How to tell LX from LXL from serial # (1 Viewer)

Hi,
I'm looking for an older Nikon LX in 10x32, not the LXL. Found one or two where the box says one thing but the bins are supposedly the newer version. Anyone happen to know the serial numbers that will differentiate for me?
Thanks

Nikon had a confusing set up in those days.

I have the 10x32 LX L and 8x32 LX L. The boxes they came in say 10x32 HG L DCF and 8x32 HG L DCF.

On the right prism cover of the binoculars they say 10x32 6.5ºL and 8x32 7.8ºL.

I think, but I am not sure, that the "L" means they are the lightweight series. I purchased both of them new as LX Ls.

The SN of my 10x32 LX L is 70117X. We do know that the 700 series was for the 10x binoculars. (It still is for the new 10x32 EDG series. I have one of those too.)

Nikon always kept the HG or HG L designation on all the boxes that the HG/HG L and LX/LX L binoculars came in. The "L" designation meant "Lightweight." I never had my hands on the earlier LX versions to see how much heavier they were. They were also supposed to use Lead Glass in their optics which I think Nikon abandoned around 2004.

Hope this helps some.

Bob

PS: I made an error with the SN I gave for the 10x32 EDG above. It does not begin with 700xxx like the 10x32 LX L Binoculars do. The 10x32 EDG serial numbers begin with 900xxx.

Awesome. Thanks for the input.
I do know HG was sold over in England/Europe and LX was for North America. Why? Your guess is as good as mine. So I suppose my pertinent question is whether the "700" was applied as serial numbers before the "L" lighter version came out. I have the 8x32 in HG/LX and love it still.
Not many 10x32 options with good eye relief. Zeiss Victory and Swarovision seem doable but are price prohibitive.
The one in particular LX 10x32 that has my interest is on eBay with no logo to designate. (10x32 L) on the bin but the box doesn't say L. And according to an older post by Brock the armor coloring is chocolate brown on newer versions but then one pic but looks brown and another blackish representing older ones.
Very confusing...

I just checked those listed on the auction site. The first one
from a seller in NY, is an older LX, and you can tell by the badge
on the front armor. An LXL will have a L near the number with the
fov listed. The LX doesn't
That one looks nice, I also found one without badges, you can't
tell what it is, I would pass on that one.

I had a 10x32 LXL some years back, nice optics, but the focus speed
was too fast for me.

Good luck. I have a 8x42 LX, and I like it very much. Very good color
saturation, it gives me a wow every time I use it.

Jerry

Yippeekiay said:

Awesome. Thanks for the input.
I do know HG was sold over in England/Europe and LX was for North America. Why? Your guess is as good as mine. So I suppose my pertinent question is whether the "700" was applied as serial numbers before the "L" lighter version came out. I have the 8x32 in HG/LX and love it still.
Not many 10x32 options with good eye relief. Zeiss Victory and Swarovision seem doable but are price prohibitive.
The one in particular LX 10x32 that has my interest is on eBay with no logo to designate. (10x32 L) on the bin but the box doesn't say L. And according to an older post by Brock the armor coloring is chocolate brown on newer versions but then one pic but looks brown and another blackish representing older ones.
Very confusing...

Click to expand...

Note my Post Script to my comment about the serial numbers of the 10x32 EDGs in Post #2 above. The SNs do not begin with 7xxxxx like the serial numbers of the 10x32 LX L. Instead, the 10x32 EDGs have SNs beginning with #9xxxxx.

I hope that this doesn't make things more confusing.

But I would also like to point out that my 8x32 LX L has a SN that begins 2xxxxx so if your 8x32 LX has a SN that begins with 2xxxxx, it is a good bet that a 10x32 LX will also begin with 7xxxxx like my 10x32 LX L does.

Bob

Sure enough. My 8x32 LX serial is a 201xxx.
I think a part of my confusion was that my 8x's are also missing the badge over the prisms. I suppose as long as the L after the fov is consistent, and the badge is actually present, there's no problem in deciphering .
Thanks so much!!