Special SE Eyecups (1 Viewer)

After reading somewhere how bicycle inner tube rings were inserted underneath the partially folded Nikon SE eye cups in order to create a cup depth that was compatible with eyeglass wearers to combat the blackout problem, I started to fiddle with the eyecups without using the inner tube rings, and was able to create a cup depth of 4.5 mm simply by partially folding the eyecups. The partially folded cups seemed to stay put in that position quite well.

The 4.5 mm partially folded measurement above is not sufficient to cure the problem with me, but it is an improvement over completely folded down eye cups.

The measurement of the Nikon SE cup depth with the eye cups folded out completely is 11.5 mm.

I believe that a cup depth of approximately 8 mm would be just about perfect for most eyeglass wearers in order to cure the black out problem. It is not possible to attain a cup depth of 8 mm, either by folding with or without a bicycle inner tube insert.

Therefore I started to think of ways to create a special eye cup with an 8mm depth.

One was to cut a pair of eye cups to the proper 8mm measurement, but this, no doubt, would end up with a sloppy job.

I have heard of 3D printing but I know absolutely nothing about it.

Does anyone here know if it is possible to take a pair of Nikon SE eye cups and modify the measurement of the depth from 11.5 mm to 8 mm and to then 3D print a special eye cup with a cup depth of 8 mm in a material that is similar to the black rubber that the originals were made of? And if that it possible, does anyone here know where one could have a custom 3D print job done?

I remain extremely frustrated by having such a high quality pair of binoculars that I cannot use while wearing eyeglasses because of this black out problem.

John,

Can you describe the black outs you are getting when you use your SE while wearing your glasses?

I ask this because the SEs were always notorious for a blackout known as "kidney beaning." That phrase describes the type of blackouts some people experienced when using SEs. I am told that it comes about from the design of the eyepiece. If you get another type of blackout you can ignore this.

I get those "Kidney Bean" blackouts when I use the SE although I don't wear glasses. In order to get rid of these blackouts I hold the eyecups firmly up against and just under my eyebrows and tilt the binocular very slightly upward. This works for me and for others who have this problem. Brock named it MOLCET; (Mooreorless Ceasar's Eyebrow Technique) after Steve Moore and myself who discovered we were both using it to get rid of Kidney Beaning.

I have tried it while wearing sun glasses and it works with them too, but much will depend on the structure of ones eye glasses.

Bob

The blackouts that I am experiencing are caused by eye distance from the lens.

I have no problem using the SE with cups folded out, and my eyeglasses not in use.

Likewise, I can correct the problem by bracing the SE at the correct distance from my eyeglasses using my fingers and thumbs as braces against my face.

Both of these methods are a pain in the butt, and I would rather have an eye cup that is the correct depth measurement.

The 17mm ER is OK for you when you are not wearing your glasses so you need something that will give you 17mm ER while you are wearing your glasses?

Have you discussed this with your Optometrist? Maybe he can fit you with glasses that will work with the binocular when the eye cups are folded all the way down?

Bob

I had not thought of the possibility of adjusting a pair or eyeglasses to sit further from the eye for use with the SE eye cups folded down. I actually have spare eyeglasses in my prescription that were abandoned for no other reason than style. One of them could be used. Thank you very much for the suggestion, as it may be one that I will be resorting to.

However I would prefer to have a custom made pair of eye cups, and that is why I had asked about 3D printing in my original post.

John

Do the eyecups have a metal tube at the bottom that screws onto the eyelens housing?

If so a solution might be to have a metal collar made of stainless steel tube providing your machine-shop can find a fairly close diameter and wall thickness.

They could machine the diameter if necessary and cut a thread on one end to accept the eyecup and a thread on the other to screw onto the bins, thus giving the extension you need without moulding or 3D printing rubber. You would need to paint the inside of the tube matt black.

Lee

I live in a third world country where nothing is available and services are limited. My chances of finding a machinist of that caliber and the materials he would require are nil.

A 3D print job in rubberized plastic could be ordered online from anywhere , and sent anywhere in the world, for very little postage.

I thought that there would be more responses to this post, being that so many people have so many problems with the SE blackouts.

As a side note, it is my belief that there is only one problem with the SE blackouts and that is eye distance from lens or eye cup design. I know some here believe that there is some special phenomena called kidney beaning that is related to complicated optical properties. That is not what I believe. All SE blackouts are caused by eye distance from lens or eye cup design.

John,

"Kidney beaning" does exist. I have seen it in all 3 versions of the SEs I own because they all use the same eyepiece; indeed they all use the same prisms, prism housings and focusing mechanism. Only their objectives and objective tubes are different.

I have experienced assorted blackouts in other binoculars because of eye relief but not the kind described as "kidney beaning." There is a technical term for it which slips my mind now. Someone else, like Brock, will probably be here shortly to name it.

Bob

PS: These SEs are the only binoculars I have ever used with ER over 16mm that I have ever experienced blackouts with and I can make them go away by using the MOLCET technique. There is something going on with the SEs that does not involve eye relief exclusively.