James, I have a Leupold 3 X 9 compact that I really like. It' s the lightest scope I could find and I can attest that Leupold does stand behind their product.

just had to vent. anyway im looking at leupolds- nikons and bushnell legends for under 300$. is this raingaurd stuff just a new gimmick? or am i falling into the cheap optics trap again

Not wanting to be a smart a$$ or anything, but why spend $169 for something you only used twice in two years?

liquidorange,

Make sure when you purchase the binos they are clearly advertised in writing as " Waterproof" .....not weather (or water) resistant! If you purchase binos that are advertised as waterproof, and they leak...not caused by negligence....the company will have to make good their claim. (Assuming they are still in business....shades of Tasco.)

My other recommendation is to self determine how much use you get from your binoculars...and spend accordingly! It is seldom a mistake to buy quality, (and I am not referring to just buying a name). I know that companies such as Nikon and Pentax to name a couple make some really good waterproof optics for reasonable prices. (We are currently considering a pair of one of the above for my wife.)

I decided to spend what I did because I use my binos " all the time" . I am constantly glassing (even when in the woods) and few things " Erk" me worse than to see someone " oggling" me through a riflescope! Riflescopes are gun sights, used for aiming a firearm! Not meant for general glassing and/or identifying targets. I do not use my riflescope until after my " target" is identified. From the number of times I' ve seen someone peering at me through their scope....I' d guess that a huge number of other people don' t see it that way! I have told more than a few hunters to " please not point their rifle at me...unless they' d like the same" . Maybe not very subtle...but certainly to the point!!!

If you use your binos frequently...buy the best you possibly can afford! It is pretty much a " one time expenditure" , and seldom a mistake!

Best of luck with whatever you choose!

James B,

I have not had to use Burris' s service dept. so I can' t speak to their level of service. But I have owned a number of Burris compact riflescopes...specifically the Compact 2X7' s. Those scopes were mounted on rifles with intermediate recoil, (.30-06' s, .308' s, etc). They gave me great service. The adjustments were positive, they held zero, and the adjustments were " repeatable" . They were not as bright as a " fullsize" riflescope but that was a trade off I expected for their being compact. All in all I would have rated them along side of Leupold' s scopes.

I purchased them back in the early to mid 80' s and I don' t know if the quality has changed since....and like I said, I never used their service department! So that is an unknown quantity to me. (Having said all of that....I will say that I have used Leupold' s service department.....and know them to be very responsive and would rate them as excellent for service!)

Good luck with your new purchase!

to me 169$ was a big step up from what i have( tasco) and wanted to spend. this was the pair i wanted to keep in great shape and use only on special hunting trips.i usually go on a trip every other year for bear, deer, caribou ect.. hunting in the jungles of new jersey rarely afford more than a 50 yard shot so i see no need to carry extra weight and bring such fancy glass( 10x42) . to use them during archery would be a joke because because i hunt over some nasty thick trails. this was my binos for long range use. i do hunt the mountains of central pennsylvania and with the new antler point minimum i would have used them for that too. its no different than having a bird gun a deer gun skeet gun ect... one for different uses.if you check this model in the major catalogs it is listed as waterproof and fogproof. i purchased the old model but i know when i purchased them i read the new models description but they sent me the old version. i just didnt think that they should have gone bad that quick! they werent in a downpour or anything just a nast wet day. just shring my grief so others will learn. i have no doubt BURRIS makes some good stuff but its just how i was treated!

liquidorange,

I agree with you! I would be very " ticked off" if any service department treated me that way. And it would be the end of my business with such a company!

I think for the sake of satisfaction that I' d fire off either (or both) an e-mail to their corporate headquarters as well as a certified letter. I would state all relevant information and give them a final opportunity to make it right. ($169. is far too much to throw away.)

I would do the same for the " order house" . If they carry a product whose manufacturer will not stand behind its product they should take remedial action of some sort. If they refuse to assist you in rectifying the problem......make their name known as well.....and refuse to do business with them in the future!

Any other information I included in my earlier posts was only to state my feelings and experiences with optics in the past. It was in no way meant as a reflection on anything you stated....but rather to provide info towards making a decision on your " new binos" !

Once again, best of luck in finding a suitable resolution!

For the price and quality you will have to really search hard to find better than Bushnell legends. Bushnell will back them up too.

thanks im gonna look into the legends. i wish i could take these apart on my own but i think there glued or something.

Why don' t you try to de -humidify them yourself.I had a pair of binos do the same thing and I stuck them in pillow tied it up with string and put them in the drier for an hour or two and they came out good as new.The heat dried them right out.Try it,maybe it will work with your set too.