Caring For Your Binoculars

Let's face it, a good quality pair of binonculars - such as those made by Carl Zeiss - aren't particularly cheap to buy. You get what you pay for, as in all areas of life. Binoculars by their very nature are also highly likely to experience some degree of rough and tumble (as with all outdoor equipment), so it's clear there's a whole host of opportunities for our beloved binoculars to get damaged or worn prematurely.

That said, there are a few things we can do to ensure that our binoculars stay looking and functioning as they did straight from the factory - some more obvious than others. Here's just a few of them.

Think before you buy!

This may sound obvious, but what with so many technical factors and variables to take into account when choosing the right pair of binoculars, sometimes the most basic of things can be forgotten or overlooked.

Ensuring that your binoculars are actually built to withstand the sorts of environemnts and treatments you're going to subject them to is one of those things. For instance, if you're going to be using them in wet environments, you'll need to ensure that your binoculars are waterproof as appose to merely water resistant. The difference is a binocular that can live through being dropped into water versus one which can merely survive being out in the rain for a while or being splashed.

Always use your strap

Again somewhat self explanatory and not something that's limited exclusively to binoculars but any valuable piece of equipment that we might carry around (such as digital cameras, etc). Use a strap, and don't pick your binoculars up and carry them around without having that strap around your neck! You might think that so long as you're careful you won't drop them, but accidents do happen and when the cost of that object runs into the high hundreds or even thousands of dollars, having a breakage is a lot more detrimental than merely dropping a dinner plate.

In addition to this, check your strap regularly for fraying, tears, or excessive wear. A broken or weak strap is about as much use as not having one at all. Ideally you'd like to pick up on this before it poses a risk to the wellbeing of your binoculars.

... and a carry case, too!

Dropping your binoculars is one thing, but they can just as easily be damaged by being knocked against other hard objects. Keeping your binoculars in a good quality padded carry case even when they're around your neck will help protect them from any knocks, scuffs or scratches.

Treat your rubber with respect

Rubber can go hard and brittle with time, if it's not maintained. In order to expand the life of your binoculars rubber eye cups, you may wish to clean and/or treat them with a rubber cleaner or preservative every now and again.

Keep your lenses clean

Lenses are actually very delicate, so keep them maintained and clean them regularly in accordance with the manufacturers cleaning instructions. Before cleaning, always make sure you've blown off as much dust and dirt particles as you can, for these could actually scratch the surface of the lens if they're still present when you wipe them. Never use any abrasive cloths or solutions to clean your lenses - only those made especially for this exact purpose.

Beware of salt water

Salt water actually poses a risk in a couple of ways which aren't considered that often.

Firstly, salt water is very corrosive. It can and will corrode your binoculars if it's in contact with them for any length of time. Therefor, it's important to clean it off your binoculars as soon as possible after they've been exposed to it, to ensure they stay looking and functioning at their best.

Secondly, salt water leaves behind salt particles when it evaporates and dries. These might not always be large enough to be easily seen to the human eye, but they're large enough and abrasive enough to cause scratches to your lenses if you attempt to wipe them clean whilst the salt is still present. Do not apply any pressure to clean your lenses without first washing away any salt from them with fresh water... and take care (or avoid) doing this if your binoculars aren't intended to be water resistant.