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Leitz Greenkat kestrel (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter lozninja
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Who Replied?Well I've also been told that back in the 70s
They where selling a lot of greenkat binoculars and they had lots of different price ranges .. They had a lot of budget binoculars which you still see at the moment around.
And then these which where the top of the range ! Apparently there wasn't very a large amount sold hence why I can't find any anywhere .
Very rare I think. App
They where selling a lot of greenkat binoculars and they had lots of different price ranges .. They had a lot of budget binoculars which you still see at the moment around.
And then these which where the top of the range ! Apparently there wasn't very a large amount sold hence why I can't find any anywhere .
Very rare I think. App
Yes they where selling these in the late 70s - 80s
They where selling a lot of greenkat binoculars and they had lots of different price ranges .. They had a lot of budget binoculars which you still see at the moment around.
And then these which where the top of the range ! Apparently there wasn't very a large amount sold hence why I can't find any anywhere .
I think they purchased the lenses from Leica and shipped them across to Japan to try and compete with zeiss and etc
Obviously it was to expensive as they didn't sell many
Greenkat kestrel where to expensive full stop that's why the company went down
I think they purchased the lenses from Leica and shipped them across to Japan to try and compete with zeiss and etc
Hi,
you may believe what you want but in that case this would be more probably marked by an english engraving (just like the rest of the markings on the bin) saying leitz or later leica or leitz lens. Just look at current panasonic digicams for examples.
The german engraving Leitz-Eigentum is only known from genuine Leica cameras which were marked this way as company property. Also the spelling error Objektivs does not really create trust here...
Joachim
WELL in all honesty theres no engravings anywhere
The plates are screen printed in the factory not engraved .
and they look fine to me,
also if they where assembled in the 80s, in a Japanese factory I suppose they had to print what leitz had agreed to .
And the optics are sooo good .
you have to see to believe
The plates are screen printed in the factory not engraved .
and they look fine to me,
also if they where assembled in the 80s, in a Japanese factory I suppose they had to print what leitz had agreed to .
And the optics are sooo good .
you have to see to believe
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This glass seems a fun project to work on.
The optical performance quoted, with near focus around 1 meter, is excellent.
I'd love to know whether the FoV is similarly impressive, as 157M/1000M is close to 9 degrees, better than the 8.5 degrees achieved by the Zeiss 7x42.
The engraving is surely fake, the German language does not have a plural 'Objektivs', it should be 'Objective' as already noted by jring. Add to that the use of the phrase M-C, which in German should really be Mehrverguetet.
If the FoV is near as impressive as the close focus, I'd call it an experimental unit, which may have been why it got marked up so oddly. Still, the posted specs are extraordinary even today, so the most likely explanation is that they are simply not true.
If possible, please just put these side by side with an other set of 7 or 8x50s and see if your Greenkats blow them away. No porro 7x50 I know of has a 157M/1000M FoV.
Please post your results, because you may have discovered something more than a good fake.
The optical performance quoted, with near focus around 1 meter, is excellent.
I'd love to know whether the FoV is similarly impressive, as 157M/1000M is close to 9 degrees, better than the 8.5 degrees achieved by the Zeiss 7x42.
The engraving is surely fake, the German language does not have a plural 'Objektivs', it should be 'Objective' as already noted by jring. Add to that the use of the phrase M-C, which in German should really be Mehrverguetet.
If the FoV is near as impressive as the close focus, I'd call it an experimental unit, which may have been why it got marked up so oddly. Still, the posted specs are extraordinary even today, so the most likely explanation is that they are simply not true.
If possible, please just put these side by side with an other set of 7 or 8x50s and see if your Greenkats blow them away. No porro 7x50 I know of has a 157M/1000M FoV.
Please post your results, because you may have discovered something more than a good fake.
My zeiss jena was 7x50 q1
That's why I part exchanged in for this unit . the optics on that where very good to for its year 1972 that was made .
but apart from the normal bit of yellow from the jenas produced they optically very good .
we both compared the jena to the greenkat and there was no comparesent at all.
The greenkat has a massive field of view much bigger than the zeiss .
Its also so much brighter with vibrant colours .
Its just a different classs.
That's why I part exchanged in for this unit . the optics on that where very good to for its year 1972 that was made .
but apart from the normal bit of yellow from the jenas produced they optically very good .
we both compared the jena to the greenkat and there was no comparesent at all.
The greenkat has a massive field of view much bigger than the zeiss .
Its also so much brighter with vibrant colours .
Its just a different classs.
This glass seems a fun project to work on.
The optical performance quoted, with near focus around 1 meter, is excellent.
I'd love to know whether the FoV is similarly impressive, as 157M/1000M is close to 9 degrees, better than the 8.5 degrees achieved by the Zeiss 7x42.
The engraving is surely fake, the German language does not have a plural 'Objektivs', it should be 'Objective' as already noted by jring. Add to that the use of the phrase M-C, which in German should really be Mehrverguetet.
