• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Nickel Supra 8x Binoculars any good? (1 Viewer)

S

slingworks

Well-known member
I am contemplating a purchase of a pair of Nickel Supra 8x42 Binoculars. What is the overall opinion on these? good glass?

I presently have 2 pairs of IOR's (8x30 and 7x40) '98 and '03 mfg...How would the Nickels compare optically?
(I realize IOR's are IF and Nickels are CF).

I am not able to handle the Nickels prior to purchase. Condition does appear to be excellent...
 
Last edited:
Welcome to the forum.

Nickel appear to be a German rifle scope company which currently doesn't list any binoculars. I've never seen any reference to the brand here on the forum and, as they only sell direct, I wouldn't be surprised if no one here as seen them. I hope I'm wrong.

Good luck,

David
 
I don't know if this is the Nicole binocular or something similar, which was the Charles Frank brand-name. They imported several different Japanese, mainly, binoculars including the micro binoculars in silver and black. This was starting in the 1960s I think.
The head office was in Glasgow and Arthur Frank had a phenomenal collection of optics, which was sold by auction, I think, eventually when he moved to Jersey.

The only other Supra I know is a motorcar.

P. S.
Sorry, I made a mistake.
The Charles Frank binocular trade name was Nipole.
My faulty memory.

However, I do recall seeing optics called Supra somewhere.
 
Last edited:
The only Nickel Supra I am aware of, is the 15-60 x60 draw tube telescope, which was a popular choice for birdwatchers in the 1970s (which I still have).
I am not aware of any Nickel Supra binoculars, but it is not unknown for cheap binocular manufacturers to use famous names from the past. Barr and Stroud were a famous British manufacturer and have reappeared as a brand some 40 years later, I think made in China.
 
Robert how would you rate the glass quality in your draw tube scope?

These binoculars I am asking about are marked B Nickel Marburg made in Germany. I am guessing 60's vintage.
 
slingworks said:
Robert how would you rate the glass quality in your draw tube scope?

These binoculars I am asking about are marked B Nickel Marburg made in Germany. I am guessing 60's vintage.
Click to expand...

Good at the time,but not to modern standards. The choice of scopes in the mid 70s was quite limited in the UK.
Should add that in the 60s close focussing distance can be very long by modern standards, my Barr and Stroud 8x30s of that vintage manage 20 feet approx.
 
Last edited:
. Thanks for the photographs.
The binocular seems to be in very good condition, but the margin on the leather on the front of one of the barrels seems to be in the wrong place as it has been rotated 180°.
It is possible the optics are uncoated

I can't say much more, but it seems to be an average quality binocular.
 
Binastro said:
. Thanks for the photographs.
The binocular seems to be in very good condition, but the margin on the leather on the front of one of the barrels seems to be in the wrong place as it has been rotated 180°.
It is possible the optics are uncoated

I can't say much more, but it seems to be an average quality binocular.
Click to expand...

Do you think it is possible that the barrel was unscrewed and then put back on again?

I remember looking through a Pentax 16x50 that a friend owned. He said it wasn't working properly since he loaned it to his brother. I looked through it and everything was screwed up. It turned out that his brother had unscrewed the optical tubes from the prism housing and reversed them when he put them back together.

I would want to look through this particular binocular to check its collimation before purchasing it.

Bob
 
Warning! This thread is more than 9 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

D
Shopping for new binoculars
2
Replies
22
Views
2K
Gijs van Ginkel
G
B
Which monocular as a substitute for binoculars...?
2 3
Replies
41
Views
2K
wm.wragg
W
D
New binoculars under 200€
2
Replies
32
Views
3K
Davide_Videvitt
D
J
What binoculars are as good as Nikon Superior E?
2 3
Replies
46
Views
4K
Jaywalk
J
hopster
Blackouts looking at edge of FOV with Noctivid 8x
2
Replies
33
Views
2K
Bentley03
B

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top