EII Eyecup Solution for Some? (1 Viewer)

The Problem
When I took a renewed interest in binoculars some years ago, one of the first that I bought was an EII 8x30. However from the start the eyecups were a problem
The eyecups are thin walled cylinders 42 mm in diameter. And while the maximum diameter of the eyecups on some roof prism binos may be larger, the ends are invariably both narrower and much more rounded

The EII eyecup diameter, in conjunction with the eye relief from the extended eyecups - when combined with the shape of my face - was at the very limit of usability
I had to consciously press, rather then lightly rest the eyecups against my face to achieve correct eye relief
Consequently this was above my tolerable long term level of discomfort - the thin edge of the eyecups dug into the side of my nose, which made short term use distracting and long term use painful


Some workarounds
I ended up trying a number of fixes but all had limitations:

1) Turning the eyecups around, so that the even thinner walled front end that attaches to the eyepiece was now in contact with my face
This made a slight difference as the thinner wall was somewhat more flexible, but it was still not Goldilocks


2) Folding the eyecups down and using the hand hold that I’ve previously described for the too small eyecups of the Swarovski Porros

John A Roberts said:

. . . Over time, my preferred option has become to ignore the particular eyecup and use finger placement to address the problem!

The placement is as follows:
- Index fingers rest on top of the eyecups
- Middle finger tips rest on the focuser
- Ring and little fingers are wrapped around the binocular body, and
- Thumbs are folded around the underside of the eyepieces, with the left thumb rearmost

The middle fingers act as my ‘anchor’ points for the remainder of the finger and hand positioning
(the index fingers move slightly closer to and away from the middle fingers as the eyepieces move in and out with focusing)

In effect, the index fingers act as larger diameter eyecups - they provide contact with the brow to correctly position the binoculars
They are also much more comfortable than any of the eyecup options as they provide a much broader contact area

The nail of my left thumb rests against the bridge of my nose - and in conjunction with the index fingers acts as a third point of contact . . .

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This hold also allows for subconscious adjustment for correct eye relief - the index fingers flex slightly forward or backward for correct eye relief

While this worked, simple rubber eyecups don’t take well to being folded. They end up stretching and creasing, discolouring (whitening at the stress line) and sometimes tearing apart
As I couldn't obtain a pair of replacement eyecups for use if I later sold the EII, I tried something else


3) Removing the eyecups and using the above technique
This worked and obviously avoided the issue of eyecup damage. But without the eyecups there was no physical protection for the eye lenses from smudging or potential impact or abrasion

In the end I persisted with this option and resigned myself to additional lens cleaning and being extra cautious

continued . . .

A Solution!

Recently I came across a microscope eyecup which works well with the EII (it fits like it was made for it), see the images and especially the feedback comments that prompted me to order a pair
The page in Polish is from a Chinese international sale site: https://www.aliexpress.com/i/32829074434.html

As can be seen, the eyecup consists of a base section that attaches to the binocular, along with an integral winged cup with a flexible rim

In comparing eyecups:
A) the original EII is 42 mm in diameter x 15 mm long
B) the replacement is 43 mm x 16 mm (at the shallow inboard portion of the rim) - and if the rim is pressed fully down against the base, the eyecup is only 12 mm long

The compressible edge of the eyecup addressed my comfort issues, making use of the EII a pleasure
While the rubber in the base section is firmer than that of the original eyecup, the flexible nature of the cup section means that the contact with the side of the nose is soft
(and with these eyecups I still use the hold that I described in the above post)

The wings point more to the side than those on some other eyecups, and this may be an advantage for those with wide faces
Conversely, they don’t exclude as much side light as more rear pointing wings do

While these eyecups worked for my particular problem, they may also be a good choice for any EII user who is either:
- happy with the eye relief of the original eyecups but wants a winged eyecup, or;
- finds the original eyecups fractionally too long


Sourcing
The eyecups can be found on that well known electronic bay. Just type ‘binocular eyecups’ in Binocular Cases & Accessories, and you should get a number of choices (the size listed as 40 mm is the correct one)
As the price is moderate I’d suggest choosing the seller that has the best feedback percentage


continued . .

. . . and some images fitted to the EII


John

I just leave the eye cups of the EII on and unfolded and they actually fit me pretty good but I find just cupping my hands around the eye cups and using my hands to adjust for eye relief works better than any aftermarket eye cups. I use this method on the Habicht's and my smaller compacts that have too small or short of eye cups. I used to try different eye cups like the winged eye cups you found but I don't like them rubbing up against the side of my head. I personally find them uncomfortable and they also have a tendency to fog up because they are sealed against your face too tightly. Your work around is a good idea for somebody that likes the eye cups to fit their face and don't mind the tight seal. There have been many adaptations of different types of eye cups over the years on Bird Forum for different binoculars but it is hard to get one that fits your face shape well and doesn't rub. You almost need a custom fit one.

I use a binobandit with my E2, better at blocking the light though it can get a bit damp inside in some situations. Nikon spare eyecups for the E2 *are* available, I have just ordered some via Nikon U.K. for another chap, takes a while for them to swim from Japan, they’re not expensive. You make me wonder how many mire sets exist on this planet.. bit like wondering how many E2 exist in dusty stock rooms!

Your solution adds extra function though!

Peter

Peter

I'm surprised that there's not more awareness of the Bino Bandit
Since even more so than with winged eyecups, it eliminates distracting side (and also rear) light and so increases image contrast
While bulkier than winged eyecups, it's going to give maximum acuity, especially under difficult viewing conditions - so at least a sometimes option to have available?