Hi,
some thoughts regarding the data given:
a) close focus of 1m as claimed by OP - this is better than any modern bin I know of apart from the specialist Pentax Papillo - which uses a special technique to decrease the already small stereo base of its reverse porro construction at close distance. I cry fake here and would say that it's impossible to use any porro (non-reverse) at 1m with both eyes, let alone a rather big one like a 7x50. You just can't squint that much...
b) Field of view of 157/1000m - this is better than any modern bin - should I get to england anytime soon I'll bring my Nikon E II with 154/1000m for comparison - or is there anybody closer for this?
c) The german print on there was certainly not agreed to by Leitz as whoever had agreed to a text with so many errors would have been sacked the next day. As already noted, Objektivs should read Objektive and M-C should read mehrfachvergütet (thanks for that one, etudiant). And Leitz-Eigentum does not fit as it means Leitz property - it should be Leitz Patent or Leitz Objektiv or so.
Joachim
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Well maybe its a long way way
The facts that i wrote where given by a rep that used to work for greenkat optics back in the 80.s and from an old gentleman that used to sell them in his shop .
Also i said the close focus was just over a metre.
And if they are fakes whats the point of putting decent optics in them ?
All the greenkats ive seen do not resemble this binocular at all on the toplate ..
Hay hoy dont want world war 3 with u guys im just going to enjoy them .
And yes those nikons are good but dont come all the way ive got a couple of pairs i can compare them too .
Many thanks
The facts that i wrote where given by a rep that used to work for greenkat optics back in the 80.s and from an old gentleman that used to sell them in his shop .
Also i said the close focus was just over a metre.
And if they are fakes whats the point of putting decent optics in them ?
All the greenkats ive seen do not resemble this binocular at all on the toplate ..
Hay hoy dont want world war 3 with u guys im just going to enjoy them .
And yes those nikons are good but dont come all the way ive got a couple of pairs i can compare them too .
Many thanks
. Greenkat 8×35 wide-angle 525 feet 1000 yards field 10° No. GK 6-KA 110xx.
This binocular has some blue coatings and many uncoated surfaces.
It seems to have five element eyepieces looking at the reflections.
it is marked Japan.
.It has an outer sleeve box, with lots of writing in American spelling.
The inner box says 8×35 ZWA made in Japan.
The Japanese makers code is JB 133, which is the same as the 8.5×50 binocular, the subject of this thread.
The white sticker says Japan telescopes inspection institute in full in green letters.
Passed in red letters.
The binocular has 4 lens caps. And the straps and an ancient silica bag, which is not discoloured and also an old small yellow cleaning cloth.
There is a nice brown leather case, which says made in England. This may or may not be original. If original it might be to get around import taxes or other taxes.
Measured field is about 9.7°, compared to the Minolta 8×40 binocular, which has a field of about 9.4°.
The 8×35 has somewhat squared off exit pupils.
The performance is okay but the edges are soft. It has quite a lot of pincushion distortion.
The magnification seems to be a true eight times.
I would guess that it was made around 1970.
I prefer the Minolta 8×40.
This binocular has some blue coatings and many uncoated surfaces.
It seems to have five element eyepieces looking at the reflections.
it is marked Japan.
.It has an outer sleeve box, with lots of writing in American spelling.
The inner box says 8×35 ZWA made in Japan.
The Japanese makers code is JB 133, which is the same as the 8.5×50 binocular, the subject of this thread.
The white sticker says Japan telescopes inspection institute in full in green letters.
Passed in red letters.
The binocular has 4 lens caps. And the straps and an ancient silica bag, which is not discoloured and also an old small yellow cleaning cloth.
There is a nice brown leather case, which says made in England. This may or may not be original. If original it might be to get around import taxes or other taxes.
Measured field is about 9.7°, compared to the Minolta 8×40 binocular, which has a field of about 9.4°.
The 8×35 has somewhat squared off exit pupils.
The performance is okay but the edges are soft. It has quite a lot of pincushion distortion.
The magnification seems to be a true eight times.
I would guess that it was made around 1970.
I prefer the Minolta 8×40.
. To accurately measure the field of the 8.5×50 binocular one could use the two bottom stars in the bowl of the constelllation of Ursa Major.
The distance between Beta and Gamma in Ursa Major is almost exactly 7.90°.
So if the maximum field size of the 8.5×50 binocular is 10% more then the field will be a 8.7°.
It is in a good position between 10 PM and 12 PM at the moment if you get a clear sky.
The distance between Beta and Gamma in Ursa Major is almost exactly 7.90°.
So if the maximum field size of the 8.5×50 binocular is 10% more then the field will be a 8.7°.
It is in a good position between 10 PM and 12 PM at the moment if you get a clear sky.
yes very good
Tee hee
I'll post some better pictures when I get in tonight
Says made in japan I think
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