I just purchased a pair of Zeiss 8x30 B Oberkochen Serial #577531 in minty condition. I assume they are from the mid 1960s(?). Can someone help with dating them?
I spent a few hours comparing them to my Swarovski SLC 8x30WBs and was frankly shocked at how well they stood up to the more modern design and coatings. The Swarovski is definitely brighter with more color saturation as would be expected, but I can’t say that I found the old Zeiss lacking, the view is delightful. One is just as sharp as the other reading small text from a distance. I would have to say the the old Zeiss wins on perceived depth of field. The SLCs tend to flatten the image more (like a long telephoto). I also found it easier to acquire birds with the Zeiss which has a quicker focus (less than one turn lock to lock). The little Zeiss Porros also won on weight, my Swarovski weighted in at 20.2 oz vs. 17.8 oz for the Zeiss. This makes the little Zeiss my new choice for hiking. I had no idea a vintage pair of binoculars would be this good, especially since I only paid about $200 for all their minty goodness. Are they as good as a modern high end binocular, no. Are they surprisingly delightful for their age, absolutely!
I spent a few hours comparing them to my Swarovski SLC 8x30WBs and was frankly shocked at how well they stood up to the more modern design and coatings. The Swarovski is definitely brighter with more color saturation as would be expected, but I can’t say that I found the old Zeiss lacking, the view is delightful. One is just as sharp as the other reading small text from a distance. I would have to say the the old Zeiss wins on perceived depth of field. The SLCs tend to flatten the image more (like a long telephoto). I also found it easier to acquire birds with the Zeiss which has a quicker focus (less than one turn lock to lock). The little Zeiss Porros also won on weight, my Swarovski weighted in at 20.2 oz vs. 17.8 oz for the Zeiss. This makes the little Zeiss my new choice for hiking. I had no idea a vintage pair of binoculars would be this good, especially since I only paid about $200 for all their minty goodness. Are they as good as a modern high end binocular, no. Are they surprisingly delightful for their age, absolutely!
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