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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

EL 10x42 casing deterioration. (4 Viewers)

Peter, it's come away from the body at the back, just below the two indents. It's practically impossible to show on a photo, because on the left hand side there's 1mm give, on the right 0.5mm. Thanks for sticking to the issue, any mob can parse the ipsissima verba.
Peter,

Is it a idea to express your deeper feelings in the Dutch language?

Jan
 
While we are sticking to the issue and staying away from conspiracy theories, bino armour is not meant to be a permanent and immovable fitment. It has to be removeable to allow servicing and repairs to take place. I am by no means saying that your armour is not coming loose, I just don't know, but it is worth bearing in mind that armour has to be removeable.

Lee
🙄
 
At least people in this thread aren't also complaining about glare issues. (Look elsewhere in this forum for those complaints, because they abound.)

Whether it's armour or glare issues, I believe these to be the exceptions and not the rule. Perhaps, I believe that, because I have had no complaints, so far with my Swarovskis
However, I am not dismissing those people. who have problems. I feel sorry that they aren't enjoying theirs as much as I am. Of course, my views are subject to change.

What's nice about Swarovski is they will repair your binos and make them like new if they ever fail you. Furthermore, if you still don't like them, they are easy to sell. They hold their value quite well, too.
 
When you set out to look for flaws, you will inevitably find some.

Then you will forever be unhappy, which seems to be a state that some enjoy.

I just buy what I decide is the best I can afford and enjoy using them.

Seems as if I am some kind of oddball.
 
When you set out to look for flaws, you will inevitably find some.

Then you will forever be unhappy, which seems to be a state that some enjoy.

I just buy what I decide is the best I can afford and enjoy using them.

Seems as if I am some kind of oddball.
You are not an oddball and you are not alone. If binos give me a nice view of a bird and it is the right shape and colour and the detail is as I expect from the viewing distance, I am happy and just enjoy the bird or the animal or dragonfly etc. My real interest in binos is an interest in nature.
Lee
 
Yes, but.........when perfection is promised and the slogan is to improve the best, the brand has to understand that trust is earned.
Of course one can dispute if a half mm and one mm difference.......... sigh

Jan
 
At least people in this thread aren't also complaining about glare issues. (Look elsewhere in this forum for those complaints, because they abound.)
Peter's law: the number of complaints about an item is proportional to its price.
I haven't heard anybody complain about Barska binoculars.
 
I don't know how current the article is, but Birding Business estimates a dealers mark-up on mid price binoculars is around 30%. Has anyone an idea on what the approx dealers mark-up is on alpha bins? 10 x 42 Pure's are selling for 2900 Euros.
 
You are not an oddball and you are not alone. If binos give me a nice view of a bird and it is the right shape and colour and the detail is as I expect from the viewing distance, I am happy and just enjoy the bird or the animal or dragonfly etc. My real interest in binos is an interest in nature.
Lee
It's difficult for me understand, particulary as a newcomer on this forum, why some people, here, seem to lose sight (pun intended) of why they bought their binocular. Rather then allowing themselves to enjoy nature, they allow minor flaws in their optics to ruin it for themselves. What's even worse, a minority of these individuals would have others believe they shouldn't be enjoying the views with binos that are so obviously flawed to them. Perhaps, they even think others. who don't see the flaws like they do, are flawed themselves. If so, I am happily flawed being able to focus only on the birds.
 
I don't know how current the article is, but Birding Business estimates a dealers mark-up on mid price binoculars is around 30%. Has anyone an idea on what the approx dealers mark-up is on alpha bins? 10 x 42 Pure's are selling for 2900 Euros.
Thats a good question and we shouldn't forget that the factory needs a mark-up, the factory then sells the unit to their local sister company or agent and they need to make a mark-up when they sell to the dealer, and finally the dealer themselves need a mark-up too.

Lee
 
I don't know how current the article is, but Birding Business estimates a dealers mark-up on mid price binoculars is around 30%. Has anyone an idea on what the approx dealers mark-up is on alpha bins? 10 x 42 Pure's are selling for 2900 Euros.
Peter,

If you scroll to the ancient times of BF you'll find several answers on your question, but in short the estimate of BB is right.
Having said that, often I see prices of optics far below the regular wholesale price, something you won't see with the big three.

for example, not so long ago there were Bushnell optics for sale in the USA for $179,00 which costed in my store 479,00 euro.
As it turned out, Bushnell USA supplies Bushnell Europe who supplies Bushnell Netherlands who supplies the retailer.
Do the math.

Jan
 
How many EL's are in service today throughout the birding and hunting communities? And how many failures of armor have resulted? My guess is an extremely small fraction.

When I Google "Swarovski EL armor", the only hits I can find dealing with complaints of bad armor take me to this thread on this forum. I honestly can't find any others. That strikes me as odd if this were a wide-spread issue as some are presenting it. You'd think armor failures would be reported somewhere else besides here??

The EL's have been the go-to, top of the line bino for Western hunters for many years now. Many outfitters use them daily to earn their income. I visit a couple large U.S. Western hunting forums and I can recall zero complaints of Swaro armor issues in all the years I've been on those sites. Zero.

