Got a non-waterproof scope? (1 Viewer)

[stevetb]

Hi,

I finally got round to having my little Kowa scope (ts 614) fixed this week, with a view to using it on a lightweight tripod for those times when a large scope is inconvenient. I must say that whilst it’s not the same as my Swaro, the Kowa still offers a very nice, sharp image.

Anyway, the only thing I don't like about it is its lack of waterproofing. I had some Optech Raincovers for my DSLR + 400mm lens, so I thought I'd try one on my scope. Basically, the cover is plastic that covers the camera and lens (tightening with a drawstring at the lens end).
http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-optech-rainsleeve/p1017072

I have to say the rainsleeve works very well with the scope! It has some big advantages over stay on cases:

• For one, the sleeve is waterproof - a lot of stay on cases are made of water resistant materials, whereas the plastic obviously keeps the water on the outside.
• Furthermore, the sleeve is designed to hang down off of a camera (as seen in the link) - and as such easily allows you to put your hand inside the sleeve without letting rain in. This means you can focus the scope without having to make a hole in the cover - obviously stay on cases have some sort of flap or hole to let you to focus the scope.

With the sleeve, due to the aforementioned reasons, there really is very little chance for rain to get in. You just pull the plastic back over the top of the eyepiece and the drawstring over the lens hood, and the scope is protected.
Once you've finished viewing, you can easily and quickly cover the objective lens and eyepiece with some of the excess plastic.
Obviously I can’t guarantee anything, but unless the rain is coming at a very low angle (in which case I wouldn’t be using a scope anyway!) I don’t see how water could get in to affect the scope, especially if you’ve pulled the cover over each end.

The result is a cheap cover that will make your scope pretty much waterproof. I had no worries today walking about in the rain with the cover on; conditions where I’d normally be scrambling to put the scope away.

The main disadvantage is the look of the thing – it’s a well designed plastic sheet at the end of the day.

 

[mooreorless]

Hi Steve, That looks like a good idea. So you just push back the sleeve from the objective lens when using the spotter and then push it forward and hanging down to keep rain out right?
Regards,Steve

 

[stevetb]

Yep, you can just pull the plastic that is tightened around the objective hood down for when the scope isn't in use.

 

[mooreorless]

Thank you for reply.
Steve

 

[Johnners]

My scope is an Optolyth 30x75 draw-tube and definitely not waterproof in a downpour, so it gets put in a plastic bag and into its case when raindrops begin to hit my glasses. Mind you, it's easy enough to remove any internal moisture with these scopes.
Knew a guy once who also had a draw-tube scope and he called it his flask, as it held internal water efficiently after a soaking. Modern scopes are generally better protected with double enclosure seals, o-rings, nitrogen pressure systems and the like - but you'll pay for it!

 

[MiguelATF]

Quick update to this old thread - even more than a dozen years later, it's still helpful.
I just purchased a nearly new Opticron MM3 scope but since I live in Oregon, where it rains frequently and snows occasionally, protecting the optics (eyepiece) of the scope is essential. Opticron claims the newer MM3's are waterproof, but the zoom eyepiece on mine is definitely NOT waterproof, so having one of these 'rain sleeves' will be a boon. Plus, they are readily available and inexpensive. So, my belated THANKS to @stevetb for his original recommendation