Vintage and Classic Binoculars (1 Viewer)

Bencw · Oct 2, 2014

Bill, Steve, many thanks for the info, and Bill for the link. Thats great and I'm grateful. Yep, JB133 is Kamakura Koki Co. Ltd. I find the graticule a bit irritating, but as it has a military link I will probably leave it in to keep it authentic. It is a good binocular, the best Bushnell I have looked through myself, I was using it out in the garden earlier, and going to back to Tom's point in an earlier post, I have to say that the image is almost as good as my Zeiss 7x42 classic. Ok, the Bushnell is heavier and bulky, and the Zeiss is bit brighter and a miniscule sharper, but not by very much at all, especially when you consider the Bushnell only cost me £20.
Many thanks,
Ben

WJC · Oct 2, 2014

Bencw said:
Bill, Steve, many thanks for the info, and Bill for the link. Thats great and I'm grateful. Yep, JB133 is Kamakura Koki Co. Ltd. I find the graticule a bit irritating, but as it has a military link I will probably leave it in to keep it authentic. It is a good binocular, the best Bushnell I have looked through myself, I was using it out in the garden earlier, and going to back to Tom's point in an earlier post, I have to say that the image is almost as good as my Zeiss 7x42 classic. Ok, the Bushnell is heavier and bulky, and the Zeiss is bit brighter and a miniscule sharper, but not by very much at all, especially when you consider the Bushnell only cost me £20.
Many thanks,
Ben

But Ben, don't you understand . . . it's the "not very much," that separates the $400 bino from the $1,400 bino? That "not very much" is worth $1,000+ to some folks. :t:

Bill

elkcub · Oct 2, 2014

WJC said:
... With Hop's death, things started changing quickly at Swift. Allison started letting the Bino staff go, concentrated on the microscopes on the west coast, and has since gone her own way in another industry.

Bill

Bill,

You were very, very kind to put it that way. Your erudition is only exceeded by Arthur's.

Ed

WJC · Oct 2, 2014

elkcub said:
Bill,

You were very, very kind to put it that way. Your erudition is only exceeded by Arthur's.

Ed

Not "kind" THIS time . . . just metered. If I said what I really thought about the whole deal--like the letting go of people who had been with the company so many years--I'd get yelled at, again.

Bill

elkcub · Oct 2, 2014

Not by me, Bill.

BTW, that's like saying a wrecking ball moved to another neighborhood.

Ed

PS. Thanks for the attachment on #278. :t:

WJC · Oct 2, 2014

elkcub said:
Not by me, Bill. BTW, what other "industry" did she move on to?

Ed

Hi Ed:

I don't remember. But, I don't think it was related. I think she went to PR or some such, but don't quote me. She proved, however, what a father can spend his whole work life building, one of his children can dismantle in only a couple of years.

Bill

elkcub · Oct 2, 2014

WJC said:
Hi Ed:

I don't remember. But, I don't think it was related. I think she went to PR or some such, but don't quote me. She proved, however, what a father can spend his whole work life building, one of his children can dismantle in only a couple of years.

Bill

"She proved, however, what a father can spend his whole work life building, one of his children can dismantle in only a couple of years."

I could add more, but then people would be yelling at ME. :eek!::eek!:

Ed

Bencw · Oct 14, 2014

Zeiss 8x20 IF

https://www.flickr.com/photos/95019762@N07/with/15511974876

I picked up this old Zeiss compact, it is tiny, only 3.5 ins long and 2.25 ins wide when closed. Individual eye focus, well made, but not quite as bright as it's Leitz competitor. Sharp enough image, moderate FOV, and I feel the depth of field is not that great for an IF binocular. The real drawback is I find the oculars a bit too small, the eye cup measures just 22mm diameter, so you have to keep it positioned just right, which I find tends to make it hard to keep the image steady and you get a lot of side light. If the oculars/eye cups were just a little bigger it would be much easier to use. Overall, a very nice little pocket glass, but one which leaves me feeling it could have been made a bit better. Just wonder if anyone else has a similar feeling about the small eye cup, or any suggested improvement. Update, I have fitted rubber cups taken from an old Miranda 8x21, over the top of the hard cups, big improvement as I can now brace the binocular under my brow to help steady it.

