Cold weather - Binos + Scope Fogging Up

wicklow_hunter

Hi All

Dont think this has been covered but here it goes

With the cold weather lately ive been having trouble with my scope and Binos fogging up

Both are swarovski and the slightest breath and they are covered with condensation

I really have to work hard and control the breathing when glassing

The scope is brand new and the binos are a few years old


I did bit of research and it seems to be a problem alright especially in the cold weather and in the absence of wind

Bushnell are making cloths that alegedly solve this problem


http://cgi.ebay.ie/Nikon-Fog-Eliminator-for-55-200mm-18-55mm-VR-Lens-NEW_W0QQitemZ360210440094QQcmdZViewItemQQptZDigital_Camera_Accessories?hash=item53de371f9e

Does it work and are there any retailers / gun shops in the south east that sell them


Thanks In Advance

riflehunter77

I thought this might of been a problem with lower quality optics but when I saw that they were both Swarovski I was well suprised.

Have not seen them cloths around but if they do the job they might be a good idea, they dont break the bank either.

deerhunter1

wicklow_hunter wrote: »

Hi All

Dont think this has been covered but here it goes

With the cold weather lately ive been having trouble with my scope and Binos fogging up

Both are swarovski and the slightest breath and they are covered with condensation

I really have to work hard and control the breathing when glassing

The scope is brand new and the binos are a few years old


I did bit of research and it seems to be a problem alright especially in the cold weather and in the absence of wind

Bushnell are making cloths that alegedly solve this problem


http://cgi.ebay.ie/Nikon-Fog-Eliminator-for-55-200mm-18-55mm-VR-Lens-NEW_W0QQitemZ360210440094QQcmdZViewItemQQptZDigital_Camera_Accessories?hash=item53de371f9e

Does it work and are there any retailers / gun shops in the south east that sell them


Thanks In Advance

Got this stuff from John Norris in England two weeks ago. 5.95Stg. They are Anti Fogging sticks. Two per pack, I have same problem especially when I get out of vehicle and use my Bino's they fog up. just rub the edge of stick on glass polish off and Hey Presto no fogging brilliant. They are made from natural ingrediants and are non-toxic. They are solid like a candle and I would say will last a long time, just keep one in your shooting jacket, great gadget. And they work, they are made for sunglasses,goggles,visors,mirrors,windscreen etc.

jwshooter

i use swro and leica .the only time i would have that trouble is when the opcits are hot coming out of the jeep .
but thats only lasts a few minutes.

also if you keep your binos inside your jacket when walking you will have that problem.
get your self a swazi severn or tahr that have a external bino pocket.

the severn is never off me when stalking .

J.R.

I have a problem with glasses fogging up in cold weather when wearing a face mask in a hide ......must try those anti fogging sticks - have same problem when walking the dog on cold evenings.....walk back into the warm house and glasses fog up completely.

riflehunter77

J.R. wrote: »

I have a problem with glasses fogging up in cold weather when wearing a face mask in a hide ......must try those anti fogging sticks - have same problem when walking the dog on cold evenings.....walk back into the warm house and glasses fog up completely.

Same problem myself J.R wounder would they be ok to use with glasses might invest in some in the new year.

wicklow_hunter

Going to try the sticks

Hopefully it won't ruin my coatings as there is no mention of it being reccomended for optics

Anything is worth a try....

I keep the binos in belt pouch so they should be cold...

A face net adds seems to add to the problem imo as it restricts air from getting away from your mouth and it rises up fogging the lens....

If there is any breeze blowing they are fine - god dam frost!

Thanks again for all the replies

jwshooter

wicklow_hunter wrote: »

Going to try the sticks

Hopefully it won't ruin my coatings as there is no mention of it being reccomended for optics

Anything is worth a try....

I keep the binos in belt pouch so they should be cold...

A face net adds seems to add to the problem imo as it restricts air from getting away from your mouth and it rises up fogging the lens....

If there is any breeze blowing they are fine - god dam frost!

