blackouts with Nikon SE 8x32

[Pinewood]

I am having difficulties with the Nikon 8x32 SE [Superior E] glass. It often blacks out, partially, or greatly. I imagine that this is a matter of aligning my pupils with the objectives and oculars of the binocular. However, I never had this problem with my old Leitz 8x30 Binuxit or with the Lica 8x32 BN. I seem to be frequently adjusting the IP distance. Am I doing something wrong?

Best wishes,
Arthur Pinewood

[scampo]

I have the same problem when panning with my Swarovski ELs. It is as you say - not aligning your eyes correctly. I really do think it's a matter of time and you will adjust to them without thinking, but have a friend or two try them for a while and see if they have the same problem. If so, there could be an alignment fault.

[william j clive]

I am having difficulties with the Nikon 8x32 SE [Superior E] glass. It often blacks out, partially, or greatly. I imagine that this is a matter of aligning my pupils with the objectives and oculars of the binocular. However, I never had this problem with my old Leitz 8x3o Binuxit or with the Lica 8x32 BN. I seem to be frequently adjusting the IP distance. Am I doing something wrong?

Best wishes,
Arthur Pinewood


Arthur , do you wear spectacles?

The reason I ask is that I recently ordered new specs and had them made to fit very close to my eyes, as I keep them on when using bins. Well, they gave me a problem with blacking out that I never had with my old specs. Now I always use my old specs with the 8x32 SE and dont have a problem. The SE is obviously quite sensitive in this respect.



Clive

[Pinewood]

Clive and Steve,

Thank you for your kind interest in my question.

Indeed, I do wear eyeglasses! Most new binoculars cannot handle my left eye's myopia. Should I pull my specs down my nose a bit? In fact, my first reaction was to pull my head back, but I like to put my eyebrows right up against eyecups. Is there such a thing as too much eye relief?

I am not able to lend the glass to anyone who is knowledgeable. Indeed, I never lend my toothbrush, my fountain pen or my binocular.

This is really annoying but did not show up in my first outings with the binocular.

Arthur Pinewood

[jebir]

Is there such a thing as too much eye relief?

Hi Arthur,

I took this up in another thread regarding blackouts with my 10x42 SEs a while ago. I learnt that the problem was because I had the eye too close to the ocular. I have had binos with fairly long ER previously so I didn't beliebe it at first but I have now checked it so many times that I am convinced. My previous binos had obviously not as long ER as the SE's.

Cheers, Jens

[Pinewood]

Hi Arthur,

I learnt that the problem was because I had the eye too close to the ocular. I have had binos with fairly long ER previously so I didn't beliebe it at first but I have now checked it so many times that I am convinced. My previous binos had obviously not as long ER as the SE's.

Cheers, Jens

Jens,

Thank you for your assistance.

It is a little awkward holding the glass away from one's eyes. Then again, the Nikon is a nice glass for bright days.

I have been to Sweden, just once, to Malmo. That would be quite a distance from Linkoping. But I have been much farther north in Iceland.

Cheers,
Arthur Pinewood

[jebir]

Jens,

Thank you for your assistance.

It is a little awkward holding the glass away from one's eyes. Then again, the Nikon is a nice glass for bright days.

I have been to Sweden, just once, to Malmo. That would be quite a distance from Linkoping. But I have been much farther north in Iceland.

Cheers,
Arthur Pinewood
Hi Arthur,

I don't use spectacles but I use to fold down the eyecaps and then place the upper part of the remaining eyecaps at my eyebrows and the the perfect eyerelief is attained by slightly tilting my head forward. Sounds complicated in writing but it isn't. I very fast found a good distance for me. Maybe you can have a similar technique with glasses? In the beginning, it might feel strange because because, tilting the head a tiny bit forward also means that you will have to look a little bit "upwards" (with respect to your eyelids).... Ah, I can't really explain it. Try it and see if you understand what I mean...

Malmö is very different from Iceland indeed! I were on Iceland in the last weekend of May. A wondeful country! Not so many species but those that are there are so abundant! I have posted a few of my digiscoped pictures from the trip in my gallery if you are interested.

