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What year of manufacture?. (1 Viewer)

S

Stumbler

Member
Hi there, Looking at a pair of Trinovid 8x20 with a green body and # 1465609 on them; are they a more recent pair regards coatings etc?, hopeing someone might know what age they are....or where I may find out. Thanking you.
 
Hi,
This question has come up here before, but has never been answered, except with the advice to ask Leica. Kind of a useless response I know, but don't hold your breath waiting if you need to make a purchase decision.
Ron
 
OK, your advice ronh was far from useless, they were sitting on an online auction site waiting for someone else to grab them from under my nose!; they're mine now!.
I know they aren't as good as the ultra etc, but they are a cheaper entry at this stage to compliment my 7x42 ultravids which sometimes don't come with me because of size/weight.
Thanks also garymh, had emailed Leica customer service but no reply, hope they don't get back and say they are late '80s or something!. Won't matter, keep them for a year or two and move on for a few bucks less.
Always have "Leica" on my saved search thingy on the auction site....which can result in an expensive addiction!.

Cheers all.....Stumbler
 
Stumbler,
I believe the first year of the "Leica" Trinovid was 2000. My Trinovid BA is SN 111..... which seems like it must be quite a lot older than yours. Don't worry, you are safely "post disco".
Ron
 
Hi Ron, I think the first Leica Trinovids were about 1989/1990. I got my 10x42BA in 1990, s/n 100xxxx and my 8x32BA in 1993, s/n102xxxx. My Leica Trinovid s/n134xxxx I got used, but it is definitely the later, phase corrected, model
Cheers, John
 
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It may interest a few people...........serial numbers for the full size (i.e. 32,42 and 50) Trinovid BA models:

1989 997501
1990 1005501
1991 1014501
1992 1017101
1993 1036001
1994 1041501
1995 1049201
1996 1056001
1997 1079801

This list shows the first serial number for each year.
 
There also were Leitz Trinovid BA's (as distinguished from Leica) in 1989 and prior, with the Uppendahl Roof Prisms. Mine have SN 942xxx.
Bob
 
AFAIK both BA and BN models were phase coated.

I have a pair of 10x32BN trinovids with a serial number starting 114xxxx, which from what I can gather dates them to around 2001 or 2002 therefore an early BN model.

If the compacts follow the same serial numbering system then your 146xxxx compact should be a late Trinovid model made in the last few years - someone correct me if I'm wrong!
 
The Leica Trinovids use Schmidt/Pechan prisms which had phase coatings. the earlier Leitz models used Uppendahl prisms which, I understand, were not phase coated.
Bob
 
Thank you, Gary, for the serial number information. I. for one, am very interested in this kind of information.
Looking through my collection of Leica literature, it appears that the compact trinovids were not changed (upgraded) to phase correction until 1996. In actual comparison the difference between the earlier ones and the phase corrrected models is significant, IMHO. Do the serial numbers of the compacts continue sequentially with the 32, 42 and 50 models?
Thank you, John
 
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The compact binoculars have a totally different serial number run to the full size binoculars. Likewise the Leitz (series 2) Trinovids from 1963 to 1989 have three separate serial number runs for 8x32/10x40, 7x35/8x40 and 7x42.
 
Does anyone have a breakdown of ser. numbers for the Trinovid compacts, 8x20. I have one and Leica does not have the info. at the service center. I think mine is mid 90's. Ser. # 1273277. Trinovid 8x20 BC.
 
Gary-- Could you tell me what year Trinovid 8x20 compacts s/n 1391382 were made? Also, so you have a s/n cutoff for when phase correction was added? Thanks!
 
Hi, accurate records only go up to about 1997 but if you follow the pattern for 8x20 numbers I would guess at 1999 or 2000.
The last few years are:

1991 1235001
1992 1236001
1993 1260001
1994 1273001
1995 1281001
1996 1313301
1997 1341901

I have no firm date for phase correction.
 

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