Leica Binos causing vision problems

Dodder

Well-Known Member
Gents,

I have a pair of Leica 8x20 binos which I have had from new and have had virtually no use. I pulled them out of the cupboard a while ago and took them out to use them, but am finding although everything appears OK when using them, as soon as I put them down my vision goes all funny (I can only describe it as if someone is twisting my eyeball) and it takes a second or two for everything to return back to normal. I have never ever had this with any other binos so am wondering whether there might be a problem with them - can anyone shed any light on this and also does anyone know whether Leicas come with a lifetime warranty like Swaro so maybe I can send them back to be looked at?

Thanks!
 
Hi I have a 10x20 and an 8x40 pair of LEICA bins. Love them both but the 10x20

do the same to my eyes. I dont think its the bins but our eyes. The 8x40's come with 30you year warranty but not sure about all there range.
 
that sounds like an "accommodation" problem.
Usually because your eyes have either been straining to see something at distance/slightly out of focus and then returned to something closer/in focus.
 
I'd agree with Bewsher.

Not 100% on the full optical theory, but our eyes constantly seek to resolve the images received. Unless binoculars are focussed in and adjusted correctly, then our eye muscles try to do the work of focussing. From middle age onwards, these muscles get slower and tire more quickly.

Anything that affects the quality of the image received will work these muscles harder - rough rule of thumb is that standard binos much above 8/9x produce less depth of field and tend to be more tiring ( not talking absolutes here ). Possibly the 8x20 sizing is causing a similar issue.

Best technique is to focus out beyond your target and then bring focus adjustment swiftly back to the right point. Swiftly - because your eye is starting to react and back rather than out because ( I've been told, but I dot know ) the eyes lens adjusts more slowly in such cases - giving more time to correct the focus.

Not familiar with the Leica format - but if it is the double hinge type, these can be harder to set and keep set at the right distance between the eye pieces - again working the eyes to accommodate the mis-alignment.

Not personally researched any of the above - so could be ( as Mr Rose my old History teacher quoted ) 'piffle and balderdash'. More than happy to be educated.
 
Dodder

I wonder if it's a collimation problem with the binos? Our eyes are very good at making up for small visual anomalies by working with the brain to "tune out" any discrepancies. Remember that the eyes are a muscle much like any other, so they will adjust to compensate where possible. When you then suddenly remove the binos your eyes will have to readjust.

Out of interest, when was the last time you went for an eye test at the opticians?

willie_gunn

P.S. have you tried altering the diopter adjustment at all?

P.P.S anyone who doesn't believe in the brains capacity to alter visual images check this out: http://www.exploratorium.edu/exhibits/mona/mona.html
 
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I have the same with one of our guests glasses, once I use them I feel sick after, they are Autofocus binos, its actually your eyes that do the focusing, very hard on the head.

It sounds like your Leicas are doing the same.

It sounds odd but try and keep your eyes relaxed when you focus them.
 
I have this problem and it gets far worse as light starts to fade. I use a set of Bausch and Lomb discoverers in 7x42. The main cause for me is one of my eyes is a little bit short sighted and the other is perfect. It can be very frustrating. I would be very interested in whether others with the same problem have found a type of bino that helps the situation.
 
Gents,

I have a pair of Leica 8x20 binos which I have had from new and have had virtually no use. I pulled them out of the cupboard a while ago and took them out to use them, but am finding although everything appears OK when using them, as soon as I put them down my vision goes all funny (I can only describe it as if someone is twisting my eyeball) and it takes a second or two for everything to return back to normal. I have never ever had this with any other binos so am wondering whether there might be a problem with them - can anyone shed any light on this and also does anyone know whether Leicas come with a lifetime warranty like Swaro so maybe I can send them back to be looked at?

Thanks!
Where are you in kent? If you are near enough, come on over and have a look through my swaro's, at least if i have a look through yours and find them ok you'll know whether or not it's your eyes?
Tikkat3
 
seriously,
focus them properly, they are from one of the world's foremost manufacturers of optical equipment.

exclude that before you send them anywhere.

try them on one eye (the right) using the diopter to focus for that eye. does it still do the same?
 
Tackleberry,

Isn't that what's the diopter is for?

You adjust for each eye.

Stan

Nope. I can experience this in bright conditions and after I have focused both to perfection, but it gets far worse as light fades. I am only guessing but in my case it might be something to do with my weaker eye becoming lazy (I don't wear glasses or contacts) and then becoming tired after straining it when using binos.
 
if they are Leitz Trinovid 8x20 .the double hinge ,already mentioned is a handicap to use in a hurry, and takes time to adjust, the diopter ring is olso a fiddle and in time works loose and will not stay on your chosen setting , a little strip of tape will sort that out ,i know we shouldnt have to tape up A1 binos to hold a setting ,the other issue is the eye relive setting on the little sliders to permit use of glasses,i find they pull out a little too far for me ,and if i take of the rubber eye cups off the end they are right for me ,all this makes them sound a dead loss, but they have done a lot with them in a small package,but they are the most used pr of glass i use hardly ever without them ,in short they are the best of a type,if its a type suits you fine ,if not forget them my son hates them with a vengence, but when i cant find them they are in his pocket?
 
