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

Bausch and Lomb Elite 12x50 (1 Viewer)

Thanks Norm! The B&L 12x50 Elite I got has "waterproof" written on it, but I wouldn´t know if it still is waterproof given it´s old and may need to be re-purged. I might e-mail Bushnell with the serial number to ask them about it. It´s a fine bino, I´ve been playing with it locally (no, not throwing a ball and asking it to fetch;)), and it really delivers the goods. However, light conditions here are excellent, we´re in the middle of the first heatwave we´ve had in 15 years. It would be interesting to take it seawatching in dull conditions. I thought it didn´t have a tripod attachment, but of course it has, I just had to remove a little disk at the far end of the central column.
 
Sancho said:
...It´s an interesting bino, weird design, don´t know why they didn´t make it a "normal" porro...
Click to expand...

I remember these, and the 8x version, in the mid 1990s. They were sold as if they were big versions of the 8 and 10x42 waterproof Elite models, which were also oddly shaped (even though they were roof prisms) to enforce a particular hand position. The pricing of the x50 models was comparable to (maybe higher than?) the x42 roofs, so I always assumed the profit margin was much higher given that the x50 are porros. Bushnell did not advertise the fact that the x50 models were porros, and I think they were counting on many buyers not realizing that fact. Porros were gaining a stigma of being old-fashioned at that time, and the concept of an alpha porro did not exist for most buyers.

--AP
 
I thought about that, Alexis, and reckon you´re right...it´s a porro masquerading as a roof, presumably for a market that at the time considered roofs to be the bees´knees. Maybe my unit is a later version, as it´s waterproof. Although comfortable and relatively stable, with the weight dampening thumb vibrations, it still feels a bit odd, because the oculars are positioned a good 2cm lower than the objectives, so when viewing, it feels as if your hands are positioned a little too high. Cracking view, though, especially for a bino that´s probably almost 20 years old.
 
Sancho,

Congratulations for buying a rare and probably very good binocular.

Just a thought, but how about holding the binocular upside down? That way you would get your hands about 4cm lower, and could focus with your thumbs. Of course, diopter adjustment would have to be reversed. It might be more comfortable.

Kimmo
 
Sancho said:
Maybe my unit is a later version, as it´s waterproof.
Click to expand...

All of the x50 Elite units were waterproof. My mention of waterproofing with respect to the x42 Elite was to distinguish them from the earlier x42 (different) design that they replaced.

--AP
 
kabsetz said:
Sancho,

Congratulations for buying a rare and probably very good binocular.

Just a thought, but how about holding the binocular upside down? That way you would get your hands about 4cm lower, and could focus with your thumbs. Of course, diopter adjustment would have to be reversed. It might be more comfortable.

Kimmo
Click to expand...

Thanks Kimmo!
I gave your suggestion a try, just viewing from the attic window. It works reasonably well, the hands feel in a more natural position vis-a-vis the eyes, but the balance becomes a little strange. It´s a real shame the thumb indents on the underside are so deep - about three-quarters of the girth of my thumbs disappears into the groove, making my hands rise that little bit more (in normal handling) in relation to my eyes. But hey, for an impulse buy from a pawn shop, these were a pretty unique find! (Now I just have to find a way to start birding again;)).
 
Sorry you`v lost your dog Sancho, I was there back in January, hope you do get a pup.

Very interesting find you`v got there.
 
Sancho said:
It´s an interesting bino, weird design, don´t know why they didn´t make it a "normal" porro. Sturdy little beast, also good CA control for a 12x, and very good flare control. But the design makes for a very specific grip that wouldn´t suit all hand-sizes.
Click to expand...

Later version end of model run B & L Elites were all marching to the beat of a different drum: lightning fast (but very smooth) focus, very odd rubber armor hand placement forcing only one way to hold the bin, superb (made in Japan) build quality and generally excellent optics. The 12x Elite was designed as a reverse porro for the same reason pocket porros use this configuration: reduction in size at the expense of loss of 3-D image. The FOV on the 12X was, as I remember, notably smaller than competitors, also a result of the reverse porro approach. Still in all a great bin, and in your case, a great buy.
 
