• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Rain Guards...Useful or not? (1 Viewer)

F

fouldsyfoulds

Member
Hi Bird folk

Having just upgraded to a pair of Ultravid 10x42's I am struggling with the rain guard.

Are they really of use?....to me it always seems to be in the way....its a bugger to fit on and off....and will it increase the wear on the eye piece rubbers?

So many questions.....offer me your valued advice;)

Fouldsy
 
fouldsyfoulds said:
Hi Bird folk

Having just upgraded to a pair of Ultravid 10x42's I am struggling with the rain guard.

Are they really of use?....to me it always seems to be in the way....its a bugger to fit on and off....and will it increase the wear on the eye piece rubbers?

So many questions.....offer me your valued advice;)

Fouldsy
Click to expand...

For similar reasons, I outfitted my Ultravids with the Zeiss ClassiC Rainguard. Works like a charm. Tether it on one side only and it neatly falls out of the way when viewing. See it here:

http://www.eagleoptics.com/index.asp?pid=2033
 
Last edited:
Zeiss Classics rainguard is very good. Seems to fit just about anything, and like he said, tether it on one strap. It has just enough weight to stay on, but come off and get out the way easy.

jay

PS oh yeah rainguards are useful. Exspecially if you decide to eat with your binos on ;)
 
Robert / Seattle said:
For similar reasons, I outfitted my Ultravids with the Zeiss ClassiC Rainguard. Works like a charm. Tether it on one side only and it neatly falls out of the way when viewing. See it here:

http://www.eagleoptics.com/index.asp?pid=2033
Click to expand...

I much prefer the more flexible type that EO offer under their own name:

http://www.eagleoptics.com/index.asp?pid=3394

I think it interferes less with my face than the relatively bulky Zeiss type. Particularly when looking up.
Needless to say this one, too, should be tethered on one side only.
 
I couldn't be without one Fouldsy. Rain, ash (am I still alowed to mention smoking in public ;) and as Jay mentions, food crumbs would mean poor views. A bit of salty crisp in the eye is not good news at all.

The guard on my monarchs is ok in use but no protection at other times as it is so loose. Like Robert I prefer the rubbery type as on bushnell trophys. Can be just lightly laid onto the eyepieces to fall of when needed, or pushed home to offer good protection. In fact the trophy's lens covers at both ends are excellent. No worries about carrying them uncased in the car or rucksack.
 
Last edited:
I got three or four of these things now and there all in my drawer; I never use them. Same story: every new rain guard I'm happy with for two or three weeks, then it starts to annoy me because it gets in the way 100% of the time, I leave it off and if it rains I just pour out the water from time to time.

I hate birding in the rain anyway; using rain guards caused my ocular lenses to fog up making it virtually impossible to see anything at all.
When I'm sitting somewhere and it starts raining I just put up an umbrella.( Strictly forbidden by Bill Oddie but who cares? )

Greetings, Ronald
 
Robert / Seattle said:
For similar reasons, I outfitted my Ultravids with the Zeiss ClassiC Rainguard. Works like a charm. Tether it on one side only and it neatly falls out of the way when viewing. See it here:

http://www.eagleoptics.com/index.asp?pid=2033
Click to expand...

Yessir! That Robert fella sure knows a thing or two! Totally agree. The Zeiss Classic Rainguard is in one piece, like an upturned bathtub, and just drops over the eyepieces easily. It's available from Zeiss UK by post at a price of 5.99 pounds +p&p. I fitted them on all my Swarovski and Leicas, which must make Zeiss smile quietly to themselves! While you're paying the p&p charge, why not buy a genuine Zeiss neoprene strap too? Theirs is ergonomically sculpted to the shoulder/neck and is far more comfortable that the Swaro/Leica originals. But I reckon you'd best be quick getting the rainguard, as this model was manufactured for the Dialyt range which has been out of production for several years. The last couple of them that I bought looked like they'd been in stock for a number of years, so maybe they're the last of them. I hope not!
all the best Paul
 
fouldsyfoulds said:
Hi Bird folk

Having just upgraded to a pair of Ultravid 10x42's I am struggling with the rain guard.

