Help: Cleaning the eyepiece’s inside without opening it? (1 Viewer)

[Gorgo]

Hi all,

Do you have any experience with cleaning the inside of the eyepiece when you can't open it? More specifically, the issue is that there is an object in the left eyepiece of my Nikon SE 10x42 (presumably a dead insect or similar) that can be seen as a dark dot when looking against a homogeneous background (such as clouds).

I have sent the binoculars to two different Nikon service points, but both do not want to risk opening the eyepiece, as it could be irreparably damaged.

The question now is whether it would be possible to non-invasively maneuver the object out of the optical path so that it is at the edge and no longer interferes. Do you have any suggestions or experience what could be done? With heat, cold, electricity, microwaves, ultrasound, etc.? Some of this may sound crazy, but what could I try without too much risk?

Thanks for any suggestions!

Markus

 

[wllmspd]

Not easily. Can you clearly see what’s causing the issue when looking into the eyepiece? Is is a smear, something stuck on? If it’s dark then some laser pulses could maybe dislodge it, but a suitable laser would cost a lot and be dangerous and getting it focussed inside an optic correctly would be challenging. The best I can suggest is a gentle tap… gentle enough that it doesn’t harm the alignment.

Peter

 

[henry link]

Have you tried removing the eyepiece? That's quite easy to do. Just remove the rubber eyecup, which exposes a small setscrew on the side of the eyepiece housing. Unscrew that a few turns and the whole eyepiece will be free to unscrew from the body. The most likely place for detritus to lodge is on the exterior surface of the field lens at the front of the cylinder that holds the eyepiece lenses. It's unlikely anything could have gotten into the sealed cylinder itself.

 

[Gorgo]

Thanks for your replies!

@peter: A laser pulse came to my mind as well, but it would be challenging just as you said. I think the object is indeed a small dead animal, since I saw it moving and then disappearing at the edge. Several months later it was there again, now stationary, i.e. dead. I have considered to cool the binoculars down and the warming it up a bit, hoping for contraction and expansion due to the temperature difference which may detach the object. But up to now I only dared to tap it - a more or less helpless undertaking as I did not know what to do else.

@henry link: I have never tried to remove the eyepiece, but the person at the Nikon service point did as far as I know. He removed the eyecups and was able to clean the eyepiece on the right side, but he told me: "I couldn't open the left side. Apparently corroded metal on metal. I didn't want to break something." So I guess he tried exactly what you described but failed. Maybe I will try it myself if there is no other solution ...

Has anyone encountered a similar problem?

Markus

 

[dorubird]

Hi all,

Do you have any experience with cleaning the inside of the eyepiece when you can't open it? More specifically, the issue is that there is an object in the left eyepiece of my Nikon SE 10x42 (presumably a dead insect or similar) that can be seen as a dark dot when looking against a homogeneous background (such as clouds).

I have sent the binoculars to two different Nikon service points, but both do not want to risk opening the eyepiece, as it could be irreparably damaged.

The question now is whether it would be possible to non-invasively maneuver the object out of the optical path so that it is at the edge and no longer interferes. Do you have any suggestions or experience what could be done? With heat, cold, electricity, microwaves, ultrasound, etc.? Some of this may sound crazy, but what could I try without too much risk?

Thanks for any suggestions!

Markus

Here is what I propose to you!
I had a similar problem with Monarch 5 10x42 a long time ago. A little fluff suddenly appeared! I thought that, as it suddenly appeared inside the eyepiece, I could make it revers disappear. So, I arrived at an explanation of its appearance: The electrostatic friction of my jacket pull the fluff from an invisible area in the center of the eyepiece. After a few electrostatic frictions of bino of my jaket it disappeared from the center of the eyepiece, somewhere outside the optical path! Maybe you'll be lucky too!

 

[henry link]

@henry link: I have never tried to remove the eyepiece, but the person at the Nikon service point did as far as I know. He removed the eyecups and was able to clean the eyepiece on the right side, but he told me: "I couldn't open the left side. Apparently corroded metal on metal. I didn't want to break something." So I guess he tried exactly what you described but failed. Maybe I will try it myself if there is no other solution ...

Has anyone encountered a similar problem?

Markus

That's very odd. I've never had a problem removing the left eyepiece housing from any E, EII or SE, even very old ones. Getting into the lens containing cylinder would be another matter. That would require a spanner and some way to loosen what looks like a thin layer of lacquer that could have frozen the threads. Maybe that's what the Nikon tech meant. I would give it a try. Torquing by hand shoudn't do any damage.

A few years ago a member here saw what he thought was a cat hair inside the eyepiece of his Nikon Porro. He used the method I described and removed the hair with no difficulty.

 

[dries1]

Nikon has no one to service porros anymore, except to replace eye cups.

 

[Binastro]

I had dust mites in two Minolta camera viewfinders.
I can't remember if they had 6 or 8 legs, which were easily visible.

I bought these cameras with lenses from a dealer, but after this never bought from him again.

These creatures walked endlessly around the Fresnel lens.

I put the cameras with lenses in the freezer for one day in one day out, three times.
Minus 18C.

However, even after this I couldn't bring myself to use the cameras, which were working well after being frozen.

It is possible the creatures survived.

I gave them to a friend, which I regret as one lens was the 250mm f/5.6 mirror, which are about £1,000 now.

I have a spider in the 20x70 Japanese Porro, which came as a free extra with it from the dealer.
It is still there but not really visible in use.

