Brian Albin
Member
Hi everybody. I am 46 yrs old and have looked thru binoculars since I was a boy, but my newest pair have something I have never seen before.
They are Zeiss 8x50 model Octarem. The serial number says they were made in 1985. They are a center focus design with the right eyepiece being the balancer. It has the white tick marks and the upper lens moves up & down when I turn the knurled ring. But the left eyepiece is also fitted with a knurled ring which rotates. But there are no markings on this side, and the lens does not move up & down when I turn the ring. Because I bought this instrument used it did not come with an owner's manual or any other factory papers.
What does this ring do? Is it some sort of alignment adjustment? I ask that because when I first used them there was some feeling of eyestrain but after giving the wheel a half turn it went away. The change could have been my imagination as it was only a slight difference, but I tried it again today and there is one setting which seems more pleasant. Also by watching the dust specks on the lens I see that turning this ring rotates the top lens element. So perhaps the change in viewing quality was not all in my head.
If someone out there has an Octarem owner's manual, or if one of the repair techs reads this, would you tell me what this ring is for?
Thank You, Brian
They are Zeiss 8x50 model Octarem. The serial number says they were made in 1985. They are a center focus design with the right eyepiece being the balancer. It has the white tick marks and the upper lens moves up & down when I turn the knurled ring. But the left eyepiece is also fitted with a knurled ring which rotates. But there are no markings on this side, and the lens does not move up & down when I turn the ring. Because I bought this instrument used it did not come with an owner's manual or any other factory papers.
What does this ring do? Is it some sort of alignment adjustment? I ask that because when I first used them there was some feeling of eyestrain but after giving the wheel a half turn it went away. The change could have been my imagination as it was only a slight difference, but I tried it again today and there is one setting which seems more pleasant. Also by watching the dust specks on the lens I see that turning this ring rotates the top lens element. So perhaps the change in viewing quality was not all in my head.
If someone out there has an Octarem owner's manual, or if one of the repair techs reads this, would you tell me what this ring is for?
Thank You, Brian