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Nikon "Waterproof" Bino's "watery!"

I have a BEAUTIFUL (looking, anyway) pair of Nikon EX, 12 X 50 5.5 deg WATERPROOF (yeah, right!) binoculars that my wife bought for my birthday about 10 years ago. I almost never use them because they are so large/heavy. (Sorry honey). They're good for the house...bird-watching in the back yard (even THERE I might have used them 10 times), but not good for carrying on trips.

When I got them out a couple of weeks ago for an outdoor concert we were going to attend, I looked to see if the lenses needed dusting/cleaning.

Shockingly, the left lens(es) showed what appears to be two "bubbly" trails of liquid dripped from either top-to-bottom...or bottom-to-top (can't really tell, but the seemingly dried "droplets" are a little larger at one end than the other.

Wifey doesn't remember what she paid for these, but I see them advertised on eBay for between $150 and $350.

Nikon "Support" wants me to ship them the bino's...with no promise (or even suggestion) as to who is going to pay for a repair (if it's even possible to repair them)....and certainly no comment about replacement.

These bino's are labeled "WATERPROOF". As I mentioned, these are/look brand new...as though just outta the box.

Thoughts? Comments? Similar experience? Suggestions? Thanks, Michael

I bet Nikon would replace them.

I would definitely send them in, I would be willing to bet they would send you a new pair.

I had my monarch 10x42's for years they were chewed on by a dog, dropped from a tree and dragged all over hell. When one of the eye cups broke I called to see if I could send it back for repair. They said to send them back and they'd see. They couldn't repair it so they sent me a new pair. They'll take care of you.

Except for a little postage whatta got to lose? Send them back. Maybe suggest if they are going to replace, do so with something more to your liking.

Nikon will take care of you. I would inquire about changing to another model (for a price) in the likely event that they end up replacing them. Their Monarch 10x42 are pretty tough to beat for the price.

"Except for a little postage whatta got to lose?"

My binoculars!

Just kidding.

Thanks for all the "positive" suggestions, guys. I think I'll take a shot at sending them in. Based on what I'm reading here.......AND the fact that I have ALL the original parts, strap, instruction manual, warranty card, case, lens covers.......I would hope that you are ALL correct with regard to Nikon's integrity.

Wish me luck.....and I'll post later to advise my results. Thanks again, guys. Cheers from Niagara region, Canada!

I have nothing but good things to say about Nikon's repair service. I stepped on & broke the eye piece of my binoculars. They repaired it no questions asked for free and my binos were definitely past the warranty period. I've had the lens cover break off multiple times and they send a new set every time free of charge.

OK........here's the great news.

Somehow I originally got connected to the US Nikon site.......and part of my concern about "sending the binoculars in" was that it appeared they had to go to Melville, New York. It wouldn't have been a HUGE deal to take them over the river to ship them via USPS from Niagara Falls NY on my next beer and/or gas run (we buy both over the border, cause beer is HALF price and gas is about 20% cheaper) but my big concern was that if I had to PAY for a repair , it might end up in an "international pissing contest", (if you catch my drift.) Anyway, to make a long story longer, I ended up calling a great guy named Peter at the Canadian Nikon office in Mississauga Ontario, and he confirmed TWO things:

1. Nikon binoculars have a LIFETIME warranty. 2. I could have driven over them with a truck, he said, and I would still get a FREE new pair!

So, I'm gonna throw them in the back of my Yamaha (while the weather's still good) and take them over in person rather than ship them. (Turns out this guy ALSO rides....has a Triumph Thruxton....so we'll be able to talk bikes as well as optics!)

All's well that ends well. Thanks again, guys for encouraging me to pursue this great outcome! (P.S. The ONLY downer.....and it's a small one....is that he says because of the 'onset of hunting season, we might have to wait a bit for your new ones to come in'. I can handle that!!) LOL

Sometimes you hope the model is no longer made and they give you a more update pair of equal value...lol

Looks like you already got your question answered, but I'll echo the above statements. Nikon's customer service has been great to me. I bought a pair of Monarch 10x42s (original cost $350) in 2005, and they have replaced them with new binoculars three times with no questions asked. Twice due to the eye cups breaking, and once because they wouldn't focus well at longer distances. Makes it hard to upgrade to swaro's or something else top end if I keep getting new binos for free! I've bought a couple scopes from them since then, and wouldn't hesitate to buy more of their products.

I had a Nikon camera that the lens got stuck. I sent them in and they told me not under warranty. I asked them to send them back to me. I wanted to throw them in the trash can myself before I went camera shopping for anything but Nikon. Week later a new camera showed up.

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