[Sancho]

I met a chap recently who had got an old pair of Zeiss bins at an auction, for 25 euro. He was a casual birder, and let me have a peek. They were pretty amazing, although I didn´t have anything with me at the time to compare. I´ve no idea how old they were, but they were roof-prisms, came in a big old leather case, and had "Carl Zeiss" written on them. They were 8x56 mag., didn´t seem that heavy to me, I´d estimate about 950 grams. Great definition, seemed crystal-clear to the edge, good colour rendition and I think they were more than a bargain at the price. Apart from the ridiculously low price, are bins like this worth pursuing, or do they have drawbacks?

[sammyboy]

I think they're excellent (though have never tried any newer high end bins like Leicas or newer Zeisses to compare). I have a pair of old Carl Zeiss Jena Jenoptem 10x50s (Multicoated version) which I've used on birding day trips and found them to be brilliant. I also found a pair of Jenoptem 8x30s on Ebay for £35 buy it now so have got them, they are excellent also.

One thing you have to watch for with secondhand bins is that they are still collimated (aligned - no 'double image'). If you get a chance to look through them before the auction, look at somthing small if you can, like a far off bird or high-flying aircraft, these are a good test as to if a binocular is collimated or not.

btw, I've heard good things about those 8x56s, and go for well over £100 on Ebay, sounds like you got a bargain!

[henry link]

Sancho,

I think this thread should be moved to the binocular forum. The Zeiss 8x56 you mentioned would be an early example of the 8x56 B/GA Dialyt. It's the only 8x56 roof prism binocular Zeiss has ever made and is still listed as a current model on the Zeiss website. One with "Carl Zeiss" on the logo rather than the later "Zeiss inside a square" logo would have been made between 1968 and 1972. It would not be as good as current production because neither T* multi-coating nor P* phase coating had been invented yet. Still a working pair for 35 euros is an amazing bargain.

When it comes to "Zeiss" binoculars made after WWII there is a big difference between West German Zeiss which made very high quality and expensive binoculars and Carl Zeiss Jena in East Germany which, with a few noteworthy exceptions, made lower quality and much cheaper binoculars.

Henry

[Sancho]

Sorry, I thought I was in the Binocular Forum when I posted this! Serious attention lapse. Thanks to you both for your very thorough info on the Zeiss bins. Not sure how to move the post to the Bins Forum, I´ll contact admin.

Originally Posted by henry link

Sancho,

I think this thread should be moved to the binocular forum. The Zeiss 8x56 you mentioned would be an early example of the 8x56 B/GA Dialyt. It's the only 8x56 roof prism binocular Zeiss has ever made and is still listed as a current model on the Zeiss website. One with "Carl Zeiss" on the logo rather than the later "Zeiss inside a square" logo would have been made between 1968 and 1972. It would not be as good as current production because neither T* multi-coating nor P* phase coating had been invented yet. Still a working pair for 35 euros is an amazing bargain.

When it comes to "Zeiss" binoculars made after WWII there is a big difference between West German Zeiss which made very high quality and expensive binoculars and Carl Zeiss Jena in East Germany which, with a few noteworthy exceptions, made lower quality and much cheaper binoculars.

Henry