If you are getting eyestrain it sounds as if the binocular is out of collimation. Hold the binocular two or three inches away from your eyes and look through it. If you see two slightly offset images then it needs collimating.
 
Get your eyes tested, quite simple really...

As has been mentioned, especially as we get older our eyes find things more difficult to resolve properly as the lense in the eyeball starts to harden and so is more of an effort (i.e. strain) to focus on things which are slightly out. Also, aging eyes won't be able to compensate for minor eye problems like young fresh ones will!

I have been through many a pair of top shelf bino and came to the conclusion that I was never going to be happy, I can never get them quite 'perfect' no matter what I do with the diopters, although the key to 'almost' perfection is the CORRECT setting up of these. It took me a couple of years to work out what was going on...

I wear glasses... sometimes... I have a very weak prescription, I can see just fine without them and some people would question why o =n earth I wear them at all! Well... it's because, after a few days of not wearing them, I find myself getting tired quickly, squinting a lot and generally wanting to shut my eyes and go to sleep... all the time! Turns out, all down to eye strain! now, I wera my glasses a couple of days a week or on long drives and the effects are drastically reduced, when I find my =self getting unexplainedly tired again, pop them on and within half an hour all is fine again.. At no time without the speks is anything blurred or noticeably out of focus and I could easily pass an opticians test reading to the bottom of the chart (don't know how long that will last though!) Anyhoo... back to the story..

I could never quite get things right with the binos, something just didn't seem right and I would suffer the same symptoms as the OP... frustrated the hell out of me.. then I realised what was going on.. the binos not only magnify the image, they also magnify any error from the eyeball outwards, in my case by a factor of 8! The diopter only corrects 1 thing and that is focus, it cannot correct for an astigmatism (turn) nor can it correct a prism... so, whilst I could get it close, it was never ever going to be perfect. The interesting thing is, if I wear my glasses and then look through the binos...... lo and behold... perfection.. because my glasses correct ALL the issues with my eyes before magnification so my slight astigmatism is dealt with (which, I think the OP will find is the issue, he has a very very slight one that is no issue normally but when magnified......) as is any other problem..

The downside to this is that I hate stalking wearing glasses, it only takes a light rain or sweaty forhead dripping onto the lenses to really ruin a day and even though my prescription is very weak, it is still uncomfortable to instantly swap between glasses and no glasses, also, glassing wearing glasses is horrid! so... I just put up with it now happy in the knowledge that my £2k pair of binos are fine and well and thay=t the problem lies with my ageing body!!
 
More likely to be a collimation problem with your eyes, "Astigmatism", My astigmatism has righted itself, my optometrist says it's a rare happening, but there you go!.
 
If you are getting eyestrain it sounds as if the binocular is out of collimation. Hold the binocular two or three inches away from your eyes and look through it. If you see two slightly offset images then it needs collimating.

Thanks to everyone for your input, I do have astigmatisms and wear special compensating contacts for this condition. I also have very regular eye tests but have never ever had this problem with any other binos (and I dont remember these ever being like it when I first got them) and of course I've tried adjusting the diopter on the other lens!!

Thanks Gary I've just tried this and the two images are definitely separate - viewing an object say 30yds away and holding them away from my eyes the two images are apart by 8-10 inches and at an angle of 45degrees to the horisontal.

Now it would appear we have confirmed that there is probably a problem with the binos rather than my eyes (which I kind of guessed all along!) what's the best remedy please? Does anyone know whether Leica have a good warranty/repair service like swaro or am I best to take them to a specialist??

Thanks again for your input
 
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Sounds very much like the collimation / alignment of the binoculars is the problem , although it is not often seen on roof prism bino's as opposed to old style porro's which were fairly easy to knock out of collimation.
I have had very good service from this gentleman http://www.actionoptics.co.uk/ several times over the years ( services /repairs rifle scopes as it happens as well ).
please remember to send them well insured !
regards
Steve
 
that sounds like an "accommodation" problem.
Usually because your eyes have either been straining to see something at distance/slightly out of focus and then returned to something closer/in focus.

+1 def the eyes and failure of accommodation

When Bins are focussed they will be at infinity for your eyes. When you stop using them the lenses in the eyes have to change shape to refocus and as we all get older that is an increasingly difficult task for the small muscles especially if you wear specs, or possibly need to.

Nothing to do with the bins, its the eyes behind em with the problem!

Fraser
 
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