Zeiss SF Diopter (1 Viewer)

Hello All,

I recently got a great deal on a black SF 10x42 and I'm super happy.

The diopter the position that is perfect for me is at zero. The diopter knob on the SF has a "notch" at zero so it falls into that position, but when you push the knob in to lock it it it moves slightly towards the negative.

Basically the lock clearly has slots that hold the diopter, but the slots in the locked position do not line up with the zero in the unlocked position.

The solution that I have come to is to pull the diopter knob out to the unlocked position and let the "indentation" at zero hold it relatively well in place. Since my setting is at the zero if it gets move by anything it is quite easy to move it back as the knob falls there anyway.

My question is: Will using the focus knob with the diopter unlock negatively effect the focus for any reason. I can't think of how/why it would, but I thought I would ask to see if anyone had input on it.

The difference between the zero and the zero minus position is very small, but I do notice that if I unlock the diopter and allow it to go to true zero my eyes really do feel more relaxed and the view is just that little bit more aligned.

Thank you for any information and/or suggestions.

Cheers,

~Oliver

Hi Oliver


I would`nt leave it out, there may well be a seal in there.

Mine offers some resistance away from the zero but will close with a little effort.

John.

Torview said:

Hi Oliver


I would`nt leave it out, there may well be a seal in there.

Mine offers some resistance away from the zero but will close with a little effort.

John.

Click to expand...

Ah, I hadn't thought of a weather seal in the diopter, but I bet you are right.

I've tried again to see if I could get it with a little pressure to lock at zero and it always moves slightly. It feels like the slots for locking are fairly coarse so it can't just lock anywhere you place it.

Sequoia Kid said:

Ah, I hadn't thought of a weather seal in the diopter, but I bet you are right.

I've tried again to see if I could get it with a little pressure to lock at zero and it always moves slightly. It feels like the slots for locking are fairly coarse so it can't just lock anywhere you place it.

Click to expand...

Please don't be too influenced by the markings on the dioptre knob. They are there to enable you to remember your personal setting and easily re-find it after someone else has used your binos. The dioptre adjuster isn't intended to work like an instrument an optician would use that is guaranteed to be perfectly calibrated. So when you refer to true zero meaning where the zero is on the graduated scale it is just as likely that the slot the adjuster slips into, very slightly to one side, is actually true zero. But the markings on the scale aren't so important as where the setting is right for you. When deciding the right setting, use a target with good contrast and is a 'usual bird-watching' distance away'.

Good luck.

Lee

Troubador said:

Please don't be too influenced by the markings on the dioptre knob. They are there to enable you to remember your personal setting and easily re-find it after someone else has used your binos. The dioptre adjuster isn't intended to work like an instrument an optician would use that is guaranteed to be perfectly calibrated. So when you refer to true zero meaning where the zero is on the graduated scale it is just as likely that the slot the adjuster slips into, very slightly to one side, is actually true zero. But the markings on the scale aren't so important as where the setting is right for you. When deciding the right setting, use a target with good contrast and is a 'usual bird-watching' distance away'.

Good luck.

Lee

Click to expand...

This is good advice, my 7x42UVHD+ did`nt have the zero on the scale in the exact place, I`m mostly a zero diopter setting except for that UV.

Troubador said:

Please don't be too influenced by the markings on the dioptre knob. They are there to enable you to remember your personal setting and easily re-find it after someone else has used your binos. The dioptre adjuster isn't intended to work like an instrument an optician would use that is guaranteed to be perfectly calibrated. So when you refer to true zero meaning where the zero is on the graduated scale it is just as likely that the slot the adjuster slips into, very slightly to one side, is actually true zero. But the markings on the scale aren't so important as where the setting is right for you. When deciding the right setting, use a target with good contrast and is a 'usual bird-watching' distance away'.

Good luck.

Lee

Click to expand...

Hey Lee,

Thank you for your message. I'm not really hung up on what the diopter says, I was just using the markings as a reference to discuss where the indentation was in the unlocked position.

Whatever the markings say it seems that my best setting falls between two of the slots in the locked position. So, to get a proper diopter setting to make the view totally relaxed, which is certainly can be, I need to have the diopter unlocked to get there.

My question is, will having the diopter unlocked all the time somehow negatively effect the binocular for any reason? The fact that there is probably some sort of weather seal in the locked position is something I hadn't thought, but can anyone think of anything else?