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Vintage Binoculars (1 Viewer)

Australia has about the third lowest 'total tax burden' in the OECD. You haven't really got much room to manoeuvre. There aren't many first world options if the tax here is too much of a burden for you. The US is one. Mexico.

I'm a bit weird - I love paying tax :D
No complaint from me about overall levels of taxation - rather the opposite: I'd be willing to pay more tax for more and better services (as, it would seem, are most Aussies when anyone bothers to ask). I'd be even more willing if some of our companies paid tax. And some of the panama-hatted rich, um, beggars who have been in the news of late.

My comment was about "banning" and about "taxing out of existence" as the equivalent of banning. For all we pretend otherwise, I think that here in Oz we're far too willing to yell "the gum'int orrta do somefin about it" and to demand that things we don't like get banned - for (other) people's own good, of course. (All the while insisting things we like are left thoroughly alone.)

Right now, here in Sydney, it's all the yells to ban the demon drink. Not where people like us drink, but where young people drink or poor people or aboriginal people or shift workers or anyone but me. (When the bars and restaurants are shuttered, of course the developers are waiting to leap on more yet more land to convert to residential high-rise then flog off to Chinese investors. Purely accidentally. While never, ever making an illegal political donation except through the properly configured laundry facility.)

...Mike
 
No complaint from me about overall levels of taxation - rather the opposite: I'd be willing to pay more tax for more and better services (as, it would seem, are most Aussies when anyone bothers to ask). I'd be even more willing if some of our companies paid tax. And some of the panama-hatted rich, um, beggars who have been in the news of late.

My comment was about "banning" and about "taxing out of existence" as the equivalent of banning. For all we pretend otherwise, I think that here in Oz we're far too willing to yell "the gum'int orrta do somefin about it" and to demand that things we don't like get banned - for (other) people's own good, of course. (All the while insisting things we like are left thoroughly alone.)

Right now, here in Sydney, it's all the yells to ban the demon drink. Not where people like us drink, but where young people drink or poor people or aboriginal people or shift workers or anyone but me. (When the bars and restaurants are shuttered, of course the developers are waiting to leap on more yet more land to convert to residential high-rise then flog off to Chinese investors. Purely accidentally. While never, ever making an illegal political donation except through the properly configured laundry facility.)

...Mike

I've never listened to the 'yells' you're complaining about, or any of the totally bizarre drinking nonsense. None of it bothers or effects me in the least. I just don't see the hideous grim picture you paint, and neither apparently do various leading global organisations who statistically analyse and rate our social progress...including corruption.

Don't forget, there will always be a few folk moaning and groaning about their front row seat in heaven.
 
Here the Australians typically carry 6 or 12 cans of beer from the local supermarket.
They never appear tipsy at all.
Very strange.

We did have 98% tax and the Swedes 105%, anyone who earned enough left.

I suppose they might bring back the luxury tax on high end binoculars. It used to be 45%.
 
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The war stories are interesting, and here is a poster that the USA used during WWII.

I also know some in the US donated binoculars to the war effort in Vietnam, and then
they were returned to them after the war.

Jerry
 

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I recently found a pair of Hoya porro prism binoculars at a car boot sale, I paid the princely sum of £7 for them after checking the collimation was correct. The objective lens is a bit dented and I fear there is a small amount of fungal growth on one lens. All of that aside I took a punt as I understand Hoya to be responsible for some good glass, and I hadn't seen any of their optics before - I wasn't disappointed! The image is bright and relatively sharp, but the best feature is the 3D view. The spacing of objects within the field of view is almost as they appear to the naked eye, quite remarkable really. The bins have solid eyecups so I have to use them without glasses, and for that reason I can only really find a use as a pair to sit on the bedroom window, or occasionally mounted on a tripod when scanning fields or looking at a feeder. The bins are 8x40, quoted fov of 499ft @ 1000yards seems optimistic though. I can post picks if these are of interest to anybody, for the money a lovely vintage pair for occasional use.
 
I recently found a pair of Hoya porro prism binoculars at a car boot sale, I paid the princely sum of £7 for them after checking the collimation was correct. The objective lens is a bit dented and I fear there is a small amount of fungal growth on one lens. All of that aside I took a punt as I understand Hoya to be responsible for some good glass, and I hadn't seen any of their optics before - I wasn't disappointed! The image is bright and relatively sharp, but the best feature is the 3D view. The spacing of objects within the field of view is almost as they appear to the naked eye, quite remarkable really. The bins have solid eyecups so I have to use them without glasses, and for that reason I can only really find a use as a pair to sit on the bedroom window, or occasionally mounted on a tripod when scanning fields or looking at a feeder. The bins are 8x40, quoted fov of 499ft @ 1000yards seems optimistic though. I can post picks if these are of interest to anybody, for the money a lovely vintage pair for occasional use.

