Trying to decode Zeiss names £letter/star abbreviations (1 Viewer)

Trying to decode Zeiss Dialyt name/letter/star abbreviations

Having joined Birdforum earlier in the week I've been overwhelmed by everyone's helpfulness but also by the initials after certain binoculars. It's 7x42s I'm interested in & really only Zeiss. Years ago when I was little my mother let me use my Swedish grandfather's old Zeiss binoculars that he had travelled specially to Hamburg to buy before the war. I was ashamed to leave them out all winter after a year's careful use and to upset her when she saw the damage done. Ever since I have meant to buy a classic (not necessarily classic with a big C) pair of Zeiss to assuage my guilt, but I'm happy to buy something slightly more recent than grandfather's for birding!

Some terms I'm familiar with from photography, such as T* lens coating.

With the Dialyt I don't know if there are many different models or if some descriptions are just further shortened abbreviations. Names too; here are some examples:

Dialyt. Does the name give a clue to a glass/element format? (Like Sonnar, Planar, etc.)
BGAT/P. Is this the same as T*P /T*P*? (I read about the marketing aspect of the P/P*. What other letter combinations/versions are there of the Dialyt?
Classic. Just the shape of the pre-FL Dialyt or only one version of it?
What does BGA stand for? I'm guessing Binoculars Green Armoured, but could be completely wrong.

Which 7x42 Dialyt is best for what/how do they differ? How many optically different versions of this 7x42 Dialyt are there? Which is the most respected for being particularly good in any particular way? I know it's all about a trade-off between different features.

Really just trying to find out which version I might aim to source.

Tom

B - for spectacle wearers
GA - rubber armour
T* - lens coatings
P - roof prism coatings
P* - roof prism coatings (identical to P)

The abbreviations listed below are from my 2006 Zeiss "Carl Zeiss Riflescopes and Binoculars" catalog at pages 52 and 53 showing The ZEISS binocular range at a glance (Note that these are for Victory Series and Conquest Series Roof Prism binoculars only.)

For example I have a Zeiss Victory 7x42 T* FL with Lotutech water repelling coating. The Lotutech coating is identified by a curved line over the 42 on the identification of the binocular found on the bottom of the left objective tube next to the hinge.

T* = ZEISS multi-coating
FL = Fluoride glass
Ww = binocular with wide angle eye pieces
Nv = Night viewing

Hope this helps some.

Bob

PS: A good source of information is the Binoculars thread for Zeiss Binoculars on Allbinos website: The binoculars are listed chronologically from most recent to oldest. Scroll down till you find the Dialyts. Many of them have owners reviews.

https://www.allbinos.com/16-Carl_Zeiss-binoculars.html

"Dialyt. Does the name give a clue to a glass/element format? (Like Sonnar, Planar, etc.)"

This is a good question which Seeger answers in his blue book page 54. He explains that the term "Dialyt" was first used in an 1834 price list by a Viennese binocular and telescope manufacturer named Plössl to reference a two element objective lens.

Later in 1905 when Hensoldt introduced its line of Abbe-Konig roof prismed binoculars, they called them Dialyts and they continued to use this name for their A-K roof prismed models until 1963 when Zeiss took complete control of the company. Zeiss, then, continued to manufacture the Hensoldt A-K prismed 8x56 with some modifications under their own name but retained the name Dialyt. Also, numerous Schmidt-Pechan roof prismed Dialyt named models were introduced as well as an A-K prismed 7x42.

Thank you for the answers.

Thank you, all - very useful info especially where to find the listings of Zeiss binocular models and I should have guessed the B, GA etc abbreviations from my German!

Just to add I have been loaned for up to 14 days free of charge a demo pair of 8x42 Victory SFs and have already been bowled over by the ease of focus and brightness (apparent lightness too) but that isn't really relevant to this thread...

Tom

ceasar said:

PS: A good source of information is the Binoculars thread for Zeiss Binoculars on Allbinos website: The binoculars are listed chronologically from most recent to oldest. Scroll down till you find the Dialyts. Many of them have owners reviews.

https://www.allbinos.com/16-Carl_Zeiss-binoculars.html

Click to expand...

Hi Bob,

I found your link very handy. Leaning towards 8x32 FL and/or either a 7x42 FL or 7x42 Dialyt if I can source... Interesting how you find some great reviews and alongside some damning the product to hell! As always, try for yourself whenever possible...

Currently have got a pair of 8x42 SF on loan -- FOC for 14 days -- from my local camera/optics shop. Fantastic glass, very clear image and bright too with nice light and balanced handling, but they are large! Oh well, no hurry just yet on that model anyway. Thanks again.

Tom

Dialyte or Dialyt I think means separated.

Separated elements in objectives where the inner curves are not the same, and the air gap gives an extra degree of freedom, probably date from at least the 1820s.

I suppose a Fraunhofer objective made in the early 1820s was one type.

A Fraunhofer 105mm aperture f/16 objective that I had had a considerable air gap.

Dialyte telescopes started about the 1820s, I think.
Dialyte lenses later.

SeldomPerched said:

BGAT/P. Is this the same as T*P /T*P*? (I read about the marketing aspect of the P/P*. What other letter combinations/versions are there of the Dialyt?

Classic. Just the shape of the pre-FL Dialyt or only one version of it?
What does BGA stand for? I'm guessing Binoculars Green Armoured, but could be completely wrong.

Which 7x42 Dialyt is best for what/how do they differ? How many optically different versions of this 7x42 Dialyt are there? Which is the most respected for being particularly good in any particular way?

Click to expand...

A B/GAT (T without the asterisk) would have single-coated lenses, T* denoting multi-coating (superior anti-reflection performance; higher light transmission). There are still a fair number of these older Dialyts around and most would recommend the T* models, but others here have mentioned their enjoyment and satisfaction using Leitz and other classic binoculars from the era before multi-coating (and phase coating, which came later).

"ClassiC" was added to the Dialyt models late in their lifetime and if yours has ClassiC on the original box or manual it will be a late model with all the improvements. Of course most of the Dialyts had earned classic status long before - not only the 7x42 but also the 8x30 and 10x40.

Hensoldt, as mentioned by LPT above, made a 7x42 Dialyt pre their merger/acquisition by Zeiss. There can't be many of these around. The Zeiss 7x42s I think differ only in coatings, but I defer to those with greater knowledge of the company and its products.

The 8x42 SF you have on loan is a bit of a different kettle of fish, it's the manufacturer's current top tier model, with 20 years' worth of refinements (call it stacking BBs if you will). The 10x40 B/GAT*P* I have didn't seem as sharp, and definitely was not as bright as the equivalent Conquest HD I looked through at last year's Birdfair; I have to admit I could not perceive much, if any difference in brightness and sharpness between the Conquest HD and the SF, but the wider field of view of the latter was immediately apparent and very impressive.

Thanks, Binastro & Patudo.

I have just found out from my brother that he has a Dialyt 7x42 BGAT bought new back in the 90s. I have yet to find out if it's T or T* but at least I can try it out and know it's history. I doubt he will part with it though... it's been back to Zeiss a few years ago and been checked over, adjusted and returned working beautifully. Had a lot of use.

Tom