Leitz porros in Americas? (1 Viewer)

tenex · Jan 16, 2018

Looking at photos of the new retro Trinovids, I recall that those were the first Leitz binos I became aware of in the US, around the early 1970s. My father had B&L and Zeiss porros, but I don't think I've ever seen a Leitz porro (Binuxit?) to this day. Was their production much lower, or did they just not export many to the Americas?

Gijs van Ginkel · Jan 16, 2018

Tenex, post 1,
Between 1907 and 1963 Leitz made many many porro binoculars both porro-1 and porro-2 and also a lot of different types, it takes a book with many pages to list and describe them.
Gijs van Ginkel

Pinewood · Jan 17, 2018

Hello Tenex,

Before WWII, Leitz had a formidable presence in the USA known as Ernst Leitz, New York. Their major businesses were photography, Leica cameras, and microscopes. Leitz was generally well behind Zeiss in both binoculars and in microscopes but they did very well in 35 mm cameras.
The Binuxit was just one popular model of their line of Porro binoculars. Indeed, in warm weather, I sometimes use one made in 1951. Their 7x50 Marseptit is another well made Leitz binocular, especially the ones with coated optics.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood :hi:

gunut · Jan 17, 2018

I like older binoculars and have a few of the older Leitz Poro binoculars
Leitz Marocoto 8x60...Leitz Marseptit 7x50....Leitz Binuxit 8x30

as well as some 60/70s vintage Trinovid roofs....I know they are not up to todays standards...but neither am I anymore....and sometimes the nostalgia of using vintage instruments outweighs the advantage of the new improved optics.....

Elmer Fudd · Jan 17, 2018

These Leitz porros are hard to come by. Especially in good condition. It appears to me that they often have damages in the covering.

@gunut: If you haven't already would you mind to share pictures of your treasures with us?

Gijs van Ginkel · Jan 17, 2018

It seems that the old Leitz porros are fairly well to find, since a Dutch collector showed me some time agohis collection which existed at that time of the:
- Leitz Binolas 8x24 (1909)
- Chromium L 14 8x30 (seems rare, since it could not be found in available documentation)
- Leitz porro 2 7x50 (1940)
- Leitz beh porro-2 7x50 coated (world war 2 model)
- Leitz Camparit 10x40 (1939-1959)
- Leitz Mardocit 12x60 (1939-1962)
- Leitz Decimarit 10x60 (used as "Leihglass by Leitz)
- Leitz L 14 8x30 (1920-1930?)
- Leitz Binovista 15x60 (1920) binocular angled version for military use
- Leitz Binot 6x30 (MH/6400, 1915)
Gijs van Ginkel

Troubador · Jan 17, 2018

gunut said:
I like older binoculars and have a few of the older Leitz Poro binoculars
Leitz Marocoto 8x60...Leitz Marseptit 7x50....Leitz Binuxit 8x30

as well as some 60/70s vintage Trinovid roofs....I know they are not up to todays standards...but neither am I anymore....and sometimes the nostalgia of using vintage instruments outweighs the advantage of the new improved optics.....

Hi Gunny

Its true that picking up a pair of binos and feeling them in your hands can take you back to many memories and the older the bino, the more memories they have 'stored' inside them. This brings an added pleasure to using them.

Lee

gunut · Jan 17, 2018

BTW my Avatar is a vintage Leitz monoucular....

Pinewood · Jan 17, 2018

Leitz Binoculars

Hello,

Here are my four Leitz binoculars. From left to right: 8x30 Binuxit. 7x50 Marseptit, 12x60 Mardocit and a 7x50 Porro II BEH. The latter was denazified.

The Binuxit is still useful fro bird watching. N.B. it has Leitz post market eyecups with a fold down rubber.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Troubador · Jan 17, 2018

Pinewood said:
Hello,

Here are my four Leitz binoculars. From left to right: 8x30 Binuxit. 7x50 Marseptit, 12x60 Mardocit and a 7x50 Porro II BEH. The latter was denazified.

The Binuxit is still useful fro bird watching. N.B. it has Leitz post market eyecups with a fold down rubber.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Arthur
As you might have noticed I am not a fan of porros but that is a very nice collection.

Lee

Pinewood · Jan 17, 2018

Gijs van Ginkel said:
Tenex, post 1,
Between 1907 and 1963 Leitz made many many porro binoculars both porro-1 and porro-2 and also a lot of different types, it takes a book with many pages to list and describe them.
Gijs van Ginkel

Hello Gijs,

Here is a list of Leitz binocular models, with a brief description and information on their years of manufacture.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Gijs van Ginkel · Jan 17, 2018

Arthur, post 11,
Thank you for the Leitz list, I had it already, since I have received the informative mails from Peter Abrahams for quite some time.
Did you know that he is going to stop and that this work will be continued by Belgian collectors? They also will take over the organisation of BHS meetings.
Gijs van Ginkel

tenex · Jan 17, 2018

Pinewood said:
Here are my four Leitz binoculars... From left to right: 8x30 Binuxit. 7x50 Marseptit, 12x60 Mardocit and a 7x50 Porro II BEH.

Lovely, especially the two so different 7x50s. Did you find all these in the US, or Europe? Then again I suppose these days everything is on eBay... (What's BEH, Heer something?)

Pinewood · Jan 18, 2018

tenex said:
Lovely, especially the two so different 7x50s. Did you find all these in the US, or Europe? Then again I suppose these days everything is on eBay... (What's BEH, Heer something?)

Hello Tenex,

Three of them were obtained here. The 8x30 from ebay. The Mardoctit from Germany via ebay. The Marseptit, more than thirty years, ago and the 7x50 BEH, were purchased from private parties in the States.

The 7x50, on the far right, is of a design known as Porro II.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Pinewood · Jan 18, 2018

Gijs van Ginkel said:
Arthur, post 11,
Thank you for the Leitz list, I had it already, since I have received the informative mails from Peter Abrahams for quite some time.
Did you know that he is going to stop and that this work will be continued by Belgian collectors? They also will take over the organisation of BHS meetings.
Gijs van Ginkel

Hello Gijs,

Yes, I know the collectors site: Binopedia.com.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Elmer Fudd · Jan 18, 2018

Pinewood said:
Hello,

Here are my four Leitz binoculars. From left to right: 8x30 Binuxit. 7x50 Marseptit, 12x60 Mardocit and a 7x50 Porro II BEH. The latter was denazified.

The Binuxit is still useful fro bird watching. N.B. it has Leitz post market eyecups with a fold down rubber.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Nice collection!

Would you like to describe the performance of the 7x50 Porro II BEH?

Pinewood · Jan 18, 2018

tenex;3666942... (What's BEH said:
Hello Tenex,

Yes, the Porro II was made for the German Navy in WWII. It did not have a manufacturer's name engraved on it, only the code BEH for Ernst Leitz.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Pinewood · Jan 19, 2018

Hello Elmer Fudd,

The Leitz 7x50 Porro II binocular, made for the Kriegsmarine, is not an exceptional performer. The 8x60 Zeiss of the same period is far more highly prized. The Porro II design allowed for a brighter image but the glass was no better than the late model British No 5, Mark 5, when coated. I think the British glass may be a bit sharper, or at least more contrasty.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Leitz porros in Americas? (1 Viewer)

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