Vintage binos??? (1 Viewer)

[sudynim]

Hi all,

After my previous post about buying some newer and better binos for birdwatching (thanks all who helped!!!); I've managed to try out the Swarovski habicht, and tbh, I'm completely in love - so I've ordered them...

But ... I need your expert opinions again pretty please 🙏 on buying some old, beat up (optics themselves in good nick) binos from eBay.
Was looking at some old (I think they're porro?) Zeiss, Leica, and some random Russian and German ones.
Do you think they'd be any good for just keeping around the house to bird watch in the garden? Or am I just wasting my cash?

 

[Patudo]

Yes, but with some very significant reservations. Old binos may have haze or fungus inside that will need cleaning. Over their lifetime some will have taken knocks that may have knocked them out of alignment. Both these issues can be sorted by a knowledgeable technician, but you'll then have to add the cost of service to the cost of the binocular. They may also have odd quirks like a yellow tint to the image (especially old Russian binos). And the East German Zeisses aren't as inexpensive as they used to be.

They are interesting (more so to those who are interested in optics and their history than those interested in birds, though) and if you find one in good working order, they can be really good value for money. If I couldn't spend any more than say £50, I'd probably be looking for a KOMZ (Russian) or similar. But if you already have a Habicht (which model did you get?), you don't really need them. The Habicht is basically that same style of porro binocular, but made to excellent standards and updated with outstanding coatings.

 

[Gijs van Ginkel]

sudynim,
You could also look for a Swiss Kern porro, very well made and often still in good shape.
Gijs van Ginkel

 

[Dr. K]

Old bins can be a treat but do your research (I always look for fully multicoated, so, not as old as what you're looking for, i think), be patient, and you keep your mind open for other brand's classics. All will likely come with a mix of good and 'old'(old tech, wear, etc)...

Last summer I found a cherry bushnell 7x26 custom elite that I liked a lot, though they're pretty heavy for their size, and have since been excited about finding old gems. I gave those away to a young nephew who is getting into birding and found myself some zeiss victory 8x20 and 10x25 to play with instead.

I just snagged an old nikon e 7x35 criterion right after buying the much newer eii 8x30. They're both lovely. Do I enjoy the eii twice as much, having spent twice as much money? no... I actually prefer the ergonomics of the longer barrels on the 7x and if it didn't come with a little bit of a smell and a cracked focus wheel, I might have been convinced they were from the same era - the brightness and sharpness are, to my imperfect eyes, very very close, though the eii has a notably wider fov. Neither being waterproof, and not at all competition with my swaro birding bins, they are now my "house bins" for spotting the bluebirds and hummers at the feeders. I'm very content with the finds.

 

[Gumball]

Hi all,

After my previous post about buying some newer and better binos for birdwatching (thanks all who helped!!!); I've managed to try out the Swarovski habicht, and tbh, I'm completely in love - so I've ordered them...

But ... I need your expert opinions again pretty please 🙏 on buying some old, beat up (optics themselves in good nick) binos from eBay.
Was looking at some old (I think they're porro?) Zeiss, Leica, and some random Russian and German ones.
Do you think they'd be any good for just keeping around the house to bird watch in the garden? Or am I just wasting my cash?

.
I have purchased over a dozen "vintage" binoculars from ebay. I have a small collection of WW1 and WW2 binoculars - Zeiss, Leitz, Hensoldt, Barr&Stroud, Bausch and Lomb, etc.
.
When shopping ebay:

• note country of origin (difficult to get a refund from several foreign countries)
• read descriptions carefully
• look at photos carefully, if unsure, I ask for further photos.
• I often ask further questions: "is there double vision", "is there dust or fog visible" "do the focus adjustors turn", "has the item been serviced"
• if the "seller" has 100% feedback from a hundred transactions, and has been an ebay seller for several years, I judge him trustworthy.
• if it is a "new" seller, or has a lower feedback percentage, then you are rolling the dice.

Browse through ebay, searching for a specific manufacturer - such as Zeiss, Leitz, Bausch&Lomb, etc.
See what is listed in order to give yourself an idea of what is there, the various costs, the varying degrees of condition.
Take your time, go shopping.
.
I have yet to regret a purchase. I have purchased binoculars that "need service", for a much reduced price.
Those binoculars, I send to Erik at Mountain Optics in Oceanside, Ca.
I have been fortunate to have a couple of binoculars that I purchased (in a sorry state)_, had them serviced, and resulted in a collectable item that has cost me less than half of the "going price" on ebay.
.
Happy hunting . . . .

.

 

[Binocollector]

From buying probably around 40 or more old binos on eBay -- the main problem is collimation and haze. (Rarely had fungus but it can happen in moist climates of course.) About maybe one third of the binos sold (regardless of what the description said) had issues with double images. So I got some tools to fix those myself which works out most of the time unless there is some serious mechanical issues.
One of the best older brands next to the ususal suspects (Zeiss, Leica, Swaro) here in Germany is "Hartmann" and ALL of their older porros suffer from foggy prisms. It might be some kind of out-gassing inside the bino. Luckily they are fairly easy to work on so I fix those myself but it can be quite scary to take one apart for the first time.
Many of the old Soviet binos from Komz or Tento/Sotem were clean on the inside but there are quite a few Japanese made porros that I like far better -- especially the super wide angle models from Japan mainly in 8x30 or 7x35.

 

[Binastro]

Here, charity shops have numerous old binoculars from £2 to£20.
I take a torch and ball bearings to inspect the inside and do a quick star test in sunshine.
Or just read print over the road.

My friend goes to boot fairs and has never spent more than £15 on binoculars, some of which are normally £200.

There are pawnbrokers, cash converters etc.
Places like Oxfam seem to have overpriced poor binoculars.

If you know binoculars it is easy to get bargains, but if you don't a Pentax or Olympus 8x40 or 10x50 new is a safe bet or a Nikon Action VII.

There are also house clearances or sales outside houses getting rid of stuff.

Also camera fairs, secondhand stores etc.

It takes only a minute to see if a binocular is worth buying.

Regards,
B.

 

[William Lewis]

All good advice above.

Do beware though of how distant some vintage binoculars close focus point is for garden bird watching. It can be a good 8-10m away.

 

[MiddleRiver]

From buying probably around 40 or more old binos on eBay -- the main problem is collimation and haze. (Rarely had fungus but it can happen in moist climates of course.) About maybe one third of the binos sold (regardless of what the description said) had issues with double images. So I got some tools to fix those myself which works out most of the time unless there is some serious mechanical issues.
One of the best older brands next to the ususal suspects (Zeiss, Leica, Swaro) here in Germany is "Hartmann" and ALL of their older porros suffer from foggy prisms. It might be some kind of out-gassing inside the bino. Luckily they are fairly easy to work on so I fix those myself but it can be quite scary to take one apart for the first time.
Many of the old Soviet binos from Komz or Tento/Sotem were clean on the inside but there are quite a few Japanese made porros that I like far better -- especially the super wide angle models from Japan mainly in 8x30 or 7x35.

So, assuming the bins are inexpensive and not high collector value, can you recommend someplace to learn how to dissassemble and collimate for DIY?

 

[Patudo]

Didn't some fellow here write a book that teaches you how to do exactly that? ...

 

[Binocollector]

I have a book by Alberto Roberts. But most was just trial and error really. And tips from other collectors. Mostly in the "vintage bino"-thread on cloudynights.

 

[Ignatius]

+1 for the books by Alberto Roberts: "Porro Prism Binoculars Overhaul" and "A Concise Guide to Collecting and Restoring Vintage Binoculars". They are quite basic, but for someone starting out they may be just the ticket.