30 years ago - my first real binocular

[Swedpat]

This day, july 28 in 1979, it was my 12-years birthday. The Expert chain of stores, advertized a serie of binoculars with the EXPERT-logotype. If I recall correct there where following models available: 8x30, 8x40, 7x50 and 10x50. (unsure about the 8x30). I remember the price was 295 SEK for the 10x50. Before my birthday I had wished the 10x50. Some year earlier I had got a 50mm refractor as christmas present, but I also wanted a real binocular. On the night at july 27 I was still awake when it passed midnight. Then my parents came up to my room with my birthday present. I opened the package, and there was the 10x50!
I still have the 10x50, though not use it anymore. The optical quality is far below the binoculars I use today. It's Made in Japan, fully coated, with Bk-7 prisms and the apparant field of view is 70deg.
Considering the eyepiece lenses are only 15mm it's not hard to understand that eye relief is very short, likely less than 10mm. But it's a nice memory, and fully functioning.

Regards, Patric

[kristoffer]

Nice story and wise that you kept it. At younger age stuff often vanish in some way or break. I wish my first bin was as good, it malfunctioned after 1 month so the store gave me the cash back and I bought a better one.

[Swedpat]

Thanks Kristoffer,

I think I when I was 12 years had the understanding of carefulness and therefore was careful about the binocular.

One interesting issue to think about: an ignorant person usually think that the higher the magnification - the better binocular. I thought like that when I was 12.
30 years later I consider a 6x32 to be one of the most useful binoculars I have...
If I at 12 years age had received a 6x binocular I had been dissapointed and considered that low power to be useless!

Regards, Patric

[jogiba]

My first pair was about 50 years ago when I was also about 12. It was 7x35s I think and it had a hard leather case. I purchased them used at an outdoor flea market were people would rent a table for the day and sell their household items.

Joe

[Tero]

When I was a kid, there was someone with a boat, a relative, I got to look thru the binoculars a couple of times. We never had a pair in our house. A camera was a luxury. It took slides, I still have some. Both Kodachrome and Ektachrome. One of those almost survives.

[Swedpat]

Thank you for the comments!

Patric