Poll - Trying to get some numbers on Swarovski rubber armour issues. (1 Viewer)

[Malsam]

i have 2 NL, the newer 1 has no such issues and they feel very different from my first pair which is a 12x42.

 

[Carl Mason]

The question for the poll is for the models after 2010 when they started using their current, so it should not skew the results. I would hopefully expect a pattern to show for those who are experiencing the issue.

Hiya, My 2015 EL 10x50s are a great Optic, but very disappointed with the Armouring. The went back to Swarovski after say 3yrs, If they were fitted with a new type of Armour, I am unsure as I was unaware of a new type of Armouring. !! Now I seen the Armouring is again starting to break up, feels sticky to the touch & is becoming " Baggy & loose" on the Chassis. some of my serious birding friends, have had issues also with their armouring, ALL of us agree its rather poor, seeing as we All thought we had the best Optics & willingly paid the price req. Its quite embarrassing seeing top birders, with these " Busted up Binoculars" whilst attending overseas Bird fests, & Birding tours as far as Papua New Guinea. Get the impression I may not be taken seriously, having a "Scruffy old (they're not in some cases) Binoculars" that seem Battered & worn out, hanging round my neck. !!
Its Ok Swarovski replacing for free, but its the inconvenience being without my "Eyes" that are req all the time & the down time involved.
Dont think I would recommend Swaro's based on this issue to be honest. I keep getting grief from my wife regards my Purchase still to this day. She wanted me to go Leica. ??????

 

[tenex]

Hi Carl, and welcome to Birdforum. There are many threads about Swaro armor here (some quite long as this went on for years) but in summary they claim this spring to have solved the problem, so new bins and replacement armor should all be fine going forward.

 

[Patudo]

Get the impression I may not be taken seriously, having a "Scruffy old (they're not in some cases) Binoculars" that seem Battered & worn out, hanging round my neck. !!

Seriously? I thought it was the polar opposite - Chandler Robbins' binoculars

 

[Hermann]

Seriously? I thought it was the polar opposite - Chandler Robbins' binoculars

"If you don't want to be considered dude you should distress your binoculars, in the way antique dealers distress new paintings to make them look old. So make sure there's a bit of dust or better still sand on them, but not on the lenses. Lenses are cleaned a lot, but under stressful circumstances, and the lenses should be scratched a bit - clean but scratched." (Bill Oddie's Little Black Bird Book, 1980)

Hermann

 

[NDhunter]

There is no real problem with the armor, just a few complainer, bitcher types who abuse things.
Jerry

 

[Boogieshrew]

"If you don't want to be considered dude you should distress your binoculars, in the way antique dealers distress new paintings to make them look old. So make sure there's a bit of dust or better still sand on them, but not on the lenses. Lenses are cleaned a lot, but under stressful circumstances, and the lenses should be scratched a bit - clean but scratched." (Bill Oddie's Little Black Bird Book, 1980)

Hermann

Love that book. So funny 👍

 

[Boogieshrew]

There is no real problem with the armor, just a few complainer, bitcher types who abuse things.
Jerry

Can't agree with that. I believe there's a problem. The armour on my ELs turned sticky and cracked while in storage. I've hardly used them since discovering the joy of Retrovid three years ago. They've never been abused.

 

[Bentley03]

Hi Carl, and welcome to Birdforum. There are many threads about Swaro armor here (some quite long as this went on for years) but in summary they claim this spring to have solved the problem, so new bins and replacement armor should all be fine going forward.

I've received conflicting information regarding this. In Spring, that was also my understanding, but this month a (different) credible source suggested to me that the 'new recipe' armour will only 'officially' enter service from January 2025.

Rumour, counter rumour and endless speculation, but the facts remain a mystery.

 

[Patudo]

The armour on my ELs turned sticky and cracked while in storage. I've hardly used them since discovering the joy of Retrovid three years ago. They've never been abused.

Wow, I thought you actually needed to use them regularly in order for this issue to arise (which also explains why certain individuals - ahem - don't have that problem!) but it seems not ...

 

[tenex]

this month a (different) credible source suggested to me that the 'new recipe' armour will only 'officially' enter service from January 2025

That would be extraordinarily stupid given the magnitude of the problem. Surely they would want NL 52s to be problem-free from their introduction, for example, not to mention halt the embarrassment of replacement armor failing again.

What makes this source "credible", and what does "officially enter service" even mean? Let's not keep playing this game forever.

 

[paddyluke]

There is no real problem with the armor, just a few complainer, bitcher types who abuse things.
Jerry

are you some one who has spent all their money on swarovski optics

 

[NDhunter]

Do you know of someone who spent all their money on optics ?
C'mon man.
Jerry

 

[tenex]

are you some one who has spent all their money on swarovski optics

Surely you don't want others trying to guess why you keep saying this...?

 

[paddyluke]

Surely you don't want others trying to guess why you keep saying this...?

i didn't realise i asked you 😲

 

[Bentley03]

What makes this source "credible", and what does "officially enter service" even mean? Let's not keep playing this game forever.

A reputable UK dealer speaking to a UK Swarovski rep and being told production using the 'new' armour will begin in January 2025.

Nobody's playing games, just reporting what I've been told, for the benefit of anyone who may be interested.

Anyway, let's talk about glare in EL's and NL's instead, it appears to have infested most of the other threads on BF recently...😇🙏🤪

 

[tenex]

How difficult can it be? Swarovski really need to make a clear statement about this, or rumors will never end.

 

[Dennis Mau]

Can't agree with that. I believe there's a problem. The armour on my ELs turned sticky and cracked while in storage. I've hardly used them since discovering the joy of Retrovid three years ago. They've never been abused.

So while the Swaro's were sleeping, they still started seeping?

 

[Boogieshrew]

So while the Swaro's were sleeping, they still started seeping?

And now I am weeping

 

[forent]

A reputable UK dealer speaking to a UK Swarovski rep and being told production using the 'new' armour will begin in January 2025. (...)

This roughly matches the statement made by a service employee at Swarovski in Absam, whom I asked last month whether the current CL Pocket models still had the (sometimes far too easily) biodegradable armouring. He replied that this was the case since they had switched to an anti-allergic and environmentally friendly material. The service would take care for respective damages. A more durable version is currently being researched and should be ready in 2025. A modified formulation is already available for new models.

He didn't say whether this means that the NL 52s currently on offer already have a durable armour, and I didn't ask. So there is still ample room for speculations.