No rubber covering wanted. (1 Viewer)

[42za]

Are there any binocular manufacturers still offering non-rubber coated binoculars , (apart from Leica).
Thanks.

 

[yarrellii]

Not knowing which kind of binoculars you are after (style, magnification, etc.) I can indeed think of contemporary binoculars without rubber armour.
For example, the recently launched 6x30 APM seems to be a terrific performer for the price, it's a modern Porro, and it has a sort of classic leatherette.

APM-MS-6x30 Binoculars

The APM-MS-6x30 binoculars in classic design with BAK4 Poro prisms impress with their excellent price/performance ratio. @30mm clear aperture@6x [email protected]° field of view@diopter compensation ±5@high light gathering capability@full FMC multicoating@Weatherproof and waterproof

www.apm-telescopes.net

The same can be said of classic Porros still available like the Nikon EII series (8x30 and 10x35) and the Habicht Porro family from Swarovski (in 8x30, 7x42 and 10x40) which can fool you by their über-classic look, but hide top-end performance (and some quirks, to be honest).

Some IS models from Canon also lack a rubber armour as such, and instead have a soft plastic finish with no padding at all.

When it comes to roofs, finding binoculars without rubber armour does get more difficult indeed.


I hope that helps.

 

[A2GG]

There aren’t too many roof prism bins without the rubber armor. There are some that have less of it such as Monarch HG and Vortex Razor HD, but If you have allergies to rubber than those examples aren’t too helpful.

I do wish more roof binos could use less or no rubber at all. Some bins have an excessively thick armor adding bulk which I find unnecessary and makes ergonomics worse.

I wonder could you just buy the bino you want and have the rubber removed ? Then you have an all metal binocular but you’d just have to take good care is all. I don’t think the rubber is all that necessary for most birders. Perhaps for hunters the extra protection is necessary.

 

[Maljunulo]

Don’t at least some contemporary rubber-armored binoculars have screws and other fiddly bits under the armor?

 

[MiddleRiver]

Well, I have the Leica UV BL's and tho not the latest HD+ glass, they are typ excellent UV quality - and no armor. They are still out there and in fact I recently saw a NIB pair very reasonably priced (less than current Ultravids...).

 

[A2GG]

Don’t at least some contemporary rubber-armored binoculars have screws and other fiddly bits under the armor?

I saw a 10x32 FL on ebay not too long ago for sale for 'parts only'. It had no rubber armor. It was interesting to see that. I didn't see any screws or fiddly bits. It seemed smooth all around on the body.
But, back when I had a Cabela Euro HD 8x32 (Meostar) the rubber was peeling up on one side of the bridge and when peeking under there I could see a little open 'window' cut out in the metal. So, I guess it depends. Maybe the rubber is there for good reason on some of these bins.

One time out birdwatching I met a guy who had a roof bin with the rubber all gone. I asked him about it and he said it was peeling up so he just removed it all. It was just all metal and it looked slim for a 42mm bino.

 

[Conndomat]

I do wish more roof binos could use less or no rubber at all.

I wouldn't buy high-quality binoculars that didn't have at least some shock protection!

It always happens that you get bumped into something with the binoculars, I don't want to have to treat them like a raw egg when using them, and no, I'm not a hunter.
A Zeiss employee once told me that binoculars should withstand a certain amount of impact, they are made to be used and not to be carried around carefully!
Of course, a rubber coating is not an insurance that nothing will happen, but the probability of damage is minimized, so have a binocular without rubber....No-Go...for me...
And the poor technician ... push out bumps...

Andreas

 

[A2GG]

And the poor technician ... push out bumps...

lol ... yea, I guess the techs would see more dented up bins ! Some of these binos with a thin layer of leather like the Ultravid BL and others probably need to be handled gently. I don't know how protected the Monarch HG or Razor HD is with all of that exposed metal and seemingly thin rubber protection on the tubes. But, I prefer this over the thicker rubber.
I can understand how some people may prefer the extra protection though.

 

[MiddleRiver]

I actually don’t get it. I see tons of old Leica/leitz binos and old porros, which show bare metal, scratches, and general signs of wear, but which are otherwise fully functional after 50 or more years of use. Are we rougher on gear or am I just not seeing the broken binos?
I’m careful with all my gear but not to the point of making it unusable. My cameras are certainly not armored and I started with a voigtlander in mid 60’s which I used for 10-15 years hard until I could afford Leica M’s. All those got nicks and scratches but all survived.
Maybe I don’t bird hard enough!

 

[Conndomat]

I actually don’t get it. I see tons of old Leica/leitz binos and old porros, which show bare metal, scratches, and general signs of wear, but which are otherwise fully functional after 50 or more years of use. Are we rougher on gear or am I just not seeing the broken binos?

