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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Fireform" data-source="post: 1756147" data-attributes="member: 65457">Well, I guess I have two comments to make at this point.  The first and by far most important is:Welcome Back Frank!  You have been missed!The less important and less concise is: I would like Steve to quote where I said the Zen-Ray binoculars "stink," or any words to that effect.  Quite the opposite--I think my reviews placed them in an elite optical class, and I did not sell off my pair of 7x36's until my Swarovisions showed up.  Any objective reader would consider that remarkably high praise for a sub-$400 binocular.  The problem as I (and, I think, some others) see it is that Steve is no longer that objective reader where Zen-Ray is concerned.  I think the Zens set a new optical standard for roofs in their price range, but if I also thought the Zens fall well short of the Swarovision optics in absolute terms, well, that's my (not very surprising) opinion, and it puts the Zens in the same boat with my dear departed Nikon SEs and Zeiss FLs.  I pointed out the strengths and weaknesses of the Zens as best I could (and yes, in fact, they do have weaknesses), and I praised their response to the criticisms I and others made of their product. I explained why I sold them just like I've explained why I've sold any number of binoculars before and since.  If there's some reason Zen in particular should be exempt from that, I'd like to hear it. I also stand by my contention that it's preposterous to compare Zen-Ray's facilities in the Portland area with Leupold's.  The fact that they can take a binocular apart and inspect its innards, well, I can do that too.  Am I a service facility?  Were my first generation Zens repaired in Portland and returned to me?  No, they were not.  That's not criticism, it's just factual.Anyway, that is all I have to say on that subject, and it's already been too much.  Best to all.</blockquote>

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