Hi Daniel,
Nice find for £7, Hoya porro's are pretty good, I had an 8x30 pair. I gave them to a friend who was pleased with them, he still uses them. Amazing what you spot at boot fairs, but quite infrequent. My best was when I picked up an Optolyth rubber armoured porro binocular, it was dirty, the button saying what magnification it is was missing, but the lenses looked good, just dirty, As I was looking at it, the guy said £3 that mate. Well, you cant say no can you. It cleaned up lovely, the objective measured 50mm so I guessed it was 10x50. I couldn't say for sure, but I used it now and then, then someone offered to buy it for £35, I didn't need it really, so said yes, thanks.
 
The larger brother.
Hoya 10x50 EWA marked 7.5 deg. Actual 7.55deg. American style. Squared off exit pupils.1010g. Everything smooth mechanically. Binocular, case and strap almost as new. Under £20.
Not made by Hoya, Japanese made.
Lot of pincushion. Edge poor.
Binocular a pleasure to use. Eye relief good for EWA.
Performance better than 10x50 Jenoptem.
Very high resolution optics. Better than many modern so called high resolution binoculars.
Moon, the earthshine contrast less than modern well coated binocular.
Venus perfect crescent, very crisp, well resolved, modern binocular showed considerable flare.
Hand made to high standards.
 
Further re. 10x50 Hoya.
The objectives may be airspaced but I cannot see spacers. Maybe 4 coated surfaces.
Eyepieces yellow coated and uncoated surfaces.
Close focus 25ft for farsighted.
Prisms caged, uncoated.
Inside front on baffles JE17 in large figures.
Stippled black body one piece style.
Eye position a bit critical to avoid blackout.
Hard eyecups.
JB191 on body front.
Silver JTII sticker possibly 1976??
As new.

Why don't I use them. Even though fairly light for 10x50 a bit big for me generally. Prefer HR/5 8.5x44.
Coatings not up to modern standards. Squared exit pupils but still big.

Only thing missing maybe are eye caps.
 
Good eye relief and sensitive eye placement, good precision.
Sounds like some kind of 5-element EP...not your average set.
Especially given it's 75-deg apparent!
A good night pair.
 
Two brands are rapidly becoming my favorites: Scope and Tower.
I have trouble moving them on to the antique shop shelf.

I love the contrast and field quality on the Scopes.
The 7x50 / 414-ft "Overfield" cleaned up to amazing condition,
The 10x35 Model 2900s have been incredible on beach jaunts
(7 degrees at 10x, and very flat!). Incredible eyepiece.
The 7x35 Mark IVs and 3010 Customs are super-sharp.
The 3010s are technically better, but their eyecup is
hard to work, like some Swifts. The Mark-IVs are more straightforward.
The 10x50 Overfields are awesome as well. Good on hazy days and nights.

The Tower 7x50s, 7x35 Featherweights, and 10x50s are super solid
and have a very comfortable eye placment, though the field isn't
entirely as gleaming as the Scopes. Still, very rugged and comfortable.
There is a catch with early Towers (by Ofuna): the lithium grease
can turn to glue. Heated up, it loosens long before the balsam on
the lenses, but it's work digging and dissolving it off.
A pair of 7x50 Swift Commodores from "Occupied Japan" is in the
same family. That one took 2 hours to de-glue. Somebody replaced
the Lithium grease with more, maybe in the 70s.

There are individual models of all names I really like,
but those two are consistently great across models.
The Towers generally take more cleaning, mainly because
they are 2-3 decades older than most Scopes.
I have let some Swifts and B&Ls go for good money
but kept the Scopes and some Towers. They are built very well,
and they both have optics well better than average.
If they don't go for a premium, it's the world's loss and my gain.
 
Interesting points about the Towers and Scopes. I'll keep an eye out for them in my travels, pardon the pun.
Old grease is quite something, isn't it? It locks up, frees up slightly with a modest amount of heat, but generally locks up again when it cools down. Probably couldn't invent something like that if there was a use for it. ha ha
 
Additions to Vintage Binocular Collection

The following have been added to my collection since the last posting on
August 30, 2015:

1) Bushnell Custom 7X35
2) C.P. Goerz D.F. 03 Offizierglas 2nd Model 7X20
3) Indian Ordnance Factory Calcutta Bino Prism No. 2 Mk II 6X30
4) REL 7X50 (probably CGB 40MA) with BOP Filter Modification
5) REL Canada/Universal Camera Corp N.Y. Prismatic 2-S No. 2 Mk II 6X30 (Australian Army markings)
6) Ross, Binocular Prismatic No. 3 Mark II 6X24 (Australian Army markings)
7) Voigtländer Braunschweig Prismenglas 6X30
8) Carl Zeiss, Jena Binoctar 7X50
9) Carl Zeiss, Jena Feldstecher 6X18 (Australian Army markings)
10) Zeiss Jena Telact, 8X24 (WWI Canadian markings)

I would appreciate any comments, further information or corrections the members of this forum could provide about these binoculars and my descriptions of them.

