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Greenkat 8x40 vs 8x30 (1 Viewer)

earleybird

earleybird

Well-known member
I have been looking out for a pair of 60's vintage 8x40 GreenKat bins for some time now to go with the 8x30's that I have.

I inherited the 8x30's from an old lady who died back in 1980's and they were well used then ! I've carried them with me everywhere for 30 years and wouldn't part with them (mashochist)

I wondered if any of you had a pair of vintage Greenkat 8x40 and could give me an appraisal/review ? A comparison between the 8x30 and 8x40 would be very welcome for example are they based on the same sized case ? Is there much of an improvement in light gathering power when used for birding at 20-100ft
 
earleybird said:
I have been looking out for a pair of 60's vintage 8x40 GreenKat bins for some time now to go with the 8x30's that I have.

I inherited the 8x30's from an old lady who died back in 1980's and they were well used then ! I've carried them with me everywhere for 30 years and wouldn't part with them (mashochist)

I wondered if any of you had a pair of vintage Greenkat 8x40 and could give me an appraisal/review ? A comparison between the 8x30 and 8x40 would be very welcome for example are they based on the same sized case ? Is there much of an improvement in light gathering power when used for birding at 20-100ft
Click to expand...

Welcome to Bird Forum Earlybird! :hi:

There is a comment here about a couple of them from about 2 years ago by a collector of binoculars.

http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=2372163&postcount=38

And here is another one:

http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=2876244&postcount=154

And here is a comment on the 8x40:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/binoculars/4101667922/

Bob
 
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earleybird said:
I have been looking out for a pair of 60's vintage 8x40 GreenKat bins for some time now to go with the 8x30's that I have.

I inherited the 8x30's from an old lady who died back in 1980's and they were well used then ! I've carried them with me everywhere for 30 years and wouldn't part with them (mashochist)

I wondered if any of you had a pair of vintage Greenkat 8x40 and could give me an appraisal/review ? A comparison between the 8x30 and 8x40 would be very welcome for example are they based on the same sized case ? Is there much of an improvement in light gathering power when used for birding at 20-100ft
Click to expand...

Welcome earlybird, from a fellow brit, well I have a nice rubber armored greenkat 8x30, I decided to keep it in my collection, 446ft@1000yds, fully coated, and found it very much better to use than the 8x40 which quite some time ago I decided I did not want to keep, speaking from memory, but I don't think the 8x40 image was very bright. Does it have to be Greenkat?
There are some very good vintage Japanese made binoculars that often come up for sale from that era, the Swift Saratoga is one of the better 8x40s from that era, that can often be found for a moderate price.

www.flickr.com/photos/95019762@N07/with/15511974876

Best wishes,
Ben
 
ceasar said:
Welcome to Bird Forum Earlybird! :hi:



And here is a comment on the 8x40:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/binoculars/4101667922/

Bob
Click to expand...

thank you Bob :t:
The first two links are for the modern versions but the last link is an image of the exact vintage bins I seek .

I think it is either misplaced brand loyalty or a romantic notion but I would like to have a pair of 8x40 to match the vintage 8x30's I have. Silly really as I know that there are hundreds of much better bins out there ;)

I have tried quite a few modern bins but because of my prominant nose bridge I find that most of them are not as comfortable for me to use my old Greenkat porros.

I use the Greenkats rarely truth be known and they are adequate for my needs . If I were more serious about bird watching I would have to invest in a better pair for sure
John
 

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Bencw said:
Welcome earlybird, from a fellow brit, well I have a nice rubber armored greenkat 8x30, I decided to keep it in my collection, 446ft@1000yds, fully coated, and found it very much better to use than the 8x40 which quite some time ago I decided I did not want to keep, speaking from memory, but I don't think the 8x40 image was very bright. Does it have to be Greenkat?
There are some very good vintage Japanese made binoculars that often come up for sale from that era, the Swift Saratoga is one of the better 8x40s from that era, that can often be found for a moderate price.

www.flickr.com/photos/95019762@N07/with/15511974876

Best wishes,
Ben
Click to expand...

Hi Ben
the rubber armoured bins sound like an excellent idea and 446ft at 1000yds sounds like they are wide angle too ?

I think I want the 8x40 GreenKats more as a a collection piece more than anything although I was curious to know if they were better than the 8x30's in light gathering power.

The old GreenKats I have have been stripped many times over the years and it is a wonder that the prism alignment is still ok to be honest.

I quite like the idea of having some really powerful bins for use at estuarys and reservoirs but they would probably be a pain to carry round when walking with my camera . I hadn't realised until yesterday that you can buy observation bins of 25x60 and higher wow !

Talking of Japanese bins I spotted some rather nice vintage Ashai Pentax 8x30 which were tempting.

John
 
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Hi John,

Yes, the Greenkat I have has a nice wide angle view. If I spot an 8x40 GreenKat anywhere I will give you a heads up.

Best wishes.
Ben
 
Thanks Ben thats great. I saw one for sale on ebay a while back and missed the bidding. It went for about £16 if I remember right.


John
 
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