Broken Noctovid (4 Viewers)

[Harry Stottle]

Just seen this item on ebay:

LEICA NOCTIVID 10x42 BINOCULARS - BROKEN - SPARES / REPAIR / DAMAGED / FAULTY | eBay

Whether these are an "easy fix" I'm guessing depends entirely on whether the kind of "wrench" type link that clearly bridges the two barrels and joins the focussing system together, can actually connect back up to the other side, or whether there are internal parts missing.

www.ebay.co.uk

Look how thin the metal body is especially around the focus mechanism. No wonder it broke!

 

[Dennis Mau]

That metal is REALLY thin! I always thought Noctivid's had good build quality, but now I am wondering. I guess if you drop them, that is what happens. Not only that, but I wonder if and how much Leica would charge to fix them if you bought them?

 

[tenex]

Ridiculous to try to sell this at any price, much less represent it as fixable. But it makes a good argument against open-bridge design.

 

[agus_m]

Ridiculous to try to sell this at any price, much less represent it as fixable. But it makes a good argument against open-bridge design.

I thought this would be more robust than the other design (like the nl pure) because of the two contact points between the barrels instead of one. What do you mean exactly?

 

[Dennis Mau]

I thought this would be more robust than the other design (like the nl pure) because of the two contact points between the barrels instead of one. What do you mean exactly?

Open bridge binoculars are not as robust as a closed bridge binocular like the NL pure because the single bridge on the NL is much larger and stronger. The advantage of an open bridge binocular like the Noctivid is a reduced overall weight, a slimmer profile, easy wrap around grip with both hands, and they are easier to carry.

 

[seawatcher]

I would forget about trying to sell these. The price the seller is asking for is anyway way too high. They are not worth anything. I would have made a claim on my insurance in order to afford a replacement. But then, not everyone has an insurance policy that covers optical equipment.

If anyone did buy these, I fail to see how they could repair them, unless they are a Leica technician. Unless you need the spare parts or fancy yourself as a budding binocular repairer, steer clear of these, don't buy them. A fool and his money........

I personally don't like open bridge binoculars. Not because they may, or may not, be less robust than a closed bridge pair, but because I feel as though the bridge at the objective end gets in the way of my fingers. Ergonomically they just don't work for me.

SW

 

[MiddleRiver]

Look how thin the metal body is especially around the focus mechanism. No wonder it broke!

One bin out of how many? You're suggesting this is a weak spot - has anyone seen another similar failure?

BF often reminds me of ambulance chasers... eager to jump on any flaw/failure and then start a pile-on.

I do agree that the price is ridiculous. If dropped, Leica won't fix them for free and with that big an impact, it's going to require a full rebuild. $$$

 

[Dennis Mau]

If it was a Vortex, they would have replaced it free of charge with their lifetime unconditional warranty. If you're rough on your binoculars, a Vortex is a good binocular brand to have. I guess that is why hunters like Vortex's so much because they get rugged field use and can easily get dropped.

 

[Yeti Man]

I was just thinking, 'WWVD' ? lol

 

[Dennis Mau]

One bin out of how many? You're suggesting this is a weak spot - has anyone seen another similar failure?

BF often reminds me of ambulance chasers... eager to jump on any flaw/failure and then starts a pile-on.

I do agree that the price is ridiculous. If dropped, Leica won't fix them for free and with that big an impact, it's going to require a full rebuild. $$$

It is a weak spot and shows, as Tenex says, that an open bridge design is a weaker design than a closed bridge. The metal is surprisingly thin at both bridges. Still wanting $966.00 for it is ridiculous. All these closed bridge designs seem like they would be sronger.

 

[Dennis Mau]

I emailed Leica to see if they could fix these Noctivids and if so how much would the repair costs? I am just curious to see if they could be repaired.

 

[greekgeek]

I emailed Leica to see if they could fix these Noctivids and if so how much would the repair costs? I am just curious to see if they could be repaired.

