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help me choose : 7x35 B&L (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter gwsudiro
- Start date
mooreorless
Well-known member
Hello Galih, I was wondering are these new binoculars? The reason I ask is that B&L hasn't made the Zephyr 7x35 for a long time, if new buy it up!!! 
If used in excellent shape but it.
Regards,Steve
If used in excellent shape but it.Regards,Steve
I have neither binocular, but I have looked through a Legacy and I have other Zephyrs (three 9x35 and one 6x30).
The Legacy series was sold during the 1990s and featured wide FOVs (and short eye relief). In 7x35, the Legacy would have the wider FOV over the Zephyr (which has around 375 feet at 1,000 yard FOV) [See correction explanation in Post 38.]. I believe that eye relief on both are about the same. On image quality, I'd estimate that the Zephyr's is better, based on its narrower FOV which would allow a larger sweet spot, relatively speaking, and based on the Zephyr series' high reputation. My recollection of the Legacy that I viewed was that its center was sharp, but its overall contrast was a bit less than average.
Construction-wise, the Zephyrs are more ruggedly built than the Legacies.
Of course, if you can, look before you buy.
The Legacy series was sold during the 1990s and featured wide FOVs (and short eye relief). In 7x35, the Legacy would have the wider FOV over the Zephyr (which has around 375 feet at 1,000 yard FOV) [See correction explanation in Post 38.]. I believe that eye relief on both are about the same. On image quality, I'd estimate that the Zephyr's is better, based on its narrower FOV which would allow a larger sweet spot, relatively speaking, and based on the Zephyr series' high reputation. My recollection of the Legacy that I viewed was that its center was sharp, but its overall contrast was a bit less than average.
Construction-wise, the Zephyrs are more ruggedly built than the Legacies.
Of course, if you can, look before you buy.
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gwsudiro
Well-known member
Hello SteveF, so, for FOV, Legacy's better than Zephyr or vice versa?
best regards
Galih
gwsudiro
Well-known member
Hello Galih, I was wondering are these new binoculars? The reason I ask is that B&L hasn't made the Zephyr 7x35 for a long time, if new buy it up!!!
Regards,Steve
hi Steve...^^
no, they are used...^^ are there still any new Zephyr for sale now Steve? how much it cost for a new one?
best regards
Galih
brocknroller
porromaniac
Hello Galih, I was wondering are these new binoculars? The reason I ask is that B&L hasn't made the Zephyr 7x35 for a long time, if new buy it up!!!
Regards,Steve
Steve, How do you "but it"? Is that shorthand for "sit on it"?
Galih, I think Arthur Pinewood has a 7x35 Zephyr, he might be able to "but in".
Below is a link to a Cloudy Nights thread on the Zephyr, I don't know how it compares to the Legacy. Zephyrs can go back to the 1940s, so you need information on when it was made. A guy on CN was asking if $50 was a good price for one.
I know the name "Legacy" was used in a more recent B & L line before Bushnell started marketing under their label, but I'm not sure how far back that B & L line goes. The B & L 7x35 Legacy had a whopping 11* FOV and was made in Japan.
Being newer, the Legaccy probably had better coatings than the older Zephyr so it should be brighter and show more vivid colors, but beyond that, it's hard to say which one would be the better deal w/out knowing the prices and having tried both of them.
If no-one here has had a 7x35 Legacy, you could PM tac45, who commented in post #2973100 on the CN thread that he has a 7x35 Legacy.
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/2573282/page/11/view/collapsed/sb/9/o/all/fpart/1
There's also a guy name Simon on CN (he might be on BF too) who has more old porros than Carter has little liver pills. He might have compared the two models.
Good Luck!
Brock, MCC
gwsudiro
Well-known member
khekhekhekhekhe!!!! ^_^
hi Brock... ^_^
I'll check those out, many thanks for your links!
best regards
Galih
Steve, How do you "but it"? Is that shorthand for "sit on it"?
hi Brock... ^_^
I'll check those out, many thanks for your links!
best regards
Galih
Yes, the Legacy has a wider FOV than that of the Zephyr. Sorry about my typing error. I don't have the specifications, but I recall that the 7x35 Legacy's is over 400 feet at 1,000 yards (maybe 420-430 feet), whereas the 7x35 Zephyr's is around 367-375 feet, if my memory is correct.
If the choice was mine, I'd go for the Zephyr.
Getting back to my comment on construction quality: When the Legacies were sold in the 1990s, which was toward the end of B&L's marketing of binoculars, B&L had roughly three lines of binoculars: in descending order of price and quality, the Elites, the Customs, and Legacies. I think there might have been a few more models in there, but as 'series' or 'collections' of binoculars, I think that was it. So, the Legacies were the low-end line. In contrast, the Zephyrs were sold in the 1950s and 1960s, I believe, and were top-of-line binoculars; I don't know if B&L, then, offered lower-end binoculars. A few decades and levels of quality apart between these binoculars, as I see it. Zephyrs were made in Rochester, New York, and the Legacies were made in Japan.
