8x30 E II eyepieces fogging (1 Viewer)

[tenex]

The eyepieces on my E II seem prone to fogging (exterior, from eye moisture) in moderately cold weather, to a degree I haven't experienced with my other bins. Is that likely due to lack of hydrophobic coating (which the others do have), or rubber eyecups vs metal, or...?

 

[gweller]

I had exactly the same problem with the E II that I had. Maybe it comes from the lack of eye relief, resulting in your eyes being that much closer to the lens than with other models? In the end this was one of the reasons why I ended up selling mine.

 

[Richard D]

I think lack of eye relief is the most likely explanation

 

[mwhogue]

No expert here but it may be one or more factors. I tend to use E II's in moderate weather including low humidity and have't experienced significant fogging. OTOH the Canon IS 12x36 III when carried outside into colder weather the lenses fog up more noticeably even before bringing the bin up to the eyes and they take longer to clear than with others. Using the rubber eyecups extended makes the problem worse because of the tight "sealed" fit. I sometimes roll the eye cups down and use a Binobandit (including with E II) which helps minimize fogging for me because it provides more breathing room for the lenses so to speak while still shutting out light and wind. UV HD + lenses tend to fog slightly more and take longer to clear than SW or Zeiss in my experience so coatings seem to be a factor as well. Hope you can minimize the issue.

Mike

 

[Binastro]

Put a scarf or mask around your mouth.

Regards,
B.

 

[wllmspd]

I made a shield once to direct my breath away from the eyepieces. Zeiss do an antifog spray that could help for those times when conditions are an issue.

Peter

 

[Patudo]

What's "moderate cold" in your area? This happens with my shorter eye relief binoculars (that I have to use without glasses) under about 10-11 degrees Celsius, although less so on sunny days, and also windy days (which disperse condensation I suppose). Maybe roll down the rubber eyecups to allow as much circulation as possible - but this can make eye placement more tricky.

 

[takitam]

That was the main reason I returned my pair, twice. I really wanted to like them, but short eye relief (which also resulted in eyelashes constantly smearng the eyepiece for me) makes fogging more problematic than any other bin I have tried. But all my binoculars have a problem with fogging.

 

[tenex]

Yes, "moderate" = upper 40s F, or 8-9 C. Nikon states 13.8mm ER which doesn't seem "low" to me, about the same as the 10x32 BN I've used for 20 years. And I've had no problem with eyelash smears since my old Zeiss Porros. So it does seem a bit puzzling.