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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Identifying Antique Zeiss Binoculars (1 Viewer)

Em2016

New member
Hello--
I have a pair of antique binoculars. I am trying to identify the year.

Carl Zeiss /Jena
Deltrintem
Serial number: 1188799
8x30

These were my great aunts who was born in the late 1800s. Her family is from Germany.

I tried looking online but can't find that number.

Thanks so much!
 
Hello--
I have a pair of antique binoculars. I am trying to identify the year.

Carl Zeiss /Jena
Deltrintem
Serial number: 1188799
8x30

These were my great aunts who was born in the late 1800s. Her family is from Germany.

I tried looking online but can't find that number.

Thanks so much!
Hello Em,

According to http://www.europa.com/~telscope/zeissbin.txt
The binocular was made in 1938 or 1939. They had been in production starting in 1920.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood
 
Thanks very much! I don't see my serial number in the reference so I am assuming I do not know how to read the data. Can you explain how you see it there? What column or line, etc? Much appreciated!
 
I see it as 1923....

first column is year, next is number made that year, last column is ending serial number that year.....
 
Hi,

welcome to birdforum!

I'd say early 1923 too. The columns in that text file are year, # produced and total # produced until end of that year.
Since the serial numbers for CZJ bins are just counting up (unlike other companies), we get 1923.

Since this pair of bins is not coated in any way, the view will be a bit dim compared to current bins. So it's probably best used as a collectors item...

Joachim
 
Last edited:
That seems like a misreading of the information. The third column is the cumulative number of binoculars sold from all previous years, *not* a serial number.

So the first year of production is 205 made / 205 total

The second year of production is 1271 made / 1476 total (which is 1271 + 205)

So, based on the original replies, it seems as if people will be incorrectly dating their binoculars.
 
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