Binoculars for butterflies (and other bugs)

DQE · Post by **DQE** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 7:13 am

I'm glad you're finding the close-focusing binoculars to work well and to have varied uses.

We attended an educational owl presentation by some licensed bird rehabilitation people, and in a fairly small lecture room the binoculars were useful no matter where the owls were being shown. If the demonstrator walked down an aisle and was nearby, I could see the owl as if I were a few inches from its face, and if the owl was positioned at the front of the room, I could see it in a somewhat larger than full body format. The close-up views provided amazing detail in the owls' facial anatomy, etc.

Since they work fine in normal distance viewing, I think of them as my "go anywhere, do anything" binoculars, and their light weight is greatly appreciated when carrying them around.

I can see how butterfly enthusiasts would really enjoy them, too.

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 7:44 am

Sounds great Harold. What I want is similar but as a monocular. As I only see thru one eye big heavy binos are a waste, but finding a monocular has proven difficult!

Harold Gough · Post by **Harold Gough** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 11:14 am

Cyclops wrote:Sounds great Harold. What I want is similar but as a monocular. As I only see thru one eye big heavy binos are a waste, but finding a monocular has proven difficult!

Somewhere, in the depths of this room, is an old monocular/telephoto lens. I think I originally bought it for use as a supplementatry on a fixed lens SLR. I haven't used it for years so there are no clues as to where it might be. I can't remember its close focusing characteristics. I think I last took it on holiday several years ago, as a monocular, before I invested in binoculars.

Harold

Harold Gough · Post by **Harold Gough** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 11:56 am

Harold Gough wrote:
Cyclops wrote:Sounds great Harold. What I want is similar but as a monocular. As I only see thru one eye big heavy binos are a waste, but finding a monocular has proven difficult!
Somewhere, in the depths of this room, is an old monocular/telephoto lens. I think I originally bought it for use as a supplementatry on a fixed lens SLR. I haven't used it for years so there are no clues as to where it might be. I can't remember its close focusing characteristics. I think I last took it on holiday several years ago, as a monocular, before I invested in binoculars.

I found the monocular.

The close focus is about 2m, at which the FOV is about 25cm. It weighs 505g.

The model is Weimar TO-7a. That looks very German but it is Japanese.

Not up to the spec of the Papilio but would it be any use?

Harold

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 12:14 pm

Harold Gough wrote:
Harold Gough wrote:
Cyclops wrote:Sounds great Harold. What I want is similar but as a monocular. As I only see thru one eye big heavy binos are a waste, but finding a monocular has proven difficult!
Somewhere, in the depths of this room, is an old monocular/telephoto lens. I think I originally bought it for use as a supplementatry on a fixed lens SLR. I haven't used it for years so there are no clues as to where it might be. I can't remember its close focusing characteristics. I think I last took it on holiday several years ago, as a monocular, before I invested in binoculars.
I found the monocular.

The close focus is about 2m, at which the FOV is about 25cm. It weighs 505g.

The model is Weimar TO-7a. That looks very German but it is Japanese.

Not up to the spec of the Papilio but would it be any use?

Harold

Hmmm Weimar does sound german! I bet theyre ridiculously expensive! Id also use it for bird spotting too. If only there was a 10x50 monocular...

lauriek · Post by **lauriek** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 2:13 pm

I'm sure such a thing exists somewhere, even if it was made from a 1/2 broken pair of binoculars! I know Carl Zeiss Jena did a monocular variant of their venerable 8x30s...

Pau · Post by **Pau** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 3:11 pm

Cyclops,
Surplus Sed lists some monoculars at bargain prices:
http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/t1533.html
http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/t1494.html
http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/t1537.html

two of them also work as pocket microscopes

Charles Krebs · Post by **Charles Krebs** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 3:36 pm

If only there was a 10x50 monocular...

There are out there. (just "google" 10x50, monocular, spotting scope)
Also some very nice 7X monoculars.

Some even focus extremely close:
http://www.amazon.com/Brunton-F-7040-MA ... B000P43FX0 (7X40, 18 inch close focus)

Look at eBAY# 260884509808, 260913947271,

These are much smaller (therefore probably pretty dark in low light):
http://www.adorama.com/BRUEC718MGR.html (13 inch close focus)
eBay# 260906430942 (very inexpensive 7x18

These are rather low priced, but there is also Zeiss and other$

DQE · Post by **DQE** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 5:56 pm

As one would expect, Leica makes a very high-priced model. It features an add-on close-up lens that enables focusing to 8 inches (20cm).

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/7 ... cular.html

Would someone post the close-focused field of view with the close-up lens attached, and the associated magnification? Just trying to compare it to my Pentax Papilio binocs...not that I have an extra $550 to spend on a Leica monocular, but it is technically interesting!

EDIT: I missed this text from the bhphotovideo listing:

"inside the Monovid's elegant leather carry case there's a special pocket for a very special attachment - the close-up lens. Installing this accessory onto the monocular allows viewers to achieve 8x magnification at distances as close as 9.8"/ 25 cm - this macro-effect viewing is excellent for observing the finest details that are often impossible to see through larger optics."

naturephoto1 · Post by **naturephoto1** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 6:09 pm

DQE wrote:As one would expect, Leica makes a very high-priced model. It features an add-on close-up lens that enables focusing to 8 inches (20cm).

