Otto McDiesel
Well-known member
After 18 months of frequent use and 4 weeks of twisting the focuser gently back and forth, i declare that it is as smooth as any out there, regardless of temperature.
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Ultravid focuser, smooth (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Otto McDiesel
- Start date
jedku
Marc
I thought the reason they feel a little rough is that Leica doesn't use lubrication in the focus mechanism so it works equally well in all temperatures. Do you really think you changed or 'broke in' the mechanism somehow to make it smoother or have you just got used to it? Would seem to be a downside if you managed to put some wear on the focus.Luca said:
Otto McDiesel
Well-known member
The focuser on my pair was fantastic in very cold weather, but it was sticky and rough in hot weather.
I believe that the friction between those non-lubricated parts resulted in a bit of polishing and smoothing of contact surfaces. Before ball bearings became widely available, axles spun inside brass bushings. It usually took a bit of time for the brass to get polished by friction and all parts to run smoothly.
I believe that the friction between those non-lubricated parts resulted in a bit of polishing and smoothing of contact surfaces. Before ball bearings became widely available, axles spun inside brass bushings. It usually took a bit of time for the brass to get polished by friction and all parts to run smoothly.
PLEASE DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME....after twenty years of a stiff Zeiss focusing wheel - and several returns to Zeiss - I put a few drops of WD40 on my wheel and hey presto!.....smooth ever since and no trouble at all now. No doubt those out in binocular land would go crazy at the thought.
John.
John.
Otto McDiesel
Well-known member
john barclay said:
Heck, i would have done that....actually there are better choices, such as Teflon/oil blends. But, i hate the smell of WD40 and there is no way of telling where it will end up - you don't want that goo on the inside of the lenses.
jedku
Marc
Isn't WD40 a cleanser & degreaser rather than a lubricant? I know on bicycle parts it has the effect of causing old gunked up lubricants to drip off the metal. Anything that should be lubed, such as a bicycle chain or bearing race, needs to be regreased after it. I would never put WD40 on any lubricated surface unless I was prepared to properly relubricate with oil/grease of the correct viscosity. I wouldn't put it on my bins.john barclay said:
Anyway, John, glad it worked for you. B
Otto McDiesel
Well-known member
Correct. Water Displacement.jedku said:Isn't WD40 a cleanser & degreaser rather than a lubricant?
Luca said:
But it DOES have the effect of a lubricant, and a very efficient one at that. I have used it in many places for that purpose. But I am not sure whether I did it on optics. If so, only on waterproof types which should not let it get to the lenses inside.
angelo225544
Well-known member
This is a very interesting observation because Leica has stated that the reason for their lack of lubrication was to prevent the focus mechanism from stiffening due to temperature change. It appears that it changes anyway, perhaps due to the expansion/contraction of the metal parts at temperature extremes. This may be a case in which Leica's obsession with mechanical precision works against them. Too tight can be as disconcerting as too loose. The Ultravid focus mechanism still needs some sorting out by Leica - as Zeiss and Swarovski apparently have.Luca said:
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Curtis Croulet
Well-known member
I'd be worried about the WD40 creeping into places where it doesn't belong. I know nothing about the older Zeiss models, but the focus on my FL is smooth. I rejected the Ultravid in 2004 because I didn't like the focus, but it's good to know that it improves over time.
angelo225544 said:
There is a lot wrong information out there about the focus mechanism of the Leica Ultravids. The Leica focus mechanism with built in diopter mechanism was always one of the strong points of Leica Trinovids and superior in many regards. It is quick, reliable, very easy to use and different temperatures don´t have any effect. Maybe because of this it became the model for other manufactores (e.g. Swarovski and Zeiss) who copied some essential ideas. I don´t think that Leica doesn´t use any lubricant at all. They use less lubricant and it is made of another formula. They use as less lubricant as possible because they are able to realize this mechanical precision and lubricant attracts dirt which leads over the time to some stiffening of the focus. The lubricant they use is not as fluid as those we know from cheap binoculars and what some people think that´s smooth. You can hear those cheap formula lubricants when it smacks at both ends of the focus. The advantage of the lubricant Leica (BTW Zeiss now uses a similar one with their Victory series) uses is that it works under a wide range of temperature always in the same way. Have you ever use a Nikon Premier/HG or a Swaro bino in low temperatur? If not just put them in your freezer together with a Leica and you can feel the difference. I´ve never noticed a changed focus behaviour of a Trino or Ultravid focus in warm weather as well.
When the Ultravids first came out there were in fact some binos among them that showed a slip stick effect. My guess is that there were some kind of trouble in the beginning of the Ultravid production. The problems were solved but seemingly there are still some bins of that very first charge circulating around. Competition in first rated optics is hard nowadays. Perhaps we have to ask who benefits if there are rumours about shortcomings of a feature where in fact Leica has still the leading position: the mechanics especially the focus mechanism.
Steve
Otto McDiesel
Well-known member
hinnark said:
I did that. I put binoculars in ziploc bags and put them in the freezer. Swarovski EL and SLC were almost dead at -15 Celsius, Zeiss FL was stiff. Leica Ultravid was happy and ready to go.
I am very happy with my Ultravid 10x42; it is one of the 2 or 3 pairs that i will keep. It was just annoying to feel the focuser in hot weather, but the problem is gone, the focuser is perfect now.
bradshrike
Guest
hinnark said:
Steve, all I know is I've used Swaro SLC's in sub-zero and they are VERY stiff while my old Trinovid's and new Ultravid's aren't!
I'll put up with the slightly "ratchety" Leica focus for superior cold-weather performance... it does tend to get a bit chilly here in Montana (-15 F predicted tonight)...|=)|
chartwell99
Well-known member
hinnark said:
Steve - to quote from the 1999 "Leica The Program" brochure in the binoculars section: "In order for the helical mounts to work smoothly, even under great temperature fluctuations, they are fabricated exclusively of aluminum and brass. An ideal combination of materials that makes lubricants virtually unnecessary and thus provides uniform and silky smooth movement during focusing." In my experience, the approach does work, with the caveat that the finer the machining of the helical threads, the smoother the focusing. Leica camera lenses, which use the same no lubricant approach, are truly silky smooth focusers, although at great cost to the purchaser. Similarly, at least in the BA series binoculars, the costlier 50mm glasses always seemed to have consistently smoother focusing than the 42mm or 32mm glasses, and all of the focusing mechanisms improved as the threads wore in. I suspect the real basis for the criticism of the Ultravids is that Leica, bowing to ever increasing manufacturing costs in Germany, simply took some shortcuts which are now, finally, being addressed.
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