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Zeiss FL rainguard and focus (1 Viewer)

T

thomasbarker81

Well-known member
Just bought a second hand pair of Zeiss FLs, very happy except over rain guard - it is useless: far too loose it hardly stays on at all, thought that the seller had given me one from an older pair of bins, but then read other comments about the FL rain guard and how others had same problem. HAs anyone ever managed to find away of making it tighter or a website selling rain guards that would fit?

Second question is about focus which is very smooth, but there is an ever so slight grating sound when focussing, so slight that when outside and there are other sounds grating cant be heard, but inside in silence it is noticeable. Has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks,

Tom
 
My FL rainguard [circa 2010] is plenty tight and actually needs to be peeled off. I find it too tight and would prefer one that just rested on the oculars.

My focus also makes a tiny bit of a scrape if you focus quickly, but it isn't a problem at all.
 
Tom,
I agree with James, my 8x42's rainguard is pretty tight. You have to push it on and pull it off. The rubber deforms in fitting over the eyecups and makes a good fit, giving good protection but not easy on/off for actual birding in the rain. This is puzzling. But I recall reading here that Zeiss changed the eyecups on the FL pretty early in the series, and perhaps also the fit of the rainguard changed too. Mine are the recent version, with Lotutec. If yours are the old style, that might just be the way it is, so hunt up a different off brand rainguard that fits like you want.

Also, my focuser sometimes feels a little rough the first time I use it, but I move it back and forth a time or two and it's smooth after that. Nothing's perfect I guess. Well, the view maybe.
Ron
 
Zeiss changed the eyecup size/shape three times and the rainguard size twice in the FL line. It seems that the oldest smaller size rainguard is actually too tight for the two more recent design larger sized eyecups (The 8x32 never came with the first, smallest size eyecup design, so I haven't been able to test the small cup with the small rainguard--maybe it was designed to be a snug but not too snug fit), whereas the newer design larger size rainguard is loose on all eyecups (i.e. wasn't designed to be a snug fit on anything). I use the larger size rainguard, but I modified it to mimic the Leica BN rainguard as much as possible (except the secure but not too tight fit). It now only attaches at the left side strap, and slides easily down the strap. That way, even though it is a loose fit, it stays down on the eyecups (It's not dislodged by strap movement) but is easy to flick off and to the side when I look through the bins.

--AP
 
Last edited:
thomasbarker81 said:
Just bought a second hand pair of Zeiss FLs, very happy except over rain guard - it is useless: far too loose it hardly stays on at all, thought that the seller had given me one from an older pair of bins, but then read other comments about the FL rain guard and how others had same problem. HAs anyone ever managed to find away of making it tighter or a website selling rain guards that would fit?

Second question is about focus which is very smooth, but there is an ever so slight grating sound when focussing, so slight that when outside and there are other sounds grating cant be heard, but inside in silence it is noticeable. Has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks,

Tom
Click to expand...

My 8x32FL rainguard has 3 lips on the inside edge of each cup which keep it on, but its very easy to remove/apply, i think its a softer rubber than previous FL rainguards.
Get in contact with Zeiss and ask them for one.
As for the focus its very slick, very precise and very silent!!...

The only thing what lets it down is the objective covers, they are very tight, you have to expel the trapped air when you push them on!..
 

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ingle1970 said:
My 8x32FL rainguard has 3 lips on the inside edge of each cup which keep it on, but its very easy to remove/apply, i think its a softer rubber than previous FL rainguards...
Click to expand...

Hey, this is news to me--EXCELLENT! A very different new design! I'm going to call Zeiss immediately to see about getting one of these.
--AP
 
My 8x56 FL (Lotutec) came with the rainguard with the 3 ridges inside and is perfect, i.e. it can be dropped loosely on the oculars or pushed deeper for a tighter fit.
The (light) grating noise is caused by the moving outer part of the focusser (the part which is pulled out to adjust diopter setting) making contact with a sealing ring on the body of the binocular. It's all outside so there's nothing really to worry about. Technically that is.

Renze
 
ingle1970 said:
Just had another look to see if there is a product code/number on it, i cant see anything, sorry...
Click to expand...

No problem. I called Zeiss USA and they're dropping one in the mail for me today. It's the only one that they stock now. Apparently, the change in design may have coincided with the newer softer and rounder-profile eyecups. That was a few years ago, and I got a new set of eyecups at that time, but I didn't catch wind of the rainguard change until now. Just goes to show you that we don't discuss everything here on Birdforum that is happening in the world of binoculars, even the alphas, despite this rainguard change being of more practical significance than some of the slight tweaks in coatings or putative merits of leaded glass that garner so much attention.

--AP
 
Alexis Powell said:
No problem. I called Zeiss USA and they're dropping one in the mail for me today. It's the only one that they stock now. Apparently, the change in design may have coincided with the newer softer and rounder-profile eyecups. That was a few years ago, and I got a new set of eyecups at that time, but I didn't catch wind of the rainguard change until now. Just goes to show you that we don't discuss everything here on Birdforum that is happening in the world of binoculars, even the alphas, despite this rainguard change being of more practical significance than some of the slight tweaks in coatings or putative merits of leaded glass that garner so much attention.

--AP
Click to expand...

I like that FL rainguard so much I use it on my SV as well. It's about the best I've seen. Softer and less bulky than the SV guard.

Mark
 
All sorted, contacted Zeiss and they sent new eyepieces and rain guard, amazing customer service especially as bought second hand and already 5 years old!

Tom
 
Kammerdiner said:
I like that FL rainguard so much I use it on my SV as well. It's about the best I've seen. Softer and less bulky than the SV guard.

Mark
Click to expand...

Like yourself i am not a big fan of the EL hinged guard, the new winged eyecups and rainguard are good though, they work well and are very comfortable...
 
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