[ceasar]

The Zen-Ray 8 x 42 Vista which I won in the drawing Friday and received at 10:00 AM this morning (Thanks Charles!--Great service! Mailed from Portland, Oregon on Monday and arrived in NE PA this morning!) focuses counter clockwise to Infinity and I am not complaining about it!

Bob

PS: Eacherhartzout!

[FrankD]

Hmm, that sounds like you might be pleased with it. Would further comments be in order?

[looksharp65]

Originally Posted by FrankD

Would further comments be in order?

As long as they're in the Zen-Ray forum...

[FrankD]

Ah, da forum police! Busted!



Of course in the Zen Ray forum.

:)

[looksharp65]

Originally Posted by looksharp65

Clockwise: Vortex Talon HD (thanks lmans66 )
I hope that goes for their new 32s too.

Even the 32s focus clockwise. Exchanged emails with Kate at Eagle Optics where she confirmed the EO Ranger ED 32s do.

Very tempted now...

[looksharp65]

Clockwise: Kowa SV series

Anti-clockwise: Opticron ED-X (apart from focus direction the 8x42 seems a very nice bin, btw)

[looksharp65]

Clockwise: Hawke Sapphire ED
Thanks CliveP!

[Chhayanat]

Clockwise: CZJ Jenoptem 10x50W; CZJ Notarem 10x40B; Nikon Premier 10x42;

Anti-clockwise: Pentax DCF 8x42 WP;

[Sancho]

In seven years of learning, through this bino forum, to obsess about every minute detail of my bins, and through over 30 pairs of binos, I've never actually noticed which way any of them focus. I was surprised to read on a post that the Opti SRGA, a pair of which I recently acquired, focus the 'wrong' way. My current stable is down to seven pairs, and I still don't know which way any of them focus. Am I missing a gene, or should I go and check them all?

[newfie ghost]

Originally Posted by Sancho

In seven years of learning, through this bino forum, to obsess about every minute detail of my bins, and through over 30 pairs of binos, I've never actually noticed which way any of them focus. I was surprised to read on a post that the Opti SRGA, a pair of which I recently acquired, focus the 'wrong' way. My current stable is down to seven pairs, and I still don't know which way any of them focus. Am I missing a gene, or should I go and check them all?

That is interesting. You know that you have hours on glass when the focusing direction is without thought. Particularly if you have some that focus in different directions.

[NDhunter]

Originally Posted by Sancho

In seven years of learning, through this bino forum, to obsess about every minute detail of my bins, and through over 30 pairs of binos, I've never actually noticed which way any of them focus. I was surprised to read on a post that the Opti SRGA, a pair of which I recently acquired, focus the 'wrong' way. My current stable is down to seven pairs, and I still don't know which way any of them focus. Am I missing a gene, or should I go and check them all?

Sancho:

I am with you on this subject. I have a good number of binoculars, and I
could not tell anyone which way they focus, as it does not matter a bit
to me.

They are just tubes with glass, pick them up, and move the focuser, and you
will soon figure it out.

Enjoy the view.

Jerry

[looksharp65]

As I said before, it is not that I can't adapt reasonably well to a backwards focuser, but that the readaptation when going back to my other bins takes too much time.
I do own a Bushnell Excursion and when I try to watch warblers and sparrows with them, I get lost all the time since the anticlockwise focuser is immensely counterintuitive to me.
This defies the very purpose of using binoculars. I see the small birds better with the naked eye than with a defocused binocular.

I can trace some ridicule in some of the posts in this thread. If you ask me, the direction of focus is an important property of binoculars, with infinitely more pregnancy than many of the more recent threads on this forum. Enough said.

//L

[Sancho]

Originally Posted by looksharp65

I can trace some ridicule in some of the posts in this thread. If you ask me, the direction of focus is an important property of binoculars, with infinitely more pregnancy than many of the more recent threads on this forum. Enough said.

//L

Looksharp, sincerest apologies if my post was interpreted as ridicule. It was intended as a genuine observation, and if it appeared "light-hearted", it was a puerile attempt at self-effacement aimed at my own inability to notice obvious things, like, for example, focussing direction - hence the "missing a gene" comment aimed at myself.

