Plastic lenses (1 Viewer)

[Hugh Clayton]

I've just bought an Olympus Tracker PC 7-15X25 zoom really just to see how it performs. The specification says there is an ED element in each objective, and I wanted to see if the ED factor would make a difference in such a small lens. But I was surprised that the last item on the specification list of this Chinese-made binocular is "plastic lens". That's all it says, so I suppose the plastic element is in the zoom eyepieces. Has anyone come across any other binocular from a well known brand with a plastic lens somewhere in it?
Certainly the ED factor adds definite crispness to the image although the zoom facility does little but push up the weight of the instrument and narrow the field of view. But how will a plastic lens stand up to years of use, I wonder.

 

[scampo]

Well - there are plastics and plastics, I should think. At least they were honest. Some of the most expensive spectacle lenses are 'plastic'. I guess the word carries a lack of panache but maybe now it shouldn't?

 

[Leif]

I've just bought an Olympus Tracker PC 7-15X25 zoom really just to see how it performs. The specification says there is an ED element in each objective, and I wanted to see if the ED factor would make a difference in such a small lens. But I was surprised that the last item on the specification list of this Chinese-made binocular is "plastic lens". That's all it says, so I suppose the plastic element is in the zoom eyepieces. Has anyone come across any other binocular from a well known brand with a plastic lens somewhere in it?
Certainly the ED factor adds definite crispness to the image although the zoom facility does little but push up the weight of the instrument and narrow the field of view. But how will a plastic lens stand up to years of use, I wonder.

There are some 35mm photographic lenses from respectable names that contain a plastic lens element. I think the reason is that moulding is one way to get an otherwise unattainable - due to cost - aspheric lens surface. As far as I know only 'consumer grade' lenses use plastic elements i.e. not the top of the range ones. This suggests that it is still better to pay more for 'normal' optics but they can do okay.