[Tero]

I wear eyeglasses only art of the time, and rarely with binoculars. But I was curious with what people have done with those screw in pieces that are supposed to help with glasses users. In my Minolta pair, they are useless, as the field of view is really small with glasses. SO I take the glases off and screw the eye pieces all the way out. But as these are x25 binoculars, it seems like the all the way out position cuts down on your field off view. So I screw them back in, and now I get the full view without glasses.

Are these devices ever correct under any use? Seems like I could do without them. In 8x40 or 8x50 sizes, as I have tried at a store, they seem to work better.

I can see some day needing these, so I want them to work both ways!

[marcus]

They do work good with 8x40s. Even with my 8x32, screwing the cups in makes the image better. And it's a lot easier than having to take glasses off every time the binoculars are used.

[Tero]

Oops, meant to say
So I screw them HALF WAY back in, and now I get the full view without glasses.

It seems that the bigger the (binocular) pupil the better glasses work.

[Steve-O]

Hey there Tero!

You are doing the right thing, screw the caps until you get a full view, that's why there usually are stops on the screw caps - so you know where to set them.

What you are dealing with is called "eye relief", that is the distance you have to be behind the eyepiece to be in focus and get a full view. This is related to the size of the exit pupil, the bigger the exit pupil the more eye relief you get. It's easier to get long eye relief (> 15cm) with larger lenses, so it makes sense that you had better luck with the 8x40s than the 8x25s.

While I do not need glasses for close work, my distance vision is failing, so I wear my binnocs with the caps screwed in....in case I need to see something quickly, and remove the glasses and screw out the caps if I have time.

Eye relief is also what you adjust on a new rifle, you adjust the scope so that it gives a good view when you get the rifle to your shoulder. Make sense?

Hope this helps,

Steve-O

[Tero]

Thanks. Rifles are another world. I would not really even approach that subject, as I am left eyed and right handed!

[bineshii]

Hi Tero,
I am also left eyed and right handed! I shoot bows and rifles left handed, and pistols I hold right handed. I have a right handed Winchester Model 70 with a Leupold Vari-X III 1.75-6x - an excellent scope worth every penny. The eye relief is perfect on it- I want to find the equivalent in a bino.
Stu

[Tero]

We all manage, Stu!

[Swissboy]

Originally Posted by Steve-O

What you are dealing with is called "eye relief", that is the distance you have to be behind the eyepiece to be in focus and get a full view. This is related to the size of the exit pupil, the bigger the exit pupil the more eye relief you get. It's easier to get long eye relief (> 15cm) with larger lenses, so it makes sense that you had better luck with the 8x40s than the 8x25s.
Steve-O

Steve-O, you are not correct with your saying that eye relief is related to the exit pupil. These two are independent. As for the "15cm", it should be 15mm if you are taking about binoculars. May be cms for rifle scopes, I don't know.

[seawatcher]

There is another problem which those who wear glasses have that hasn't been mentioned either by the manufacturers or by other birders (as far as I am aware). Some eyecups are rather slippery, such that it can be difficult to centre the binocs in relation to your eyes without them sliding to one side. This can make viewing with glasses difficult. Personally have worn glasses for over 35 years, and prefer to shove my glasses up when viewing through binoculars. Although the view (image) is considerably better using my glasses and the binocs, I just hate when they start to slide. It's not a major problem now, but what to do when my eyesight is so bad that I can't correct for the difference in both eyes withn the diopter ring. Anyone else know what i mean here? Or is it just me? Any other glasses wearers with any opinions as to what makes have the least slippy eyecups?

[Den]

Originally Posted by seawatcher

There is another problem which those who wear glasses have that hasn't been mentioned either by the manufacturers or by other birders (as far as I am aware). Some eyecups are rather slippery, such that it can be difficult to centre the binocs in relation to your eyes without them sliding to one side. This can make viewing with glasses difficult. Personally have worn glasses for over 35 years, and prefer to shove my glasses up when viewing through binoculars. Although the view (image) is considerably better using my glasses and the binocs, I just hate when they start to slide. It's not a major problem now, but what to do when my eyesight is so bad that I can't correct for the difference in both eyes withn the diopter ring. Anyone else know what i mean here? Or is it just me? Any other glasses wearers with any opinions as to what makes have the least slippy eyecups?

