tehri
Well-known member
Oh yeah, soon biodegradable periscopes ! 😜It's not like you bought a ticket for a defective submarine ride
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Problem with green coating of EL SV 8x32 (8 Viewers)
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Aquaplas
Well-known member
Same Problem with the Coating on my 2 1/2 year old NL 8x42. The Rubber gets sticky and began to tear.
Have also a Problem with the Fokkus. Comes over time a gap in the wheel. Now when I fokkus from infinity to 30 meters, the left and right channel runs not parallel. Have to fokkus up and down, than it works. In higher temperatures it works better than in colder.
Don’t like to send it to Swarovski because the repair Time is to longe at the moment. And like to wait for a better coating in the future I hope. Think to send it in now the Bino comes back with a new but same crap coating than now.
Optical one of my favorite Bino, but the quality compared to my older and newer Zeiss is a Joke.
Have also a Problem with the Fokkus. Comes over time a gap in the wheel. Now when I fokkus from infinity to 30 meters, the left and right channel runs not parallel. Have to fokkus up and down, than it works. In higher temperatures it works better than in colder.
Don’t like to send it to Swarovski because the repair Time is to longe at the moment. And like to wait for a better coating in the future I hope. Think to send it in now the Bino comes back with a new but same crap coating than now.
Optical one of my favorite Bino, but the quality compared to my older and newer Zeiss is a Joke.
Paultricounty
Well-known member
When are you selling them and are they the best birding binoculars in the world?
Craig Thayer
Well-known member
I had the same problem with my five year old 8 x 30 CL companions even thought these binos are only used in our home (not outdoors) to view backyard birds. Swarovski did promptly repair them but I might be hesitant to but any more of their products despite the excellent optics
Not quite. I would not put so much faith in them.
When asked whether the material will be improved so I don't end up sending it back again 3 years later, their reply was
"At the moment, however, this reinforcement is the best and most environmentally friendly ... Review of better armouring will take for sure some years."
It's gonna be the same material - that's a fact.
Unless their top management decides otherwise henceforth.
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Respectfully, could we please keep the discussion on topic to the Swarovski armour and not other alternatives, e.g. FL?
It's good that more data points are being contributed (even NL, CL), clearly this issue is not so isolated or user fault, as some had previously insinuated (DEET, sunscreen, impact marks, rough handling, etc). Swarovski management is probably reviewing this forum thread as I have shared the links to these with them.
Point taken that there might be better alternative brands with better armour, and this is already hurting Swarovski's repeat/new sales. Swarovski will probably note the frustration by its customers who are experiencing this issue despite their satisfaction with the optical quality, as well as the doubts by prospective buyers who have looked elsewhere due to this issue.
But bickering over one person's opinion of another binoculars is only derailing this thread.
Thanks.
Thanks for sharing. I mentioned to Swarovski management that the issue seems to be appearing on NLs too as they hit the 2-3 year mark (which is when my ELs started to deteriorate).
tehri
Well-known member
Me neither, very far from it !!!!! 😡
Paultricounty
Well-known member
According to my source at Swarovski today , this biodegradable material began being used when the SV version was introduced around 2010. As others have mentioned in the thread, my source has confirmed they are working on improving the current armor, not changing it altogether. I was told that this issue is mainly happening in high humidity conditions and it is due to a compound used in the armor. He would not confirm nor deny if in addition to the compound weakness in very humid conditions if there was also a bad run.
Id like to know if others using their bins in more moderate climate conditions have had or are having these issues. He did mention the name of compound/culprit , I forget at the moment , I think someone else had mentioned it. This is not going to be remedied anytime soon , like within months. Their outlook on this is that they are very concerned with their consumers and want to get it right, not a quick fix. Probably gonna take a few years, but that’s my guess. He did mention that they are repairing this issue free of charge even if out of warranty. That’s at least reassuring to me, considering the investment I have in my Swaro collection.
Paul
Id like to know if others using their bins in more moderate climate conditions have had or are having these issues. He did mention the name of compound/culprit , I forget at the moment , I think someone else had mentioned it. This is not going to be remedied anytime soon , like within months. Their outlook on this is that they are very concerned with their consumers and want to get it right, not a quick fix. Probably gonna take a few years, but that’s my guess. He did mention that they are repairing this issue free of charge even if out of warranty. That’s at least reassuring to me, considering the investment I have in my Swaro collection.
