Rifle Scopes Nikon Warranty Update

[gr8fuldoug]

We just received this update from Nikon:

From Nikon:

We wanted to make you aware of a change that will take place regarding Nikon Inc.’s Sport Optics product warranty program. After review, we have decided to make some program adjustments that will require changes to in-store, online and other marketing materials.

PROGRAM CHANGE: Nikon Inc.’s product warranty is changing from the current product warranty to the following:
Lifetime limited warranty for the optical system of Binoculars, Fieldscopes and Riflescopes;
Seven-year limited warranty for non-optical system components of Binoculars, Fieldscopes and Riflescopes;
One-year limited warranty for electrical components of Binoculars, Fieldscopes and Riflescopes.

The Five-year limited warranty on all components for Rangefinder and Red Dot/Reflex sight products remains the same.

Please note that going forward we are ending our No-Fault Repair Policy. Therefore, the new warranty program will not apply to any SRO product that is subjected to misuse, alteration or accident or for damage caused from unauthorized replacement parts, will require consumer proof of purchase from an authorized dealer/reseller and will not be transferable from one consumer to another.

 

[Jmccracken1214]

I don’t remember the model of the scope I bought about four years ago but one of the turrets was messed up and I called and told them I bought it secondhand and they had me send it back and sent me a brand new one. Ever since then I’ve been partial to them as a company

 

[gopherslayer]

That’s not good.

 

[spife7980]

That’s not good.

Neither are nikon scopes

 

[gopherslayer]

Is that why there are so many refurbs for sale out there? ?

 

[AIAW]

Their spotters aren't terrible for the money. Rifle scopes, total ass.

 

[Birddog6424]

They are certainly bucking the trend of offering better warranty services and choosing to offer worse.

 

[koshkin]

They are certainly bucking the trend of offering better warranty services and choosing to offer worse.

Well, their products do not really make them stand out, so they figured the warranty will do it for them...

ILya

 

[Desert Raven]

Nikon x1000 4-16x50 was the first scope I bought when I got my .308. Scope has clear glass, ok reticle, but nothing special. Never had any issues with it holding zero, but I just don’t trust turning the turrets on it. Parallax knob is overly difficult to turn as well. So, there it sits in my safe as an extra/loaner.

Overall, not impressed, but I knew exactly nothing when I bought it (obviously). I had not discovered the Hide yet, so I was clueless. Now, a few years later, I have a Nightforce ATACR and smile every time I use it. Folks, it is ABSOLUTELY TRUE: BUY ONCE, CRY ONCE!!

 

[patriot07]

Love my Nikon DSLR. Won't be buying any of their scopes with this news. They don't even offer anything that competes with my Delta Stryker anyway...

 

[ratton]

Nikon: The Rodney Dangerfield of scopes. I have two old 4-16x50 Tacticals. One with the early Gen2 mil dot and the other with the nikoplex. They work as well as any of my Leupolds. They take a licking and keep of ticking.

 

[Halberdier]

Nikon: The Rodney Dangerfield of scopes. I have two old 4-16x50 Tacticals. One with the early Gen2 mil dot and the other with the nikoplex. They work as well as any of my Leupolds. They take a licking and keep of ticking.

Nikon makes good scopes, they're just behind on design. I spent some time looking for an optic for my 10/22 Takedown, one that would be very light and short enough not to stick out past the receiver when it's taken apart. The Nikon P-223 3x32 was the only optic I found that did all of that and was worth having.

 

[Cotay]

Yikes! Because making your product offerings even less compelling is a winning strategy. Nikon is seemingly
content to compete only in the blister pack market.

 

[pell1203]

Going to be really difficult to buy or recommend Nikon scopes given this recent warranty change.

I bought a 4-16 Black FX-1000 that had to be returned to Nikon several times before they got it right but still going to make sure all my paperwork is in order so I can prove I’ve got the older lifetime warranty. Have a buddy that was looking at a Nikon that I’ve recommended he consider Athlon instead.

 

[Georgiaoutlaw]

Neither are nikon scopes

Bullshit Nikon made some of the best rifle scopes in the world

 

[Vodoun daVinci]

Yes they did way back then. Now? Times change....wanted to buy Nikon when I started like 3 years ago but they are hopelessly outclassed now.

VooDoo

 

[SalomonQST99]

Always felt that Nikon made a reasonable product at a very reasonable price.

 

[spife7980]

Bullshit Nikon made some of the best rifle scopes in the world

Yeah and you were smokingthe best meth in the world when you developed that opinion.

 

[5x5]

Bullshit Nikon made some of the best rifle scopes in the world

Way to wake up a Zombie Thread. BTW, Nikon is out of the scope business now.

 

[Denys]

Yeah and you were smokingthe best meth in the world when you developed that opinion.