I use Nikon HG's while wearing spectacles. I don't get any eyepiece slippage on the spec lenses. Much better than my previous Leicas (better eye relief and sharper too).

[Pinewood]

I have, according to my optician, "serious myopia," I need a -7 for my left eye, which also suffers from stigmatism. I have one modern, and one old binocular for birding, which adjusts to accomodate my [lack of] sight. The Zeiss Dialyt 7x42 allows me to focus on infinity without my specs. I find it a real pleasure to see a full view with the eye cups up, that I often do not fret about the uncorrected stigmatism. Now I push my specs up past my forehead, when I use the Dialyt. This may not be the most elegant arrangement, but it works.

I do not think that the latest Zeiss models have so much diopter correction available, while Nikon and Leica seem to be short of the old Zeiss's diopter adjustment.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur

[mak]

Originally Posted by Pinewood

I do not think that the latest Zeiss models have so much diopter correction available, while Nikon and Leica seem to be short of the old Zeiss's diopter adjustment.
Happy bird watching,
Arthur

Arthur.

According to their brochures the;

The dioptre adjustment on the FL's is +/- 4 D. The adjustment on the 7x42 Classic is +/- 3.5 D

The Ultravid's are +/- 4 D

EL +/- 3 D

All above are 42mm versions

mak.

[Rich N]

Originally Posted by mak

Arthur.

According to their brochures the;

The dioptre adjustment on the FL's is +/- 4 D. The adjustment on the 7x42 Classic is +/- 3.5 D

The Ultravid's are +/- 4 D

EL +/- 3 D

All above are 42mm versions

mak.

The Zeiss FLs will go 7 D past infinity, not counting the
difference between one side and the other. This lets someone very near sighted, like me, to use the FL without my glasses.

Rich

[snowyowl]

This is an interesting thread. I've worn glasses since childhood. I find that my B&L Elites give me the sharpest view when I have the eye cups screwed all the way out. I do loose a bit of FoV but the improved image makes it worth the small loss. I started doing it than way when I read a comment somewhere (possibly on the Birding Canada web site) that a B&L user had learned that he got the best view if he held his binos slightly away from his eye glasses. Adjusting the eye cups seems to do the same for me.
I can only use my compact Bushnell 8x25's with the eye cups folded all the way back, which I don't like, it just isn't comfortable, or if I don't do the fold back then I must remove my glasses. Result is that I almost never use the binos.
As far as binos slipping, it's not an issue for me. I try not to press against the eye glasses, for one thing it tends to spread the frames.
I can't imagin how anyone can use binos by routinely removing their glasses. Isn't it much too slow?
I have an older set of Jason binos (now bought out by Bushnell) that were designed to be used by eye glass wearers. They don't have cups just a flat end. They worked really well for me but had become rather battered over time, hence the upgrage to the Elites..

[Tero]

I tried some Swift roof prisms, 8x (35-40). They were actually much better than my Nikon Sporters with glasses. I do see with mine, but a more limited FOV than without glasses. They cost about the same, $350 and claim to be waterproof.

[salty]

i wear glasses for driving, but tend to use them for birding also - usually spot things better with them on. i must admit, using my leica 10x42bn's with glasses does tend to effect the feild of view! often find myself viewing without my glasses just to get the wider field of view, but then it means i cant spot birds at a distance when im not looking through the binos... confused/fustrated at times!

[Pinewood]

Originally Posted by snowyowl

I can't imagin how anyone can use binos by routinely removing their glasses. Isn't it much too slow?
..

Dear Snowyowl,

When I scan a lake for waterfowl, it is no problem, and that is a great pleasure.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewoood

[Pinewood]

Originally Posted by mak

Arthur.

According to their brochures the;

The dioptre adjustment on the FL's is +/- 4 D. The adjustment on the 7x42 Classic is +/- 3.5 D

The Ultravid's are +/- 4 D

EL +/- 3 D

All above are 42mm versions

mak.

Mak,

My Zeiss Classic Dialyt 7x42 goes past -7, with the center wheel. I think the dioptre adjustment on the right eye is +/- 3.5 dioptres compared to the left eye.

The 8x32 BN, and the Nikon 8x32 SE do not quite meet the needs of my left eye. I have yet to test other binoculars against the starry sky. The Nikon is good for me, out to 30+ meters.

