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Vintage and Classic Binoculars (1 Viewer)

Widdifield & Co. Boston Field Glasses

I have what seems to be a very rare pair of Field Glasses made by Widdifield & Co. in Boston from the mid-1800s. I'm looking for an approximate value. I understand that there probably won't be an expert on this forum, but I'm looking for the name of someone that specializes in antique binoculars.

Thanks in advance!
goldentalon34
 

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Welcome.

A similar, possibly better Dollond struggled to make £20.
Similar glasses are numerous and not valuable.
However, the price depends on what two individuals agree, and is very variable.
 
Welcome.

A similar, possibly better Dollond struggled to make £20.
Similar glasses are numerous and not valuable.
However, the price depends on what two individuals agree, and is very variable.

Thanks for the info! I was under the impression that Widdifield was a small company. Anything related to Widdifield is very hard to find on the internet. I thought that this might make the glasses worth more.

Thanks!
 
If you find a family member to sell it to, yes. Or anyone with that surname. Sounds Cornish or Devon, England?

Often these were made by larger optical firms for stores, chemists or drug stores etc. Maybe even French?
Many are found here in charity shops for £10 or so.
 
Thanks for the info! I was under the impression that Widdifield was a small company. Anything related to Widdifield is very hard to find on the internet. I thought that this might make the glasses worth more.

Thanks!
Most likely Widdifield was not the actual manufacturer. Many of these Galileans were made in France or England and then sold to a retailer who branded the binocular with his name. Widdifield could have been such a retailer. Another possibility is that the lenses were made in Europe and then sold to an American dealer who supplied the body and other metalwork.
 
I have what seems to be a very rare pair of Field Glasses made by Widdifield & Co. in Boston from the mid-1800s. I'm looking for an approximate value. I understand that there probably won't be an expert on this forum, but I'm looking for the name of someone that specializes in antique binoculars.

Thanks in advance!
goldentalon34

Right now, at least in the Eastern US, most Galileans are beaten down low in actual purchase price,
due to a flood of opera glasses. What you've got is much prettier, though, with no leftover glue
or shedding leather bits, a very nice dark patina and the bright brass to contrast. Since there
isn't a solid floor on middle-class collectibles like that anymore, your outstanding appearance
should put them in a class by themselves. I have sold some of the same at my shelves
at an antique shop, but in worse shape. Here in Mass., you might have to wait a while,
but they might go for $50 - $100, if the lenses are passable.
If they aren't (like, if the balsam has started
to suck away from the objective), that's easily fixed, or at least made
passable by dissolving the balsam and putting up with a little shine.

The appearance is very unusual. I'd clean lightly and go Dutch-auction on
E-Bay (buy-now price starting at twice that max and stepping down.
I've had a few like that and they have been dinged up or scummy.
People bought those because they could afford them and used them hard
for hunting or farming, so most are in bad shape.

I think they will be worth a lot more later. The street economy is very
cash-strapped now, and the very-wealthy collect more super things.
 
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EARLY NIKON 7X35, IS IT AN E or Maybe A?

Hi, I picked up this old Nikon 7x35 for £20, pretty light, nice sharp image too, but i'm not sure of the model, I though maybe an early E, but ones I have seen had rubber eye cups, these are hard, anyone able to help? Ok, have found a photo of a similar one and I'm pretty sure this is an 7x35A Lightweight model. Not sure when it might have been made though, 70s?
Thanks, Ben
 

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Vistory snatched from the jaws of defeat!
I finally cracked the code on the Bushnell 6x25//8-degree.


I almost threw this "dirt farm" away, but I let it mellow
(or my thoughts ripen), and since then I've cleaned up a 7x35 Custom.
This is the same maker (maybe Fujinon), so the prize in the box is..
you can remove the prism carriage, carefully clean the visible surfaces
(the inner surfaces are sealed), put it back in, and the precise cotter
pins put into perfect factory collimation again! The mold and dirt let
go easily. A little sleeve-burn on the oculars.

So that was a pleasant surprise. The real key was discovering the
hole in the focuser knob you can use to poke off the medallion and
get at the screws. From there, it's off with the knob and
popping the lids and getting the prism carriages out for a nice cleaning.

These also have the same coating scheme as my others:
"UV" coating up front, amber all inside surfaces, and MgF for
the outside of the oculars. Beautiful color, just lovely!

I was about the scrap these to make telescope eyepieces.
The other 7x25 Customs are a much harder case....nasty special tools
and torques were used. Maybe I'll scrap those. They were only $25
(though, gnarly enough outside to scare off investor/flippers)

Very kind to the eyes. No blackouts. Some Customs are, some aren't.

I now had a sister pair to the Jason Venture 4000 7x25s.
Quite similar to look through. The Jasons have a nicer
front baffle, but not as convenient prism mountings.
So they are like the 'other' mini Customs.
 
