Special Close Focus Nikon 8x30 E - for 1.5 m to 6 m! (1 Viewer)

John A Roberts

Well-known member

• Feb 21, 2019

• #1

Special Close Focus 8x30 E - for 1.5 m to 6 m!

I came across this while doing some research on Nikon’s Porro prism binoculars
It’s from a Japanese sales site: https://item.mercari.com/jp/m300442...bR7sKpEWz8pXHoWHi6WxqpoA-NFnDYRXpPju1K6tFt1NW

It appears to be a standard multicoated 8x30 E (serial number #440,358), modified for specialised close range use
The text suggests it’s for industrial use, to read glass covered instrument dials

Besides modification for closer focus, there would also need to be alteration to the collimation to align the two images at such close range

The additional markings on the left hand prism plate are clearly professionally done (so by Nikon, as opposed to an after sale conversion?)

I couldn’t find any other references to such a model
Perhaps some Nikonista has more information?

John

 

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Last edited: Feb 21, 2019

dries1

Member

• Feb 21, 2019

• #2

Thanks John for sharing this. I have a few E series models. It looks like it sold for less than 2 hundred, about the going price for an E 8X30 in decent shape, and I have never seen that on an E series glass before. It is interesting.

Andy W.

 

PeterPS

Well-Known Member

• Feb 21, 2019

• #3

John:

Interesting find, thanks for sharing. This pair might be a desirable item for a Nikon collector (I hope Simon Spiers reads your post). The eyecups are somehwat special, anyway they're different from those of standard E binos---btw, it seems that there are some markings (Nikon?) on the eye lenses, which would be strange.

Peter

 

B

Binastro

Well-known member

• Feb 21, 2019

• #4

In the nuclear industry there are thick windows where remote viewing is necessary.
The windows become brown and have to be exposed to strong ultraviolet to reverse the process.
If I saw this binocular, I'd monitor it carefully, in case of the small possibility it was used for this purpose.

It was probably used for other remote viewing applications.

 

J

jring

Well-known member

• Feb 26, 2019

• #5

Binastro said:

In the nuclear industry there are thick windows where remote viewing is necessary.
The windows become brown and have to be exposed to strong ultraviolet to reverse the process.
If I saw this binocular, I'd monitor it carefully, in case of the small possibility it was used for this purpose.

It was probably used for other remote viewing applications.

Click to expand...

Hi,
speaking of which, Zeiss 20x60 stabilized bins were routinely used in west german nuclear power plants for inspection work... nowadays the power plants get switched off and built back - not sure where the bins ended up...

So bring a doubler, a resolution chart and a geiger counter for buying used optics?

Joachim

 

dries1

Member

• Feb 26, 2019

• #6

The eye cups on those appear to me the same as standard E series with the inner fitting ocular covers with the Nikon logo.

Andy W.

 

H

henry link

Well-known member

• Feb 26, 2019

• #7

Andy,

I think everything is probably standard except for the length of the objective lens barrel, which only needs to be about 5mm longer than normal.

 

dries1

Member

• Feb 26, 2019

• #8

Thanks Henry for that, I still use the E series 8X30 a nice glass even today.

Andy W.

 

G

GlenPaling

New member

• Apr 7, 2021

• #9

henry link said:

Andy,

I think everything is probably standard except for the length of the objective lens barrel, which only needs to be about 5mm longer than normal.

Click to expand...

Indeed, John missed the most telling photo from the Japanese site...the objective looks extended about 5mm to me. Surely they'll have to be realigned to the severe stereo convergence. Looks like fun, I have an extra pair of 8x30 E (C)'s to play with...I like butterflies

 

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brocknroller

porromaniac

• Apr 8, 2021

• #10

Binastro said:

In the nuclear industry there are thick windows where remote viewing is necessary.
The windows become brown and have to be exposed to strong ultraviolet to reverse the process.
If I saw this binocular, I'd monitor it carefully, in case of the small possibility it was used for this purpose.

It was probably used for other remote viewing applications.

Click to expand...

They should have added... Geiger counter sold separately. Here's the cheapest.

3B Scientific Geiger-Müller Counter Tube Radiation Detector: Science Lab Geiger Counters: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

3B Scientific Geiger-Müller Counter Tube Radiation Detector: Science Lab Geiger Counters: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

www.amazon.com