Cheers, Jens.

[mcdowella]

I have the Nikon E II and noticed a similar problem. My reaction has been to move the binoculars forward slightly when they black out, until I can see the edge of the field of view in my peripheral vision and can use this to centre them. This always clears the blackout quickly, although I still find them irritating to use compared with my other main binoculars (8.5x44 Swift Audubon 820 ED), which don't seem to cause this effect in my case.

[Pinewood]

I thank all who have contributed insight for this thread. I think that eyeglass wearers should be warned of the potential for difficulties with this glass. In retrospect, I would not have bought it, as I find the Leica 8x32 more agreeable, even with its narrower field. In fact, I think my old Leitz Binuxit is pretty good, in comparison.

Additionally, the Leica is truly waterproof. Since I have looked at Jens Icelandic photos, I feel a desire to revisit some damp Scandinavian locales, like Iceland or the Hardangavidda in Norway.

Yesterday, I did use the Nikon to observe a black crowned night heron, about eight meters away. I hope the next time I use the glass, I may have mastered its idiosyncracies.

Cheers,
Arthur Pinewood

[henry link]

Arthur, One thing you might try is to partially roll down the eye cups leaving as much lip is possible extending beyond the back of the eyepiece. I find I can add 3-4mm to the eyecup depth this way compared to completely rolled down. I don't know if the eyecups will hold this position with use. It's a shame this bin doesn't have a more modern eyecup design with intermediate settings to accomodate different facial structures and eyeglass types. If you can solve this problem I think you will find there is no optically better binocular available. Henry

[Pinewood]

Arthur, One thing you might try is to partially roll down the eye cups leaving as much lip is possible extending beyond the back of the eyepiece. I find I can add 3-4mm to the eyecup depth this way compared to completely rolled down. I don't know if the eyecups will hold this position with use. It's a shame this bin doesn't have a more modern eyecup design with intermediate settings to accomodate different facial structures and eyeglass types. If you can solve this problem I think you will find there is no optically better binocular available. Henry
My dear Henry,

Many thanks. I have managed to fold the cups over a couple of mm. Enough to try it this way on my next ramble.

As others have written, optical superiority is not the sole criterion for choosing a binocular. It has to be mechanicallly and ergonomicallly part of the users' persona, an extension of his senses to another plane.

I doubt that Nikon will ever do anything to change this glass. I complained about the inadequate case soon after purchase. The case has no strap of its own. Unlike the German binos, the strap is not threaded through the case. When I removed the glass, I was left with a case that had to be placed somwhere, rather than conveniently carried. My inquiries to Nikon USA, were met with disdain.

With warm regards,
Arthur Pinewood

[iporali]

The case has no strap of its own. Unlike the German binos, the strap is not threaded through the case. When I removed the glass, I was left with a case that had to be placed somwhere, rather than conveniently carried. My inquiries to Nikon USA, were met with disdain.

Arthur, my family has two pairs of Nikon High Grade binos (10x32HG and 8x32SE) and I really sympathize with you. The small, cheap details in finishing easily spoil the brilliance of the otherwise great product. Why did Nikon eg. have to stitch that bold golden text "Since 1917" on *plastic*, or use that cheap synthetic foam as anti-slip material on the neck strap? I wonder how they look after 10 years, when the real leather would just start to age with pride.

BTW when I take the case off, I close the lid around the neck strap and put the case behind my neck. It does not look as good as the cases of old Leicas or Zeisses though ;)

Ilkka

[Pinewood]

[ The small, cheap details in finishing easily spoil the brilliance of the otherwise great product. I wonder how they look after 10 years, when the real leather would just start to age with pride.

BTW when I take the case off, I close the lid around the neck strap and put the case behind my neck. It does not look as good as the cases of old Leicas or Zeisses though ;)

Ilkka[/QUOTE]

My dear Ilkka,

I also found the rain guard to be absolutely useless. The loops on both sides are split. The first time I used the glass, the guard fell off.

I felt obliged to buy an inexpensive binocular case and a Zeiss ClassiC rain guard. Strangely, the Zeiss rain guard was cheap. The Zeiss Classic rain guards fit almost any binocular.