That being said, I'm not ignoring the fact that some folks here have had issues. But those people seem to be in a very, very small minority. I understand it is an issue for them, but suggesting that Swaro is complicit in some sort of cover-up seems a bit silly. The fact that some people have repeated armor failures while most everyone else does not have any issue at all suggests to me those folks are doing something, or exposing their glass to something, that is leading to those repeated early failures.

Lucky for all involved, the company stands firmly behind their product and will fix any failures.
 
The fact that some people have repeated armor failures while most everyone else does not have any issue at all suggests to me those folks are doing something, or exposing their glass to something, that is leading to those repeated early failures.
Indeed, and perhaps without even suspecting. I've seen simple sweat (which I mentioned previously, and varies in acidity) proposed to explain rubber failure on some people's camera bodies, which seems quite plausible to me. Combine with heat, sunlight, etc...
 
Indeed, and perhaps without even suspecting. I've seen simple sweat (which I mentioned previously, and varies in acidity) proposed to explain rubber failure on some people's camera bodies, which seems quite plausible to me. Combine with heat, sunlight, etc...
Tenex:
Having browsed through this thread, I am as convinced as I can be that the deterioration (that's manifested predominantly where I hold my bins with my left) is/was caused by sweat, i.e. the imperceptible action of the body perspiring.
 
How many EL's are in service today throughout the birding and hunting communities? And how many failures of armor have resulted? My guess is an extremely small fraction.

When I Google "Swarovski EL armor", the only hits I can find dealing with complaints of bad armor take me to this thread on this forum. I honestly can't find any others. That strikes me as odd if this were a wide-spread issue as some are presenting it. You'd think armor failures would be reported somewhere else besides here??

The EL's have been the go-to, top of the line bino for Western hunters for many years now. Many outfitters use them daily to earn their income. I visit a couple large U.S. Western hunting forums and I can recall zero complaints of Swaro armor issues in all the years I've been on those sites. Zero.

That being said, I'm not ignoring the fact that some folks here have had issues. But those people seem to be in a very, very small minority. I understand it is an issue for them, but suggesting that Swaro is complicit in some sort of cover-up seems a bit silly. The fact that some people have repeated armor failures while most everyone else does not have any issue at all suggests to me those folks are doing something, or exposing their glass to something, that is leading to those repeated early failures.

Lucky for all involved, the company stands firmly behind their product and will fix any failures.
Xlr8n:

Push comes to shove, I am extremely grateful that the are no optical issues with my bins, optically a rare bit of kit- fantastic; if only I could figure out a way of using them, without touching them.

For me this thread is distinctly anodyne. If there was a forum/thread dedicated to the problem of spousal abuse, but instead 70% of posters reported they had never experienced abuse, and besides the abused spouses probably provoked it.....

Obviously I am an outlier, and unable/incapable/unwilling to inspire within myself, the requisite pure primordial gratitude as I send back after 2 years 4 months the bins rented from my benefactor.
 
Indeed, and perhaps without even suspecting. I've seen simple sweat (which I mentioned previously, and varies in acidity) proposed to explain rubber failure on some people's camera bodies, which seems quite plausible to me. Combine with heat, sunlight, etc...

Tenex:
Having browsed through this thread, I am as convinced as I can be that the deterioration (that's manifested predominantly where I hold my bins with my left) is/was caused by sweat, i.e. the imperceptible action of the body perspiring.
Tenex and Peter, this is quite possible. I was unaware that sweat has varying degrees of acidity until two opticians who separately examined my metal-framed spectacles which had strange holes burned in the frames, both asked me if I was diabetic. My answer was 'yes' and they explained that sweat has normally a low acidity but in diabetics is can be very acidic indeed, hence the damage to my spectacle frames. Since then I have only used titanium-framed spectacles titanium watches. For all I know there may be other conditions which increase the acidity of perspiration.

Lee
 
Tenex and Peter, this is quite possible. I was unaware that sweat has varying degrees of acidity until two opticians who separately examined my metal-framed spectacles which had strange holes burned in the frames, both asked me if I was diabetic. My answer was 'yes' and they explained that sweat has normally a low acidity but in diabetics is can be very acidic indeed, hence the damage to my spectacle frames. Since then I have only used titanium-framed spectacles titanium watches. For all I know there may be other conditions which increase the acidity of perspiration.

Lee
Lee , I think I stuffed-up my reply to your previous post, it's somewhere! Also oils from the hands, I know it's getting a bit micro, but oils are also considered solvents.
 
Lee , I think I stuffed-up my reply to your previous post, it's somewhere! Also oils from the hands, I know it's getting a bit micro, but oils are also considered solvents.
Peter this is also true. When I was working in the rubber industry I soon learned that some transmission oils invade some rubbers and change its physical and chemical properties but other oils can literally extract some chemical elements from some rubbers, again destroying their properties.
We didn't do tests on 'household' lubricants but I am always wary of getting anything like oils, solvents, adhesives, oil-based paints etc on my binos. And by oils mean anything that is oily or greasy so that includes stuff we cheerfully put on our hands and faces.

Lee
 
Peter, it's come away from the body at the back, just below the two indents. It's practically impossible to show on a photo, because on the left hand side there's 1mm give, on the right 0.5mm.
Peter, is there any chance this slight looseness was there from when the binos were new and has only been noticed recently?
Lee
 

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