There must be a reason why the rubberized Habichte ones are a lot more expensive than the ungummed ones, the optics should be identical?!

Andreas

 

[Pinewood]

I wouldn't buy high-quality binoculars that didn't have at least some shock protection!

It always happens that you get bumped into something with the binoculars, I don't want to have to treat them like a raw egg when using them, and no, I'm not a hunter.
A Zeiss employee once told me that binoculars should withstand a certain amount of impact, they are made to be used and not to be carried around carefully!
Of course, a rubber coating is not an insurance that nothing will happen, but the probability of damage is minimized, so have a binocular without rubber....No-Go...for me...
And the poor technician ... push out bumps...

Andreas

Hello Andreas,

Lack of rubber armouring was one reason I sold my Nikon 8x30 EII. I determined that I was too old and clumsy to make use of its unique optics.

Stay safe,
Arthur

 

[Conndomat]

Hello Andreas,

I determined that I was too old and clumsy to make use of its unique optics.

yes the age...

I would also sometimes wish for me a rubber armor.🦴

Andreas

 

[Anon2020]

If you're prepared to carry out a little DIY you may consider buying a cheapish but decent quality used pair of roof binos with rubber armour, stripping away the armour and replacing it with leather. Here's a link to Milly's Cameras in the UK who sell leather sheets to replace worn leather on old cameras:

Black Camera Recovering Leather - Soft Sheen - Milly's Cameras

Enhance the looks and feel of your camera and add years of additional service. Being one of our best selling leathers, this makes for a...

cameramill.co.uk

I should add that this is just a passing suggestion and not something I've considered in any detail. It would probably only be feasible with older roofs.

 

[John A Roberts]

As Anon2020 indicates, there are sources of replacement leatherette for use on metal bodied 35 mm cameras (both SLR’s and fixed lens ones). There are both cut-to-fit panels along with larger sheets of material, and there are articles on the net showing cameras that have been upgraded.

For an idea of what’s possible, see:
• An article showing in detail the refinishing of a Minolta SRT with pre-cut panels: Replacing Camera Leatherette — Photography by Thomas Eisl

• And a source of sheet material of various types, in 2 different sizes: Camera leather


- - - -
I’m somewhat surprised that the various leather covered options offered by Leica, haven’t encouraged individuals to replace the RA on their binoculars with something more distinctive.

The only example that I’m aware of is in a 2007 article by by Francois Vuilleumier. It showed his Zeiss Dialyt 7x42B with the RA replaced with black leatherette. See at: https://www.birdforum.net/threads/‘hensoldt’-your-classic-zeiss-dialyt-7x42-or-8x56.369643/

In terms of a DIY project, the more straight tubed roof prism models would better lend themselves to refinishing with sheet material e.g. compare the shapes of the x32 Swarovski EL and x32 Leica Ultravid to their larger counterparts; and also see a x32 EL with the RA removed, from an August 2021 post by David Gandy at: 登录 Facebook

While alternative materials may not be as protective against impact as RA, they do have their attractions. I particularly like the tactile quality of the texture on vulcanite that was used on earlier Porro prisms e.g. see an image showing an earlier and current Habicht 8x30, from Tobias at: greatestbinoculars: Swarovski Habicht 8x30 W binoculars review

So perhaps a project for some to consider?


John

 

[Binastro]

I don't think that the Minolta Mariner binoculars have rubber covering.

They are very tough.

But rather dim compared to a modern roof prism binocular.

Also the Hensoldt 16x56 roof prism binocular from memory has no rubber covering.

There are probably many non rubber covered roof prism binoculars.

B.

 

[Canip]

There are probably many non rubber covered roof prism binoculars.

I would agree with your sentence slightly modified as „There were probably many non rubber covered roof prism binoculars“. Today, there are only a few, unless you look for secovd-hand.
Canip

 

[[email protected]]

That is a nice thing about the Leica Trinovid 8x32 BN and BA. They don't really have rubber armour but more of a hard plastic like material, but it feels good in the hand, and it is extremely tough. They are built like a tank.

 

[A2GG]

The pic of the EL (post 14) looks awful with the rubber removed. Not a good idea to do this at home. Better to have a technician remove it and get rid of the glue residue or add a new leather covering.

 

[Richard D]

At the budget end there's the Nikon Acculon T51 and T02

 

[fazalmajid]

• The Swarovski Habicht traditional variant
• The Swarovski CL Nomad
• The Nikon 6x15M CF and 7x15M CF have no armor at all

But otherwise, yes, it's mostly Leicas, but even the Ultravid 8x42 BL and 10x42 BL were discontinued so it's the compacts or Retrovids.