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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Do all roof prism binoculars have 4 lense objectives? (1 Viewer)

Thanks, orbitaljump

Here's a little more detailed view of the Kern Focalpin optics, showing the air-spaced objective. Interesting design ideas for the time, but unfortunately the actual binocular is only adequate optically, nothing outstanding.

Henry
 

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Binoculars and Scopes

and their uses in photography for:

Astronomers
Sportsmen
Birdwatchers
Hikers and
Nature Lovers

Robert J. and Elsa Reichert


Modern Camera Guide Series

Chilton Company - Book Division

Copyright 1961

LOC Catalog no. 61-5626


I have a signed copy with both Robert's and Elsa's signatures. I think these folks are affiliated with Mirakel, out of New York.
 
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I didn't realize the Focalpin design went back as far as 1961. That makes it an even more interesting design for it's time.

I only recently bought a Kern 7x50 Focalpin after years of wondering just how good it was. Unbelievably, I ran into one that was actually NIB from the stock of a long defunct camera store in California. It dated from the last days of Kern in the late 80's and included an instruction booklet (printed in 1973), a yellowing warranty card to return to the long gone importer Karl Heitz in New York and, of course, a beautiful leather case and strap. All was apparently untouched as if from a time capsule..
 
Henry,

It may have to do with the nature of the original prism patents. It would appear from this 1932 S&A catalog that the prisms were originally patented as "Dialyt-prisms" by Hensoldt (Swift & Anderson was their sole US distributor from 1926.) There is no mention of A-K, a designation that appears to have been introduced by Zeiss decades later. I guess one might question the primacy of "A-K," since Mr. Dialyt wasn't there to defend himself. :)

Note on pg. 3 "...The only Prism Binoculars in which the prism system may be removed intact, cleaned and replaced in case of emergency." These festideous people thought of everything. Any idea what $70 in 1932 would be worth today? :eek!:

Ed

Ed,

$70 in 1932 would be $1000 now according to one inflation calculator I Googled. Not cheap binoculars!

Henry
 
Henry,

It may have to do with the nature of the original prism patents. It would appear from this 1932 S&A catalog that the prisms were originally patented as "Dialyt-prisms" by Hensoldt (Swift & Anderson was their sole US distributor from 1926.) There is no mention of A-K, a designation that appears to have been introduced by Zeiss decades later. I guess one might question the primacy of "A-K," since Mr. Dialyt wasn't there to defend himself. :)

From the monocular history side that Henry posted has this comments:

http://zeun.info/history/mono-history12.htm

Hensoldt deserves the award of being the first to make Penta-Prism-Monocles. They had a higher light transmission, allowed bigger objectives, and were made with flat hosuings with rounded corners. The prism is mounted on a cast-in prism-cage or later on a detachable prism-chair. The "Dialytic Pent-Prism Monocular" has two objective lenses - hence. dia-lyt (cf. later Dialyts).

Hmmm, so two elements of two lenses perhaps in the original Dialyt lens?

Also

http://zeun.info/history/mono-history15.htm

shows a couple of interesting things:

a porro monocular that focuses with the objective.

http://zeun.info/cz8x30co.htm

And perhaps an explanation for the odd placement of the tripod mount on the body of the prism housing rather than the end of the hinge. It was not common with porro monoculars!

http://zeun.info/atco6x30.htm
 
Thanks, Kevin. That gives me some background on my own Zeiss monocular, as hijacked and shown below.

I'm planning to use it as a booster. Okay Henry? |:d|

Ed
 

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