Oh crap, the diopter knob is gone (1 Viewer)

[pm42]

Thanks for your details answer. As our dealer is the same as far as I know, an excellent astronomy shop rue de Rivoli in Paris, I'll use the fact that this is a common problem.

 

[eronald]

Thanks for your details answer. As our dealer is the same as far as I know, an excellent astronomy shop rue de Rivoli in Paris, I'll use the fact that this is a common problem.

Yes, good dealer.

Edmund

 

[ZDHart]

The diopter knob is large, thin, flat and close to the boidy where it hinges . As a result it will get hit, pushed to a slant, then rub against the body as the binocular gets opened and closed. At this point the user will notice - see comments on the forum - that the diopter keeps moving when the instrument is put away. And to make matters even better, there seems to be a spring loaded click mechanism somewhere in there. So once the diopter is on a bit of a slant, for any reason it will rub and eventually self destruct.

Any user who notices the diopter moving should expect issues later.

The fix would be a focus knob on a stalk, on the end of a washer or tube,so it can't rub when the hinge moves and is protected against shocks. . That type of "focus tube" with a knob on end is what Leica use on the Ultravid x32 - huge but robust- while other manufacturers use a captive starshape focus wheel, eg the huge one found on the SF and HT which everyone loves.

A repair shop could offer a knob on a stalk, with a static washer around it. I'd buy this fix in a minute. Nothing wrong with the optics here, just bad design.

The wonderfully clever part of the design as it stands now is where Zeiss can always blame focus knob failures on user brutality, as the slightest move off kilter will degrade into a failure because of the ensuing friction.

My personal experience with Zeiss concerning knob repair was extremely unpleasant. The binocular was handed in and I had a witness in the dealer who examined the instrument carefully, logged the issues - and stated it was in good state when handed in. The binocular got severely damaged somewhere in the system, and Zeiss didn't solve the issue, rather they kept sending emails to the dealer to get him to say I had handed in a damaged the instrument.

The first tenet of good customer relations is " Don't ever screw the customer for mishaps which happen in the system, deal with them in private". This has clearly never been presented to Zeiss.

BTW the dealer handed me a replacement instrument on his own company's initiative.

In the view of my own service experience with Zeiss, and the multiple reports of diopter knob issues on this forum I would recommend that anyone who thinks about getting a VP 8x25 think twice, until the mechanical design is very significantly revised. My replacement instrument is optically excellent but the diopter knob seems quite as fragile, and waiting for an excuse to self-destruct.



Edmund

Edmund... on a side note, I want to thank you for presenting your sketches. It has prompted me to indulge in sketching, watercolor, oils, air brush, and more with digital tools - Procreate is the most amazing creative tool for artists! And exceptionally convenient to use - given an iPad that is up to the processing task. Anyway - thanks for being my inspiration!

 

[eronald]

Edmund... on a side note, I want to thank you for presenting your sketches. It has prompted me to indulge in sketching, watercolor, oils, air brush, and more with digital tools - Procreate is the most amazing creative tool for artists! And exceptionally convenient to use - given an iPad that is up to the processing task. Anyway - thanks for being my inspiration!

ZDHart
I am ... flabbergasted.
I have indeed heard good things about Procreate, and am glad you like it.
Why don't you send me a pointer to some of your work?

I seem to like the physical act of creating a "thing", in contrast to my previous existence as a computer geek. I would encourage you to try physical creation as well, color pencils were what I started out with, 5 years ago.

Edmund

 

[ZDHart]

ZDHart
I am ... flabbergasted.
I have indeed heard good things about Procreate, and am glad you like it.
Why don't you send me a pointer to some of your work?

I seem to like the physical act of creating a "thing", in contrast to my previous existence as a computer geek. I would encourage you to try physical creation as well, color pencils were what I started out with, 5 years ago.

Edmund

We shall take this off line! Watch for the PM.

 

[Canyac]

I would just update, a little delayed..
Repair took 8-9 weeks, and I was quite annoyed by it. I was told it was due to troubles getting spare parts. Everything was handled by my local dealer.

But I got it back, repaired, and now my nice Victory Pocket joins me on my trips in nature once again!

 

[pm42]

Repair took around 3 weeks, under warranty even if had no papers to prove it.
So good work, Zeiss.