For those interested, there's a current discussion of the Bino Bandit with images, on the Cloudy Nights site: https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/661175-bino-bandits-are-a-go/


John

That looks way too bulky for normal binocular use. A specialist thing, seems better suited for a mounted binocular.

Jerry

Definitely not! I have a set permanently on my 8x30, really improves he view. It’s just thin flexi/floppy neoprene material and so takes up little space. Can fold down easily if not needed. I can still put the bins in the case with them on. They don’t work on my larger mounted Astro bins as these use larger diameter Astro eyepieces, so I am going to design/make some custom winged eyecups for them.

PEter

wllmspd said:

Definitely not! I have a set permanently on my 8x30, really improves he view. It’s just thin flexi/floppy neoprene material and so takes up little space. Can fold down easily if not needed. I can still put the bins in the case with them on.

PEter

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The eye cups on the 8x30 work pretty well for me. So I bought a Bino Bandit based on John's recommendation and have been using it instead on my EDG 7x42 and it works very well to further enhance that model's excellent control of harsh, difficult lighting conditions, glare, etc. It also works well to block strong wind which can sometimes be a problem for me. Probably not an everyday full time accessory for me but it's one size fits most standard bins, easy on/off, folds out of the way when not in use, less likely than winged eye cups to cause fogging and fits in the case as you say. Well worth having one even if only for occasional use. Based on what you say, tomorrow I will try it on my 8x30. Thanks for the tips guys.

Mike

mwhogue said:

The eye cups on the 8x30 work pretty well for me. So I bought a Bino Bandit based on John's recommendation and have been using it instead on my EDG 7x42 and it works very well to further enhance that model's excellent control of harsh, difficult lighting conditions, glare, etc. It also works well to block strong wind which can sometimes be a problem for me. Probably not an everyday full time accessory for me but it's one size fits most standard bins, easy on/off, folds out of the way when not in use, less likely than winged eye cups to cause fogging and fits in the case as you say. Well worth having one even if only for occasional use. Based on what you say, tomorrow I will try it on my 8x30. Thanks for the tips guys.

Mike

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Hi Mike,

I'm just curious here; but didn't your EDG 7x42 come with a set of slip-on "Horned Eye Cups?" (I know they are too big for the E2.)

I have a set that came with my 10x32 EDG and I find that they also fit on the eye cups of my Zeiss Victory 7x42 and a couple of other binoculars and work perfectly.

Bob

Bob,

Yes both my 10x32 and 7x42 came with the horned eye cups. I normally do not wear my prescription glasses with bins but prefer to keep the eyecups fully twisted down to maximize FOV and my ability to hold steady. This also allows me to quickly use when wearing close fitting sunglasses without stopping to remove sunglasses. Using the Bino Bandit doesn't interfere with any of this. To use the EDG horned cups requires that the eye pieces be twisted up far enough to decrease the FOV for me and of course there is no way to use them as quickly if I spot something while wearing sunglasses. I did go through a phase a couple of years ago of installing the Field Optics eye shields on all my bins but for the reasons above no longer use them.

The Bino Bandit does look a little clunky but works very well for me, both more functional and flexible than any other comparable solution/accessory so far.

Mike

Instead of messing around with the FO Winged eye cups, Horned eye cups, Ebay eye cups and clumsy huge Bino Bandits all of which are uncomfortable and fog your lenses up and cause your rainguard not to fit just cup your hands around the eyecups and rest them on your forehead and adjust the eye relief. I do it for almost all my binoculars and it works great.

mwhogue said:

Bob,

Yes both my 10x32 and 7x42 came with the horned eye cups. I normally do not wear my prescription glasses with bins but prefer to keep the eyecups fully twisted down to maximize FOV and my ability to hold steady. This also allows me to quickly use when wearing close fitting sunglasses without stopping to remove sunglasses. Using the Bino Bandit doesn't interfere with any of this. To use the EDG horned cups requires that the eye pieces be twisted up far enough to decrease the FOV for me and of course there is no way to use them as quickly if I spot something while wearing sunglasses. I did go through a phase a couple of years ago of installing the Field Optics eye shields on all my bins but for the reasons above no longer use them.

The Bino Bandit does look a little clunky but works very well for me, both more functional and flexible than any other comparable solution/accessory so far.

Mike

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Mike,

I don't wear glasses or other sight aids and I still use the horned eye cups with the eye cups in the closed (down) position. If I extend the eye cups and then put the horned eye cups on them I can't see anything very well! The eye relief is then too long for me.

In normal use I have to fully extend the eye cups when I am not using the horned eye cups.

These procedures have always worked for me. It was my understanding that it was the way they were supposed to be used.

Bob

ceasar said:

Mike,

I don't wear glasses or other sight aids and I still use the horned eye cups with the eye cups in the closed (down) position. If I extend the eye cups and then put the horned eye cups on them I can't see anything very well! The eye relief is then too long for me.

In normal use I have to fully extend the eye cups when I am not using the horned eye cups.

These procedures have always worked for me. It was my understanding that it was the way they were supposed to be used.

Bob

Click to expand...

Bob yes your are correct. My memory failed me. Checking today, I do install my EDG horns with eye ups fully down, but that costs me 25%+ of the FOV so they're out of the question for me. It's great you can use yours. They are very well made, easy on/off easy to adjust after install, the best I have tried, if only they worked for me.

Mike

Personally, i always use the EII with the eyecups rolled down and just hold them in front of my eyes - no issue with such a compact, stubby set.
The effects of the folding (cracking, whiteness etc.) can be offset by annual dosing of the eyecup rubber with Armor-All protectant, which seems to have worked so far.
I think i picked that tip up from another thread on BF, but can't remember where it was...