brocknroller
porromaniac
Hi Dale,
At the premium price point, buyers should expect a high degree of QC and consistency. However, machine operators and the machines themselves are not perfect, so it's up to the QC inspectors to check for defects. They are the last line of defense between the manufacturer and the customers, because most stores don't check for sample variation.
I bought a Nikon 10x42 LX/HG on eBay (demo model), and I tested both barrels as I do with all the bins I purchase, and I immediately noticed a loss of contrast on one side. I took the bin inside and looked through the objectives and found that the side with the lesser contrast had a layer of coatings missing!
I'm not sure how QC inspectors measure coatings that are thousands of an inch thick to make sure they were properly applied. Even if there was a device that could do this, it would probably be costly and time consuming to inspect the coatings of every binocular and spotting scope coming off the line.
They might do "spot checks" now and then to check for consistency, I don't know, but this Nikon HG received a "passed" sticker despite the fact that it was missing a multi-coated surface, which was easy enough even for a non-techie like me to find.
OTOH, testing if focusers turn properly should be part of a QC inspector's checklist since it's something he can do by hand.
I've learned from personal experience with three different Swaro bins, and from reading reports of others who have either tried or bought Swaros with sub par focusers, including fellow birdforum members, one of whom tried three samples of the same model in a store, that not all Swaro focusers are consistent.
Most turn smoothly, but some turn smoothly in one direction and harder the other direction, and a few are "coarse" or "sticky".
Unlike measuring coating thickness, it should be an easy task for a QC inspector to pick up the bin and turn the focus wheel both ways and check to make sure the focuser is turning smoothly in both directions before giving it his stamp of approval.
So I'm perplexed as to why I keep reading reports about Swaro bins with focuser issues. For a time, I kept reading reports about hard to turn focusers on Nikon Monarchs, but those are relatively inexpensive bins made in China, so you expect sample variation. Same thing with Sightron II roofs. But it's not what you expect from an alpha bin.
Out of the three Swaro bins I tried myself, one turned smoothly in both directions, one turned smoothly in one direction and harder in the other, and the third was so coarse it took two fingers to turn. The last sample was nearly a decade old, and the grease might have dried out, but the other samples were new.
Some buyers don't seem to mind if the focuser turns harder in one direction than the other. I do a lot of close-in birding and that requires quick and fine focusing.
Focusers that are "coarse" or "sticky" are usually sent in for repairs.
The nice thing is that I found a local Swaro dealer, who is a BF member. So I can "try before I buy". The "buy" part is harder since Swaros are so expensive these days.
I'd like to see Swarovski develop a line of full sized bins at the mid-tier price point similar to the Leica Trinovids, Zeiss Conquest HDs, and Nikon Premiers for those who appreciate high quality optics but who don't have deep enough pockets to afford the top of the line.
I gather that was the idea behind the CL Companion model, but that's only available in the midsized configuration, and the FOV could be a bit wider.
Now that Leica has the new Trinovids, Zeiss has Conquest HDs, and other companies are offering competitive products in the mid-tier price segment such as the Meopta HD, Pentax ED, Alpin Rainier HD, and Vortex Razor HD, there's a niche that Swaro could also fill.
Brock
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