Thanks again for all the replies

A if you use a face net there is your problem ,there a waist of time any way .

gunhappy_ie

nitrogen filling ! Keeps glass from fogging up...... Usually found on the higher end optics. Those sticks seem to be just the cure at a fraction of the cost

marlin vs

I use Bob Heath antifog it's for to stop fog-up on visors on motorcycle helmets, it will do the same on optics and can be got off most motorcycle dealers.

bunny shooter

Bob Heath ................ haven't seen that stuff for years ............. happy memories Biking in winter ............... happy days

happyjack

All optics will mist over when brought from a warm car/jeep/room to the cold outdoors, it's best to let them come up to the same temp,

Quality optics have nitrogen filling, Leupold invented it during the second world war on binos.

Cheap optics that fog up on the inside have no nitrogen in them, big problem, if a scope has a nitrogen leak it will fog 10 minute before it rains as the temp drops, real pain in the hole, to check if your scope has a leak in it, put it in a cold room, bottom section of fridge, for a few minutes then into a warm room, look for mist inside the glass effect.

Another way is to submerge the optic in a bucket of water and look for bubbles, but I would not recommend that way.

Never ever screw the scopes eye peace all the way off as you'll let all the nitrogen out, same goes for the front bell.

To check for scratches or internal damage look through the optic from the front lens, at a bright light but never the sun, you will be able to see any surface scratches or internal problems, optical glass is very soft and scratches very easily, never clean sand or dirt of a lens with a cloth, use a wee brush instead.

All lens should never rattle either, give your scope a good shake, if it rattles thats a very bad sign.

Recoil can damage a scope to, if the front bell contacts a hard surface as well as at the mounting points it will cause the recticle to snap/brake. This can happen if the barrel is very close or touches the front bell.

I'd love to get out hunting in this cold weather, must make some time for a shot, all the best and happy Xmas.

HJ:)

westwicklow

happyjack wrote: »

.........I'd love to get out hunting in this cold weather, must make some time for a shot, all the best and happy Xmas.

HJ:)

Can you not hunt without your Swarovski gear? Some hunter you are then!! Trust your skill and experience more than technology.

Maybe you are just using this as an excuse not to go out in the cold

Toughen up lad, toughen up and get out there!!

happyjack

westwicklow wrote: »

Can you not hunt without your Swarovski gear? Some hunter you are then!! Trust your skill and experience more than technology.

Maybe you are just using this as an excuse not to go out in the cold

Toughen up lad, toughen up and get out there!!

Why are you picking on me you toe rag, I was working over the Christmas, plus I dont own any expensive higher price optics, all the Polish lads went home for Xmas and left all the Irish lads to do their shifts as well as our own, so no time for hunting, alright. I reckon that for a high end optic, this is my opinion ok, you pay pay 3 times more for about 5 to 10% increase in quality, plus theirs a lot of handy priced gear that is quality stuff if you know what your looking for, I use a Hawk 6-18x air rifle scope on my .308, hardly a high end expensive scope, infact I got it free from a friend as a Xmas present some years ago, very clear glass in dim light and it doesent track when changing mag, has never lost zero once. My Bino are- an Aldi 7x-50mm bak4 glass I got for 70 /80 bucks, very sharp glass, lots of floride coating, near zero flare, has mildots and a built in compass. My old bino are a pair of Steiner Safari 8x-30's I got for 110 bucks 6 years ago as they'd been on the shelf ten years without the price being changed. I worked as a photographer for years, so I can spot quality optics and know the difference between Jap made and China farmed out stuff, Simmons scopes are great value for money, their old 6.5-20x model was built on a Leupold internals design under license, I have a 4x-12x-40mm Leupold I got in a sale over 10 years ago, great scope, but not enough power for shots past 200 yards at night. Tasco scopes that are made in Japan are usually very good, if you can get them.

Anyway, point is, don't be nasty to folks for no reason.

