Zeiss Spotting Scope Repair (1 Viewer)

[Joe H]

For those of us who use a tool, piece of sporting equipment, musical instrument, or whatever for a long period of time – the item itself can take on a value greater than its ability to perform the task for which it was designed. Be it nostalgia or the confidence of knowing in advance how something will perform under whatever conditions, the item become a personal touchstone to events and memories. Some of my birding optics are approaching the 20 year mark so it’s natural they have collected the odd nick or bump along with all those cherished memories. With this in mind I thought I’d document the repair process for my Zeiss spotting scope. I have no idea how long it will take or what the final outcome will be, but it’s Winter in Alaska and the scope won’t be needed until our annual shore bird migration in a few months’ time. I’ll update this thread as the process unfolds.

 

[Joe H]

A couple weeks ago I decided to get my trusty old Zeiss spotting scope fixed (it’s a Straight Green 65mm Diascope T* FL, purchased about 18 years ago). It wasn’t truly broken – the coarse focus knob stopped working years ago so I’ve been using it with the fine focus knob only. The scope usually comes out for shore birding or ocean-watching trips, so changing distances rapidly isn’t too critical to me.

I’ve never used an optics company’s warranty before so all this was new to me. I called the Zeiss U.S. service center in Hebron, Kentucky and chatted with a very nice, knowledgeable man who said there have been problems with the two-focus-knob system on the Diascopes but even with the model being discontinued some years ago, that it might be repairable. He recommended I mail it to the service center and they would see what they could do. This required filling out and printing a computer form describing the problem, which also generated a service case number.

So for $60 for postage and insurance, I sent it off and watched the USPS tracking system monitor its progress from Alaska to Kentucky. Once it arrived, I received an e-mail from Zeiss informing me they would inspect the scope and let me know their findings. Shortly thereafter, I received a second e-mail stating the eye piece would also be examined. I had included my 15-45 power zoom eye piece with the scope but it works perfectly.

The process was all very efficient, professional, and (largely based on my phone conversation with the service rep) very positive. It was reassuring that my first contact with Zeiss was with an employee who was knowledgeable on optics made 18 years earlier and genuinely sounded interested in the problem, and eager to have it sent in to see if it could be made fully functional again. If only all companies had such great representatives to deal with the public.

 

[Joe H]

Much to my surprise I received an e-mail from Zeiss today notifying me my scope was repaired and it and the eyepiece were on their way back to me via FEDEX. I'm excited to see how it all turned out. While I wait I'll post a couple pictures of one of the many fond memories the scope represents to me. My family and I rented a beautiful cabin overlooking Kachemak Bay a few years ago for their annual shore bird festival. We had a great time and our lodging could not have been better. In between outings we could relax in comfort while pouring over field guides, checklists and spotting birds out on the bay – it was a magical time in our family’s life. The kids are now as tall as I am and are busy with school and sports so times like these really do become precious.

 

[Joe H]

My scope arrived from Zeiss today via FEDEX. The focus knobs now both work perfectly, and they replaced the little blue Zeiss logos that fell off as well. The invoice says they cleaned it in addition to making the repairs, but it was pretty clean when I sent it so it's not possible to my eyes to see if they did anything to the interior.

In all, this was a very positive repair experience: My initial call was met with interest by a knowledgeable repair rep; the repair office in Kentucky e-mailed me upon receipt of the scope, and when the repair was completed; and finally, the repair was done quickly and the scope is again in perfect working order. In all, Zeiss had it only about six days.

If anyone is curious about the repair process for older Zeiss scopes in America, perhaps this thread will provide some details. I'm glad to have the trusty old scope back and ready for more adventures.

 

[Joe H]

A regrettable update: A couple days ago I was scoping the local mudflats for a Slaty-backed Gull (unusual here) when the coarse focus knob stopped working again. The fine focus knob still works fine so my trusty old scope is back to the same condition it was when I started this thread. I'll call Zeis' U.S. repair facility to see if I can get someone there to walk me through the repair process - I'd like to try to fix it myself if this is going to be an on-going issue. If anyone has any experience in taking the focus knobs apart on this model of spotting scope please feel free to point me in the right direction. Thanks!