Vintage Binoculars (2 Viewers)

[LPT]

I was really wondering when center focus became really popular in Porro Prism binoculars. I can remember a Biology Professor when I went to college about 50 years ago complaining about how useless IF binoculars were for use in Zoology. Apparently they were still commonly used then.

Center focus Porro prism binoculars go way back almost to when Zeiss marketed the 1st Porro prism binoculars in 1894: In 1898 Goerz offered 3X, 6X, 9X and 12X Porro prism Trieder model binoculars all CF and also very popular at the time; in 1910 Zeiss introduced the CF 6X21 Telexem and hugely popular 6X30 Silvarem which was made until 1975; Leitz was selling several CF models at least as early as 1912; I don't have the years but Ross was also making CF Porro prism binocular in the very early 1900's and probably in the late 1890's. Quite a few of the old CF Ross appear for sale today indicating they were popular in their day since a lot seem to have been made.

 

[Renze de Vries]

By Jove Old Man! They certainly are distinctive and individual! There is nothing like them in the Borsalino Catalogue I have on my desk. And one does get weary of seeing all those birding enthusiasts trying to look like Harrison Ford doesn't one?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Raiders.jpg

Bob

Ah, it's Harrison Ford! I always wondered because when out in the field I often see guys like that show up on the horizon, aiming their binoculars at me, then disappear never to be seen again. So I'm birding on my own almost exclusively. Which is fine - you wouldn't like to be seen in the company of fellows wearing those mass market old-hat hats yourself, wouldn't you?

Renze

 

[Renze de Vries]

Center focus Porro prism binoculars go way back almost to when Zeiss marketed the 1st Porro prism binoculars in 1894: In 1898 Goerz offered 3X, 6X, 9X and 12X Porro prism Trieder model binoculars all CF and also very popular at the time; in 1910 Zeiss introduced the CF 6X21 Telexem and hugely popular 6X30 Silvarem which was made until 1975; Leitz was selling several CF models at least as early as 1912; I don't have the years but Ross was also making CF Porro prism binocular in the very early 1900's and probably in the late 1890's. Quite a few of the old CF Ross appear for sale today indicating they were popular in their day since a lot seem to have been made.

Yes, Zeiss was rather late with CF. But when they did they showed the world a real cracker. I just sold this 1910 Silvarem to China. Awesome construction, awesome optics.

Renze

 

[schooner]

You probably could even find out who this Mr. Godfrey was via the internet. I've done that a couple times with personalized things I've picked up. It's interesting to see who the person was.

Chad

Hi mate. I tried this with a few google searches and got nowhere. Caesar kindly provided a link to the company so I will go down that road and see where it takes me. If I dig up anything I will report back.

 

[Simon S]

Anyone know this binocular?

 

[IanColquhoun]

Kershaw Monarch

I have a pair of Kershaw "The Monarch" 10.5 x 40 binoculars EWA model 38499. Haven't been able to find out any informaton on this model. Does anyone know of these glasses? cheers

 

[Steve C]

Anyone know this binocular?

That looks like a Bausch & Lomb Zephyr. Top quality glass, likely the last made in the USA binocular made in Rochester New York.

 

[LPT]

That looks like a Bausch & Lomb Zephyr. Top quality glass, likely the last made in the USA binocular made in Rochester New York.

It does look like a Zephyr and I think some of the early Zephyrs were not marked as such and may not have had coated optics. However, all Zephyrs should be lightweight, and if a Zephyr yours should weigh less than 500 grams. Also, check the serial number for year of manufacture. I think any unmarked Zephyrs would have been pre-war.

 

[LPT]

Additions to Vintage Binocular Collection

The following have been added to my collection since the last posting on March 2, 2012:

1) Avimo AP 1900A 7X/Barr & Stroud CF41 7X
2) Barr & Stroud CF15 7X
3) Bausch & Lomb Zephyr 8X30
4) Leitz Wetzlar Decimarit 10X60
5) Nikko(Nippon Kogaku/Nikon) Orion 6X24
6) PZO (Polish Optical Industries) LP 8X40S
7) REL C.G.B. 40 MA 7X50
8) Ross Stepnada 7X30 (pre-war version)
9) Ross Stepvue 8X30
10) Swarovski cag Dienstglas 6X30

I would appreciate any comments, further information or corrections the members of this forum could provide about these binoculars and my descriptions of them.

Once again, thanks to members of this and other forums who have provided new information about the binoculars in the collection.

The new binoculars can be viewed at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/binocwpg/sets/72157630609720154/detail/

The entire collection including additions can be viewed at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/binocwpg/sets/72157623234405689/detail/

 

[Jonathan B.]

It does look like a Zephyr and I think some of the early Zephyrs were not marked as such and may not have had coated optics. However, all Zephyrs should be lightweight, and if a Zephyr yours should weigh less than 500 grams. Also, check the serial number for year of manufacture. I think any unmarked Zephyrs would have been pre-war.