I haven´t used these B&L binos much since buying them, except from my attic window to watch the local buzzards. I´ve been meaning to buy some O-rings as one eyecup is very loose. The other one is extremely tight, but that´s not a problem as it doesn´t move without the application of Herculean strength. But I found this website that lists them as still for sale, at a whopping 1,300 dollars:
http://www.opticsgiant.com/bauslombinel1.html
Which is bonkers.
 
Sancho said:
I haven´t used these B&L binos much since buying them, except from my attic window to watch the local buzzards. I´ve been meaning to buy some O-rings as one eyecup is very loose. The other one is extremely tight, but that´s not a problem as it doesn´t move without the application of Herculean strength. But I found this website that lists them as still for sale, at a whopping 1,300 dollars:
http://www.opticsgiant.com/bauslombinel1.html
Which is bonkers.
Click to expand...

I've found things like this before. In most cases, its just a matter of webmasters not updating stock or an old, cached webpage that just hasn't been cleared.
 
james holdsworth said:
I've found things like this before. In most cases, its just a matter of webmasters not updating stock or an old, cached webpage that just hasn't been cleared.
Click to expand...

Yes James, and sometimes charlatans fishing for fools with too much money. One website I saw today listed them at over 2k dollars. I was fooling about with these binos today, and the more I play with them, the more I like them. I don´t know if the vertically offset porro design was really to fool people into thinking they wre buying roofs, or if it was (more likely) to make them easier to hold. They are certainly far more comfortable than the average 12x50 porro, and the weird thumb-grooves, and compact yet comparatively weighty design (about 900g), make them very stable. The view is incredibly bright and sharp, I can´t believe this is 20-year pre-"ED" glass, and the sweet spot extends practically to the edge (before flat fields were invented?). The FOV of 4.8 degrees doesn´t actually appear too narrow in real use. It´s strangely pleasant to have completely weird and unique binoculars.
 
A local camera store that is closing has a new pair of the B & L Elite 12x50's for sale. They seem to be very nice, although have been on the shelf (or display) for many years.

Any idea of what a fair price for them is today? He wants $600 Cdn which I think is too much but am unsure what their value really is...?

Thanks
John
 
Hi John, I was just down to Lost Creek Shoe Shop and they still have the B&L 12x50 Elite there. They listed at $850 the last time I was there, it is listed at $650 right now. Even $650 seems like a lot. I really liked the view. I didn't try it again today.

I only tried a Swarovski 10x42HD, Swaro 10x42 Swarovision, Swaro 8x32 SV, 10x50 SV, 12x50SV, Zeiss 10x42 HT, Meopta 10x42 HD Cablela's used $659. I liked the Cablela's 10x42 HD, excellent view, the only thing I didn't like was the body is slippery, a nitpick, but no binocular strap on it so was worried I might drop it. I want the little 8x32SV.
 
mooreorless said:
Hi John, I was just down to Lost Creek Shoe Shop and they still have the B&L 12x50 Elite there. They listed at $850 the last time I was there, it is listed at $650 right now. Even $650 seems like a lot. I really liked the view. I didn't try it again today.

I only tried a Swarovski 10x42HD, Swaro 10x42 Swarovision, Swaro 8x32 SV, 10x50 SV, 12x50SV, Zeiss 10x42 HT, Meopta 10x42 HD Cablela's used $659. I liked the Cablela's 10x42 HD, excellent view, the only thing I didn't like was the body is slippery, a nitpick, but no binocular strap on it so was worried I might drop it. I want the little 8x32SV.
Click to expand...

Steve:

It sounds like you had fun with those choices.

As far as Zeiss, you had a chance to look through the HT, and did you
look at the Conquest HD's, what did you think ?

Jerry
 
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