Protection lens for ats65 (1 Viewer)

Hi,
I read a test of the zeiss diascope 85 where the author first mentioned that naturally you have to buy a piece of glass, a lens, to use as protection for the coated 85mm lens of the scope. To protect vs scratches, sea water splash etc. Can I buy a piece of uv or normal glass to protect my swaro scope?

Kristoffer,

You could buy an ultraviolet filter with an M 67x0,75 thread but it might have a very minor detrimental effect on the image quality.
However, why worry? In normal use objective lenses rarely need cleaning and if mine ever got really grotty I would rinse it under running water and for a final clean use a drop of washing-up liquid in luke-warm water. The lens can then be dried with a soft clean tissue. Leissovski scopes are all waterproof.

John

John Russell said:

Kristoffer,

You could buy an ultraviolet filter with an M 67x0,75 thread but it might have a very minor detrimental effect on the image quality.
However, why worry? In normal use objective lenses rarely need cleaning and if mine ever got really grotty I would rinse it under running water and for a final clean use a drop of washing-up liquid in luke-warm water. The lens can then be dried with a soft clean tissue. Leissovski scopes are all waterproof.

John

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I did not worry until I read the review where the author claimed that salt water and other stuff could damage the coating. Thanks for your input!

kristoffer said:

Hi,
I read a test of the zeiss diascope 85 where the author first mentioned that naturally you have to buy a piece of glass, a lens, to use as protection for the coated 85mm lens of the scope. To protect vs scratches, sea water splash etc. Can I buy a piece of uv or normal glass to protect my swaro scope?

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That's rubbish.
I've used my Diascope 65 for years in adverse seawatching circumstances,
unprotected. Salt water spray on the objective made me clean them every ten minutes or so, a quick squirt from the waterbottle and a rough wipe with a handkerchief, and on for another ten minutes.

Back home I wiped the scope body with a dripping wet cloth to remove all the salt, wiped the big lense in three seconds, dried the whole thing with a cotton cloth and that was it.

I used to put a cover on the objective lens when I would take the scope out in my rucksack, but I quit doing that because it was cumbersome to take it off every time I needed a quick view.
I dumped it objective down in my bicycle carrierbag when I went cycling so I would loose no time to haul it out when needed.

After 4 years I sold the scope. Before that I minutely inspected the big lense and the ocular for scratches/particles, within 5 cm range with a flaslight under various angles. Not a single scratch on the entire lense surface.
The coating is IMHO very very tough.

Best regards,

Ronald

An extra layer of protection can't do any harm, if it brings peace of mind. A protection filter is more easily replaced than an objective lens if the scope e.g. takes a tumble. A good filter will have virtually no effect on image quality or light transmission - do NOT use a cheap filter. I use a B+W 007 MRC Clear Protective Filter on my Zeiss 65. This is completely neutral - its only function is lens protection. And it is made from the same Schott glass used in Diascope lenses - Schott is a partner company of Zeiss. An added advantage if your Diascope is not LotuTec coated is that the filter's Multi Resistant Coating acts in much the same way.

http://www.schneiderkreuznach.de/neuheiten/schutzfilter_e.htm

Thanks for your input guys. Thing is though that I have a swarovski ats 65, not the zeiss. I think it´s a bit harder to attach a uv filter to my swaro since I have to attach it to the sun-guard. It will be quite exposed so far out.

kristoffer said:

I think it´s a bit harder to attach a uv filter to my swaro since I have to attach it to the sun-guard.

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No way. Swarovski quote M67 thread, so with a 65mm objective diameter it has got to screw into the scope body.

John

John Russell said:

No way. Swarovski quote M67 thread, so with a 65mm objective diameter it has got to screw into the scope body.

John

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Are you sure? Would be nice then. I asked the store in sweden with best knowledge of bins and they claimed I had to attach it to the sunguard.

kristoffer said:

Are you sure? Would be nice then. I asked the store in sweden with best knowledge of bins and they claimed I had to attach it to the sunguard.

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Swarovski scopes do only have a filter thread on the sun-shield. It would be possible to add an aftermarket lens hood, such as a Hoya Multihood, if you were concerned about the filter being damaged.

Personally I don't bother on my ATS80HD,

Steve

SteveClifton said:

Swarovski scopes do only have a filter thread on the sun-shield.

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Steve,

I don't have a Swaro scope but can't imagine this could be the case.
The filter thread for the 80mm scopes is M82x0,75. This puts it radially 1mm outside the edge of the objective. The sun shield slides on the scope body so the latter would have to be paper thin for the sun shield to accommodate an 82mm thread. Take another close look at your scope.
Of course if the diameter of the filter mount were too large, it might prevent you from extending the sun shield.

John