Helios Apollo 15x70 Focussing Question

[SteveT]

Hi, I have just used my brand new Apollo's for the first time today and I can't believe how stiff the focussing adjustment is. Those that have these, can you tell me if the individual focus adjustments are supposed to be adjustable with a finger whilst holding the bins ?

I have to take mine away from my eyes and hold each ring with 2 or 3 fingers to rotate them and then see if they are in focus and try again etc which is a real pain. After an hour of playing around i found i had a blister on one finger as they are so stiff.

By the time i get the focus right in both eyes, i have got frustrated and lost interet in the subject.

I have not tried them on the night sky yet and i appreciated once focussed on the starts etc you should not need further adjustment, but hey, i can't use them 'normally' (eg not for astro) they are too much hard work - my cheap £100 25 year old 8-20x50 zooms are a joy to use in comparison, with smooth one finger operation and light to the touch.

Also, I notice that the rotational force required to turn the eyepiece is not even, it is stiffer in some place compared to other place.

So is this common and just how they are, or is it just mine ? Can they be adjusted in any way, presumably i shouldn't try and dribble a little lubrication along the edge of the rotating eyepiece as I guess I could end up with it finding it's way into the optics which would not be good, or should I sned them back for another pair ?

Love to hear other peoples experiences please so I know what to do, otherwise I fear they will stay in the nice little flight case rather a lot which would be a waste.

[SteveNickolls]

Hi Steve T, I too recently purchased a pair of these 15x70's for Christmas and yes the focussing needs thumb and finger to move but as I don't use them for anything but astronomy I never intend changing the settings I have made again (no-one else gets to use them-ever ).

On a tangential point I found a tripod adaptor included in the package I recieved (did not order this) which was thinner than is usual but thicker in depth to retain strength which fitted in the quite narrow space between the objective tubes. I found this didn't hold the binoculars steady, they could be rocked when in place on the tripod when the adaptor is fully screwed in place. Luckily I already had a better adaptor which does hold them firm. As for the binoculars themselves I have found them excellent in use.

I have quite bad short sight but with the eye cups rolled up have decent views with my glases on. Each eyepiece has a +5 to -5 diopter range and each eyepiece is individually focussed. One thing I didn't pay attention to before ordering was the range of IPD the binoculars cater for, I don't think these values are normally shown on the Internet adverts for this product. I have an IPD of 63mm so it wasn't a problem but the range marked on the binoculars is 58mm to 72mm but they do go slightly narrower and wider than this.

Be interesting to hear what others reply with on this thread.

Cheers,

Steve

[kirkster501]

Mine are fairly stiff. But I like it like that. Better than being floppy and losing focus all the time. Will probably loosen off in time.

[Damo636]

Mine are also quite stiff, but as I use them almost exclusively for astronomy it doesn't matter. I set mine when I used them first and haven't had to touch them since. A 2nd center focus binocular might suit you better for terrestrial use though. I have a much cheaper 10x50 (cf) for daytime use.

[BinocularSky]

Mine are stiff (as, indeed, they should be!), but can be adjusted with forefinger and thumb. You asked:

can you tell me if the individual focus adjustments are supposed to be adjustable with a finger whilst holding the bins ?

Not with "a finger", no. IF is not meant to be as easy to focus as CF -- if it was, there is every chance that the binocular would not hold focus. The idea is that you focus it once, then leave it. For terrestrial use, where you are changing focus regularly, CF is preferable.

However, it may also be that yours are unacceptably stiff. I've also noticed that you are in Ringwood, which is quite close to me (Fordingbridge). If you would like to meet up and compare Apollos, drop me a PM.

[SteveT]

Thanks all for your feedback and offers of help. I think they appear normal now I see what all yours are like, I just assumed incorrectly that you could adjust then while looking through them but I get it now that they are set once and leave alone for astro use anyway.

I tested them outdoors last evening, on a sturdy Manfrotto tripod, in an unusually clear sky for a few hours and they are very good, i couldnt get 100% focus accuracy, say on Jupiter, there was just a bit of distortion (looked a very slight collimation error maybe) but it could have been my eyes, or a bit of condensation - and the cold. I will try again when it is a bit warmer. If they are still not perfect I will take up your offer Steve and compare notes just to make sure.

Thanks

[kirkster501]

@SteveT - woud; be intersted to see your manfrotto tipod setup please? What have you got and how much £££ please?

Rgds, Steve

[SteveT]

Hi, I'm just using my 055XPROB camera tripod and a 496RC2 ballhead (£119 and £49 respectively from WEX Photographic see website for spec) which I normally use with my Canon 7D DSLR. The good thing about this tripod is that it extends quite high to 1.785m and is relatively heavy at 2.4kg so it is quite stable, however, you will get a little wobblyness at the full extention but it means you can stand up properly if you want (assuming you are not to much above 6ft) and just rest your head against the bino's to stop any unwanted movement. The max load on this tripod is 7kg and the max load for the head is 6kg so plenty of headroom for the 2.5kg Apollo's, I use the bino adapter from FLO as it is a bit more sturdy than the one that comes with the bino's. Another useful feature of this particular tripod is that you can extend the centre column up and outwards to one side and slide it along, imagine the tripod with a horizontal pole at the top, which means you can use it with a chair with the tripod to one side if necessary. You need to counter balance it on the other end to be safe.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Mine are fairly stiff, and I use forefinger and thumb to focus. Actually "used" is the correct phrase, they are now set for infinity and the focus seems to hold indefinitely