Yesterday, when responding to another thread, I made a passing reference to my 50 year old 8 x 30 porro prisms which I still own and which I acquired, I would guess, some time between 1969 - 1971. I was asked whether I could identify them but cannot.
For those who may be interested, however, I attach three photos and invite you to figure out their provenance. They would have been purchased in what was then West Germany and the only other clues I have are two barely legible markings on the left and right "plates" (I don't know the technical term) which connect each lens body to the front of the central hinge. The left front marking reads "B110" and the front right marking "E15". Both markings are preceded with a hieroglyph that looks something like this: J-.
I've just out of curiosity compared them to my modern Opticron "Adventurer T WP" 6 x.5 x 32 porro prisms which taking account of inflation probably cost roughly as much as the 8 x 30s. Unsurprisingly the Opticrons offer a much brighter and more vivid view but the 8 x 30s are still perfectly usable, although with their minimal eye relief only get used these days for the occasional glance out of an upstairs window at the rabbits and chickens in the field to the rear of my house.
For those who may be interested, however, I attach three photos and invite you to figure out their provenance. They would have been purchased in what was then West Germany and the only other clues I have are two barely legible markings on the left and right "plates" (I don't know the technical term) which connect each lens body to the front of the central hinge. The left front marking reads "B110" and the front right marking "E15". Both markings are preceded with a hieroglyph that looks something like this: J-.
I've just out of curiosity compared them to my modern Opticron "Adventurer T WP" 6 x.5 x 32 porro prisms which taking account of inflation probably cost roughly as much as the 8 x 30s. Unsurprisingly the Opticrons offer a much brighter and more vivid view but the 8 x 30s are still perfectly usable, although with their minimal eye relief only get used these days for the occasional glance out of an upstairs window at the rabbits and chickens in the field to the rear of my house.