Steviemac · Oct 14, 2014

Hello, I a new boy on here and have introduced myself on the say hello section. I have numerous hobbies including photography and recently I have bought some interesting binoculars. I love vintage items, and this is what I tend to buy camera wise. I am also a keen birder and have been an RSPB member for years.
One pair of binoculars that I bought recently however have defied all my internet searches and have therefore raised my curiosity. I'm hoping that someone can point me to further information. The pair in question are labelled Porcher Paris, Eclipse 8x26. They would look to date from the early to mid 20th century. Very dainty in size, but of a lovely construction with real 'heft' The action is very smooth. The glass is uncoated but very clear. On close focus they have a great depth of field (bokeh) - to borrow a photography term- ie the background is thrown nicely out of focus thereby accentuating the foreground image. I hope that's the right terminology?
The main body is brass with a leatherette or similar covering, it could even be very thin dried leather. The front optic areas seem to be made of an alloy of some kind.
I do hope someone can enlighten me regarding these lovely binoculars.

WJC · Oct 15, 2014

Steviemac said:
Hello, I a new boy on here and have introduced myself on the say hello section. I have numerous hobbies including photography and recently I have bought some interesting binoculars. I love vintage items, and this is what I tend to buy camera wise. I am also a keen birder and have been an RSPB member for years.
One pair of binoculars that I bought recently however have defied all my internet searches and have therefore raised my curiosity. I'm hoping that someone can point me to further information. The pair in question are labelled Porcher Paris, Eclipse 8x26. They would look to date from the early to mid 20th century. Very dainty in size, but of a lovely construction with real 'heft' The action is very smooth. The glass is uncoated but very clear. On close focus they have a great depth of field (bokeh) - to borrow a photography term- ie the background is thrown nicely out of focus thereby accentuating the foreground image. I hope that's the right terminology?
The main body is brass with a leatherette or similar covering, it could even be very thin dried leather. The front optic areas seem to be made of an alloy of some kind.
I do hope someone can enlighten me regarding these lovely binoculars.

A few photos would be nice. Paris was into opera glasses in a big way. They fit the dainty motif.

And, welcome!

Bill

brentwood · Oct 16, 2014

I have a similar Zeiss 8x20 IF that I picked up a few years ago (for $12.50!) For some reason, I don't like them much either, they just seem 'awkward' to use.

Bencw · Oct 17, 2014

brentwood said:
I have a similar Zeiss 8x20 IF that I picked up a few years ago (for $12.50!) For some reason, I don't like them much either, they just seem 'awkward' to use.

Hi, I did wonder if its just me, but yes, I think awkward to use pretty much describes them.

Bencw · Oct 23, 2014

WJC said:
So, there I am, sleeping soundly, then somebody pulls my chain.

That's the Bushnell Navigator/Swift Seahawk/ Fujinon AR/ etc. I ALWAYS dealt with Kama Tech (Kamakura USA) in Chula Vista (Just South of San Diego), as they were Fujinon's OEM, though others say KATSUMA. It has been a contract piece for the US army and Navy. The JB code will solve that completely, but I don't know where I have that stuffed in my computer.

If you remove the graticle, you will find that the focal length of that EP will be different causing it to be less extended that the other.

Hope this helps a little,

Bill

Bill, thanks, I really like this binocular but i'm finding the graticule is a pain, I intended to leave it, but would it be difficult to take out?

Ben

Pinewood · Nov 2, 2014

B&L 8x30

Hello,

I do not know if this is the best forum for these remarks, as there is another about how little improvement there has been in binoculars, for decades.

