ID Leica Bin's please..? (1 Viewer)

[Troubador]

That's true and a somehow strange deviation from the formerly used letter "A" (= "armiert" = reinforced; Armour); see e.g. my Trinovid 8x42 BA.

Because I had no clue I phoned with Leica in Wetzlar ten minutes ago - as always a pleasurable call. I was told that the "R" actually stood for "Rubber", maybe an effort to use a more internationalist nomenclature at that time. But the friendly respondent hinted at the sometimes not perfectly consistent decisions of marketing & design people...

I suggested that the "R" could perhaps also mean "robust" but he negated that, pointing that all Leica binoculars are robust, be them wrapped in leather, rubber or polyurethane.

Excellent. Did you ask them about BN too?

Lee

 

[forent]

Excellent. Did you ask them about BN too? Lee

Unfortunately no because I just had this little "R" question and did not want to waste his time.

Anyway, I guess we both know that the "N" comes from the German "nah" = close, near. In a German optics forum I've read the "N" stands for "dichter Nahpunkt" = close near point. Maybe it's slightly different and spells "(bessere) Naheinstellung" = (better) close-focus or something like that, who knows. But in the end the origin "nah" is obvious as the difference between the former Trinovid BA and the following Trinovid BN was the shorter close focusing distance and - as far as I know - Leica did not use English abbreviations at that time yet.

Addendum: Ok, ok, their pocket binos were labelled "BC" and "BCA" even before the Trinovid BA appeared. And the "C" means compact = "kompakt" in English spelling. Things remain difficult...

 

[Troubador]

Unfortunately no because I just had this little "R" question and did not want to waste his time.

Anyway, I guess we both know that the "N" comes from the German "nah" = close, near. In a German optics forum I've read the "N" stands for "dichter Nahpunkt" = close near point. Maybe it's slightly different and spells "(bessere) Naheinstellung" = (better) close-focus or something like that, who knows. But in the end the origin "nah" is obvious as the difference between the former Trinovid BA and the following Trinovid BN was the shorter close focusing distance and - as far as I know - Leica did not use English abbreviations at that time yet.

Addendum: Ok, ok, their pocket binos were labelled "BC" and "BCA" even before the Trinovid BA appeared. And the "C" means compact = "kompakt" in English spelling. Things remain difficult...

Yes the meaning of BN is well-known but I wondered how Leica might explain it.

Their BN model is, IMHO, just as much a bino icon as Swaro's EL. or Zeiss's SF.

BTW if you ever have the opportunity to visit the city of Wetzlar you would find the aldstadt very beautiful.

Lee

 

[forent]

(...) BTW if you ever have the opportunity to visit the city of Wetzlar you would find the aldstadt very beautiful. Lee

Yes, indeed! My grandfather was medical officer at the Hensoldt factory before WW II and I was born and have studied in Gießen (8 miles from Wetzlar). Today, I live 25 miles from there. Wetzlar is one of our regular destinations.

 

[fazalmajid]

I paid $1550 for mine in 2004. They are still among the finest 10x50 binoculars made, and excellent for astronomy.

Binoculars rankings - 10x50 - AllBinos.com

The best binocular tests on the net. The comprehensive database of binoculars with their parameters and users opinions. Interesting articles and comparisons.

www.allbinos.com

 

[The BulbMogul]

Ultravid = since 2004 the designation of Leica's top binoculars
B = Brillenträgerokulare = oculars suitable for spectacle wearers
R = rubberized body

You bought an alpha binocular, paid almost 2,000 quid and didn't care a straw what's in the box? A likely story!

Well I was hoping that at least the BINS were in the box and they were. I actually bought 2 pairs that day and the other ones were Leica 10X42 same model and my wife has those in Sri Lanka when we are there in the winter time...

 

[Troubador]

Yes, indeed! My grandfather was medical officer at the Hensoldt factory before WW II and I was born and have studied in Gießen (8 miles from Wetzlar). Today, I live 25 miles from there. Wetzlar is one of our regular destinations.

Here are a couple of photos from my visits to Wetzlar that I am sure you will recognise.

Lee