Well it is a Zephyr, and it's not a Zephyr. It is the same bin as the Zephyr, but when it was released by B&L they did not apply that name. I have a B&L catalog with a string of code on the back cover suggesting it was printed in November 1937 ("G-19, 2½, XI-37"). The inserted price list states that this is catalog G-19, and it has the same string of code at lower left. Portions of codes printed in some catalogs of this type, in this case "2½," often indicate the size of the press run (2,500). In any case, "1937" is also pencilled on the front cover.

In this catalog, every model in B&L's line of CF bins that we know as the Zephyr (6x30, 7x35, 8x30, and 9x35) is illustrated, though none is called that. The photographic illustrations show that the bins are marked exactly as your 6x30 is. Each CF bin is identified as the "Bausch & Lomb Life Long Binocular." The IF 7x50 and 10x50 are also called by that name. Only the 6x30, 7x35, and 8x30 IF bins are named otherwise: "Bausch & Lomb Army Binocular," which was "designed and built especially for the Army Officer." In 1937 the 7x50 IF was a civilian bin suggested for the use of a navigator. The 10x50 IF was also said to be for marine use.

In 1937 the 6x30 CF Life Long Binocular cost $72, equivalent to over $900 today.

 

[Musoman]

I have a pair of REL CGB 53 GA 6x30 but i'm not a collector, and this means they dont sit on the shelf, but get taken out and they're hard work in the field due to having to re-focus both eye pieces when changing subject distance.

Where would be a good place to sell vintage binoculars? I doubt Ebay would be a good place - too many time wasters.

Also, i struggled to find anything like a decent accurate valuation, so no idea of worth. I tried completed listings on Ebay UK and Ebay USA, and there was nothing at all

 

[LPT]

I have a pair of REL CGB 53 GA 6x30 but i'm not a collector, and this means they dont sit on the shelf, but get taken out and they're hard work in the field due to having to re-focus both eye pieces when changing subject distance.

Where would be a good place to sell vintage binoculars? I doubt Ebay would be a good place - too many time wasters.

Also, i struggled to find anything like a decent accurate valuation, so no idea of worth. I tried completed listings on Ebay UK and Ebay USA, and there was nothing at all

I got mine in good condition for $50 USD which I consider a fair price. I actually don't mind eBay but it does take some getting used to both as a buyer and seller to get the most out of it. You could also sell it on Astromart: http://www.astromart.com/classifieds/ .

 

[Musoman]

Hi, thanks for the info. I think $50 is around £35-37 so that seems reasonable. I'd be happy to get £30, so i'll try Ebay and Astromart

thanks

 

[LPT]

Additions to Vintage Binocular Collection

The following have been added to my collection since the last posting on July 21, 2012:

1) Bausch & Lomb Zephyr 9X35
2) Bausch & Lomb (Japan) Elite Model 6128-43 8X42
3) Bausch & Lomb Zephyr 6X30
4) Emil Busch, Rathenow, Prisma-Binocle “Terlux” 9X36.5
5) Bushnell Featherlight 7X35
6) Huet Paris Modele 1933 Type 1 7X50
7) H. Hughes & Son Collimator Binocular Mk II
8) Kershaw Vanguard 7X50
9) Leitz Wetzlar, Trinovid 8X32
10) Leitz Wetzlar, Trinovid 7X42B
11) OIP Gand (Optique et Instruments de Précision, Ghent ) 8X38
12) Ross 5X40 Mk V 6E/392 5X40
13) Voigtländer Braunschweig 8X36
14) Wollensak Optical Company 8X30

I would appreciate any comments, further information or corrections the members of this forum could provide about these binoculars and my descriptions of them.

Once again, thanks to members of this and other forums who have provided new information about the binoculars in the collection.

The new binoculars can be viewed at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/binocwpg/sets/72157632281149716/detail/

The entire collection including additions can be viewed at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/binocwpg/sets/72157623234405689/detail/

My best wishes to the members of this forum for a happy holiday season and a good new year.

 

[LPT]

Additions to Vintage Binocular Collection

The following have been added to my collection since the last posting on December 26, 2012:

1) Emil Busch Rathenow Marluxon 7X50 with Finnish Markings
2) Goerz Marine Trieder 6x30 in Green Color
3) Hensoldt Wetzlar Jagd-Dialyt 6X42
4) Huet Paris Modèle 1933 Type 1 10X50
5) Huet Paris Miralux 8X30
6) Huet Paris Modèle 1951 Étanche 8X30
7) Ross Steplite 7X30
8) Voigtländer Braunschweig D.F. 7X50 Imperial German Navy
9) Carl Zeiss Jena D.F. 8X30 B.C. Nr.7 Romanian Contract
10) Carl Zeiss Jena blc 7X50 Adjustable Rubber Eyecup Model (Gasmask Model)
11) Carl Zeiss Jena D.F.7X50 Smooth Ocular Model

I would appreciate any comments, further information or corrections the members of this forum could provide about these binoculars and my descriptions of them.

