Vintage and Classic Binoculars (6 Viewers)

[Bencw]

I use a pair of Swift eyecups as applied on post-1985 Audubon 804 (HR/5) and other models of Hiyoshi's design. They simply slide over the Leitz' cups, fit snugly and can be adjusted in height. If you're satisfied a few drops of glue will keep them in place 'till the end of time. see pics.

Renze

Hi Renze,

Many thanks for your suggestion, I will still search for a replacement cup, as one is broken badly, but I will also try that, as they look in your photo as though they are far more comfortable to use. In fact that has given me a few ideas, for other vintage binoculars I have, in particular a hartmann 7x35 polerim which I use quite a lot, it is a comfortable wide angle binocular, but your idea may improve it further. Hartmann are somewhat underrated, in my opinion, they made great optics comparable to zeiss at the time.

 

[Hermann]

Hartmann are somewhat underrated, in my opinion, they made great optics comparable to zeiss at the time.

I'd go further than that - the Hartmann binoculars were better than *any* of the Zeiss roofs at the time, especially those of the Bernina series. Better coatings, better resolution, better everything. The Zeiss roofs only began catching up after the introduction of T* coatings and P-coatings.

Hermann

 

[Bencw]

I'd go further than that - the Hartmann binoculars were better than *any* of the Zeiss roofs at the time, especially those of the Bernina series. Better coatings, better resolution, better everything. The Zeiss roofs only began catching up after the introduction of T* coatings and P-coatings.

Hermann

Hermann,
Would have to agree, my 7x35 Polerim is great to use. I also have a 6x30 Polerim, and have read about the Bernina series and the Compact series, I keep a look out for both but they very rarely become available. I missed a Compact series on ebay last year, and its the only one from that series I have seen for sale, and I have never yet seen a Bernina series Binocular offered for sale.

 

[Pinewood]

Hi all,

First problem is replacing the damaged eye cups, ( any idea's welcome?) I really hope I dont have to mess with the prisms, I heard they are a devil to get back in these.

Hello Bencw,

From time to time, on that electronic auction site, I see ads for replacement cups for Leitz 7x50 military binoculars, from someone in England. Those cups fit the Binuxit and Mardocit binoculars, as well. I recall that he wanted about $22 for a pair. See:

his ebay ad

Happy collecting,
Arthur Pinewood :scribe:

 

[Jane Turner]

in early june jane turner had mentioned in the bird forum a pair of WW11 KRIESGMARINE
7x50 binoculars that were up for sale in her local auction carl zeiss jena early coated optics circa 1939 for coastal artillery would have liked to have seen how they performed
in the field for one or two days.

They were good, but not a patch on the two pairs Hensoldt 10x40 Dialyts I picked up . If my Leicas ever die, they are good enough for me to use.

 

[Renze de Vries]

I will still search for a replacement cup, as one is broken badly, but I will also try that, as they look in your photo as though they are far more comfortable to use.

Right, that's why I use the Swift cups on the Binuxit and other older porro's with too hard and too small diameter eyecups. If you deal with those vintage binoculars a few pairs of Swift eyecups come in handy because for some reason they have the perfect size. In your case they slide over the eyecup, in other instances (for example Nikon E2 and SE) they fit inside the eyecup perfectly.

Renze

 

[Bencw]

Hello Bencw,

From time to time, on that electronic auction site, I see ads for replacement cups for Leitz 7x50 military binoculars, from someone in England. Those cups fit the Binuxit and Mardocit binoculars, as well. I recall that he wanted about $22 for a pair. See:

his ebay ad

Happy collecting,
Arthur Pinewood :scribe:

Thanks Arthur,
I found the gentleman on that site, odd that he is in UK but posts onto US the auction site, anyway, he has the binuxit cups, around £14 a pair, useful to know that he also makes eye cups for many binocular makes.

 

[Bencw]

Have finally loaded my photos to FLKR. Posting here under vintage as many are, Zeiss, Hartmann etc, but there are modern binoculars too.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/95019762@N07/with/9321638245/

 

[james holdsworth]

Have finally loaded my photos to FLKR. Posting here under vintage as many are, Zeiss, Hartmann etc, but there are modern binoculars too.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/95019762@N07/with/9321638245/

Ben,

Your beautiful 8x30 Oberkochen is likely older than what you suggest, as I have a wide angle version, serial number 935XXX that Gary of Zeiss dated as 1972.

Does your Zeiss have ''made in Germany'' or ''made in West Germany'' on the hinge? I believe latest examples have ''West Germany'' here.

 

[Bencw]

Ben,

Your beautiful 8x30 Oberkochen is likely older than what you suggest, as I have a wide angle version, serial number 935XXX that Gary of Zeiss dated as 1972.

