Ed,
That might have been a good idea when binoculars were Z shaped simple tools.
I have owned a Leitz 7x42 Trinovid BA Armored since the early 90s. It has the Uppendahl roof prisms. It is registered with Leica. I inquired about getting it cleaned and looked over in general. Leica told me the cleaning would be $250.00 but they could not guarantee that they could replace any parts it might need. I was able to get screw on replacement rubber eyecups for it $25.00 each and my guess is there aren't many more of them left.
They are obsolete now and inventories for parts for them are gone and who ever wants one for collections or memories will have to live those facts. The same thing is going to happen to all those classic, complicated roof prisms we now think will last forever! New models will come out, parts will not be interchangeable and old parts will be used up.
I will give my sons some really good (and already obsolete) binoculars because they are my children but after that they are on their own and if they can talk Swarovski and Zeiss into fixing them for free when and if they have problems with them, say 15 or 20 years from now, good for them! But those companies aren't in the charity business so I wish them good luck!
Bob
That might have been a good idea when binoculars were Z shaped simple tools.
I have owned a Leitz 7x42 Trinovid BA Armored since the early 90s. It has the Uppendahl roof prisms. It is registered with Leica. I inquired about getting it cleaned and looked over in general. Leica told me the cleaning would be $250.00 but they could not guarantee that they could replace any parts it might need. I was able to get screw on replacement rubber eyecups for it $25.00 each and my guess is there aren't many more of them left.
They are obsolete now and inventories for parts for them are gone and who ever wants one for collections or memories will have to live those facts. The same thing is going to happen to all those classic, complicated roof prisms we now think will last forever! New models will come out, parts will not be interchangeable and old parts will be used up.
I will give my sons some really good (and already obsolete) binoculars because they are my children but after that they are on their own and if they can talk Swarovski and Zeiss into fixing them for free when and if they have problems with them, say 15 or 20 years from now, good for them! But those companies aren't in the charity business so I wish them good luck!
Bob
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