Once again, thanks to members of this and other forums who have provided new information about the binoculars in the collection.

The new binoculars can be viewed at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/binocwpg/sets/72157633275485688/detail/

The entire collection including additions can be viewed at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/binocwpg/sets/72157623234405689/detail/

 

[LPT]

Additions to Vintage Binocular Collection

The following have been added to my collection since the last posting on April 18, 2013:

1) Avimo Binocular Prismatic, General Purpose (Land Service L12A1) 7X42
2) Emil Busch cxn Dienstglas 10X50
3) Fujii Brothers “Victor” No.4 X6 6X22
4) Hayward U.S. NAVY BUSHIPS MARK 45 MOD 0 7X50
5) Kershaw Vanguard 12X50
6) KOMZ (Kazan Optical-Mechanical Factory) БПО (BPO) 7X30
7) Leitz Wetzlar Bidoxit 6X30
8) Ross Stepleven 11X50
9) Ross A.P.2112 AC2010 10X70 “Captains Sight”
10) Universal Camera Corp. U.S. NAVY BU.SHIPS MARK 33, MOD 1 6X30
11) Carl Zeiss Jena blc Rm-F 12X60 für Em 4m R40
12) Carl Zeiss (Oberkochen) 10X50
13) ZOMZ (Zagorsk Optical Mechanical Plant) Б7X50

I would appreciate any comments, further information or corrections the members of this forum could provide about these binoculars and my descriptions of them.

Once again, thanks to members of this and other forums who have provided new information about the binoculars in the collection.

The new binoculars can be viewed at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/binocwpg/sets/72157635158898019/

The entire collection including additions can be viewed at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/binocwpg/sets/72157623234405689/

 

[brentwood]

I really like the look of those Ross 10x70. I wonder how they would compare to the Ross 10x80 that I have. Mine are the same shape, only bigger, but I cannot imagine anyone trying to use them manually, even mine which no longer have the very heavy looking objective shields.

 

[LPT]

I really like the look of those Ross 10x70. I wonder how they would compare to the Ross 10x80 that I have. Mine are the same shape, only bigger, but I cannot imagine anyone trying to use them manually, even mine which no longer have the very heavy looking objective shields.

I would love to compare the two views to see if there is any difference. The 10X80 was designed to be mounted. Are the optics on yours coated?

 

[brentwood]

There doesn't appear to be any coatings on them. They are marked as having a 5½° field on them, which isn't very big for a 10x, but the eye relief is HUGE. Other than dangerously shoving a compass between your eyeball and the eyepiece, is there a way of measuring this?
Obviously with the weight of these things they must have been mounted by attaching something to the central bar. I have always been puzzled why they were designed to look just like a scaled up version of the 7x50 and 10x70 model. After all Ross did make a 10x70 that was a 'unibody', they used to have one mounted by the window of a large surplus store we have in town. Maybe some of the more traditional RN captains wanted a binocular that looked like a binocular, not a big lump of metal with two pieces of glass at each end. Kind of like how nowadays, North American truck drivers will only drive a truck that looks like a 'proper truck' with a huge nose sticking out the front! None of those funny looking 'noseless' ones for these boys. Even the European manufacturers have to redesign their models if they want to sell them here!

 

[Binastro]

. I had the Ross ex-WD 10×70 monocular version which I used for many years.
It was uncoated.
Unfortunately I dropped it on granite and the prism was badly damaged.
I was very lucky that I was not seriously damaged.
I still continued to use the monocular even though one third of the field was hazy.
At that time it was almost impossible to find large aperture instruments and I had to beg Arthur Frank to find me something and he did maybe from his own famous collection.

I must sadly admit that I took on behalf of a friend six boxed uncoated 10 x 80 ex-WD Ross binoculars to Kays for complete servicing.
to say that they were heavy would be an understatement.
Although not as heavy as the 30 x 30 cm Zeiss survey cameras complete with 75 cm F6 .3 Telikon lenses which had rear elements larger than front elements. it had an internal Venetian blind shutter. Also included was a complete mount, magazine, and the vacuum or positive pressure system for keeping the film flat, I cannot remember which was used.

And the 8 inch F1 .5 Kodak Aero Ektar full thorium lens and complete camera for 9" x 9" film with magazine and with I think vacuum back was no lightweight either.

My friend unfortunately let a 90 mm Italian Galileo make triple turret binocular slip through his hands which would have cost next to nothing and only bought the tripod which was broken. I would have loved to have this 90 mm wonder.
When the tripod top was welded on it was back to front or upside down anyway it looked ridiculous.