HJ:)

johngalway

Does any of this anti fogging gear have negative impacts on the lens coatings of scopes I wonder?

deerhunter1

happyjack wrote: »

Why are you picking on me you toe rag, I was working over the Christmas, plus I dont own any expensive higher price optics, all the Polish lads went home for Xmas and left all the Irish lads to do their shifts as well as our own, so no time for hunting, alright. I reckon that for a high end optic, this is my opinion ok, you pay pay 3 times more for about 5 to 10% increase in quality, plus theirs a lot of handy priced gear that is quality stuff if you know what your looking for, I use a Hawk 6-18x air rifle scope on my .308, hardly a high end expensive scope, infact I got it free from a friend as a Xmas present some years ago, very clear glass in dim light and it doesent track when changing mag, has never lost zero once. My Bino are- an Aldi 7x-50mm bak4 glass I got for 70 /80 bucks, very sharp glass, lots of floride coating, near zero flare, has mildots and a built in compass. My old bino are a pair of Steiner Safari 8x-30's I got for 110 bucks 6 years ago as they'd been on the shelf ten years without the price being changed. I worked as a photographer for years, so I can spot quality optics and know the difference between Jap made and China farmed out stuff, Simmons scopes are great value for money, their old 6.5-20x model was built on a Leupold internals design under license, I have a 4x-12x-40mm Leupold I got in a sale over 10 years ago, great scope, but not enough power for shots past 200 yards at night. Tasco scopes that are made in Japan are usually very good, if you can get them.

Anyway, point is, don't be nasty to folks for no reason.

HJ:)

Hey Heey sock it to him well said I agree totally with you:D

westwicklow

happyjack wrote: »

Why are you picking on me you toe rag, I was working over the Christmas, plus I dont own any expensive higher price optics, all the Polish lads went home for Xmas and left all the Irish lads to do their shifts as well as our own, so no time for hunting, alright. I reckon that for a high end optic, this is my opinion ok, you pay pay 3 times more for about 5 to 10% increase in quality, plus theirs a lot of handy priced gear that is quality stuff if you know what your looking for, I use a Hawk 6-18x air rifle scope on my .308, hardly a high end expensive scope, infact I got it free from a friend as a Xmas present some years ago, very clear glass in dim light and it doesent track when changing mag, has never lost zero once. My Bino are- an Aldi 7x-50mm bak4 glass I got for 70 /80 bucks, very sharp glass, lots of floride coating, near zero flare, has mildots and a built in compass. My old bino are a pair of Steiner Safari 8x-30's I got for 110 bucks 6 years ago as they'd been on the shelf ten years without the price being changed. I worked as a photographer for years, so I can spot quality optics and know the difference between Jap made and China farmed out stuff, Simmons scopes are great value for money, their old 6.5-20x model was built on a Leupold internals design under license, I have a 4x-12x-40mm Leupold I got in a sale over 10 years ago, great scope, but not enough power for shots past 200 yards at night. Tasco scopes that are made in Japan are usually very good, if you can get them.

Anyway, point is, don't be nasty to folks for no reason.

HJ:)

Oooops HJ, I hadn't any intention of being nasty as I believe we are all on the same side in here and we all should try to stick together. I suppose I can forgive your "toe rag" comment as you say you are under pressure so I guess perhaps you may not be in good form. To answer your question, of course it's alright. Wouldn't it be worse though, if the Irish lads were sent home and the Polish kept on as has happened around me. Good info, thanks. Happy hunting...

chem

It may not be the same prob, but I used to scuba dive. To stop the glass fogging up, we would spit on the glass and wipe it clean. Always worked.

Tackleberrywho

bunny shooter wrote: »

Bob Heath ................ haven't seen that stuff for years ............. happy memories Biking in winter ............... happy days

I got's me some!!
I got's me a bike too lol
It's real just Isoproponal or IPA alachol.
We use it in work for cleaning Nikon lenses!! IPA that is. you can get alcahol wipes that get rid of grease and are smear free too.

Handy for getting bug gunk off the visor too!