty will cover it (they're waiting for an answer from Pentax, it says "30 year warranty" on the box, but not sure if this applies to optics only).
In the meantime, I am thinking about upgrading (I was very impressed with a pair of Swarovski that a friend let me try on a safari last summer), and I would like to find a pair that has more durable eyecups, if that is a brand (or price range ?) problem.
I'll grant that I have not always treated them with kid's gloves, and I wonder if it might also have been caused by fine sand getting inside the grooves.
I'm looking potentially for an 8x42 in the mid-range to high-range (I would look for the latter second-hand), among those models :
Vortex Viper or Razor, Nikon Monarch 7, Zeiss Terra ED or Conquest (and maybe Zeiss Victory and Swarovski EL 8.5x42).
Besides the eyecup issue, as I often bird in humid environments, with large variations in temperature, fog and water proofing is also very important to me - I can't say that I was happy on that point with my Pentax binos until now, either.
Which among the above models would have the sturdier eyecups, and excellent fog and water proofing ?
And which would have the best warranty coverage if such an issue arose again ?
If I was to buy one second-hand, without the original receipt, are there manufacturers who offer lifetime warranty which would still be valid ?
Thanks in advance for your help !