[looksharp65]

Sancho, no problem, it's OK with me and I didn't specifically have you in mind. I just put my foot down.
The intention of this thread is to list the focus direction of as many binoculars as possible, rather than discuss whether or not, and if so, why this is a problem for certain individuals.

This is a very substantial property of a binocular's construction. Since we discuss eye relief issues, IPD limits, central hinge tension, straylight protection and various distortions, not to mention God knows all the subjects of no relevance to binoculars, I can't let this aspect be ditched as something irrelevant or even silly.
I would prefer this thread to remain a neutral information source.
After all, some people, how strange it still may seem, can't use a clockwise focuser.

If there was a gene therapy to correct this admittedly restricting need of mine, I'd gladly go through it. But I figure I'll soon be done with binocular purchases/exchanges. I'm close now.

To those of you who still consider this silly, may I ask how you would feel if you were forced to drive on the other side of the road? Could you guarantee that your driving would feel and be equally secure? Would you prefer to use your own car or one that has the steering wheel on the "wrong" side?

//L

[BruceH]

LookSharp65,

Here are some less mainstream counter intuitive counter clockwise models ....

- Zen-Ray Prime HD 10X42 -- Counter clockwise rotation from close to infinity.

- Sightron II Blue Sky 8X42 -- Counter clockwise rotation from close to infinity.

- Alpen Apex 12X50 -- Counter clockwise rotation from close to infinity.

- Bushnell Custom 9X36 -- Counter clockwise rotation from close to infinity.

I also think it is more intuitive to have a clockwise rotation when going from close to infinity. I wonder if that is because in english, we read from left to right. If asked to write a series of numbers in ascending order, I would write 1 2 3 4 ...... If I read from right to left, I would write 4 3 2 1. If I were from a country reading right to left, maybe I would find a counter clockwise rotation more intuitive. Lucky for me, I never developed a muscle memory for one direction so I can switch between the two directions without to much agravation.

[newfie ghost]

Most everything is covered but the Steiner wildlife pro. CCW to infinity

Garrett models like the 8x42 roof and the 12x60 porro are also CCW.

Cabelas alaskan guide is also CCW

ZEISS, Leica, Nikon and SWARO are opposite.

[looksharp65]

Thank you for your contribution and your thoughts, Bruce and newfie.
Since many Japanese binoculars focus bass ackwards, you may have a point. Don't they have left-hand traffic too? :)

To be honest, I don't think there's much thought put into this when constructing binoculars.
Nobody but the engineers know that a right-threaded center bolt will cause an anticlockwise focus action if a negative focusing lens is used, and if their committment is to keep costs down, and nobody disagrees about the direction, then anticlockwise it is.
If a left-handed thread costs one more dollar to produce, the price increase might be $10 at its most. I bet that some pale, nervous little fiscal administrator would object to that increase of the cost of manufacture even if the retail price easily would cover it.
That's how things work. I have seen similar things happen but can't pin that down.

//L

[Alexis Powell]

For me, clockwise is best. Given that I focus with my right hand, and that the most comfortable focus (i.e. most relaxing to the lens muscles of the eyes) is achieved by final adjustment outward to the object, clockwise allows for more precision because it is done with a "pull" on the knob rather than a push. If I were left handed, I'd prefer the opposite. But what I'd most prefer is if every bin were the same.

--AP

[dipped]

Anyone know which way the Olympus 8x40 DPSI focusses? I'm thinking of getting a pair.

[dipped]

Originally Posted by dipped

Anyone know which way the Olympus 8x40 DPSI focusses? I'm thinking of getting a pair.

Just had a call-back from Olympus and they tell me it's Clockwise to infinity.

Great. I had a feeling these were as I used to demo them.

[looksharp65]

Does anybody know the focusing direction of the Celestron Granites?

[oetzi]

Eden Quality XP = CCW

[OsageArcher]

Originally Posted by looksharp65

Does anybody know the focusing direction of the Celestron Granites?

My 12x50 Granites are CCW to infinity, and a true joy to use. Others I have are CW to infinity. I guess I am "neural plastic" enough (or I just adapt) to where it makes no difference to me...

[looksharp65]

Anticlockwise: Swarovski Habicht SL 7x42 (porro)!!