vintage Binoculars help :D (1 Viewer)

[michael-e]

Hello there guys i found an old pair of Binoculars when helping a friend clear out and house and i don't know much about these things besides you see things closer with them (lol).

I did a bit of looking online and only found one site that a pair of them listed:

http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.ar...-vintage-_JM?redirectedFromChild=MLA468638818

And i just wanted to know are the ones i have worth anything if any of you have any information that would be awesome

i have attached some pictures.

thanks for your time to read this post.

 

[etudiant]

Hi,
Here is a review comment from Cloudy Nights Forums. Hope it helps.

'Hanimex' was a well known Australian based company that started post war [1947] in Sydney. They imported from Japan and China and supplied the South East Asia / Pacific Market for many decades with primarly photography supplies and binoculars.
In 1989 Hanimex was purchased by 'Gestetner' [U.K.] which in turn was taken over by 'Ricoh' of Japan.
'Hanimex' binoculars as such are no longer made, however there is currently an association with 'Fuji Film' who supply photography products in the Australsian and N.Z. markets.
Hanimex binoculars had 'average' optics. Primarily 'coated' lens with BK- 7 prisms in the 35, 40, and 50 mm sizes.
I doubt 'Hanimex' products / binoculars reached the U.S.A or European market in any great numbers.
I had a pair of 10x50's which were 'reasonably good' and typical of Japanese porro binoculars from that era.
Hanimex products, esp. the cameras, come up reasonably regularly on our local New Zealand 'E.Bay' type trading site.

 

[michael-e]

Hi,
Here is a review comment from Cloudy Nights Forums. Hope it helps.

'Hanimex' was a well known Australian based company that started post war [1947] in Sydney. They imported from Japan and China and supplied the South East Asia / Pacific Market for many decades with primarly photography supplies and binoculars.
In 1989 Hanimex was purchased by 'Gestetner' [U.K.] which in turn was taken over by 'Ricoh' of Japan.
'Hanimex' binoculars as such are no longer made, however there is currently an association with 'Fuji Film' who supply photography products in the Australsian and N.Z. markets.
Hanimex binoculars had 'average' optics. Primarily 'coated' lens with BK- 7 prisms in the 35, 40, and 50 mm sizes.
I doubt 'Hanimex' products / binoculars reached the U.S.A or European market in any great numbers.
I had a pair of 10x50's which were 'reasonably good' and typical of Japanese porro binoculars from that era.
Hanimex products, esp. the cameras, come up reasonably regularly on our local New Zealand 'E.Bay' type trading site.

Thanks that was a interesting read and very nice to know a bit of history behind the brand

I guess my main goal is to find out if there worth keeping or selling.

 

[etudiant]

Thanks that was a interesting read and very nice to know a bit of history behind the brand

I guess my main goal is to find out if there worth keeping or selling.

The rest of that thread's discussion suggests prices in the $30 class, which is pretty slim pickings, so maybe keep them as a beater glass.

 

[Bencw]

The rest of that thread's discussion suggests prices in the $30 class, which is pretty slim pickings, so maybe keep them as a beater glass.

Hi,
I think you are right, given what they are (not) worth, they are probably worth keeping. I collect binoculars, and do a bit of restoring, I have a pair from a UK company called Boots, they sourced binoculars from Japan and Korea like Hanimex, and brand name apart, they are identical in every respect to an old damaged Hanimex I had, all of the parts interchangeable, coatings, same optically. Anyway, although they are no match for the likes of Zeiss,or Hartmann Optik etc, they are perfectly useable and give a nice clear reasonably sharp view, so I hang on to them, very useful if I take a friend to the wetlands wildlife center, if they do not own binoculars I loan these, they do the job, without me having to worry what happens to them.

 

[DadraFromFrance]

You can find a lot of old Hanimex in France for 15-30€.
I tried 3 pair. All were bad with a lot plastic and very average optics (coating and collimation). The worst was a zoom bino wich broked when i tried to move the mecanism... Perhaps some are better ? I doubt...

 

[Bencw]

You can find a lot of old Hanimex in France for 15-30€.
I tried 3 pair. All were bad with a lot plastic and very average optics (coating and collimation). The worst was a zoom bino wich broked when i tried to move the mecanism... Perhaps some are better ? I doubt...

Yes, it would seem they damage very easy, but they were produced as a budget priced binocular so the build quality would not be great, they come up quite cheap in the UK too and most have some damage or alignment issues. Optically, if you find a decent pair, I would say they are quite useable, yes, fairly average, but I have seen a lot worse. For me, any zoom binoculars are something to be avoided, especially old ones, too much can go wrong with them.

 

[DadraFromFrance]

I agree : "any zoom bino are something to be avoided..."
If you can find some old Perl "HD Super Luxe" / "BS special" /"Special Baryum"- 7X50, 10X50, 8x40 or10X40 (a lot in France between 1978-1986) : they are fantastic ! Better than the Jenoptem for CA control. Very good Japan bino !

 

[Bencw]

If you can find some old Perl "HD Super Luxe" / "BS special" /"Special Baryum"- 7X50, 10X50, 8x40 or10X40 they are fantastic ! Better than the Jenoptem for CA control. Very good Japan bino !

Thanks for the tip, I will look out for them, I do not have any PERL binoculars in my collection, did not know much about them, I have seen some photos in Simon Spiers collection on flkr.

 

[Roadbike]

As noted their resale value is not much. However they may be perfectly servicable binoculars. If the objectives and eyepieces are dirty clean them carefully with camera lens or eye glass cleaner. Then look through them and see how they perform. If they deliver decent images then use them.