How to tighten binocular hinge

Probably, but this once relatively inexpensive process became expensive under the onslaught of masses of very good inexpensive imported binoculars and other optics resulted in many repairers dropping out of the market - 50 years ago camera shops abounded in every town and almost every **** store/pharmacy/chemist shop would handle repairs or even carry them out themselves; mostly these have disappeared.

I think the binoculars would need to be something quite special to make refurbishment an economic option. The usual reason why repair is needed is either dropping in water, dropping on a hard surface and disturbing the prisms or any zoom adjustment failing...
Below is a link to the search results...

https://www.google.com/search?q=Eagle+Optics+binoculars+repaired%2Frefurbished%3F&rlz=1C1CAFB_enGB673GB676&oq=Eagle+Optics+binoculars+repaired%2Frefurbished%3F&aqs=chrome..69i57&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

They are $42 plus post on eBay
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Cloudynights person says it was very difficult to get the cap off the hinge so that he could tighten it. He had to hone small screwdrivers until he could pop off that hinge (it is so well sealed for the WR rating, I suppose). Then he could get to the bolt that tightened the hinge so the binos stopped flopping about. I still don't know how he got that cap off, though.

Does this pair have two parallel tubes with a bridge in between?
If it does, then removing the caps at the eyepiece end of each hinge will reveal a grub screw. Tightening these will add tension to the hinge and give you the proper feel once more.

The yoke which connects the eyepieces and keeps them aligned as the focus changes is damaged. If you can easily move one eyepiece back and forth with respect to the other then the yoke has broken, if not then it's bent, probably cracked and waiting to break.This is probably the most common fault on most binoculars, and it's usually uneconomic to repair.

If bent, the yoke *might* be able to be straightened, but it will be weakened and the alignment afterwards will rarely be spot-on. If broken, then the yoke must be replaced professionally but the repair often costs more than replacing the binoculars with new. The break cannot be simply glued: the contact area is too small to carry the loads it has to carry, and you also usually find that the yoke bent before breaking anyway so you then have all the same problems as you do with a bent yoke.

The fragile nature of the yoke is why binoculars must always be inserted into their case with the objective lenses facing down; this avoids shock loads on the delicate yoke assembly.

If you have a telescope and binocular repair specialist located conveniently to you then it may worth getting an estimate for repairs, but there are few these days with the skills to do so. Minolta no longer exist, so spare parts will be almost as scarce as rocking horse droppings. But if you're in the UK, then visit or phone Kay Optical for advice.

I hope that you've found my posting to be of use and in return ask only that you take a moment to rate my answer.

Most compact binoculars have a central bridge. The objective (big lens) end of the binocular hinge usually has a ball bearing in it. The other end may either have a blanking cap or a hub where the neck strap attaches. Removing this cap or hub will reveal a grub screw which tightens another ball bearing against the bridge. Take the appropriate part off the limp side and look for the grub screw. Tightening it will decrease the "limpness". Be careful, as these are sometimes set in place with a locktite of some kind. Best to release pressure first before tightening.

Your question is listed under "Zhumell Oberwerk 45 25x100 Astronomy binoculars". If these are what you have then they're an extremely high end expensive specialist item and will need professional realignment. I'm assuming that if you do own a pair of these then you're knowledgeable enough to have done all you can to adjust them correctly.

I suspect that you have a regular pair of 10x50 or similar binoculars, with a centre focus wheel and hinges. If this is the case then try to wiggle one of the eyepieces back and forth: if you can easily move it and the other eyepiece remains steady then you have a broken hinge. This is a very common fault especially if your binos have been dropped or if they've been stored in their case upside down (i.e.standing on the eyepieces).

A broken hinge is normally a write-off as there is rarely sufficient area to us epoxy glue on and the metal used is not usually suited to being brazed. Even when the hinge can be repaired it's normally permanently misaligned.

Either resign yourself to using one half of your binoculars or buy a new pair. In the UK LIDL regularly sell a pair of Meade 10x50 binos of excellent quality for just over £10 and that's only a little more than a bottle of epoxy resin glue costs. You may be interested to know that one of the world's most successful supernova spotters does so in his back garden in the UK using just half a pair of old 7x50 binos.

under the bottom hinge cover there should be a hinge nut you can tighten, if i can help further call 5088331232...larry

there is a hinge nut at the bottom of the hinge..sometimes you have to turn of the cover or peel back the rubber to get at it

Hi Ray:
I have Minolta binoculars with the same issue, I believe that I also have the same Minolta model: 10x40mm, roof mounted prisms, 5.6 degrees, waterproof (WR series) and model number j-b35.

Have you found any solution for the loose center hinge?
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