Eye cups Swarovski Habicht 10x40 GA (1 Viewer)

[Renze de Vries]

I know the Swarovski porro 10x40 GA has short eye relief (12 a 13 mm) and is definitely not designed to be used with spectacles, but I like to try the possibility anyway. Question: can I take off the eye cups easily? Would I gain some mm's by using the binocular without eye cups?

Thanks,

Renze

 

[Hermann]

ad 1: Yes. You just screw them off.
ad 2: Yes, about 2mm, possibly a bit more.

Hermann

 

[John A Roberts]

Hi Renze,

FWIW
Before the introduction of soft rubber eyecups, Swarovski used to offer hard (bakelite?) eyecups in both a regular length,
and a short length intended for spectacle users, as in the attached example

I’ve not seen them offered separately, though they do sometimes show up on original body models
i.e. the pre-1984 models, without the valve cap screws on the front bridge arms

And yes, pre- and post-1984 model eyecups are interchangeable


John

 

[John A Roberts]

And a workaround (this should have occurred to me straight away!) . . .

There is a winged replacement eyecup that fits over the outside of the Habicht eyepiece
See an image from Samolot, along with one from Henning. Both more images and detail can be found in the thread at:
https://www.birdforum.net/threads/replacing-eyecups-on-the-habicht-8x30-w.367763/

The images show the replacement eyecups on the leatherette model, while leaving the original rubber eyecups in place
However, they can also be used without the original eyecups, which is my preference on my leatherette 7x42
And on the rubber armoured models the larger diameter original eyecups have to be removed, before the replacements can be fitted

. . . you could cut down a pair so that they are slightly proud of the eye lenses - and so protect both the eye lenses and the eye piece threads,
along with your spectacle lenses - while maximising the usable eye relief


John


p.s. for the differences between the original leatherette and RA eyecups see an image from Rathaus at:
https://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=3263219&postcount=34

 

[John A Roberts]

And in relation to the amount of the potential gain in useable eye relief . . .

Firstly, in comparing the eyecups on the RA and the leatherette versions, the RA eyecups are both:
• larger in diameter at the rear, at 39 mm vs 33 mm, and
• extend very slightly further to the rear of the eyepiece, by perhaps just over 1 mm

In terms of maximising the useable eye relief:
The RA eyecups extend around 9 mm behind the rear most point of the eyepiece
(on the eyepiece there is a protective metal rim that’s very slightly to the rear of the eye lens face, see the image from the link below)
If you were to trim the replacement eyecups, so that they extended 2 mm behind the rearmost portion of the eyepieces,
you could potentially move your spectacles 7 mm closer to the eyepieces

Of course, depending on the degree of curvature on the front surface of your spectacles, you might need to leave the eyecups longer
As the eyecups are not expensive, perhaps get 2 pairs so that if need be you can experiment?


John


p.s. It might be useful to read the observations of Roger Vine (who also wears glasses) with the leatherette version at:

Swarovski 10x40 Habicht Review

www.scopeviews.co.uk

 

[Renze de Vries]

Hermann and John,

Superb information, thank you.

Renze

 

[MichaelxXx]

I simply sliced of the eye cup where it met the flat. I wear +6.5 glasses and get the full field of view.

 

[Samolot]

I miss those Habichts. Haven't seen resolution like that in any binocular I've tried since then.

 

[MichaelxXx]

Agreed! I just sold a pair of Swaro 10x56 and kept the 10x40's in preference. Now just trying to find replacement eye cups in case I ever decide to sell them.

 

[PW42]

If the 10x40 leatherette eyecup are the same as the 8x30 (I have never tried the 10x40 so I am not sure), you can fold them down for use with glasses. Might be worth a try first.

 

[MichaelxXx]

I have the green rubber eye cups and had to slice them off level with the flat part surrounding the eyepiece.
Works well as I can rest my glasses on the flat for stability.

 

[John A Roberts]

Hi PW42 (post #10),

On the commercial model Habichts:
• all the leatherette versions use the same eyecup (part #88-0333A), and;
• all the RA versions use the same eyecup (part #88-1094C);
and the cups are interchangeable as shown in the third image in post #4.

The Swarovski Spare Parts Catalogue for binoculars and telescopes, showing all that's available, can be downloaded at: My Service


John

 

[PW42]

Hi PW42 (post #10),

On the commercial model Habichts:
• all the leatherette versions use the same eyecup (part #88-0333A), and;
• all the RA versions use the same eyecup (part #88-1094C);
and the cups are interchangeable as shown in the third image in post #4.

The Swarovski Spare Parts Catalogue for binoculars and telescopes, showing all that's available, can be downloaded at: My Service


John

Thank you John.