NL Pure Focus Wheel Seems To Have Less Resistance Than March 18 Purchase Date (1 Viewer)

[dwever]

Anyone experience a loosening of their focus wheel on an NL Pure?

it may just be that the wheel so much freer than others I have had such as NVD. Functions fine.

UPDATE: I may have fooled myself. At one point today I thought my NL Pure’s focus wheel was loosening up. Then it occurred to me I had been working on an optic earlier (Mark 5 HD 3.6-18) just that morning where reticle focus, parallax, and zoom are all stiff by design and I probably fooled myself when returning to the NL’s. Turns out the NL Pures are the same as ever. I think.

Sorry for the waste of bandwidth.

 

[dries1]

I will likely send mine in down the road as I have issues with mine having a lag in the middle of focus, though it is not consistent, my Noctivid does not perform this way, it is consistent and I am sure they are both greaseless in design. I am going to ask for a more firm and consistent focus.

 

[NDhunter]

I think we are seeing some illusion of greatness and perfection. I can just see the techs. that receive some binoculars for a warranty repair
with instructions to adjust things as said above. I suppose for $3,000.00 we have expectations.

The techs. are just amused, and play along. Most all of them do not use binoculars much, and certainly would not spend that much on
a binocular.

This does seem to be mostly a Swarovski thing, as you do not see this brought up on other subforums, and I think that is because
the other alpha makers have mastered proper focusing. I do see it that way, in my experience.

Jerry

 

[tenex]

There have certainly been some complaints here about Ultravid focusers as well. Unfortunately my impression is that they don't tend to be solved by servicing. One wonders whether this indicates a problem with mechanical tolerances making a lemon a real lemon, or something of a more subjective nature. In the first case one would at least hope that the problem would be obvious out of the box so the item can simply be returned. A focuser really needs to work well and consistently. (The only one I've ever had that came not to was an 8x30 Dialyt that really got very sloppy with age, and service didn't help.)

 

[CharleyBird]

There have certainly been some complaints here about Ultravid focusers as well. Unfortunately my impression is that they don't tend to be solved by servicing. One wonders whether this indicates a problem with mechanical tolerances making a lemon a real lemon, or something of a more subjective nature. In the first case one would at least hope that the problem would be obvious out of the box so the item can simply be returned. A focuser really needs to work well and consistently. (The only one I've ever had that came not to was an 8x30 Dialyt that really got very sloppy with age, and service didn't help.)

I'm a fan of the Ultravid and have had no problems with four of them. However in a conversation with a dealer last year on what binoculars generally they sent back to the manufacturers with problems and why, I mentioned my UV's as being reliable.
The reply was they'd found the UV had issues with the focussing mechanics.
I realised that they see all makes and models having to be sent back for something or other.

My NL focusser has not changed over the last few months.
I have wondered if the visible join of the armouring is a weakness or actually evidence of a very secure seal.

 

[dries1]

"This does seem to be mostly a Swarovski thing, as you do not see this brought up on other subforums, and I think that is because
the other alpha makers have mastered proper focusing. I do see it that way, in my experience".

 

[BabyDov]

I love the silky smooth, easy focusing on my NL. It is very precise with no free play. Once in focus, the image stays that way unless the target moves. Perhaps, I am missing something that some people would prefer stiffer focusing?

 

[dwever]

"The techs. are just amused, and play along. Most all of them do not use binoculars much, and certainly would not spend that much on
a binocular. . . . This does seem to be mostly a Swarovski thing, as you do not see this brought up on other subforums, and I think that is because the other alpha makers have mastered proper focusing. I do see it that way, in my experience".

BS Meter

The real BS was pretending to know the techs’ state of mind, binocular usage, and buying habits.

 

[dries1]

I don't know what that was about with the techs and all, a bit strange... maybe secretly all the techs at Swarovski are Leica fans.
I have had previous focus trouble with glass from the big three, however whether it be Leica, Zeiss or Swarovski, it is rare and was always rectified. It was the first run of the NL last year so some issues come-up, it will be resolved as it always has from Swarovski. (not a big deal)

 

[b_reynolds_ak]

Anyone experience a loosening of their focus wheel on an NL Pure?

it may just be that the wheel so much freer than others I have had such as NVD. Functions fine.

UPDATE: I may have fooled myself. At one point today I thought my NL Pure’s focus wheel was loosening up. Then it occurred to me I had been working on an optic earlier (Mark 5 HD 3.6-18) just that morning where reticle focus, parallax, and zoom are all stiff by design and I probably fooled myself when returning to the NL’s. Turns out the NL Pures are the same as ever. I think.

Sorry for the waste of bandwidth.

Looks like you were out on the Palmer Hay Flats maybe? Such a cool place in the winter. I live close by, near Settlers Bay.

 

[jcnguyen09]

I will likely send mine in down the road as I have issues with mine having a lag in the middle of focus, though it is not consistent, my Noctivid does not perform this way, it is consistent and I am sure they are both greaseless in design. I am going to ask for a more firm and consistent focus.

Dries1,
Did you get a chance to send yours in for repair ? I have the NL 8x42 with the same issue right out of the box. The focus wheel seems to have no resistant gap going clockwise to counterclockwise or reverse....It doesn't affect the focus though! I am thinking about sending it in also.