Thanks for your interest,
Arthur Pinewood

[jebir]

Some thoughts:

1) Given I know how I will be using the binos, optical quality goes before any other criterion for me.
2) I find all eyecups useless - no matter the design. I have always either used them fully folded back/screwed down or simply thrown them away - even if I am not wearing glasses.
3) I have never had any use of the case! If the SE-case had a strap, maybe my wife could use it as a ladies handbag. Some people here use 7x50 porro cases to bring warming liquids to the bandy games in winter. (Ilkka, you know what I mean ;-)
4) All leather straps that my previous binos have had have broken within the first 2 years. They don't withstand soaking in rain or wet snow and then drying up repeatedly. I think the SE strap is quite nice - I don't care if they have embroderies and I like the rubber anti slip thingy.
5) The SE rain guard is crap! - Propably made for a roof bin and I am surprised that I didn't loose it the first week. I use a simple square of fine leather lying over the oculars. It is held in place with the strap that runs through two holes I made in the leather.
6) I used porros for 30 years now with no fogging/fungi problems at all! Sweden, Norway, and Iceland are not damp - so you can safely come with your SE:s!

Welcome! Jens.

[iporali]

...
1) Given I know how I will be using the binos, optical quality goes before any other criterion for me.
Agreed. I can easily tolerate the minor blemishes if the optics is otherwise so great.

3) I have never had any use of the case! If the SE-case had a strap, maybe my wife could use it as a ladies handbag. Some people here use 7x50 porro cases to bring warming liquids to the bandy games in winter. (Ilkka, you know what I mean ;-)

Yes - although bandy is not that big a game over here - I know...

4) All leather straps that my previous binos have had have broken within the first 2 years. They don't withstand soaking in rain or wet snow and then drying up repeatedly. I think the SE strap is quite nice - I don't care if they have embroderies and I like the rubber anti slip thingy.
I think too that the straps in Nikon SEs and HGs are OK, but that decoration sheet is kitsch - which cannot even be removed easily. See Domke camera bags for proper anti slip thingy. Ah, we anoraks... ;)

Ilkka

[Pinewood]

[QUOTE=iporali]

To the gentlemen from the north,


What are bandy games? Are "warming liquids" hot drinks like coffe? Or are they snaps ?

I find a case useful. It guards against shocks and abrasions, provides a place for a notebook, and may provide protection against the weather. Obviously, if Nikon provides a tacky strap and a poor case, the user is free to provide new ones, and still enjoy the fine optics. However, in such a case Nikon is not showing proper regard for their consumers.

I think we are back to the old conundrum: no binocular meets our dream requirements. Each is a compromise. High optical performance is a necessity but there are other considerations. A friend of mine will trade a little bit of resolution for weight. Others need perfect accomodation for spectacles. A few of us cannot tolerate designs that do not accomodate our physical proportions. For instance, my eyes are so closely set that I cannot use a roof prism binocular with 56 mm. objectives. For others, true watertight integrity is a must.

With warm regards,
Arthur Pinewood

[Hermann]

For others, true watertight integrity is a must.

As an aside: Like many other I never really worried about getting my binoculars waterlogged in the rain. I never had any problem with this, not even in the days my 10x50 Jenoptems, the first decent pair I got back in the 1970's.

What I like most about truly waterproof binoculars is that I can clean them under the tap. After a day's seawatching with salt spray all over the place that's *really* nice ...:-)

Hermann

[Pinewood]

Gentlemen,

Thanks for the assistance. Using Henry Link's and Jens' suggestions, the blackouts have been minimized.

With warm regards,
Arthur Pinewood

[jebir]

What are bandy games? Are "warming liquids" hot drinks like coffe? Or are they snaps ?

Bandy is like playing hockey (not ice-hockey) on ice! That means that the spectators have to be outdoors for a long time when viewing the game. "Warming liquids" can be everything from hot chocolate to glögg.

BTW, if you come to Sweden in the winter, we can go and have a look at a game. It is safe to bring any binoculars you like because we usually have 10-20 % relative humidity - don't forget the case B (: .

Cheers, Jens.