Questions on Leitz Wetzlar bino missing ep collar Trinovid(?) (1 Viewer)

John A Roberts said:

6x24 Production Runs and Dating

Hi Joker,

There were several production runs of the 6x24’s and your unit #775k was part of the last in 1972
(again see the details in my previous post: https://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=3791913&postcount=56 )

Beside the observed numbering of units by Renze de Vries and myself, there is also a 2013 post from joejeweler addressing the notion that there was no 6x24 production after 1965
(see: https://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=2828446&postcount=36 )

He included an advertisement from a 1967 edition of the magazine Leica Photography headed ‘6x24 binoculars back by demand’ - see the attached images

- - - -
And regarding the 7x35's, excepting the markings there’s no difference between the non-Olympic and Olympic editions


John

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Thanks, John. I enjoyed reading through the links, and through the "reintroduction" brochure. Hearkening back is generally a pleasure. Bygone eras, and all.

Just as a matter of fact, my SN is 775571. I guess, posting the SN in a photo seemed a bit concerning, with scammers swiping photos at times. I thought it might not be a great idea. However, I see that others post the full SN in pics, and I think I have done it in the past, so I am not sure it is a necessary or beneficial precaution.

In reference to the beginning of this thread, I had been reluctant to return the first set of Trinovids due to the fact that they were, based on their SN, produced in 1972. That is my year of birth, so I thought it was a bit serendipitous to have stumbled onto them, relative to that. However, quite a blessing in disguise to end up with the 6x24, which is ALSO produced that same year. LOL

No big deal, but it is a bit of icing on the cake. I do think I am going to send these to Cory Suddarth to have him, at minimum, check out the eps. They are the only concern I have with these. I used a bit of Zeiss glass cleaner, and a cotton swab to no effect. I see no hazing on the internals, but these eps are a bit weird. The views appear to be unaffected, but I wonder if there would be improvement with impeccable eps. I will weigh the cost of his work (which, in my limited experience, is outstanding), and his recommendations, then decide. I think he needs to see them in person to make a determination. No rush to send them, though, because they are a pleasure as-is.

Anyone have an opinion on the source of the "defects" on the eps? In sunlight, which is when I examined them during purchase, these defects were imperceptible/invisible to my somewhat casual inspection. Most of my scrutiny was actually looking through them, testing their focus, etc.

Hi,

The marks on the eyepieces look like damage to the coating.

Gary

Joker,

I am not sure if replacement eyelenses are available.
Recoating is possible, but maybe expensive.
It needs an expert or perhaps Leica themselves.

I don't know if Cory does coating.

Jason Adams and Horace Dall used to recoat lenses, and there are still firms that do it.
Single coating is fairly easy.

Is there tiny writing at the 9 to 10 o'clock position in the second photo post 41?

Regards,
B.

Re.post 43.

Although single coating is in principle straight forward, there is always the possibility the heat could crack the lens element, needing a new one to be made.
For Horace Dall this was no problem as he made probably thousands of small lens elements for microscopes, eyepieces etc. Some were made from precious jewels.

I got three top quality 120mm telescope objectives and a 105mmm Fraunhofer objective that were sitting in an eyepiece seller's drawer.
The 105mm was made into a solar telescope for a friend.

I had three custom made 120mm scopes made.
For two, I got the objective elements single blue coated. But at my own risk. I was told the heat could crack them.
I didn't have the third coated as an insurance.
As it turned out the three made excellent telescopes.
There may be more possibility of damage with a 120mm lens element than a small eyepiece eyelens.
It depends on the glass type and on the annealing. And maybe luck.

Personally I would rather leave the 6x24 Trinovid as it is, if there was any risk of damage trying to recoat.

B.

Gijs van Ginkel said:

The Leitz Trinovid 6x24 I have investigated, see post 31 by John Roberts, is from 1965 and it has engravings dedicated to the Olympic games in LA, so it is a special edition. Looks brand new with a beautiful leather case.
Gijs van Ginkel

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Gijs,

This is puzzling, as Los Angeles hosted the Olympic Games in 1932 and 1984!

Renze

Hi,

The binocular was actually made for the 1972 Munich Olympics !!

Each one had an individual 3 digit number which was matched to the usual serial number.

The first 3 digits of the serial number were 764.

So edition number 082 would have serial number 764082.

Gary.

garymph, post 48,
Thank you Gary, I will see if I can trace the binocular at the collector and look again for the engravings.
Gijs van Ginkel

In addition of my post 47,
I found the owner of the historic Leitz Trinovid 6x24 I referred to in a previous post (fortunately she still had it) and the inscriptions do not refer to Olympic games but they were:
500.TWK
VDO (IN AN ELLIPTIC LINE DRAWING)
21. Mai 1965
The production number is 654333.
The instrument looks brand new.
Gijs van Ginkel

Hi,

The binocular could have been a presentation gift from a company to a worker for retirement, long service, etc.

VDO is a German company (founded in 1929) which manufactures automotive electronic components.


Gary.

Gary, post 49,
Thank you for this information, I will transfer it to the owner.
Gijs van Ginkel.

garymh said:

VDO is a German company (founded in 1929) which manufactures automotive electronic components.

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Yes, I have VDO instruments on the dash of my Defender. But there's no ellipse around it, and that's not the only possibility: Verein(igung) Deutscher O.... would be various Associations of German whatever begins with "O". (Dare one guess Optik-something?)

garymh said:

Hi,

The binocular was actually made for the 1972 Munich Olympics !!

Each one had an individual 3 digit number which was matched to the usual serial number.

The first 3 digits of the serial number were 764.

So edition number 082 would have serial number 764082.

Gary.

Click to expand...

It's not quite clear to what binocular Gary is referring, the 6x24 Trinovid mentioned by Gijs or the 7x35 Trinovid of the OP, Joker 9937, but either way this is not correct. There were no 6x24's issued for the 1972 Olympics, and the 7x35 owned by Joker (pictured in post #1) has too large a serial number to fit into the Olympics range for 7x35's. See my post #19.

Renze