Zeiss Porro Prism Binoculars - Cutaway and Cross-Section Images
There are various cutaway and cross-section images of binoculars scattered throughout threads on this site and elsewhere on the net
Recently it was suggested that it would be a good idea to collect and post the images of particular brands together
Holger Merlitz got the ball rolling posting an image of the CZJ 8x50 Nobilem Super (see B) below)
Ongoing commercial production of prism binoculars commenced with Carl Zeiss Jena (aka CZJ) in 1894. Zeiss introduced binoculars using Porro style prisms
(the use of triangular prisms to invert images in optical instruments had been patented by Ignazio Porro back in 1854)
Unsurprisingly, the original optical designs of Zeiss - along with those of many early competitors - differ in detail to later, more refined versions
Zeiss like everyone else was feeling their way with a new technology
What follows are images of later optical patterns - patterns that once refined often continued with only minor variation for several decades
(for contrast I’ll post views of the first pattern models in the next few days)
A) CZJ 8x30 Deltrintem
Two images of post-WWII units have been posted on a number of occasions. The first is from a 1952 CZJ catalogue, and the x-ray image is from Arek at Allbinos
Both can be found in Arek’s highly informative article at:
https://www.allbinos.com/170.1-article-Legendary_binoculars_-_Carl_Zeiss_Jena_Deltrintem_8x30.html
I have also attached three images of a similar period cutaway Deltrintem from Live Auctioneers at:
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/48527337_carl-zeiss-jena-deltrintem-8x30-cut-away-model-c1970
Finally, there is an image of a disassembled Deltrintem by Trancework at:
https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=318198&highlight=Project+Zeiss+Deltrintem+8x30
(I did some adjustments to make the details clearer)
B) Larger CZJ Models (x40 and up)
Holger and Henry have posted images of two models:
- 8x50 Nobilem Super
- 8x50 Octarem
The original images and explanatory details are at:
https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=385822
I’ve not found any other actual images of larger CZJ Porros. The closest is a cross-section drawing of a 12x50 Dodecarem from a CZJ catalogue dating from around 1985
It can by found on Holger’s website at:
http://www.holgermerlitz.de/czj_85/czj_85.html
While it shows the detail of the objective group, it doesn’t show the details of the eyepiece groups. One would assume that the eyepiece is in a 2, 1, 2, lens configuration
(the first blue 'planar lens’ seems to be an unnecessary addition by the artist - in the same catalogue, the 8x30 image also has the same addition)
C) Post-WWII Oberkochen Designs - not CZJ
For comparison with A) above, see the images showing the 3 patterns of optical construction used on the the new West German Zeiss 8x30’s introduced after WWII
at:
https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=384860 , see posts #5 & 6
D) Information Sources
For those wanting to know more about Zeiss binoculars, there’s a lot of available information. See a recent listing with links at:
https://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=3937486&postcount=17
Besides the catalogues from the Zeiss Historica Society mentioned in the above:
- Holger has posted copies of CZJ catalogues dating from 1912 to 1985 at:
http://www.holgermerlitz.de/binoculars_english.html
- Mark at the Miniature Binoculars website provides the most comprehensive source of older factory literature, and includes additional Zeiss material
see:
http://www.miniaturebinoculars.com/part1/Page2725.htm . Use the navigation panel on the right hand side of the page, to go to the 7 pages under Research Materials
John