Can I clean this TS-8? Digiscope? (3 Viewers)

[Kentuckienne]

I recently purchased a Kowa TS-8 (aka TS-M) scope with monopod for about $150 USD. The seller said there were no issues with the lenses. On the inside of the lens there are some small whitish spots, which I can only see in bright light. Is this from off gassing inside the scope? Dust? Is it worth trying to clean it up, or do they cause no problems? I’ve read they won’t affect the in-focus image.

I like vintage gear and this is a special purpose device for viewing a bald eagle nest, so I was trying not to spend much. But at the same time I want to have the equipment work at its best.

The included 20x eyepiece is big enough, the big birds nearly fill the field of view. I might want a bigger one for farther off birds. But it’s shaped oddly, like two cones, and I can’t get my existing phone adapter to stay on. Does anyone recommend a digiscope attachment for this eyepiece? Or is there a compatible one with straight sides?

 

[jring]

Hi,

not sure what it is... looks to me like there are two different layers of dirt, bright white and in focus - looks like dust on the front element and those faint gray specks in the background - could be gassed out grease or fungus - probably on the inside.

That being said, so far from focus, you will probably not notice any image impairment when looking through it. In direct comparison to a perfect example, you might see a tad less contrast in the dirty example, but probably not easy to notice unless you know beforehand. Probably no problem to measure in a lab...

Joachim