Helios Apollo 15x70 Binoculars

[Matt2011]

I have the Helios 15x70 Apollo's which are fairly new and last night for the first time after a night of observing they started to get condensation on the lenses as I was noticing a small circle of condensation on the image when I was looking at Capella so took the binoculars in and left the lens caps off for 30 mins to dry and then came back to them and noticed some tiny specs of which could be dust which were only a few particles on the lens so I used the black brush on my lens pens ti lightly brush the tiny particles off and noticed it made it worse as it caused a smudge on the lens so then got my lens fluid and lens tissue and put 3 drops on the lens tissue and in a circular motion tried to wipe the lens which I think was maybe a dust particles but cause I live near the sea in Torquay could of been something else as there was a lot of sea mist in the air last night but managed to clean both lenses with the lens fluid and used another piece of lens tissue for the other lens in a circular motion and then used a orange microfiber cloth to dry both lenses as they were damp from the lens fluid but dried the lenses with the cloth but what is the best way of finding out if I have any scratches on both lens as I am little worried cause there expensive binoculars and do the lens of these binoculars scratch easily. Any help would be appreciated and would like to know how other Helios 15x70 Apollo owners clean there lenses when they need too. Thanks :cool:

[scarp15]

I recently cleaned the objective lens on my helios 15x70's. This was due to a thumb print that had occured a couple of months back. I applied a similar system to yourself, beginning with an air blower then brush on the celestron lens pen. This device did not seem to shift the smudge, so I used the baader optical fluid and micro cloth. I would not have thought that based on your account that they are necessarily scratched, as the coatings ought to be fairly resilient, if worked with care. What I did was to check the lenses by looking at them outside in day light and observing a near distance subject such as a chimney pot. Of course check them first opportunity at night say on the double cluster

To be honest I am more concerned with messing up the collimation by accidentally dropping them. I ruined a decent pair of binoculars once, after braking a bit hard, descending a country road to a sudden junction, in which the binos flew off the seat. this particular pair where not easy to recollimate even by specialists and would also have been expensive to put right.

[Matt2011]

Sometimes fingerprints can be a common problem but I was going to try to check the lenses of my Helios tonight outside on a star cluster or an object but sadly the cloud has gone over but tomorrow in daylight I am going to check my binoculars. Sometimes it can be worry if you have payed a lot for your binoculars only to find scratches on the lenses, I did put slightly some pressure with the lens tissue with the lens fluid on the tissue and also when it came to rubbing the lenses with the microfiber cloth I did put some pressure while cleaning in a circular motion. Yeah it is a constant worry that you may end up dropping a very expensive pair of binoculars and would be one of the worse things ever. These kind of binoculars can easily mess up the collimation with even the slightest knock sometimes. Cheers

[BinocularSky]

what is the best way of finding out if I have any scratches on both lens

Moderately bright light at a glancing angle, examine lens surface with hand-lens or low-power eyepiece.

do the lens of these binoculars scratch easily.

No idea, and I have no intention of finding out!

would like to know how other Helios 15x70 Apollo owners clean there lenses when they need too.

As infrequently as possible: a couple of months ago, I checked all my binocular objectives; I decided that two (the 100mm and the 42mm) might benefit from cleaning. First time in over 7 years of regular use for both. I have a 50mm that lives in the car; it gets a lot of abuse. I clean the objectives maybe every 3 years or so.

I usually do the eyepieces annually, unless star-party use has resulted in mascara or other gunge being deposited. Eyepiece coatings tend to be harder and so can take more frequent cleaning. I use a puffer-brush, then the corner of a folded lens tissue moistened with Baader Optical-Wonder to remove stuff from the edge of the lens, then Optical Wonder and microfibre cloth exactly as per Optical Wonder instructions. If an eyepiece looks really bad after a star-party or similar, I will use Opti-Clean, but I only have very little left and its replacement, First Contact, is a tad pricier than I fancy paying at present, so I don't use it routinely as I used to.

in which the binos flew off the seat.

I always put mine under the seat (one of them lives there anyway), if not safely stowed in the boot.

Sometimes fingerprints can be a common problem

Prevention! This is quite simply the best way of looking after your kit. Always cap eyepieces when the binocular is not being used (soon becomes second nature). It not only greatly increases dewing-up time, but also guards against descending airborne particulates (some pollens are really abrasive!), beard-gunge, spittle (most conversation includes a small degree of irrigation! ), cake-crumbs, etc....

These kind of binoculars can easily mess up the collimation with even the slightest knock sometimes.

The BA8s (e.g.Apollos) are very much more robust than (say) the BA1s (e.g. Skymasters) in this regard. Obviously, it makes sense to look after any kit you have and to avoid bumping them, but a well-made binocular will resist prism-shift much more than will the corner-cutting budget fare.

[Matt2011]

I felt I had to clean the lenses though on my Helios 15x70 Apollos and noticed some small smears but I used a combination of lens fluid which I got from Scopes n Skies and a lens tissue and a lens pens but the brush on it I used to brush the lenses and then applied the fluid on the lens tissue and applied on both lenses and in circular movements and then using a orange microfiber cloth which you get 4 in a packet which are thick and you get a blue and green and a yellow and orange cloth. Used one of them to dry the lenses on the binocualrs inclusding the eyepieces but I found the cotton wool buds handy for the eyepieces dipped in lens fluid, Not sure if I may of scratched any of the lenses but I heard the lenses on these Helios are robust but as far as performance they seem fine but Aldebaran seemed to have a small smudge like but could be atmospheric conditions or something else. :)