Actually, at one time they did make some of the very best scopes in the world. There was a rather long article in a German optics magazine in 2007, I think it was. The magazine, Der Visor, had gathered about two dozen riflescopes and brought them to a S&B optics lab to compare them and rate them more scientifically than I have ever seen before. I took the time to translate the article from German and read it all. They compared scopes like S&B PMII, Swarovskis, Leupold, Nightforce, Doctor, and all the top brands. They also included a Nikon Monarch 6.5-20X44, which is what caught my eye at the time because one of the two Nikons I have is exactly that riflescope, bought in 2004. The other is a Monarch Tactical 2.5-10X44, bought in 2006. They are both made in Japan.

Anyway, the Nikon 6.5-20X44 took top honors for light transmission day and night, beating out all the others. The reporters were floored. It also did very well in resolution but had issues when they did cold weather (freezing) tests, compared to S&B and Nightforce. The thing is, that Nikon was $400 to the multi kilobuck S&B, NF , Swaros and so on. I think the Leupold died during the test, as did some others. The $400 Nikon did survive, as did the S&B and the NF, etc.

So, scoff all you want, but Nikon did make great scopes, the problem is that it was hit and miss. The stuff from Japan was great, the stuff from China, not so much. And now, they are history.

 

[ratton]

I still have a couple of the original Nikon Tactical scopes. They are very well built and made in Japan. They even had Gen 2 mildot reticles. But alas, Nikon tactical scopes have always been the Rodney Dangerfield of scopes (They don't get any respect).

 

[Steel+Killer]

I know its a moot point now, but the Nikon Prostaff was a pretty good entry level hunting scope for the money IMO......

 

[SalomonQST99]

Way to wake up a Zombie Thread. BTW, Nikon is out of the scope business now.

Colt was out of the AR business until recently. Maybe Nikon will jump back in soon. Not holding my breath....

 

[5x5]

Colt was out of the AR business until recently. Maybe Nikon will jump back in soon. Not holding my breath....

Nope, they will not get back in. Their customer base is for cameras and lenses. The type of people who detest guns, hunting ect. They were forced out .

 

[SalomonQST99]

Their customer base is for cameras and lenses.

Sorry, but no one buys high end cameras and lenses with a cell phone in your pocket. DSLR's have to be going through an inverse hockey stick sales contraction for the last 10 years.

 

[5x5]

Sorry, but no one buys high end cameras and lenses with a cell phone in your pocket. DSLR's have to be going through an inverse hockey stick sales contraction for the last 10 years.
View attachment 7378663

LOL, anyone who is serious about taking photos does. Bird watchers for instance and other wild life photographers. No professional makes their living with an iphone. Nikon was the NRL sponsor last year and i spoke with the rep at the finals in December and this is what he told me was the reason they were pulling out.

 

[SalomonQST99]

LOL, anyone who is serious about taking photos does. Bird watchers for instance and other wild life photographers. No professional makes their living with an iphone. Nikon was the NRL sponsor last year and i spoke with the rep at the finals in December and this is what he told me was the reason they were pulling out.

LOL back at you . You can see that the market you're talking about is the marked in red in the graph. That red portion of the graph is shrinking year on year. More than half the population on earth carries a cell phone and each can take a picture. If I was Nikon, I'd be crapping a brick and I would be looking into new markets.

 

[5x5]

LOL back at you . You can see that the market you're talking about is the marked in red in the graph. That red portion of the graph is shrinking year on year. More than half the population on earth carries a cell phone and each can take a picture. If I was Nikon, I'd be crapping a brick and I would be looking into new markets.

A few non premium scopes will not make any difference. You obviously don’t know much about photography if you think a cell phone can do much more than take Instagram photos. Pretty much useless for anything except web based uses.

 

[cghorr01]

Collectively, I believe you are exactly right. My dad and I are both into photography and both use Nikon Cameras/Lenses. In the format of products we use their glass is absolutely positively without question, spectacular. Problem is that most people into it are VERY anti gun. Dad and I seem to be the exception and laugh about it and at those type of folks routinely.

Nope, they will not get back in. Their customer base is for cameras and lenses. The type of people who detest guns, hunting ect. They were forced out .

 

[cghorr01]

My dad and I both do. His camera bag probably carries about $40k in it at any given time. Lots of serious photogs still spend a shit ton of money on high end Cameras. Pros too. Anyone who thinks a cell phone camera, even the best one on Earth, can do even a fraction of what a REAL camera is capable of is highly delusional, to say the least. I think the drop in Camera sales is due to everyone thinking they're Ansel Adams with a cell phone Camera these days. Everyone of my buddies who's certain their cell pics are 'just as good' get severely disappointed when I actually put their pics on a monitor and show them how trash they really are. Sure, they may look good on a 6 inch cell phone screen, but that's about it.

