Old B & L binoculars (1 Viewer)

Hi,

A couple of months ago I was out on a birding trip and noticed a birder using what looked like an old (late '70's- early '80's?) pair of binoculars. Here's what I remember about them:

-They were not rubber-armored

-Had what looked like 40-42 mm objectives. I don't know the mag.

-Focusing knob was on the "wrong" end, like in the Swarovski 8x30 SLC

-I'm sure they were B&L

He didn't look very friendly so I didn't ask him about his binos. I've tried searching the 'net for these binoculars, but to no avail. Anyone has any idea what they could be?

TIA,

ensis

I don't recall any old B&L's with the focusing knob at the front of the hinge. Zeiss/West 8X50 and 10X50 porro's were done like that. They might look small enough to be confused with 40mm bins because the objective barrels are short. A few others like that I recall seeing were some old Barr&Stroud 8x30's and Kern 8x30, 6x40 and 7x50.

henry link said:

I don't recall any old B&L's with the focusing knob at the front of the hinge. Zeiss/West 8X50 and 10X50 porro's were done like that. They might look small enough to be confused with 40mm bins because the objective barrels are short. A few others like that I recall seeing were some old Barr&Stroud 8x30's and Kern 8x30, 6x40 and 7x50.

Click to expand...

The B & L Elites and immediate predecessor were non phase coated roofs with the focusing knob at the objective end, and offered in both armored and non-armored (what B & L termed "gutta percha" versions). The 3 confirgurations I remember were 7 x 36, 8 x 42 and 10 x 42. Very well made (in Japan) glasses with good for their day images. The end of this model run were phase coated (and much improved) until replaced by the waterproof versions with the focusing knob at the ocular end of the hinge.