Leitz Trinovid 10x40B Eye Cups (2 Viewers)

T

trancework

Well-known member

• Oct 5, 2015

• #1

Hello Everyone,

I just bought a pair of Leitz Trinovid 10x40B binoculars at auction. They just got delivered and it looks like the rubber eye cups have perished on both lenses.
I am in the UK and would like to replace them with some original eye cups but have no idea where I can purchase them from.
Can anyone suggest somewhere please?

Thx in advance

 

C

ceasar

Well-known member

• Oct 5, 2015

• #2

They eye cups probably screw on and off as a unit like the ones on my Leitz 7x42 Trinovid BA do. My binocular is the green, rubber armored version. The rubber eye cups are an integral part of the unit. See if yours screw off.

Leitz Trinovids were discontinued in the early 1990s so it might be hard to find replacements for them. I purchased mine new just after the were discontinued around 1993 and replaced the eye cups on it 10 years later. I got the replacements from Leica who still had some green ones in stock. They charged me $25.00 per eye cup. Steep, but worth it to me because I was still using them. There could be some private dealers who still have some in stock.

I don't use my Leitz 7x42 much anymore but the replacement eye cups are still in good shape. If you get them it is a good idea not to keep them folded after using them.

Bob

 

T

trancework

Well-known member

• Oct 5, 2015

• #3

Thanks Bob, I just tried and you were right, they unscrew.
I may just do a search for dealers to replace them as you suggest but am also thinking
about sending them off to be serviced. I worry about costs though if I send them off.

 

C

ceasar

Well-known member

• Oct 5, 2015

• #4

trancework said:

Thanks Bob, I just tried and you were right, they unscrew.
I may just do a search for dealers to replace them as you suggest but am also thinking
about sending them off to be serviced. I worry about costs though if I send them off.

Click to expand...

If you send them to Leica, call them first. When I talked to them about mine they said parts might no longer be available for them if replacements were needed. If all you want is a cleaning and lubrication and the like you could inquire about repairmen in England who can do this sort of work.

These Leitz Trinovid binoculars used Uppendahl roof prisms which no company, including Leica, uses anymore. That is why they have their unique shape.

You might check on the age of your binocular and when it was manufactured. The great majority of these Leitz Trinovids did not have phase coatings on their prisms but I understand that those made in the last 2 years before they were discontinued did have phase coatings and consequently it makes them more desirable.

This guy is a big fan of the Leitz 10x40 Trinovid:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/leica/trinovid/10x40.htm



Bob

 

Last edited: Oct 5, 2015

Etiennef

Well-known member

• Oct 5, 2015

• #5

Perhaps this is a bit of wacky, but I recently had some issues with the eye cups on my Leitz 8x32 Trinovid. Although the problem was not the same as yours, I came across an interesting potential solution in case of totally perished eye cups.

(Details here: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=308581)

I ordered these as a "plan B", to pull over the existing eye cups.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171844576714?clk_rvr_id=906679800678&rmvSB=true

The interesting this is that they turned out to be too small to go over the current eye cups. But I suspect that they would go perfectly a pair of nearly perished eye cups.

The eye cups were of quite good quality, in fact much better than I expected, and the offer great stray light protection.
If you don't mind altering the appearance of the binocular a bit (which many probably do...), and don't min a "DIY"-approach, they could be a good alternative.
I can give you the exact dimensions if you are interested.

-

Otherwise a conventional replacement pair can be bought here: http://www.swoptics.co.uk/?1974

 

Etiennef

Well-known member

• Oct 5, 2015

• #6

Ah, sorry. I just realized that you had the B-version, and my Trinovid is a "non-B".
The eye cup "mod" I suggested would probably result in "overshooting" the eye relief since your eye cups are longer.

The replacement pair I linked to is however correct for your Trinovid.

 

T

trancework

Well-known member

• Oct 6, 2015

• #7

Thanks for the info, advice and the links, they were a great help. the links to the eye caps will be invaluable and the link to Ken Rockwell was very informative.
I rang up then decided to go to Leica UK who are just off Oxford St in London and their team was very helpful and interested in the binoculars. They took it apart, inspected it and dug out a big reference book and then told me it was a 1976 10x40B model and it was one of the last made in Germany before Leica moved to Portugal. I am not sure what lenses they have. They said they can service it in-house and it will be about 100GBP to clean and carry out a collimation. Fingers crossed they will find nothing wrong and I can have them back in a week.

 

Last edited: Oct 6, 2015

C

ceasar

Well-known member

• Oct 6, 2015

• #8

||Good to hear that! I hope all goes well. Be sure to get back to us with the results when the work is complete!

Bob

 

T

trancework

Well-known member

• Oct 22, 2015

• #9

I just got my Leitz Trinovid 10x40B's back from Leica Camara UK Ltd in Mayfair.
They cleaned, collimated, serviced and replaced the eyecups for free, no charge whatsoever.
I could not believe the service they gave me and the effort they put into getting my
1976 binoculars back to working beautifully.

If I ever have the money to go big cheese with a binocular investment I am going with Lecia.

 

Last edited: Oct 22, 2015