Rubber housing on Sigma binoculars has gone sticky

Try applying the solution for sticky old Tupperware . Rub with a rag or paper towel moistened with household ammonia until the sticky surface is no longer sticky. Worked like a charm on my sticky Bushnell binoculars (and on Tupperware). .They were unusable before treatment. I suspect plasticizer migration.

I have had a similar experience with Bushnell(NOT Vivitar). I called them and they offered to replace/repair them for a shipping/handling charge. If I remember correctly it was between $15 and $20. After pricing new ones, this seemed like a good resolution. I sent them in(my cost) with a check for their S & H. A few weeks later I had new ones from the manufacturer. I think there were a few years when the industry was using a "special armor coating" which turned sticky after a number of years.

I'll assume its sweat and grime from handling over it's life time. You could purchase "Wax & Grease remover for ten bucks at an automotive after market store and remove it with a rag. We use it to remove adhesive residue on cars prior to paiting (removed stickers, pin striping, door moulds/strips all leave a adhesive residue.)

A less toxic product could be tee tree oil or eucalyptus oil

I recommend the wax n grease remover as long as the sales person agrees that it's not going to eat into your rubber or discolor it (which I highly doubt but wont hurt to ask) This product is a great thing to have around the house for those *sticky moments* u want to get rid of "1-2 quick wipes and its done"

Many cameras and binoculars are covered with a sprayed on thin layer of rubber which breaks down after about 5 to ten years. It becomes very sticky and can be scratched off with a fingernail. This leaves a messy surface which can be cleaned off with methylated spirits. Other solvents will work like isopropyl alcahol but avoid using solvents like cellulose thinners or white spirit as this can attack the underlying plastic on some cameras.

bleach and hot water.

Simple use soft lint free cloth like old drying up cloth, you need about half a cup of methalayted spirits,can get this from any hardware store.
poke finger into cloth dip into meths proceed to rub sticky coating off binoculars. you will need to keep changing to a new peace of the cloth as soon as it gets coated with the sticky black stuff off binoculars.
keep dipping into meths eventually after say 6 rubs in a particular area you will see and feel a nice hard black plastic, continue all over effected area then finish off with any window cleaner polish until cloth remains clean.STICKY COATING IS NOW GONE IT WAS INFACT A COATING PUT ON THE BINOCULARS TO MAKE THEM NONE SLIP. job done. regards GER8

The same thing happened with my old Praktica Sport Zoom binoculars, and (in my case) found that the sticky coating could be removed by repeated rubbing with paper towels moistened with methylated spirit ("meths"). SAFETY FIRST: If you decide to try this method and have not used meths before, it is a very flammable liquid, and harmful by touch and inhalation, so please wear rubber gloves and do this outdoors or in a well ventilated place and away from sources of heat or fire. That said, it is cheap and readily available from DIY stores, usually in their painting section.

walmart sells vivitar,why not contact them for a source to replace them, sounds like vivitar is more of a toy than a quality binocular though. sounds like a sticky situation to me....good [email protected]

It can be easily resolve, just go to the youtude, check for sticky melting solution. The sticky surface can be treated and back to normal.

Try it with rubbing alcohol first - just keep it away from the optics, and you may get lucky. The only thing that ever seems to work with these is an abrasive cream cleaner (jif/cif or similar) - you just have to use lots of cream and be careful not to polish the optics - unfortunately the stickiness will come back quicker than before though. I haven't tried myself, but i have heard that once you have carried out the cream cleaner routine, you can paint the unit - ask your hardware shop what sort of rubbery paints they have - ideally oil based and not acrylic. It wont last as long as the original finish or like quite as good, but it should stop the stickiness for a while at least. Try and keep your binoculars out of the sun - most of the stickiness is either caused by that, or contact with a damaging chemical such as most insect repellents, or petroleum products. Hope this helps :)