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/7 ... cular.html

Would someone post the close-focused field of view with the close-up lens attached, and the associated magnification? Just trying to compare it to my Pentax Papilio binocs...not that I have an extra $550 to spend on a Leica monocular, but it is technically interesting!

EDIT: I missed this text from the bhphotovideo listing:

"inside the Monovid's elegant leather carry case there's a special pocket for a very special attachment - the close-up lens. Installing this accessory onto the monocular allows viewers to achieve 8x magnification at distances as close as 9.8"/ 25 cm - this macro-effect viewing is excellent for observing the finest details that are often impossible to see through larger optics."

I was going to post about the Leica Monocular, but it is 8 X 20. Here is a link with a lower price than B & H photo in black from Optics Planet for $489:

http://www.opticsplanet.net/leica-spott ... 4AodHUBp_w

Rich

DQE · Post by **DQE** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 7:44 pm

Here's a Leica page on their close-focusing monocular:

http://us.leica-camera.com/sport_optics/monovid/

I wonder if their close-up lens attachment is a single optical element or a more refined design? I would expect that Leica would provide a high-quality close-up lens at this price point. Raynox lenses seem to be made of 3 elements in 2 groups, for example, and are anti-reflection coated.

There is a PDF on the above page with more technical specs. It lists the dimensions of the close-up lens as: M25 x 0.75.

naturephoto1 · Post by **naturephoto1** » Tue Dec 20, 2011 8:30 pm

Cyclops,

Here is a gadget that you might be interested in that is out of production, a Leica Telescope Ocular Leica to R (R-Series Lens to Telescope):

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/3 ... ca_to.html

This is a great gadget to work with all Leica R lenses. To figure out the magnification for a lens, divide the focal length by 12.5mm. For instance, a 90mm lens makes a 7.2X telescope and a 180mm lens makes a 14.4X telescope. It focuses as close as the lens itself, is quite bright and works really well. I have one and have had it for years.

In 1998, Leica Camera USA loaned me the big Leica Apo Telyt Modular system for a month with the 800mm f5.6 Apo Telyt Modular lens and the 400mm Apo Telyt f2.8 Modular lens. I traveled down to Ding Darling National Refuge, Sanibel Island in Florida, USA. While I was there I ran into the Stokes the authors of the Stokes Guides particularly for birds and we set up and watched birds with the ocular on the lens. They could not believe the performance. They had never seen a spotting scope produce anything like this. As I mentioned to them at the time, the 800mm Apo Telyt Modular lens (in 1998 sold for $15,500 my price directly from Leica being on their Professional List) that this was an over $15,500 spotting scope.

It should work with a diopter like a Nikon 5T on the front of a shorter telephoto Leica lens for even closer focusing.

One of the Oculars is available on ebay right now as part of an entire kit; you could sell the remaining parts and keep the ocular, but you would need at least 1 Leica telephoto lens:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LEICA-14277-Rem ... 1c22250fd1

Rich

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Wed Dec 21, 2011 2:38 am

naturephoto1 wrote:Cyclops,

Here is a gadget that you might be interested in that is out of production, a Leica Telescope Ocular Leica to R (R-Series Lens to Telescope):

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/3 ... ca_to.html

This is a great gadget to work with all Leica R lenses. To figure out the magnification for a lens, divide the focal length by 12.5mm. For instance, a 90mm lens makes a 7.2X telescope and a 180mm lens makes a 14.4X telescope. It focuses as close as the lens itself, is quite bright and works really well. I have one and have had it for years.

Rich

Lol,like I can afford Leica lenses!
But the hunt is over thanks to Harold!

Pau · Post by **Pau** » Wed Dec 21, 2011 10:08 am

Rich, with the Leica Telescope Ocular Leica to R , do you get an upright image like with terrestrial telescopes or an inverted one like astronomical telescopes?

Some years ago I adapted 10X widefield eyepieces from a stereomicroscope to a Novoflex 400mm f5.6 and to a Yashica mirror 500mm f8 (mainly to project the annular eclipse) and the image was fairly good, in special with the Novoflex, but inverted. The provisional coupling was done with extension tubes and electrical tape.

naturephoto1 · Post by **naturephoto1** » Wed Dec 21, 2011 10:29 am

Pau wrote:Rich, with the Leica Telescope Ocular Leica to R , do you get an upright image like with terrestrial telescopes or an inverted one like astronomical telescopes?

Some years ago I adapted 10X widefield eyepieces from a stereomicroscope to a Novoflex 400mm f5.6 and to a Yashica mirror 500mm f8 (mainly to project the annular eclipse) and the image was fairly good, in special with the Novoflex, but inverted. The provisional coupling was done with extension tubes and electrical tape.

Hi Pau,

Working with the Leica Telescope Ocular to R the image is correct left to right and up and down just like a terrestrial telescope or when working with long and/or telephoto lenses with a 35mm camera.

With the unit attached to the lens you have to be steady or you see some hand/body shake due to the magnification. With a tripod mounted lens though it is really something and should be superior to pretty much any spotting scope that you can imagine.

I would not be surprised if someone could modify these to work with another maker's lenses. But, as sold by Leica it has a Leica R mount. It is just unfortunate that this accessory was discontinued well before Leica ceased production of the Leica R system. So, these are rather rare and probably not easy to come by. I purchased mine many years as I recall in one of the stores with which I dealt; it was in mint or basically new condition.

Rich