Use of rainguards (ocular covers) (1 Viewer)

[seawatcher]

Do you use a rainguard?

Do you attach it to the left side, and if so why?

Do you attach it to the right side, and if so why?

Do you attach to both sides, and if so why?

Do you use the rainguard that came with the binocular, or another make. if another make, why did you cahnge.

What are the advanatges / disadvantages in using the rainguard as you do (or don't use as the case may be).

And to start off:
I attach both sides. Does mean the lenses steam up if i breath into the rainguard as it hangs unde my chin on cold days but also means that it is quick to slide into place on rainy days. Its a compromise.

 

[ceasar]

ANSWERS:
Yes.
I attach it to the left side.
I do not attach the right side. It will stay there without attaching it.
I use the rainguard supplied by the mfg'r. The Leica Trinovid has the best one I've used.
The only advantage is you don't have to worry about rain getting on the oculars.
Cordially,
Bob

 

[Bonsaibirder]

Yes.

Left - not to both because it gets in the way of quick access.

Yes I use the one that came with my Leicas.

Don't really care about rain but it keeps the crumbs from my sandwiches out of the lenses!

Cheers,

Do you use a rainguard?

Do you attach it to the left side, and if so why?

Do you attach it to the right side, and if so why?

Do you attach to both sides, and if so why?

Do you use the rainguard that came with the binocular, or another make. if another make, why did you cahnge.

What are the advanatges / disadvantages in using the rainguard as you do (or don't use as the case may be).

And to start off:
I attach both sides. Does mean the lenses steam up if i breath into the rainguard as it hangs unde my chin on cold days but also means that it is quick to slide into place on rainy days. Its a compromise.

 

[tom24]

Yep, i use rainguards on the left.Attatching to both sides gets in the way.
I use opticron rainguards on my swaro and leicas,much better than those supplied i've mentioned their part no. in other posts (don't have it to hand).

Also attach them to strap with a small split ring.

 

[Jaeger01]

Do you use a rainguard?

rainguard as it hangs unde my chin on cold days but also means that it is quick to slide into place on rainy days. Its a compromise.

I use the one that came with my Swarovski's and it is attached to the left side with a split ring and a short cable tie. I really like it, it fits well and is easy to flip off and drop on. I have a pair of Leupolds and the one that came with it, use the same way but it doesn't compare to the Swaro one.

Jaeger near Chicago

 

[kmiernik]

I use rainguards that came with my binoculars (Swift HHS 828) always when I'm not looking through them.

They are attached to left side and they can not be attached to right side. So the anwser is simple why I use left and only left side.
I did not change original rainguards as they are really fine.

Advantages:

I'm in love with my binoculars and I'm afraid to scratch accidentaly lenses and coatings. It's easy to scratch them while breaking through forest without covers. It's also easy to scratch them with skirt sleeve's buttons as I like to lay down arm at binoculars.
Another reason: I hate steamed oculars during cold weather.

Swift's rainguards are made well and I can take them off in the twinkling of an eye.

I was using Nikon Action EX 8x40 before. I could not use rainguards as they fit there only for big IPD. So each time I attached them I had to correct IPD once again. That was very uncomfortable.

 

[bradshrike]

"Do you use a rainguard?"

Alaways.

________________________________________

"Do you attach it to the left side, and if so why?"

Yes, it's the only place it can attatch.

________________________________________

"Do you use the rainguard that came with the binocular, or another make. if another make, why did you cahnge."

I replaced the Ultravid cover with the older Trinovid cover. The Ultravid cover is to flexible and sticky making it difficult to use.

________________________________________

"What are the advanatges / disadvantages in using the rainguard as you do (or don't use as the case may be)."

The rainguard/objective cover keeps snow, sleet, rain, dust, dirt and various debris off the ocular lenses... that means less cleaning and that's always a good thing.

I prefer a left side attatchment only... using both sides allows the rainguard to "slide" upward but tends to choke one in the neck if a shorter neck strap is employed.

 

[Swissboy]

Do you use a rainguard?

Yes, always

Do you attach it to the left side, and if so why?

Left, for no particular reason, probably because the first one-sided one was that way.

Do you attach to both sides, and if so why?

No, for the reason you mention: steaming up is a greater problem.

Do you use the rainguard that came with the binocular, or another make. if another make, why did you change.

On my Trinovid, I have the original, but on our Zeiss Victory and FL we have the ones from EO. They are less obtrusive.

What are the advantages in using the rainguard as you do.

Clear lenses against rain and spills, protection of the lenses against mechanical damages. For that reason I also use objective covers when the binoculars are not in use. I never use the case. Just a cloth bag for stowing.

 

[MacGee]

I only use the rainguard on my Opticrons in the pouch and I would much rather have dust caps. The idea of a big plastic excrescence hanging off the binocular strap fills me with horror. I would find it nothing but a nuisance. When it rains I just shove the binoculars inside the jacket. In fact the jacket works so well you might almost think it was designed to keep rain off.


Michael.

 

[Lou H]

Zeiss drool guard

I tried several ways to get the drool guard that came with my Zeiss FLs to work reasonably effeciently and so far find using two small loops of string to tie each side of the guard to the respective neck strap ear on the body of the bins works pretty well. I make the loops just long enough to be very slightly taught when the eyecups are at full extension. With this setup, i can hold the bins with one hand and flip the guard on and off with with the same hand, which is very useful when on the move and maybe carrying something in the other hand. My IPD is smaller than the resting width of the guard which made it fussier to get on. I punched a couple of holes in the guard and used a piece of string to reduce its width so it easilly flips on.

 

[John P]

The idea of a big plastic excrescence hanging off the binocular strap fills me with horror. I would find it nothing but a nuisance. When it rains I just shove the binoculars inside the jacket. In fact the jacket works so well you might almost think it was designed to keep rain off.


Michael.

I'm with Michael. |=)|