One other thing, being of the vintage I mentioned, the Zephyr probably has a slight yellow bias in its view.
If the choice was mine, I'd go for the Zephyr.
Getting back to my comment on construction quality: When the Legacies were sold in the 1990s, which was toward the end of B&L's marketing of binoculars, B&L had roughly three lines of binoculars: in descending order of price and quality, the Elites, the Customs, and Legacies. I think there might have been a few more models in there, but as 'series' or 'collections' of binoculars, I think that was it. So, the Legacies were the low-end line. In contrast, the Zephyrs were sold in the 1950s and 1960s, I believe, and were top-of-line binoculars; I don't know if B&L, then, offered lower-end binoculars. A few decades and levels of quality apart between these binoculars, as I see it. Zephyrs were made in Rochester, New York, and the Legacies were made in Japan.
One other thing, being of the vintage I mentioned, the Zephyr probably has a slight yellow bias in its view.
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John Dracon
John Dracon
To my knowledge, B&L never made any binoculars except first quality ones. The same was true for Zeiss before the Conquest line came along. The USA made Zephyrs are very well made. Witness that many after more than a half century of hard use are still functional. The 8x30 and 9x35 had wide field oculars. The post war (WWII) Zephyrs had a proprietary coat on the lens. Improper and incessant cleaning will rub some of it off. It looks worse than it really is. Japanese and Zeiss binoculars from the same generation have much harder coatings.
The center focus Zephyrs tend to collect tiny dust particles in the sliding ocular tubes that interfere with smooth focusing over a period of years. This results in what some call "stiffness." This can be cleaned up by someone who really understands the mechanical functions involved. It is best to leave disassembly and cleaning to someone who had developed some proficiency in working on binoculars.
The Zephyrs can be cleaned and restored to almost new condition. The collimation is done by 3 screws in a triangle arrangement around the objective lens housing. Individual focus Zephyrs tend to stay cleaner over the years, although they are not really birder glasses.
If the Zephyrs haven't been abused, Steve's recommendation is sound. The 7x35 is still a very useful power. The fact that they do not have a wide field and soft edges is overcome by the fact that the center of the field is excellent. They still are among the lightest full size binoculars made in 7 power.
John
The center focus Zephyrs tend to collect tiny dust particles in the sliding ocular tubes that interfere with smooth focusing over a period of years. This results in what some call "stiffness." This can be cleaned up by someone who really understands the mechanical functions involved. It is best to leave disassembly and cleaning to someone who had developed some proficiency in working on binoculars.
The Zephyrs can be cleaned and restored to almost new condition. The collimation is done by 3 screws in a triangle arrangement around the objective lens housing. Individual focus Zephyrs tend to stay cleaner over the years, although they are not really birder glasses.
If the Zephyrs haven't been abused, Steve's recommendation is sound. The 7x35 is still a very useful power. The fact that they do not have a wide field and soft edges is overcome by the fact that the center of the field is excellent. They still are among the lightest full size binoculars made in 7 power.
John
Probably, but it would take someone who has authoritative information to say.
I was going to say 'yes', but I thought I'd better check. I pulled out one of my Zephyrs and looked. Based on its round, untruncated exit pupils, I'd say they indicate BaK-4 prisms, rather than BK-7 prisms. Also, thanks to the person who sold it to me, a Zephyr owner's manual and a marketing brochure were included. They did not mention the type of glass in the prisms, except that they and the lenses were made of 'special glasses' from the B&L glass factory. I don't think that BaK-4 and BK-7 were part of the marketing talk in those days.
For what it's worth, I think that the Legacy models used BaK-4 prisms, too. I seem to recall that that information was among the features advertised for the Legacy line.
John Dracon made a good point about the condition of the Zephyr maybe needing cleaning. Zephyrs are pretty rugged; all of mine, which I bought used, were in collimation. A very, very slight amount of dust and haze, though, were present, though not affecting the view. These were easily serviced for me by a professional.
I was going to say 'yes', but I thought I'd better check. I pulled out one of my Zephyrs and looked. Based on its round, untruncated exit pupils, I'd say they indicate BaK-4 prisms, rather than BK-7 prisms. Also, thanks to the person who sold it to me, a Zephyr owner's manual and a marketing brochure were included. They did not mention the type of glass in the prisms, except that they and the lenses were made of 'special glasses' from the B&L glass factory. I don't think that BaK-4 and BK-7 were part of the marketing talk in those days.
For what it's worth, I think that the Legacy models used BaK-4 prisms, too. I seem to recall that that information was among the features advertised for the Legacy line.
John Dracon made a good point about the condition of the Zephyr maybe needing cleaning. Zephyrs are pretty rugged; all of mine, which I bought used, were in collimation. A very, very slight amount of dust and haze, though, were present, though not affecting the view. These were easily serviced for me by a professional.
