topic Re: 10 x 30 IS Sticky binocular coating in General Discussion

10 x 30 IS Sticky binocular coating

arh2 — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 15:09:21 GMT

My 10x30 IS binocular coating has just started to noticeably deteriorate. Checking the discussions here it seems the problem goes back to 2013.
There were a couple of proposals to mask it. Has anyone arrived at anything better than spraying with lacquer or buffing with rubbing alcohol?

Shame really I’m a great Canon supporter (probably over £30k of camera equipment) but find this odd. Probably the wrong coating choice when designed.

Re: Sticky binocular coating

Tintype_18 — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 13:03:18 GMT

I don't think anything can be done. I have bite alarms for fishing that are now sticky after nine years. Alternative is to dust them with talcum powder. Otherwise, one will have to live with it.

Re: Sticky binocular coating

shadowsports — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 14:00:56 GMT

Greetings,

I have also heard form others who wipe them down with isopropyl alcohol. I have an 18 year old Logitech trackball that has a rubber edge. It got sticky over a year ago. I wiped it down and its still going strong without my ring and pinky finger sticking to it now.

Re: Sticky binocular coating

Tintype_18 — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 21:00:26 GMT

Bringing this up again. I had to change the batteries in my bite alarms today. Hands got sticky which were cleaned with denatured alcohol. Hmmm. Thought about getting a cheap paintbrush and see if I can get the coating off.

Re: Sticky binocular coating

wq9nsc — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 14:49:26 GMT

It depends upon the coating used but many of these coatings will respond to cleaning with "Purple Power" spray cleaner. Paint thinner is a more aggressive treatment but try Purple Power first and then decide whether the sticky texture is still too bad to use.

A lot of consumer stuff was finished with these compounds in the last 20 years, probably partially a result of the global controls/reduction of VOCs in paint/finishing compounds.

I have a really nice shortwave receiver originally designed by the defunct R L Drake company in the U.S. and intended to be produced by German firm Grundig but due to bankruptcy the radio was ultimately manufactured by U.S. based Eton. It was basically too annoying to use after a year due to the coating but I first cleaned with alcohol and then a few years later with Purple Power. After the second cleaning, the finish has been tack free for years.

Another Eton E1 XM owner reached out to Eton corp and Purple Power was their officially recommended product and they included instructions on how to overcome the sticky finish. The link is here but if it gets removed due to forum guidelines, just do a google search for "Eton's solution for sticky radios" and you will find it:

https://swling.com/blog/2018/08/etons-solution-for-sticky-radios/

Rodger

Re: Sticky binocular coating

arh2 — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 16:50:36 GMT

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

Re: Sticky binocular coating

arh2 — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 16:51:51 GMT

Thank you for this. I have a lot of isopropyl left over after the Covid period. I’ll give it a try.

Re: Sticky binocular coating

arh2 — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 16:52:49 GMT

Thank you. Not sure what denatured alcohol is but I’ll google it

Re: Sticky binocular coating

arh2 — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 16:54:27 GMT

Thank you for the detailed reply. I’ll investigate where I can get Purple Power from

Re: Sticky binocular coating

Tintype_18 — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 12:06:08 GMT

You can get denatured alcohol at a paint store, box store as Wally World or Lowe's, etc. I buy it by the gallon for making custom pens.

Re: Sticky binocular coating

arh2 — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 12:44:17 GMT

Thank you

Re: 10 x 30 IS Sticky binocular coating

ramiller — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 22:39:41 GMT

I am having the same problem with a pair of 15 x 50 all weather binocs about four years old. The problem is confined to the (actually quite large) eyepieces, but a sticky black goo comes off that gets on everything. This developed on Antigua, in steady temperatures in the 80s. I brought them back to NY to get them fixed, and after a few weeks in cooler temperatures the stickiness is noticeably reduced and the material is no longer liquifying into a black goo.

I think i will apply "purple power" and take them back to Antigua and see what happens.

Re: 10 x 30 IS Sticky binocular coating

SamInPgh — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 15:14:15 GMT

Talcum powder works for me, while also preserving what is left of the original coating. I dust it on the affected surfaces and wipe it off after an hour or so, repeating every few months as needed.

Re: 10 x 30 IS Sticky binocular coating

nfceast — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 18:23:06 GMT

The answer is to use Denatured Alcohol, the stronger the better, such as 90% for Canon Goo removal. You can also use Everclear or similar grain alcohol which is 190 proof and comes with the added benefit for use at Happy Hour as a reward for all that goo removal work. Do NOT drink the Denatured Alcohol, of course. That would set Canon Goo Removal progress back immeasurably

Get lots of Paper Towels and Q-tips and a trash can. I’ve done this several times with Canon IS bins and other brands with similar coatings. The Canon Goo will be removed to reveal a beautiful, smooth plastic finish, which I like better than the rubber.

The first Canon 10x30 IS I did took about 2 hours.

The grain alcohol is also an excellent lens cleaner. First dust off the lens with a lens brush, then apply the alcohol to a clean microfiber cloth and clean with a circular motion starting at the center and working out to the edge.

Re: 10 x 30 IS Sticky binocular coating

RINGARONI — Sat, 29 Jun 2024 12:06:26 GMT

We love these binoculars but also had they developed the sticky problem. Very creepy to touch. Solved the problem by stretching a sock over it, cutting bottom to open up the lenses. Pulled it right up to the top. You can adjust through the sock or cut a small hole to easily access the focus.

Re: 10 x 30 IS Sticky binocular coating

SamInPgh — Sat, 29 Jun 2024 18:12:38 GMT

An "A" for creativity on that solution! 😃

And the best part is that you can change from argyle to stripes to solid color depending on your mood and/or need for camouflage.

Re: 10 x 30 IS Sticky binocular coating

RINGARONI — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:16:18 GMT

Hah! Indeed! We actually recoated them twice but the stickiness wore through again. The sock solution was born out of desperation.

Re: 10 x 30 IS Sticky binocular coating

SutPut — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 20:56:33 GMT

Believe in the talc powder! I had tried everything and while this simple solution is a little messy (keep itvoff the lenses!!!), it worked for me. Thx.

Re: 10 x 30 IS Sticky binocular coating

SamInPgh — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 00:17:53 GMT

You're welcome! Glad to help.

Re: 10 x 30 IS Sticky binocular coating

paunik — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 00:42:09 GMT

Butanol as solvent was the best and worked for me with the least effort, not harming underneath plastic. Isopropanol, ethanol and so on did not work, acetone was to aggressive to plastic under.