These should probably be repaired under Warranty for defect in materials. The metal fracture surface has what looks to be a good sized void in it, which would weaken it greatly and could cause it to fail prematurely.

 

[John A Roberts]

For some context, the ebay poster (clearcameras in the UK) states in part:


' LEICA NOCTIVID 10x42 BINOCULARS - BROKEN - SPARES / REPAIR / DAMAGED / FAULTY

In good used condition - near perfect in fact - but snapped in two sadly....

These look as if they were bought, then immediately dropped and broken. There are hardly any usage marks. They look almost brand new. I can't see any scratches or marks to the glass, and internally if I shine torchlight through there is no fungus or haze, just the odd dust speck, plus, in one barrel, quite a large fibre particle trapped just behind the objective glass. As well as the obvious breaks, both to the bodywork, and the metal focus linkage, there is also a small bit of barrel damage around the outside of the objective lens that presumably hit the ground when these were dropped.

The breaks look clean, and I cannot see any obvious missing pieces. There may be the odd fragment of bodywork missing, but it is likely to be small, as to my eye they seem to fit back together again fairly neatly. The focussing wheel is nice and smooth, and operates seemingly normally. '


- - - -
And one of the 23 (!) photos shows the damage to the rubber armour on the right hand barrel near the objective,
that prompted the observation that the shearing of the two halves was likely as a result of the binocular being dropped:




John

 

[Dennis Mau]

Leica told me to send the binoculars into them for repair, so obviously they felt they could repair them. I just told them I was considering buying them and getting them repaired. Leica has a 30 year fully transferable warranty, so the repairs would be under warranty. They might just give you a brand-new pair of binoculars, which would mean you would get a Noctivid for a very low price. They didn't mention any possible repair costs, so I think they felt it was a failure of the binocular that should be covered under warranty. If you were a risk-taker, you could buy them and send them into Leica and see what happens. But I would try to get them for a lower price than what the seller is asking for on eBay.

 

[Tim S]

Leica told me to send the binoculars into them for repair, so obviously they felt they could repair them. I just told them I was considering buying them and getting them repaired. Leica has a 30 year fully transferable warranty, so the repairs would be under warranty. They might just give you a brand-new pair of binoculars, which would mean you would get a Noctivid for a very low price. They didn't mention any possible repair costs, so I think they felt it was a failure of the binocular that should be covered under warranty. If you were a risk-taker, you could buy them and send them into Leica and see what happens. But I would try to get them for a lower price than what the seller is asking for on eBay.

There is an additional two year warranty if you register when new that covers even accidental damage if dropped etc.

 

[WalterRayle]

The half with the focus wheel could be used as a rather expensive monocular or a novelty 'pocket' telescope.

 

[JackyX]

Just a thought, but somehow it now makes sense why Leica isn't expanding the Noctovid series any further. They obviously pointed out the design flaws. I looked at all my binoculars, and no other binoculars have such weak bridges.

 

[MiddleRiver]

Just a thought, but somehow it now makes sense why Leica isn't expanding the Noctovid series any further. They obviously pointed out the design flaws. I looked at all my binoculars, and no other binoculars have such weak bridges.

Really? How many such failures do we know of?

 

[Isthatascratch?]

Really? How many such failures do we know of?

I do love all the speculation and interpretation of what may of happened (and also the quality, or lack of). I assume the fell off the grassy knoll, rolled down the hill and the Presidential car ran over them?!

Maybe they fell from a helicopter and landed on Barney the dinosaurs head.

Maybe the user got frustrated by some minor chromatic aberration and through them at a tree, they bounced off and hit a rock.

I did see these on eBay and did think that price is steep and who would buy them?

They aren’t very old though?!?

 

[Xenospiza]

I used my 10×42 Noctivid to break a fall from my bicycle... but it wasn't the bridge that broke, but the attachment hook for the strap.
It also started making a "ticking" sound.
Optically, it was still fine.