Need help identifying Japanese Manufacturer's Code (1 Viewer)

[MiguelATF]

I'm considering buying an older pair of Japanese-made Jason Statesman binoculars, but they have a Japan manufacturer's code which I can't find or identify anywhere. Apparently most of the Japanese codes start with either JB or JE - followed by a number.
This one doesn't have either JB or JE - it simply says: J-1260

I'm attaching a photo which shows it.



I fall into the category of a rather ignorant novice when it comes to identifying these things - so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that one or more of the more knowledgeable binocular mavens or experts would enlighten me 🤓

 

[Binastro]

Is SMC an Asahi Pentax term. Super multi coating?
1970s.

I have seen discussion elsewhere about multicoating only starting in the 1970s, but I think Balzers of Liechtenstein started doing this in perhaps the late 1940s.

TTH had patents on three layer tunable coatings around 1960, and just after WW2 the British were experimenting with multilayer coatings as were the Americans.

I think Zeiss were using single coats as early as 1933 in some lenses, and TTH were doing chemical coatings in the early 1900s, with Fraunhofer discovering this in the 1800s when sulphuric acid was accidentally dropped onto glass.

Regards,
B.

 

[MiguelATF]

Yes, SMC was a term used by Pentax - as a prefix to many of its (often older) lenses. But to the best of my (admittedly limited) knowledge, Pentax never did any manufacturing of binoculars for 'Jason'.
Am attaching one more image of the binoculars here. Note that these ones have a field of view of 525 feet - they are NOT the ultra-wide (and rarer) model 151 which featured a view of 578 feet.

 

[Binocollector]

I doubt that "SMC" means super-multicoating on these binos. I have one with exactly the same logo and it almost definitely has no "super-multicoating" but the usual blueish single-layer coating of the time.
I suspect that SMC is the manufacturer of the body. Not sure however. There are many companies by that name, the most famous would be "Sintered Metal Corporation" but I can't find any info on their homepage that they ever made bino-bodies.

SMC Corporate Site

SMC Global

www.smcworld.com

Still I don't think my humble little pocket bino with the same logo has multicoating. I can post a pic tomorrow.

 

[Eric_D]

There are companies known as SMC, but not in optics.
SMark on the other forum matches SMC to J-B 191.

... maybe J-B 191 which is either Seiwa Optical or Yoko Sangyo Co. Both the latter are listed as J-B 191

 

[Eric_D]

I just found J-B191 on some nice (for the price) Bell & Howell 8x40 EWA (510ft) porros.
Common, and optically good, if you are lucky with the mechanisms.

CloudyNights:
Bell & Howell 8x40 extra wide field
Bell and Howell 8x40s...finally caught my white whale!

The J-1260 may use 'J' as a private maker code, or sometimes serial number prefixes mark the principal brand or order number?

It may be newer than the JB numbers, that were not required after November 1987, if I remember?