I recently bought a Bausch & Lomb 8x30 binocular, not a Zephyr and definitely not coated. For a 75 or 80 year old glass, it works, nicely. However, the lack of eye relief is a pain for me. With insufficient focussing for me to get to infinity, and with my astigmatism, it has its drawbacks. I think in the old days, B&L made eyecups for eyeglass wearers, allowing them to see more of the FOV.
In any case, it is still useful for bird watching. If I take off my specs, I can get close enough to warblers for identification. I had no trouble identifying ruddy ducks and buffleheads, with or without my specs.
A fellow bird watcher said, “What big oculars on that binocular!” Yes, it has a nice FOV!
I guess that this binocular was quite competitive with its contemporary Zeiss and Leitz offerings.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood :hi:

Bencw · Nov 7, 2014

Pinewood said:
Hello,

I do not know if this is the best forum for these remarks, as there is another about how little improvement there has been in binoculars, for decades.

I recently bought a Bausch & Lomb 8x30 binocular, not a Zephyr and definitely not coated. For a 75 or 80 year old glass, it works, nicely. However, the lack of eye relief is a pain for me. With insufficient focussing for me to get to infinity, and with my astigmatism, it has its drawbacks. I think in the old days, B&L made eyecups for eyeglass wearers, allowing them to see more of the FOV.
In any case, it is still useful for bird watching. If I take off my specs, I can get close enough to warblers for identification. I had no trouble identifying ruddy ducks and buffleheads, with or without my specs.
A fellow bird watcher said, “What big oculars on that binocular!” Yes, it has a nice FOV!
I guess that this binocular was quite competitive with its contemporary Zeiss and Leitz offerings.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood :hi:

Arthur, I have also great pleasure using old binoculars, and some of the older B&L and Bushnell give outstanding views, even my old Sard 7x50 is amazing for it's age and I guess also not coated.

Bencw · Nov 7, 2014

Zeiss Oberkochen 8x30

Picked up this lovely old Oberkochen, the original model where the lanyard fixes to the hinge bar, not the body. Now, I have been looking at the specs and comparing it with my 8x30B model. The non B FOV is given as about 446ft@1000yds and the B as approx 341ft@1000yds, but I have to say, to my eye, when comparing them they seem optically identical, the FOV looks just the same. The only difference is the greater eye relief and comfort of the Bs rubber eye cups. I suppose it must be just me, anyway both great binoculars and until I got my old B model out to compare them I had forgotten just how good they are.

Pinewood · Nov 7, 2014

Bencw said:
Arthur, I have also great pleasure using old binoculars, and some of the older B&L and Bushnell give outstanding views, even my old Sard 7x50 is amazing for it's age and I guess also not coated.

Hello Ben,

The SARD USN binoculars were coated on the lens to air surfaces, but not the prisms, as far as I know. Sometimes those coatings were removed through improper cleaning. I once had a Sard Mark 21 7x50, coated but it had truly poor eye relief of 7mm, as I recall. It was made for aviation observers, so the assumption may have been that the users did not wear eyeglasses.

Happy collecting,
Arthur :hi:

Bencw · Nov 10, 2014

Russian 6x24 differences?

I recently bought another Russian 6x24 which has some marked differences to the one I already had. Here are photos of the Russian bin I recently bought for £30 together with my other one which I gave a hell of a lot more for !!
The recent buy is the one on the green towel serial number 7709486 on the IPD, the other is number 7110724 on the prism cover, so I presume earlier. Different cases and slightly different design, Focus knob, IPD on different side etc, if anyone knows anything about it, be interested to know, for example I'm not even sure they are the same maker. Optically seem the much same, although the presumed earlier one, 7110724 seems very slightly sharper.

Binastro · Nov 10, 2014

Hi Ben,
Remarkably low price.
Mine is 7711xxx BIN 2 in Cyrillic.
But my case is similar to your earlier case.
Can't remember if mine had yellow filters but bin is as new, multicoated.

Why Bin6 is earlier than BIN 2 I know not.

Both probably same factory.

Thanks for showing and well done.

P.S.
Green towel 711xxxx?

P.P.S.
Bin 6 probably means Bin 6x24

BIN 2 probably means the second updated version of the 6x24.

Simples!!!

Bencw · Nov 10, 2014

Ah, thanks Binastro,

Yes, that makes sense, bin 2 being an updated version, I thought must be the same factory, but given the cosmetic differences was not sure. Green towel is 7709486.

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