Binocular /telescope repair & cleaning

An Ri rua

Hi all,

Longtime lurker to this forum.

Quick query on binoculars / lenses. Do you all clean your own lenses (inside) or is it cheap, and common practice, to have anyone service them?

I've a pair of cheap but solid Halina 20x50 that are of personal value. Unfortunately, I'd imagine it's a light fungus inside one of the lenses. Do you lot generally service your own lower-end equipment, if you have any, or how do you approach such maintenance? I've other stuff but it seems better sealed.

Thanks in advance. Live long and prosper.

Is this more suited to a photography forum Mods? Or Birdwatching or Hunting?

iLikeWaffles

An Ri rua wrote: »

Hi all,

Longtime lurker to this forum.

Quick query on binoculars / lenses. Do you all clean your own lenses (inside) or is it cheap, and common practice, to have anyone service them?

I've a pair of cheap but solid Halina 20x50 that are of personal value. Unfortunately, I'd imagine it's a light fungus inside one of the lenses. Do you lot generally service your own lower-end equipment, if you have any, or how do you approach such maintenance? I've other stuff but it seems better sealed.

Thanks in advance. Live long and prosper.

Is this more suited to a photography forum Mods? Or Birdwatching or Hunting?

Depends how bad the fungus is. Sometimes you can screw off the front lens and remove, depends on the binoculars. Treating fungus can be done in a few ways with a dabbing of a light pesticide killing the fungus then remove carefully or if it is not too bad UV light, sometimes just directing them towards the sun for a few minutes at a time is enough to kill other times a UV light that is used to disinfect will be sufficient and both of these in combination Pesticide and UV light can be done with good effect, some people recommend dish soap to kill and UV light. When directing towards the sun though keep the back caps on and obviously never look at the sun through the bins.

The best thing to deal with fungus or mould is letting the equipment come to room temperature before storage and use a rocket blower to keep dust off but you're past that stage now. Dust and moisture is how fungus grows.

Flying Abruptly

I previously used http://binocular-repair.co.uk/ pre-Brexit.

From their website, Brexit seems to be giving them trouble getting spare parts at the moment, but they may still be doing cleaning, might be worth asking them. They fixed a collimation problem on a pair of my binoculars.

Try and check in a manual or online if the binoculars are gas-filled before opening them as it will be lost if you disassemble them.

An Ri rua

Thank you very much for your helpful posts folks.

Looks like I'll need a lens wrench. Or would you use say a mini screwdriver in the lens slot to get it moving?
I have numerous watch repair tools that might assist.

iLikeWaffles

An Ri rua wrote: »

Thank you very much for your helpful posts folks.

Looks like I'll need a lens wrench. Or would you use say a mini screwdriver in the lens slot to get it moving?
I have numerous watch repair tools that might assist.

Well you'll risk scratching the lens with a screw driver if it slips which it has a high chance of doing, or worse chipping it, and then you'll be rightly screwed. The back of a callipers with electrical tape around the sharp edges if you've no wrench, plastic bag's plastic handle with notches cut into it might be less risky, or a clamp with a piece of wood and 2 Q-tips stuck either side the size of the slots. You need something with the pivot point in the centre of the 2 notches to remove, though with that said I've removed lenses with just a fingernail albeit smaller than 1.25", depends how tight. If it is really tight get the lens wrench, don't think they're expensive.

Research it before doing the job and take your time.

iLikeWaffles

If you're in Dublin might want to give Conns Camera's a buzz, not sure if they repair or service binoculars but they sell them. They are always very helpful either way so might know someone who does service!

An Ri rua

Again, thank you. Extremely helpful posts.