Once again, thanks to members of this and other forums who have provided new information about the binoculars in the collection.

The new binoculars can be viewed at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/binocwpg/albums/72157678035469381

The entire collection including additions can be viewed at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/binocwpg/albums/72157623234405689

Happy Collecting - Frank Lagorio
Winnipeg, Manitoba
 
Thanks Frank, i'm quite taken with the prism set up on the Voigtländer Braunschweig Prismenglas 6X30, looks much easier to clean and replace than most.
 
Hi Wayne,

Welcome to BF :t:

The manufacturers are indicated by the J-B and J-E numbers. 26 is Futaba Kogaku LTD. 45 is Tamron, who still is in business today making binoculars for other companies. As indicated by the J-E45 for Tamron it means that they were the source of the body. J-B indicates the assembler.

As you search places like eBay for specimens just be prepared to find most people know nothing about the binocular they are selling. Good photos are often times accidental. Be prepared to ask the seller appropriate questions.

I have a few old Swifts, but none of which you have. There is a Swift sub forum here that packs a lot of information about the old Swifts.

Many of those old Vintage types can indeed hold their own even today. When we consider some of them are 50 or more years old, What was done with them then was more outstanding than we knew.
 
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Additions to Vintage Binocular Collection

The following have been added to my collection since the last posting on
January 31, 2017:

1) Barton Linnard Ltd., Folding Minim 5.5x16
2) Bausch & Lomb Optical Co., Zeiss Stereo Field Glass 8x20
3) Fujii Brothers, Koishikawa (Tokyo) Arsenal marked 6x24
4) C.P. Goerz, Berlin, D.F. 99 7x20
5) Hensoldt, Wetzlar, Pentaprisma-Binocle-Feldstecher 7x22.5
6) Huet, Paris, Mirapan 200 8X30
7) E. Krauss & Cie., Paris, Stéréo-Jumelle Zeiss, Modèle De L'Armée 8x20
8) Lemaire, Stereo Changeable 6, 8, and 10x 25
9) Ross, London, 1st Series Prism Binocular (Barton’s Patent) 10x20
10) Ross, London, Binocular Prismatic Power = 8, Binocular Prismatic Mk. I/No. 1 8x19
11) Carl Zeiss, Jena, D.F. 6x 6x18

I would appreciate any comments, further information or corrections the members of this forum could provide about these binoculars and my descriptions of them.

Once again, thanks to members of this and other forums who have provided new information about the binoculars in the collection.

The new binoculars can be viewed at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/binocwpg/albums/72157667204399478

The entire collection including additions can be viewed at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/binocwpg/sets/72157623234405689/detail/

Happy Collecting - Frank Lagorio
Winnipeg, Manitoba
 
Frank:

Thanks for posting, you have lots of skill in repair and cleaning it appears.

I love the patina on the oldies. Keep up the good work.

Jerry
 
Cartier Binoculars

Hello, have been searching the net and have come up with not a lot. I have found this page, with some good stuff on here so I am hoping that someone can help.

I have a pair of binoculars, old I think. Not really looking for a value unless it is obscene high 3:)

On the left side it is marked "Cartier Paris" The right side is marked "8x30 Ranger"

The front has Made in France

Now I am not 100% sure if it says Cartier or Gartier some well placed scratches is really in the way.

Guess any info would be appreciated. Is it from THE Cartier? Were they made by some one else for them? When were they made?

Pictures, yes working on it ASAP, need to get the size smaller to upload, I phone 8 takes great pictures, to good!!

Thanks
 

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Hi ffpmme and welcome.

This seems like a regular 8x30, but in a bit of a state.
Screw missing, also paint and eyecups missing, and well used.
It may be that the eyecups were removed to enable use with glasses.

I have seen Ranger before but there may be several different makes of Ranger, and I can't see Ranger on the photos.

If it says Cartier it could be made for the store or just a name picked out of a hat.

The binocular seems uncoated, if so perhaps 1930s.

It says Made in France so probably is, but everyone made similar binoculars.

I doubt that it would fetch £20 unless really cleaned up.

But if the binocular is aligned and free of fungus just use it.
 
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