A small Russian binocular has a very strange creature in it.
I don't use the binocular, as who knows what it might be.

Old Nikon lenses are notorious for dust inside them. They seem to suck dust in, and lots of it.

The old 10x40 Trinovid has dust inside the eyepieces.
It is clearly on several surfaces and I never bought from that dealer again, as he said the binocular was excellent with no problems.

I wonder if an ultrasound cleaner would damage a binocular?

Something magnetic might be moved by a strong magnet.

Regards,
B.

 

[Binocollector]

A small Russian binocular has a very strange creature in it.
I don't use the binocular, as who knows what it might be.

That gave me a good chuckle . Luckily most of my Russian/Komz binos are spotless on the inside. Apart from one Komz 7x30 BPO that has a hair inside the left ocular. It must have somehow worked its way inside through the focus ring. I'd have to take the whole ocular apart to remove it because the focusing element is in the middle of the ocular and there is at least one lense above it. I removed the outermost lense but couldn't get to it. So I left it alone. The hair is at the outer edge so it is not all that bothersome, besides I have a 2nd 7x30 BPO.

I wonder if an ultrasound cleaner would damage a binocular?

That might cause all kinds of damage. And it's done in a soap solution. Not sure I'd do that with any bino, no matter how waterproof.

 

[wllmspd]

Ultrasonic cleaners need liquid to couple the sound in and rely on bubble collapse to smash stuff off…. So complete fluid immersion…. Easier with non waterproof porro….. ;-)!

Peter

 

[Maljunulo]

Ultrasonic is a very bad idea.

Don‘t even consider it.

 

[Binastro]

Would putting the binocular next to a loudspeaker shift the dirt?

I suppose it depends on the frequency and loudness.

At a high enough level I suppose the glass could crack.

Has a sonic boom ever broken the glass in a binocular?

They frequently broke windows.

Regards,
B.

 

[dries1]

Gorgo, I would send them to be serviced, I am sure there are reputable optical men in Germany who can do the job.

 

[Gorgo]

Hi all,

Thanks for your input!
I think I will try the following in this order:

1. Using electrostatic charge and a strong magnet near the eyepiece.
2. Tapping the eyepiece gently after cooling the binoculars down.
3. Trying to remove the eyepiece as henry link described to get rid of the object.
4. If all this fails, I will probably reach out to an optical service center.

I hope, some day I can report that I was successful.

Just one more question: What would be a realistic price for such a "repair" in case it's necessary?

Regards,
Markus

 

[gcole]

I have been reading all this and I am trying to imagine how all these little critters even get into these sealed tubes/lenses. Is it poor quality control during assembly or something else ?

 

[Maljunulo]

I’m not sure what you think a “strong magnet” will do.

Am I confused?

 

[Patudo]

External focus binoculars like the SE, unless very well sealed (Habicht) will bring in air as you focus - the bridge moves in and out like a bellows. Eventually (years or decades down the line, depending on usage and environment) dust, pollen and other stuff finds its way in.

My advice to the OP would be to get a good recommendation for a technician that services binoculars and send them there. This isn't some €50 low end Japanese porro, it's an excellent binocular deserving of being looked at by a professional. I have seen Gary Hawkins remove the entire bridge of one of my binoculars to clear a speck of dirt that had found its way onto the right eyepiece - I suppose I would do it in an emergency, but to be honest, I'd rather leave work like this to people who know what they're doing.

 

[henry link]

Removing the left eyepiece cylinder is so very very simple I just can't imagination not trying that first.
All you do is:

1) pull off the rubber eyecup.
2) use a jeweler's screwdriver loosen the grub screw on the eyepiece retaining ring about 1-2 turns so the ring is free to rotate but grub screw doesn't fall off (see photo below)
3) unscrew the retaining ring just like you would unscrew a bottle cap.

Now examine the eyepiece field lens very carefully for what will be a very small piece of detritus. If there is none, look through the eyepiece from both ends. What do you see? If you don't see anything try looking through the binocular body from both ends. What do you see? Even if you don't see anything try cleaning the field lens and the back surface of the prism with a bulb blower.

Now screw the eyepiece back on and look through it as it rotates. Is the spot still visible and does it rotate with the eyepiece? Then it's inside the lens group (unless you missed it on the field lens) and the cylinder needs to be opened up and the lenses removed from the retaining ring side where you see the two pin holes for a spanner. That would be a job you probably don't want to do, but you could still try all your other ideas more easily with the eyepiece removed from the binocular body.

 

[Gorgo]

Okay henry link, you have convinced me. I will try it first as you described. The reason why I was reluctant is that I seem to remember someone here on the forum had a problem with the eyepiece of his SE and in a bid to fix it he messed it up. But maybe it was something else and I'm wrong.
The idea with a strong magnet came from Binastro and it might be helpful in case it's not a dead animal but something magnetic.

Thanks again!
Markus

 

[Gorgo]

Hi all!

Thanks to henry link's great instructions, I could get rid of the object. The grub screw was quite tight, but with the help of penetrating oil and careful turning my father (as a precision engineer actually predestined for this) managed to remove the eyepiece. Cleaning it and screwing it back on was then a breeze. Fortunately, the object was actually located at this joint.

Without expert guidance, however, I would not have dared to take action on something like this myself. Especially not after two Nikon Service Points could not do anything...

Many thanks,

Markus