Hi Guys....Need some help here. I have a 8x32 Mariner Minolta binocular I bought new form old stock years back. I have decided to sell on E-bay. I know some of their history but cant recall the years these were made. They look similar to the old Leitz binocular....... Any Info would be appreciated....Thanks
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8x32 Minolta Mariner - Years Produced ???? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter gcole
- Start date
I still have mine. I got it in 1981 or so. It cost about $150.00 then. It's built like a tank and took a beating, fell into the sand at Cape May but remained unharmed. Bounced off rocks at Hawk Mountain, dinged and dented but still works. Focuses by the objective lenses moving. They have protective glass plates in front of the objective lenses. That being said, they are rather dim, much like you would expect 30 year old non-phase coated roof prisms to be. And they have virtually no eye relief if you must wear eyeglasses. Edge sharpness is poor and FOV is 7 degrees. Externally, they are similar to the Leitz Trinovid, (which I also have). The Leitz, I might add, is optically, vastly superior to the Minolta. My Leitz is a 7 x 42 Trinovid. It's about a 1990 vintage.
They are a rather handsome binocular like the Leitz, but their prisms are different. The Leitz used the uncommon Uppendahl Roof Prism. I understand that the Mariner's are Schmidt-Pechan prisms. They also came in 10 x 40 format and an unusual 8x-16x x 32 Zoom, which must really have been dim!
Here's a thread that discusses them: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=107671&highlight=Minolta+Mariner
jjg 213, one of the posters therein, was kind enough to send me an old brochure on them.
I would guess your binocular would make a nice collectible but I wouldn't pay an awful lot for it. It's usable, but it's best use, IMO, is to use it as an example of how much Roof Prism binoculars have improved over the last 30 years!
Cordially,
Bob
They are a rather handsome binocular like the Leitz, but their prisms are different. The Leitz used the uncommon Uppendahl Roof Prism. I understand that the Mariner's are Schmidt-Pechan prisms. They also came in 10 x 40 format and an unusual 8x-16x x 32 Zoom, which must really have been dim!
Here's a thread that discusses them: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=107671&highlight=Minolta+Mariner
jjg 213, one of the posters therein, was kind enough to send me an old brochure on them.
I would guess your binocular would make a nice collectible but I wouldn't pay an awful lot for it. It's usable, but it's best use, IMO, is to use it as an example of how much Roof Prism binoculars have improved over the last 30 years!
Cordially,
Bob
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I have a pair of these I bought on eBay a while back. They’re in great condition except the hinge is too loose. i believe there is a screw under a small cover on the front of the hinge. Is there a way to pry off the cover without damaging it?
I read Bob’s less than favourable impressions before buying these. I bought them anyway as I’m a huge Minolta fan. I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I like them.
I read Bob’s less than favourable impressions before buying these. I bought them anyway as I’m a huge Minolta fan. I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I like them.
