Leica Trinovid 10x42 BA / What is causing this? (1 Viewer)

[GustavBjornstrand]

I figure that someone here might be able to help. I have used these binocs little over the last few years.

Looking through them it all looks pretty clear, but when I look at the eye-piece lens at an angle I can see these contaminants (?) The photograph makes it look worse but you'll get the idea.

So my questions are

1) who can I send it to in the States to have the lenses cleaned?

2) what is it that I am seeing there? It is not on the outside but rather on an inside layer of glass at the eyepiece.

The rest of the glass on the other end seems fine.

I did notice that now they tend to flare a bit when the light is too direct. But overall they are not quite as sharp and bright as I am used to.

Has anyone had the same problem?

What does it run to have them serviced? Any approximate idea?

Your help is appreciated.

 

[tenex]

That looks like fungus, which would indicate the sealing has failed. Definitely send in to Leica service. They'll clean it, refill with nitrogen, reseal, and check out and readjust anything as necessary. These had a 30-year warranty (in the US) if you're the original owner, otherwise they'll provide an estimate, could run to several hundred dollars. (It's probably worth about $600 today.)

 

[Conndomat]

Oh yeah, pretty sure glass fungus, not good.
It remains to be clarified whether Leica still accepts these optics, Zeiss explicitly points out that they do not accept optical equipment with glass fungus.

Fungus bei Objektiven | ZEISS Serviceinformation

Fungus bezeichnet den Befall optischer Geräte mit Pilzsporen, die auskeimen und erneut Sporen bilden. ZEISS nimmt grundsätzlich keine mit Fungus befallenen Geräte an.

www.zeiss.de

"In principle, ZEISS does not accept any devices infected with fungus."

Andreas

 

[GustavBjornstrand]

That looks like fungus, which would indicate the sealing has failed. Definitely send in to Leica service. They'll clean it, refill with nitrogen, reseal, and check out and readjust anything as necessary. These had a 30-year warranty (in the US) if you're the original owner, otherwise they'll provide an estimate, could run to several hundred dollars. (It's probably worth about $600 today.)

The Internet says that Leica will not accept binocs or lenses with fungus. But there must be some camera specialist who would do it.

Any leads?

 

[Binastro]

An unusual fungus.

Cory Suddarth and several others would probably do this.

Suddarth Optical Repair.

If it is just on one eye lens element a camera repairer might do it also without having to recollimate the binocular.

Regards,
B.

 

[GustavBjornstrand]

An unusual fungus.

Cory Suddarth and several others would probably do this.

Suddarth Optical Repair.

If it is just on one eye lens element a camera repairer might do it also without having to recollimate the binocular.

Regards,
B.

Thanks for the lead. I emailed them to see. It would be nice indeed if the cleaning only required disassembly of the eyepiece part. The fungus is on both eyepieces however.

 

[Binastro]

Hi Gustav,

I suspect that if the fungus is in both eyepieces then Suddarth Optical would clean the whole inside and recollimate if they undertook the work.

It may be that your climate is humid and hot, so binoculars have a hard time.
If this is the case then binoculars should be stored in an air conditioned room at less than 60% humidity, preferably less than 40%.
The binocular should be out of its case and not in a drawer.

I recall seeing a video of an older gentleman who made hundreds of telescopes.
I thought it was in Colombia but my memory seems to be faulty, as I can find no such video.
There were also similar home factories with expert opticians in Italy and Egypt.

Regards,
B.

 

[dries1]

Another suggestion is Company7 but also in the states, Maryland, Virginia area. They are familiar with the Leica BA, and Leitz roofs.

 

[GustavBjornstrand]

I spoke with Erik Baldwin

MountainOptics.com

He explained that he thinks it is not fungus but out-gassing from expired lubrication that, more or less, condenses on the lenses. The binocs have to be disassembled, cleaned, re-lubed, etc. When the lubrication breaks down it does so in stages of decomposition. What is seen in my image is the first stage. Finally, the lubrication would turn into a hard substance.

He said that if it were fungus it would look more like filaments or spider-webs.

The cost to take apart and re-lube is about $375.00 more or less.

 

[Binastro]

That is why I said it was unusual fungus.

I would agree with Mountain Optics, except for the streaks going from the edge of the lens element.
Normally this indicates fungus creeping around from the lens edge.

However, I suppose this may also happen with outgassing of lubricant.

I hesitated initially to answer your query, as the spotty nature of the contamination had me wondering what might be the cause.

It is up to you whether you want to have this fixed.

If it is outgassing of the lubricant, it may well be that the Leica warranty still applies.

You would have to ask Leica about this.

Leica may claim it is also fungus.

Regards,
B.

 

[GustavBjornstrand]

So I sent them up to California [from Colombia] to be cleaned internally and just got them back.

Very nice! Back to being super bright. Wonderful to use. Eric of Mountain Optics was the right choice. I recommend him.

I was contemplating buying a new, expensive pair but honestly these seem to be just what I need. I won't spoil my pleasure by looking through an ultra high-quality binocular. I had been using a Leica 10x25 which I also grew to appreciate (and I will keep them for when out bike-packing and birding).

If anyone has a line on the rain-guard for the 10x42 BA I'd appreciate the help. I searched on line and could only find rain-guards for the Noctivid. I am referring to the eyepiece covers.

Note: the cost for the repair was just a bit over $400. Normally it would have cost $380.00 but there was something else mine needed.

 

[GustavBjornstrand]

It may be that your climate is humid and hot, so binoculars have a hard time.

If this is the case then binoculars should be stored in an air conditioned room at less than 60% humidity, preferably less than 40%.

The binocular should be out of its case and not in a drawer.

Yes, and BTW these binocs had been sitting for quite some time in a case. Now I will hang them in an airy area. The humidity where I am is not so bad. I hope they will hold up for a good long while.

 

[Gabor1973]

The Internet says that Leica will not accept binocs or lenses with fungus. But there must be some camera specialist who would do it.

Any leads?

Leica accepts binos with fungus!

 

[John M Robinson]

I’m glad you got them repaired to your satisfaction, but I’m pretty sure Leica would have repaired them under warranty, fungus or no fungus.

 

[Gabor1973]

I’m glad you got them repaired to your satisfaction, but I’m pretty sure Leica would have repaired them under warranty, fungus or no fungus.

I've bougt a pair of Leica Trinovid BA recently in an exceptional goog condition but inside of the binos there is a very thin layer of fungus. I am going to send it to Leica because they wrote me they can easily handle this problem. It will take about at least 4 weeks. I don't know how much will it cost. Maybe it it will go under warranty for free, maybe it will cost a lot of money but I am crazy about these glasses which were built like a tank. I've got SLC and UV but this old machine is unique in many aspects for me. Believe your own eyes!