New birdnerd, seeking advice on found Leica binoculars. (1 Viewer)

[sebwin]

Hello!

I’ve never been into bird watching, but my aunt, who passed away a few years ago, was very into it/traveled bird watching etc.

I was going through some of her things a while ago and found a pair of her old binoculars, marked: Leica 8x32 BA and I started taking them out with me watching birds and have fallen in love with birdwatching and take the binoculars with me everywhere in my bag now (it’s incredible how clear birds are through binoculars, even swift’s in flight).

I have two questions if ok:

1). The binoculars have no case, only a kind of flexible plastic cover, attached permanently to the strap, which secured over the two eye holes you put your eyes to. The larger holes on the binoculars have no cover. I’ve been putting the cover onto the two eye holes, putting the whole thing in a soft bag (like you’d put sunglasses in) then putting in my backpack.

Is this ok, or is it better to get a proper protective case for them to better protect the larger eye holes?
If so, does anyone kindly have a link to as lightweight as possible case that would fit Leica 8x32 BAs?

2). I’ve never used binoculars before properly, but the images seem incredibly clear and there are no scratches/foggy it’s etc when I look through them.
However the holes you put your eye to do seem to have a slight smear towards the edge of the glass that almost seems purple. I’m sure this would wipe off, but is there any danger with wiping the lenses? If not, do I need to use a special solution/material or just a glasses wipe/solution?
Is there anything else I should do to “service” them as such, or, if binoculars work, do you just leave them and they keep working?

Thanks for your kind help and time. Apologies if I’m asking obvious questions

 

[Kits]

Welcome to Birdforum!

Hopefully someone can help with some advice.

 

[Mono]

If you are carrying the binoculars in a bag with other items then it is a good idea to put them in some sort of case. There are loads on the market. You could measure the WxHxD of them and look online, Lowepro is a good brand. Or just take them into a local camera store.

The "eye hole" cover is a rainguard. If you are carrying the binoculars around your neck and it is raining they stop the uppermost eyepiece lens getting drops on them. They are attached to each other and the strap so they can be quickly flicked off if you need to use the binoculars.

You can clean the lenses, just use clothes intended for spectacles.

 

[sebwin]

That’s really helpful, thankyou both very much

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Hi Sebwin and welcome to BirdForum. I have the 8x42 BN’s. Lovely binoculars.

Rich

 

[delia todd]

Hi Sebwin and a warm welcome from me too.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I hope to hear about all the birds you see when out and about.

 

[LarryO]

You can clean the lenses, just use clothes intended for spectacles.

My understanding is that cloths, or liquids, designed for eyeglasses are generally NOT recommended for high-quality coated optics and can damage the coatings. (An exception might be modern 'microfiber' cloths.) It is important to remove dust, e.g., with a 'blower-brush,' before any other cleaning, since dust can cause micro-scratches when pushed around, very destructive. Lint-free Q-tips, lightly(!) dampened with isopropyl alcohol or a commercial solution designed for high-quality optics are often suggested for removing stubborn fingerprints, eyelash grease, etc.

A good approach would be to run a google search, e.g., on 'cleaning binoculars,' and to read through some of the articles it finds. Reading more than one can turn up tips not present in all of them.

Larry

P.S. The Trinovid BA 8x32's, though now over 20 years old, remain very highly regarded, much loved by many who have them for their high optical quality, compactness, and rugged design. You can search for comments about them among Leica threads on birdforum.net.

 

[tenex]

The binoculars have no case

You have an excellent binocular there, despite being ~25 years old. Contact Leica and see whether they still have a "case" left, which was actually just a soft leather zipper pouch since the bin is quite robust itself. It did have a rigid bottom which protects the front lenses, as the guard protects the eye ones. When removed it stuffs right into a pocket which is very convenient.

Basic instructions:

• Adjust the diopter for your own eyes: pick something you can see clearly in middle distance. Close right eye and get the best focus for your left eye. Then pull top of the focuser straight up (it clicks), close left eye, and use just the top part to get best focus for right eye. Then pop the top back down and you're set.
• Be sure the hinge is adjusted so the view through both tubes combines well for you.
• Pull the eyecups out for use, or leave them pushed in if you must wear eyeglasses.

 

[jring]

Hi,

first of all, welcome to BF!

congratulations, you got a great a pair of bins and a great new pastime...

It was Leica's top offering when it was introduced and is still a very nice upper mid-range pair. If you want to nitpick, they're kinda heavy and bulky for an 8x32 pair (the 42mm models are afectionally called the "brick" over here), but on the other hand very sturdy. Also their field of view could be a bit wider for an 8x32 pair and the eye relief is not really compatible with most glasses.

If they work for you, just enjoy the view!

As for how to clean optics, sparingly is the usual jocular answer, which contains a lot of truth.
If it is really necessary, lots of fluid (dedicated optics cleaner like Baader optical wonder just some isopropylic alcohol and water mixture) and not a lot of rubbing (clean microfiber cloth or q-tip) followed by soaking up excess fluid with a dry piece of microfiber cloth is my usual procedure

Joachim