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Nice those 7x35 customs ON, rarely come up here, I had a try for one on auction a while ago, but it went for too much, or more than I would go to anyway.

Keep your eyes out! There are grubby ones the wheeler-dealers stay
away from, and you have the skills. They are a lot less.
The 6x25//8-deg is a good one to work on, too.
 
Hi, I picked up this old Nikon 7x35 for £20, pretty light, nice sharp image too, but i'm not sure of the model, I though maybe an early E, but ones I have seen had rubber eye cups, these are hard, anyone able to help? Ok, have found a photo of a similar one and I'm pretty sure this is an 7x35A Lightweight model. Not sure when it might have been made though, 70s?
Thanks, Ben

My guess is that those are the original Nikon 7x35A, from when they did a name change from Mikron to Nikon about 1959. The earlier version was probably labeled Nippon Kogaku, Micron. However, I have also seen a mint Nikon 8x30A in it's original box, and it had rubber eyecups. I'm confused. |:S|

Ed
 
Yes, it's a 7x35 A. The 7x35 E was identical except for the eyepiece. To increase eye relief the Kellner in the A Series was replaced by a 3 element Konig in the E Series.
 
I have long hankered after multicoated 7x35 E. Henry's tutorial, describing the innards and the slanted trademark was interesting. Watching thousands of shearwaters migrate south at Monterry CA alongside a nice local fellow who had one also piqued my interest. It was a fine looking thing. Neither he nor I, with my 7x50 Fujinon, could see the white marking that he said he needed to identify them as what he suspected (Scott's?). But gosh at the birds, I'll never forget it.

Was the multicoated E the best 7x35 ever made?

Ron
 
My guess is that those are the original Nikon 7x35A, from when they did a name change from Mikron to Nikon about 1959. The earlier version was probably labeled Nippon Kogaku, Micron. However, I have also seen a mint Nikon 8x30A in it's original box, and it had rubber eyecups. I'm confused. |:S|

Ed

Thanks Ed, I think you may be right, I have seen an old Nikon 7x35A Featherweight which looks similar, these are very light weight, but were described as an old E, but I didn't really think it was an E when I bought it, but still not sure though.
 
Can anyone date my vintage Leitz 8x30 "Binuxit" Binocs by its serial number of
192983? I know mr Holger Merlitz had a list that they were made over a period
of years...but there must be some data somewhere that can narrow it down.
Zeiss ID'd a old pair I had to 1921...but so far Leica hasn't helped?
Anyone have any data or history on this?
Thanks,
Tom
 
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Can anyone date my vintage Leitz 8x30 "Binuxit" Binocs by its serial number of
192983? I know mr Holger Merlitz had a list that they were made over a period
of years...but there must be some data somewhere that can narrow it down.
Zeiss ID'd a old pair I had to 1921...but so far Leica hasn't helped?
Anyone have any data or history on this?
Thanks,
Tom

Look through this list but it doesn't have SN info.

http://home.europa.com/~telscope/leitzbin.txt


Bob
 
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Hello Tom,

I think that it may be a very late model, like 1960's, but I am sure that someone with more knowledge will post here.
If you read Bob's link, you will see that the binocular had a long run. After 1945, they were coated. Modern binoculars have very improved coatings, making the image brighter and more contrasty. If you don't need eyeglasses, and if the binocular is collimated, it s still a respectable tool for bird watching.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood :hi:
 
It's an early pre-WW II Binuxit. Leitz handheld binoculars were pretty much consecutively serial numbered until 1990 with late Uppendahl prismed Trinovids in the 900,000 range. Earlier 1960's-70's Trinovids are in the 6-700,000 range. Circa 1950's Leitz Porro I's are usually in the 500,000 range. Late 1930's - WW II civilian and military handheld binos are in the 215,000 - 475,000 range, and WW I period Leitz are around 100,000 or lower. So based on this, I'd say yours dates to the late 1920's- early 1930's around the time the model was introduced (1927).
 
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It's an early pre-WW II Binuxit. Leitz handheld binoculars were pretty much consecutively serial numbered until 1990 with late Uppendahl prismed Trinovids in the 900,000 range. Earlier 1960's-70's Trinovids are in the 6-700,000 range. Circa 1950's Leitz Porro I's are usually in the 500,000 range. Late 1930's - WW II civilian and military handheld binos are in the 215,000 - 475,000 range, and WW I period Leitz are around 100,000 or lower. So based on this, I'd say yours dates to the late 1920's- early 1930's around the time the model was introduced (1927).

Thanks. Your reply seems to be the most accurate...the serial number;
192983 is a very early one. If I get an exact date from Leica, I'll post it.
Waiting to hear from them.
Tom from Cody
 
Hello,

My eyesight is really getting bad, I read that question mark, after the serial number, as a "7." that made me off, by almost thirty years.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:
 
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