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Message: <blockquote data-quote="BruceH" data-source="post: 3644669" data-attributes="member: 106398">None really.  The gray model eye cup has one intermediate postion and the black model has two.  All else on the eye cup looks the same.  The new eye cup is a direct replacement and so a simple call to Zeiss and the gray model can be owner updated to the new eye cup in a matter of minutes.  Zeiss somewhere during the second have of the production run of the gray models imroved the machining tolerances of the focus mechanism.  Some but not all of the earlier gray models had some degree of stiction (but not as much as the pre Profield Swaros).  This improvement carried over into the black model change.  Anyone who bought a late model gray should have the same focus feel as the black.  If not, then it can be sent to Zeiss for improvement just as some do with the Swaro.  The third change is switching the armor from black to gray and I think the surface feel is also a little different and it may feel thicker.  I do not look at this as an improvement but as a styling change.  I prerfer the gray because it has a noticeably cooler surface temperature out here in the AZ desert during a summer afternoon.  It works for me because I am dumb enough to sometimes wonder about at that time of the year.  The gray is more likely to show dirt than the black but I have not found it to be a problem.  The gray sold out on clearance for as much as $1,300 below the new black model.  Other than the color, the gray could be udpdated to be the same as the black for free.  I do remember coming across a person who was considering an SF saying they did not like the gray color and would not buy it on clearance even with that kind of savings.  My thought was how short sighted since it probably could have been sent to Zeiss for new black armor even if it cost say $100 or so. Oh well.   Thumbs up on that post.  :t:I agree with you on the first part and really like the second part!</blockquote>

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