Are they really of use?....to me it always seems to be in the way....its a bugger to fit on and off....and will it increase the wear on the eye piece rubbers?

So many questions.....offer me your valued advice;)

Fouldsy
Click to expand...

Fouldsy,

don´t understand what your problem is. For me the Ultravid´s rainguard works best among all available. What I like is that I can decide by myself as the case arises how tight the fit over the EPs should be. Maybe you should check the correct fixation at one side. The rainguard should have enough play when tethered at the strap.

Steve
 
Thanks for the advice and your thoughts.......

For the sake of a few quid I will try the zeiss one

Happy birding.......Sparrow Hawk in the garden last night eating a female Pheasant on the garden table...nature at its best, unless your the Pheasant!

Fouldsy

PS Good to talk with the wide world
 
I replaced my Ultravid 10 x 42 rainguards with ones for the Trinovid range which slip on and off much more easily. You can get thems from Soth west Optics though they may have to order them in.

Lindsay
 
Paul Godolphin said:
... While you're paying the p&p charge, why not buy a genuine Zeiss neoprene strap too? Theirs is ergonomically sculpted to the shoulder/neck and is far more comfortable that the Swaro/Leica originals.
Click to expand...

Interesting. When i got my 8x30 Zeiss Classic "Anniversary" model this winter, it came with a little strap that is just as you describe. It is the first time i have used the strap that comes with the binocular.
 
I changed the ultravid rainguard to one by opticron (it's also done by Viking).
The opticron product no. is like 51020,i'm not sure of that but they're on their website.
I also use it on a Swarovski as i found the E.L. guard annoying too.
 
I'm not a fan of ocular rainguards (and I never use objective lens rainguards) but they are useful in some situations. I've tried lots and my favorite by far are the ones Leica makes/made for the Ultra/Trinovid BA/BN models. There is a smaller (for x32 models) and a larger version (for full-sized models). These work nicely on the Ultravids and are much nicer than the Ultravid rainguard. They also fit very nicely on the Swarovski 8x32 and 8.5x42 EL. Cheapest source I've found is Eagle Optics for the larger size and Binoculars.com for the smaller size.
--AP
 
I never use my rainguards on my Ultravids. The ones that came with it are crap, and I keep the leather clamshell on them when I'm not actively using them (I have the 10x42 BLs). I do keep them on my 12x50 BNs, as those work well, and used the ones that came with my Zeiss 10x40's, but the Ultravid rainguards are rather horrible and anything else I've seen will keep the bins from fitting the clamshell properly.
 
griffin said:
I replaced my Ultravid 10 x 42 rainguards with ones for the Trinovid range which slip on and off much more easily.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I did, I found the Trinovid much more user friendly than the Ultravid one. Personally I am a big fan of rainguards, they are great for keeping the crumbs of my bins at lunchtime!
 
I use rainguards on my Swaros, but then again, I live in Ireland;) . Mind you, I didn´t like the ones that came with them, they were stiff plastic and uncomfortable if they flapped in the wind (another Irish hazard). They also fell off easily. So I switched them for soft cheapo rubber ones that came on a pair of Bressers, absolutely brilliant.
 
Very useful.I've always found that if I have tomatoes in my sandwiches and I don't put the rainguard on I always get them on the eyepieces:eek!:
 
Warning! This thread is more than 17 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

dorubird
Leica Ultravid 8x20 dissection (The beauty)
4 5 6
Replies
115
Views
12K
dorubird
dorubird
H
Winged eyecups and rain guard for Nikon HG 10x32
Replies
1
Views
513
rdnzl
rdnzl
Joe H
Cracking Rain Guard
Replies
4
Views
1K
Joe H
Joe H
dorubird
Trinovid 8x20 BCA vs Ultravid 8x20 BR
2
Replies
30
Views
5K
ReinierB
R
Mac308
Spent A Week With The 7x35 Retrovid...
4 5 6
Replies
117
Views
13K
orapple
O

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top