Binocular, telescope, camera in cold weather

If you were lucky enough to receive a new binocular, spotting scope, telescope or camera for the holidays, you might be wondering if it is safe to use a binocular, telescope and so on in cold weather. The answer is, yes, though cold weather can cause some complications.

The first issue you are likely to encounter is focusing. Cold weather gums up some lubricants, so you should definitely remove any excess lubricant before you go out in the cold. Stiff focusing is especially common with inexpensive telescopes, which are usually loaded up with cheap lubricants when they leave the factory. No, I don’t recommend heading to the store for a cold weather lubricant and applying it to any optic – the lubricant may end up where you least want it and lubricant attracts dirt, which causes premature wear and tear. Best and safest option is to remove any excess before you go out in the cold and call it good.

Next issue surfaces when you return indoors with your binocular, spotting scope, telescope, camera and so on. That cold optics hits the warm air and water condenses, immediately on your new toy. Best way to avoid the problem is to put your camera or binocular in a large zip lock bag and let it return to room temp before removing. The condensation forms on the outside of the bag, not the binocular, camera and so on. With telescopes, that is not an option, of course, but I have found that draping a large towel or tarp over the telescope, immediately, can help.

Last issue is battery life. Cold weather always puts more of a drain on batteries. With telescopes and cameras, or any other optic that uses batteries, always best to carry a spare and I keep mine inside my coat, next to my body to stay a bit warmer.