Sorry, but no one buys high end cameras and lenses with a cell phone in your pocket. DSLR's have to be going through an inverse hockey stick sales contraction for the last 10 years.
View attachment 7378663

 

[cghorr01]

100%, myself included. Real photos require a real camera. The sensor in a cell is simply too small to ever be able to take real workable pics with. The new mirrorless Nikons and new lenses/mounting system are astounding in capability. I can't help but laugh at the ridiculous 'my cell is just as good' types, that's as ludicrous as saying a $100 scope is just as good as a $5000 scope. Or that a factory built Mosin Nagant is just as accurate as a custom built precision rifle. It would seem to me folks around here in particular would understand the concept VERY well.

LOL, anyone who is serious about taking photos does. Bird watchers for instance and other wild life photographers. No professional makes their living with an iphone. Nikon was the NRL sponsor last year and i spoke with the rep at the finals in December and this is what he told me was the reason they were pulling out.

 

[5x5]

100%, myself included. Real photos require a real camera. The sensor in a cell is simply too small to every be able to take real workable pics with. The new mirrorless Nikons and new lenses/mounting system are astounding in capability. I can't help but laugh at the ridiculous 'my cell is just as good' types, that's as ludicrous as saying a $100 scope is just as good as a $5000 scope. Or that a factory built Morin Nagant is just as accurate as a custom built precision rifle. It would seem to me folks around here in particular would understand the concept VERY well.

Exactly,
My job depends on good clear photos. I am an insurance investigator and have to take photos of damage. Also an arson investigator so the pics I take have to stand up to cross examination in court. I have used my iphone X for quick shots but the light has to be perfect and you can not zoom in to save your life without getting pixilated. I have an array of equipment ranging from a waterproof Lumix point and shoot to a DSLR and even a DJI phantom 4 pro. You have to use the right tool for the job.

 

[smoothy8500]

A fire engine went down my street yesterday.

 

[cghorr01]

It's only hobby for me, but I want clear shots just the same. Mostly nature and cars/motorcycles for subject material.

Exactly,
My job depends on good clear photos. I am an insurance investigator and have to take photos of damage. Also an arson investigator so the pics I take have to stand up to cross examination in court. I have used my iphone X for quick shots but the light has to be perfect and you can not zoom in to save your life without getting pixilated. I have an array of equipment ranging from a waterproof Lumix point and shoot to a DSLR and even a DJI phantom 4 pro. You have to use the right tool for the job.

 

[Tweedycarcass23jonb]

Well they definitely didn’t take a page out of vortex’s book. They closed that shit!

 

[supercorndogs]

LOL back at you . You can see that the market you're talking about is the marked in red in the graph. That red portion of the graph is shrinking year on year. More than half the population on earth carries a cell phone and each can take a picture. If I was Nikon, I'd be crapping a brick and I would be looking into new markets.

The graph shows more sales of interchangeable lens cameras from 2013-2018 than from 2003 to 2008. So the low point on your graph for interchable lens cameras is 2003, the high point is 2012, and 2018 at the end is about the average. So, your graph does not show a year to year decline in the sale of interchangeable lens cameras. It shows a steady market for interchangeable lens and a declining market for fixed lens.

 

[smoothy8500]

So, your graph does not show a year to year decline in the sale of interchangeable lens cameras.

 

[5x5]

And there are many reasons the point and shoot market is not selling as many cameras. Cell phones are the main one, another is that the technology has matured and the cameras are not improving at the rate they once did. I have a stack of digital point and shoot cameras going back 25 years. They are also not as delicate as they once were. My current one is a Lumix TS5 that is several years old and is bulletproof. I have dropper it off a roof and it still works. It is water proof and I use it kayak fishing in the Gulf of Mexico.

 

[smoothy8500]

How did this thread go from rifle scopes to potentially covering toilet bowl cleaner?

 

[supercorndogs]

Warranty, not scopes.

 

[SalomonQST99]

The graph shows more sales of interchangeable lens cameras from 2013-2018 than from 2003 to 2008. So the low point on your graph for interchable lens cameras is 2003, the high point is 2012, and 2018 at the end is about the average. So, your graph does not show a year to year decline in the sale of interchangeable lens cameras. It shows a steady market for interchangeable lens and a declining market for fixed lens.

Maybe this will better help you see the trends. You are right that the best year for DSLR's was in 2012. And the market has been declining ever since. The real problem is that shrinking market is loaded with competition behomoths from industry leaders like Canon and Sony. Also, there's no doubt that people can take a good photo with a DSLR, but people are using less of them over time.

The real question started out being: 'Will Nikon get back into make riflescopes?' If they are losing market share to Canon and Sony, Nikon will need to enter new markets or they will end up going the way of Kodak and Polaroid.

 

[supercorndogs]

You are back with the same chart only as a line graph instead of a bar graph, and it lumps fixed lens and interchangeable lens cameras. At least this one doesn't represent the opposite of what you say it does.