Rifle Scopes Schmidt & Bender lens is made of ???

C

CCCP2k

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Minuteman
Nov 30, 2011
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Canada
#1
Hi all

I know I have been kinda "troll" lately but still you got to see this.
This is my S&B lens with funky scratches on it. I have no idea how it happened. The scope had always sun shade on it and caps of cause. So be it.
Now, look at the reddish blob around the scratches. What is this? It does not look like mechanical damage. Some chemicals went through?
I wonder, what would it take to scratch a lens like that? Must be a diamond or this thing is plastic.
Has it ever happened to you? Do you think it will impair scope performance?


 
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#2
Some cleaning solvents can damage the coatings like that, and the scratches? Well I have to ask how are you cleaning it?

It's towards the edge so performance effect should be fairly marginal, but only you will be able to judge that. I wouldn't sweat it much and keep shooting.
 
#3
Scratches on the front element do not impair optical performance. The only way it can affect performance is an increase in flaring (loss of contrast and resolution) when sunlight is directly hitting the lens. As long as light sources aren't directly shining on the lens, you will probably never see it.

Now if the scratches are on the ocular piece... well you'll notice that. :p
 
#4
hk dave said:
Scratches on the front element do not impair optical performance. The only way it can affect performance is an increase in flaring (loss of contrast and resolution) when sunlight is directly hitting the lens. As long as light sources aren't directly shining on the lens, you will probably never see it.

Now if the scratches are on the ocular piece... well you'll notice that. :p
Click to expand...

I don't know the specifics, but this holds truth.

Look at camera forums with lenses that are cracked and yet still take good pictures.

To me, it looks like a scratch and damage to the coating of the lens.
 
#8
hk dave said:
Scratches on the front element do not impair optical performance. The only way it can affect performance is an increase in flaring (loss of contrast and resolution) when sunlight is directly hitting the lens. As long as light sources aren't directly shining on the lens, you will probably never see it.

Now if the scratches are on the ocular piece... well you'll notice that. :p
Click to expand...

This is what I am thinking. The only reason why I started to look at it was flaring when I was shooting against the sun. Sunshade did not help. There was a lot of reflected light on the range this day as well. Otherwise I cannot see any changes.
 
#9
Redmanss said:
Some cleaning solvents can damage the coatings like that, and the scratches? Well I have to ask how are you cleaning it?

It's towards the edge so performance effect should be fairly marginal, but only you will be able to judge that. I wouldn't sweat it much and keep shooting.
Click to expand...

I did not clean it at all. Sunshade kept it more or less clean. I did not bother to make it perfectly clean because it's a large lens and usually gives me more than I need. I wiped out moisture couple of times with clean soft cloth. That was it.

Flaring sucks but it disappears when I use lower magnification or shift my eye a little bit. So I will take you advice and forget about it or will have S&B to fix it. They gotta admit that the material is fragile. I expected a military scope to be tough with reasonable extent. This scope was treated very carefully and somehow it managed to get a scratch.
 
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#19
Alchohol is all I ever use on my camera equipment and scopes. Acetone won't hurt the coatings but it's hard on any plastic it touches.

L

edt: Don't use rubbing alcohol.
 
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#24
Suggest you get a camera lens brush and some compressed air. Giottos makes a handheld air duster that works well (Giotto Rocket)

Before making any contact to the lens, hold lens facing down and blast air from under it to knock off any loose grit. Lightly brush with a soft camera brush and continue blasting with air. +1 on Zeiss lens wipes to clean lens after dusting. I prefer lens wipes as they don't have any fibers to trap dirt vs Q-Tips
 
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