Paul
james holdsworth
Consulting Biologist
Two friends here in Ontario have suffered the same, pretty moderate climate in terms of humidity etc.
Paultricounty
Well-known member
Probably pretty dry with lots of that smoke 😧✌🏼
tehri
Well-known member
We probably won't come to that, (unfortunately), but for me and without a doubt, it could lead to a class-action lawsuit against Swarovski.
There is a lie here, a complete silence to buyers, customers, regarding this issue.
For many, the purchase of such an instrument at this price is a sacrifice, a dilemma, an important choice, and Never the strong possibility that it deteriorates is mentioned by any seller, nor by the manufacturer.
There is a lie here, a complete silence to buyers, customers, regarding this issue.
For many, the purchase of such an instrument at this price is a sacrifice, a dilemma, an important choice, and Never the strong possibility that it deteriorates is mentioned by any seller, nor by the manufacturer.
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No chance when they're fixing it for free.
tehri
Well-known member
I know, I know... but deteriorating is enough of a problem on its own, not to mention the binoculars disappearing for 4 months !
All these are really hidden contingencies totally unworthy of the price paid, which could be enough for a class-action lawsuit..
They're fixing it for free ?... of course they're !!!... But not quite since the shipment is the responsibility of the customer !!!!!!
For those affected they seem to be working on a long term solution, and in the mean time replacing for free. even if out of warranty, I'm not sure what else you can reasonbly expect a company to do. Turnaround on repairs hasn't been 4 months for a while - recent reports suggest around 4-6 weeks. There is no way a class action would succeed.
tehri
Well-known member
I know, Richard, but really they'd deserves it !
It is totally abnormal, and close to a scam, to sell such an instrument at this price, and to reserve this surprise of the deterioration to come, secret.
Well, I'm not going to write more about it, but also what I want to mention is that it's a great pleasure to make this purchase... it makes you happy to use such optical instruments, to take them in hand, a real great pleasure... But somewhere, this pleasure is now somewhat tainted, a little spoiled !!
It was not planned !! it was not considered when i, we, made the choice of this brand... ... and that, it is serious, I find.
The pleasure somewhere isn't quite the same... from now on, every time I take my binoculars, I think about this coating problem that will probably happen... and that taints the pure and simple pleasure that I had a short time ago.
I find it very serious on the part of this brand to impose this on its customers without warning them !!! Really very serious ... a real sham !
It is totally abnormal, and close to a scam, to sell such an instrument at this price, and to reserve this surprise of the deterioration to come, secret.
Well, I'm not going to write more about it, but also what I want to mention is that it's a great pleasure to make this purchase... it makes you happy to use such optical instruments, to take them in hand, a real great pleasure... But somewhere, this pleasure is now somewhat tainted, a little spoiled !!
It was not planned !! it was not considered when i, we, made the choice of this brand... ... and that, it is serious, I find.
The pleasure somewhere isn't quite the same... from now on, every time I take my binoculars, I think about this coating problem that will probably happen... and that taints the pure and simple pleasure that I had a short time ago.
I find it very serious on the part of this brand to impose this on its customers without warning them !!! Really very serious ... a real sham !
Not exactly free. Shipment to Austria is borne by the customer. With insurance coverage, it will cost US$160 each time. Over the warranty period, it will cost around US$500, 20% of the initial purchase price.
If I keep this binoculars beyond the warranty period, even if Swarovski continues to repair it, it will cost additional 2% per year of use to deal with this unnecessary issue. And the base cost is over US$2000, which is as expensive as it gets with binoculars!
Can Swarovski do more? Yes, for this known defect, perhaps Swarovski could cover the two-way shipping cost rather than just the return leg (e.g. issue a return shipping label or reimburse actual costs) and even offer a loaner binoculars through the local distributor network, where feasible, to mitigate the loss of use.
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For what it's worth, our binos have been stored in a humidity-controlled dry cabinet at 45% RH when not in use, i.e. 90% of the time
joannec
Well-known member
Mine have been used only in Europe, moderate climate and not very hot and humid. This problem developed in under 5 years.
Thats completely disgraceful for bins at this price point.
