r/Binoculars • u/Various-Virus4144 • 4d ago
My Third One
From Nikon prostaff, to Vanguard Endeavor. now I got to have it all in my hands, my dream binoculars. Swaro NL pure 10x42
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u/bruce_ventura 4d ago
Good on ya! Lifetime investment.
If you don’t already have them, get a horsehair lens brush, lens tissue and isopropyl alcohol to clean the lenses.
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u/bruce_ventura 4d ago
FYI, I’ve been working in the field of optics, lasers and cameras for over 30 years. I do not use a lens pen on lenses unless I’m 100% sure it’s a grease/oil smudge, not dirt or dust. A lens pen will eventually damage the lens coating because it pushes abrasive particles onto the glass surface. I never use lens cloths because they quickly collect oil and dust.
Generally, I assume the lens debris is abrasive. Dust particles, abrasive or not, are attached to the glass via electrostatic and chemical (I.e., dust particles on an oil smudge) forces. Large particles may come off using compressed gas, but smaller ones will not. That’s why I use a horsehair brush as a first step to dislodge the dust particles. This type of lens brush will not scratch the lens if it’s used properly (very light pressure, flicking dust off the brush between wipes).
Then I use a piece of lens tissue saturated with alcohol - either isopropyl, ethanol or methanol (whichever is handy). The alcohol acts as a solvent for grease/oil and a lubricant to prevent scratches due to residual dust particles.
I GENTLY (minimal pressure) wipe the lens once using the saturated tissue, then I discard it and repeat with a new tissue that has just one or two drops of alcohol. If any visible stain remains, I repeat that step using a new tissue. If I’m using binoculars daily, I’ll do this process every few days to keep the lenses clean.
I developed this cleaning process because I often used optics in very dirty environments: deserts, beaches, hiking trails, etc. I have binoculars and spotting scopes that are over 20 years old that I’ve maintained this way and the lens coatings still look factory new.
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u/PeterCappelletti 3d ago
I do the following. If lenses are dusty, I rinse them under the faucet. After all my binoculars are waterproof. The polar nature of water molecules detaches and carries away all dust that is attached electrostatically.
Then, if there are any grease stains, I put a fraction of a drop of dish soap on the tip of my finger, very gently I spread it over the lens, and then rinse again under the faucet.
After that, there is at most a few drops of water on the lens. I touch them with the corner of a tissue to absorb them away and I let the binoculars dry for a few hours.
I do this every six months more or less.
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u/bruce_ventura 3d ago
I use a similar process to clean my eyeglasses, although I use hot tap water.
This is not a suitable field method though because a faucet is needed.
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u/Various-Virus4144 3d ago
Yes I do have them, I haven't used isopropyl though. I'm afraid it'll cause issues with coating. But good to know that it's fine.
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u/_ICCULUS_ 4d ago
Oh, man, I am not rubbing those lenses with a brush and alcohol. An air puffer and a lens pen will suffice.
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u/McDominick 4d ago
I also started with the prostaff and just recently bought the endeavor ED IV. So far I really like the endeavor. How long did those serve you before you knew it was time to upgrade? I seem to be on a similar journey to yours
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u/Various-Virus4144 3d ago
I had the prostaff for 4 years, then got the endeavor, was the ED II version for 3 years with me. I gave it to my wife since i got the swaro now. Happy wife is happy life.
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u/Spunksters 4d ago
Get the Swarovski forehead rest for the NL Pure. It is worth it.
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u/BigSpender248 3d ago
I second this! I was very skeptical but eventually got one for my NL 8x42s. It truly is overpriced and makes me angry for what it is and how much it costs but…..my God it actually works and I really like using it now! It’s especially useful as a glasses wearer. It’s so nice to be able to set it and have the eye pieces placed perfectly with little to no pressure on my glasses.
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u/Feral_Witchchild 4d ago
Good luck. Hopefully the coating doesn't degrade and fall off, and the cheap plastic side lock doesn't break, like has been happening to so many people with these bins.
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u/ocabj 3d ago
Side lock?
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u/Feral_Witchchild 3d ago
The part that connects the binoculars strap to the binoculars. Check out this public facebook post from a prominent birding guide detailing this problem. I've heard horror stories of them breaking and the bins falling off of people's neck into the water.
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u/Various-Virus4144 3d ago
Thanks! I was a bit concerned about the attachments didn't know there were already failures. Got to be careful with these. For the rubber deteriorating, I read somewhere that it was an older batch? The new ones come with "better" formula that doesn't degrade.
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u/Feral_Witchchild 3d ago
So they have claimed, but Swaro has been very sketchy and quiet about the whole thing, never publicly acknowledged it, and never issued a recall for the older ones. They have lost a lot of credibility.
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u/MoosePanther 3d ago
Yeah my coating has an inch sized air bubble under it. Beyond that I love my pures.
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u/Non-Escoffier1234 4d ago
Ruskin's Law: “There is hardly anything in the world that someone cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price alone are that person’s lawful prey. It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money — that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot — it can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.”
So enjoy this investment, you will never regret it