Happy birdwatching,
Arthur Pinewood

[Squonk]

Originally Posted by snowyowl

I can't imagin how anyone can use binos by routinely removing their glasses. Isn't it much too slow?

No, it's definitely feasible. I need specs to see birds but I don't like to have them between me and my bins. Try using one hand (in my case, my left hand) to lift your specs up onto your forehead at the same time that you are bringing your bins up with other hand. Once the bins are up you can hold them with both hands, and they will stop the specs from falling back down. As you take the bins away, again use your left hand to bring the specs back down. Sometimes e.g. when trying to get on a passerine in a tree, you may find you have one hand on your specs and the other on your bins for a prolonged period of time, so that you can rapidly switch between the two - sometimes hovering halfway between them while you rely on your naked eyes to see which way the bird is going to go.

Occasionally I'll not bother removing the specs when I raise the bins, usually just when I want to confirm the ID of a bird I'm not particularly interested in - unless my ID is wrong.

Disadvantages - first, a little bit of pulling on my ears and forehead, not too uncomfortable, but probably shortening the life of the spectacle frames. Second, it's difficult to do this when wearing a tight-fitting hat such as a baseball cap, as there's no room for the specs on your forehead.

[Rich N]

Originally Posted by Pinewood

Dear Snowyowl,

When I scan a lake for waterfowl, it is no problem, and that is a great pleasure.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewoood

With the right binocular people wearing glasses can scan a lake for waterfowl, no problem. But, no it won't be better than sxx with my crazy girl friend after college.

Rich

[snowyowl]

I'm in the habit of using my binos with glasses on so i think I'll just stick to that way. I am definitely a creature of habit and it sounds too much trouble to change.

[Bill Atwood]

I wear glasses. I HATE them. However, I can't wear contacts anymore. I'm severely nearsighted , around -8 diopters. At 43 I'm quickly moving towards bifocals.

I think wearing glasses while using bins/scopes degrades the viewing experience more than the increasingly small differences that can bee seen between midprice/highprice bins.

I occassionally remove my glasses while using a scope, bur pretty much find it impossible to do this while birding with bins.

I don't suppose any birders here have tried Lasik?

[Bill A]

Originally Posted by Bill Atwood

I wear glasses. I HATE them. However, I can't wear contacts anymore. I'm severely nearsighted , around -8 diopters. At 43 I'm quickly moving towards bifocals.

I think wearing glasses while using bins/scopes degrades the viewing experience more than the increasingly small differences that can bee seen between midprice/highprice bins.

I occassionally remove my glasses while using a scope, bur pretty much find it impossible to do this while birding with bins.

I don't suppose any birders here have tried Lasik?

Hi Bill,

I'd be cautious about Lasik; an acquaintance of mine had it, it was great for a short while, and then problems developed. Haven't seen him for awhile, so don't know how it ultimately turned out. But I do know he regretted the surgery.

I am nearsighted and wear glasses all the time except for reading. I find the view through my Swaro 8.5x42 binocs is in fact better with my glasses. The only time I notice image degradation is when I let my specs get dirty.

Bill

[Donzo98]

Originally Posted by Bill A

Hi Bill,

I'd be cautious about Lasik; an acquaintance of mine had it, it was great for a short while, and then problems developed. Haven't seen him for awhile, so don't know how it ultimately turned out. But I do know he regretted the surgery.

I am nearsighted and wear glasses all the time except for reading. I find the view through my Swaro 8.5x42 binocs is in fact better with my glasses. The only time I notice image degradation is when I let my specs get dirty.

Bill

I for one am an advocate for Lasik. Not only do I use my bins regularly, but I am a neurosurgeon who uses my eyes almost everyday under an operating microscope. I had Lasik in May 2000, and I never regretted for a second. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. I do not have to dial in any correction on my bins or the operating scope now.

Of course I was nervous about it initially, but I thoroughly researched my opthalmologist and the center he works in.

In short... GREAT DECISION!!

Don

[Bill Atwood]

Hi Don,

Do you remember what prescription your eyes were? I assume you were nearsighted.

Since they've come out with the newer "wavefront" technology I've been tempted to have it done. Cost has delayed me some. Since birders/photographers use their eyes a little more critically than the general public, I've been a little concerned I wouldn't be happy if things didn't come out damn near perfect.