 

[dries1]

jcnguyen09

Currently the issue is really minimal, and it is not consistent in use with the glass, I might get a slight, for lack of a better term, (bump) when focusing to infinity and back, but not consistent enough to send them in. This characteristic I find with some other greaseless focus mechanisms as well.
I would say see how they perform with more use, then make a decision.
Personally I would probably not send any optical binocular work to Swarovski now with their new business ventures coupled with the fact of them keeping up with the demand/production of the NLs and everything else. If in a few few months down the road the focus deteriorates then I will send them in.
They do provide stellar views of a dark night sky.

 

[jcnguyen09]

Dries1,
Indeed, the NL provides the stellar, fantastic views! Currently I use the smaller NL 10x32 most of the time and really happy about it! The issue on my 8x42 is exactly the same: minimal and inconsistent.....I am thinking the same, see how it goes! Will send it in if the issue is getting worse.

 

[recon493]

I don't intend to revive a thread without purpose here; but, being new to the NL Pure, I wanted to make sure that the one that I recently purchased is not beyond the norm. I find the focuser a pleasure to use and I never lose focus and it is very consistent once in motion. I am, however, feeling a brief period of no contact when going back and forth (frwd and reverse). If going very slowly back and forth it is almost imperceptible. Going a little faster back and forth is when it is felt.

Is it normal to have a little play when going forward and reverse or are most of you experience zero play at all?

I do not expect perfection but not knowing just how close to "perfect" these have been for others, I wanted to double check.

 

[dwever]

Being new to the NL Pure, I wanted to make sure that the one that I recently purchased is not beyond the norm. I find the focuser a pleasure to use and I never lose focus and it is very consistent once in motion. I am, however, feeling a brief period of no contact when going back and forth (frwd and reverse). If going very slowly back and forth it is almost imperceptible. Going a little faster back and forth is when it is felt.

Is it normal to have a little play when going forward and reverse or are most of you experience zero play at all?

I do not expect perfection but not knowing just how close to "perfect" these have been for others, I wanted to double check.

Mine are unquestionably not the same as when I bought them. However, the problem is small. Very small. And they have not diminished and serve me well. When changing direction, there is the briefest period of no contact that is not an issue unless it worsens. Had the bins been $1k instead of $3K, I man not have noticed it . Image of course remains breathtaking, most recently watching a rutting moose walk by in 19F weather in the Collinsville, Alaska wilderness.

 

[Vicarious Icarus]

I'm new here and also the proud second owner of dwever's 8x42 NLs that are the subject of this thread. During the 6-8 hours I've used these on my rooftop, backyard or various nature areas near Long Beach, CA I've noticed the perceived resistance of the focus wheel change with temperature and the state of my manual dexterity which varies a great deal. At no time have I noticed any slop or shifts in the actual focusing. The visual focus itself has always been precise, snapping into clarity. The edge to edge sharpness is far greater with my eyeglasses on than without. In another thread I read that the field flattening is not as strong as the EL. I own a pair of 8x32 EL Field Pro which are indeed sharper over a wider angle naked eye but also exhibit the annoying 'rolling ball' effect which the NLs don't seem to do. I wear Zeiss Smartlife 1.67 lenses at -5.25/-4.75, some astigmatisn and +1.75 correction. The NLs snap into focus everywhere at once with my glasses on and the entire 9.1° FOV is visible to the field stops. The last birding binos I bought were Nikon 8x32SEs in 2002 which pale in comparison in every respect to either the EL or NL.
I observe moving objects or look out across ponds and wetlands so the focus wheel is in use often. In addition to the slight changes in resistance there are other variables including fluctuations in my visual accommodation. So the resistance is a minor overall factor. I am getting the focus I need when I need it and I'm not experiencing any kind of mental or visual fatigue in the process. I never imagined I'd spend so much of my limited discretionary funds on binoculars but it's getting me out of the house and on my feet where I belong (rather than sitting at the PC writing posts) so it's a good investment in health and well-being.
I will add one more comment and that it the NLs are fantastic for digiscoping with my cheap Moto G6+ cell phone. I'll have to borrow my wife's phone which has a 10X better camera and see how that does.

 

[dries1]

You say the SE pales to the NL/SV I assume you wore glasses in 2002 also?

 

[Vicarious Icarus]

Yes, I've worn glasses the past 48 years. The SE was a great binocular and is still a classic IMHO. The 15mm ER was inadequate for me to use the entire relative FOV which I think is around 60°. I can see past the 69° FOV of the NL and the FOV of the EL. The on and off axis color correction, contrast, sharpness, purity of color, and naturalness of stereoscopic effect just walk away for me. I cannot speak for anyone else. One nit I neglected to mention was getting used to avoiding the kidneybean on the NL. The EL has a different kidneybean effect and I have to re-adapt when I switch. My focus limit of the NL without glasses varies from ~ 1/2 mile to infinity depending on how my eye accommodation at the moment. The EL always focuses a little past infinity, naked eye. On the stars I can just reach focus naked eye part of the time with the NL and always with the EL. The stars are sharp to the edge with my glasses with the NL which open a new level of enjoying the Milky Way for me. Are they perfect in every respect? No. They do exceed my expectations and excel at what I bought them to do. I have read about inconsistencies of manufacturing which I think applies to many high-end products. Customer support from Swarovski has been A+.

 

[Bobalob]

My NL 10x42 went in for repair to remove some debris in one barrel and I mentioned that focus wheel seemed a little stiff. Buttery smooth on return and same on 12x42 I exchanged them for.

 

[Vicarious Icarus]

Funny how I received a satisfaction survey email from Swarovski 4 minutes before your post appeared.