Does your Zeiss have ''made in Germany'' or ''made in West Germany'' on the hinge? I believe latest examples have ''West Germany'' here.

Hi James,

Many thanks, you are correct, it has just made in Germany, so probably older, and I believe therefore not as wide FOV as the more recent ones?.

Ben

 

[Pinewood]

Have finally loaded my photos to FLKR. Posting here under vintage as many are, Zeiss, Hartmann etc, but there are modern binoculars too.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/95019762@N07/with/9321638245/

Hello Ben,

How old is the Binuxit? I have a coated example, whose Canadian Balsam has yellowed giving the view a warm tone. For some reason, this was a problem in German binoculars made around 1950.

Happy collecting,
Arthur Pinewood :hi:

 

[Bencw]

Hello Ben,

How old is the Binuxit? I have a coated example, whose Canadian Balsam has yellowed giving the view a warm tone. For some reason, this was a problem in German binoculars made around 1950.

Happy collecting,
Arthur Pinewood :hi:

Hi Arthur,
well my guess, judging by the number 525---, and having looked at other ones on links from here, is that it is early to mid 1950s. The objectives look to have a blueish tint and it does I think have a slightly warm tone, but it is difficult to say for sure as the objectives and the optics are pretty dirty, so the view is sort of dark. I have not cleaned them yet, as I am in the middle of finishing of another jenoptem restoration, and I want to get a clean start on the Binuxit and take my time with it without other distractions. I will update when its finished. The center focus is smooth and only needs an extremely light touch to move it, I have never known any vintage porro with such sensitive focusing.
Ben

 

[Pinewood]

Hi Arthur,
well my guess, judging by the number 525---, and having looked at other ones on links from here, is that it is early to mid 1950s. The objectives look to have a blueish tint and it does I think have a slightly warm tone, but it is difficult to say for sure as the objectives and the optics are pretty dirty, so the view is sort of dark. I have not cleaned them yet, as I am in the middle of finishing of another jenoptem restoration, and I want to get a clean start on the Binuxit and take my time with it without other distractions. I will update when its finished. The center focus is smooth and only needs an extremely light touch to move it, I have never known any vintage porro with such sensitive focusing.
Ben

Hello Ben,

1952 is my guess. My Binuxit is a year earlier. I have another Binuxit from a bout a year after yours was made and it is clear. When clean and collimated, it is an excellent binocular for those who do need spectacles.

Happy collecting,
Arthur :scribe:

 

[Binastro]

. The German balsam was also a problem in 1950s camera lenses.
Not only is there yellowing but also the balsam sometimes fails in between the glass elements and they just become partly contact doublets.

The Bessa T interchangeable lens camera I have has unfortunately balsam faults in all three or four lenses. this is quite common I think.

 

[Bencw]

Leather repair to Jenoptem

Tried this quick and cheap way to repair a hole in the leather covering on this Jenoptem and it worked out quite well. First I cleaned up the hole in the leather, then filled it with a good helping of glue, I used araldite, but I guess most are ok, I personally avoided super glue as you don't get second chances with that, but I suppose it might be ok if your careful. However, safer to use something that takes longer to set I think. I had earlier ground up a bottle cork into small particles like cork dust, I just piled this into the glue filled hole making sure to press firmly in, and leaving it proud to set. Next day I brushed off the excess and then gave the patch a good bit of black paint. I left this a day to dry hard then carefully used a fine paper to sand down to the level of the original covering, then repainted the repair patch again with satin black, and a polish with a bit of furniture wax when dry and finished. Not perfection, but looks fine and easier and cheaper than recovering the whole thing.

 

[NDhunter]

Great job, and thanks for posting. You should think about going into
the refurbishing business.

Jerry

 

[Bencw]

Many thanks Jerry.

 

[Simon S]

Bencw, it might be worth a professional clean because if they are coated and undamaged the a far superior to a Jenoptem!
As for the seller of the eye cups, I have used them on some Leitz binoculars on my site, they are indistinguishable from the original part (when new).

 

[Bencw]

Bencw, it might be worth a professional clean because if they are coated and undamaged the a far superior to a Jenoptem!
As for the seller of the eye cups, I have used them on some Leitz binoculars on my site, they are indistinguishable from the original part (when new).

Thanks Simon, I will give it some thought, I have restored some Jenoptems, but parts from spares or repair are often available, that's not so easy with a Binuxit.
I have already taken off the objective caps and carefully cleaned some debris from around the edges, it now appears to me that there may be some slight deterioration or separation on the very edges of the objective lens, I can see what I can best describe as looking like some slight fraying in a couple of places, right at the very edges of the objectives, does this sound to you like the balsam is deteriorated?

Ben

 

[Simon S]

It does sound like it might be. But thats not the end of the world. Just check the screw that locks the collimation rings is tight as this also holds the elements together.