Saturday, 31 August 2013

E. LEITZ Binuxit 8X30

On the basis of information on the web, Binuxit supposed to be one of the best binoculars of its time. True, it is very easy to handle and look through. It is also very well made. Is sharp, bright and the colours are quite neutral. Certainly better than Deltrintem/Jenoptem and very tie to Kershaw Olympic. Definitely a must for any classical binoculars collection. Even today very, very useful.





Second opinion: Brin BestSimon SpiersWpgBinocular

Friday, 23 August 2013

NIKON 8X30 EII

Somehow I do not like chunky body binoculars. But EII is simply the latest and best classic porro on the market. There is Nikon 8X32 SE, but the wide field of view counts in favor of EII. Comparison of EII with 50, 60-year-old optical jewels, simply isn't fair. EII has a better coating, wider field of view, is much brighter and it's sharpness surpasses most of the old-timers. It is not waterproof, neither are other classics. The only drawback for me is its soft hinge, especially when the temperatures are high.






Secon opinion: Simon Spiers, Brin Berst

Thursday, 8 August 2013

RODENSTOCK Octonar 8X30

Beautiful little thing. It feels good, smells good and it is nice to look at. Unfortunately, it rapidly loses sharpness towards the edges and it is very slow to focus.





Second opinion: Simon Spiers

CANON 8X30

Close to Zeiss classics Deltrintem/Jenoptem. Only close. Comparably sharp, has narrower field of view, yellow tint, is larger, heavier and stiff to focus. It is well built if not better.





Second opinion: Simon Spiers

HEDLER 8X30

Bought out of curiosity. Huge field of view: 10.0 deg. Of course not sharp at the edges, nor very contrast image. Very small eye relief. "German", made ​​in Japan. For the price of € 16.50, a lot of binoculars. Its prisms are larger, too.




STEINER Bayreuth 8X30

Plastic, but unfortunately, not fantastic. Poor optics and mechanics. This is not the best representative of Steiner's reputation.





Second opinion: Simon Spiers

KERSHAW Olympic 8X30

When purchased it was very foggy inside. Common at binoculars coming from England? It was very difficult to disassemble and even more difficult to reassemble and collimate. And then, surprise! Very sharp and neutral colours. Built like a tank. It's better than Deltrintem/Jenoptem. The only downside is its stiff focus. I'm used to my Swarovski SLC 8X30 position of the focus wheel.




The second opinion: Frank WpgBinocular

CARL ZEISS JENA Deltrintem 8X30

From the 1985 brochure: Perhaps the most famous of all binoculars, the Zeiss 8X30 Deltrintem has been a favourite of both men and women alike for several generations. An outstanding "all-purpose" binocular, with the combination of size, magnification and performance, the 8X30 is the ideal take-everywhere glass. Compact, light-weight and highly portable, their rapid centre focusing and ease of operation facilitates effective viewing under all condition. It was true and it still is! OK, there are still better ones from its time period.

Deltrintem on 1920 brochure

Deltrintem on 1985 brochure

Produced in 1962, optics is clean and works flawlessly.


Further reading: Brin BestAllbinosHolger Merlitz

CARL ZEISS JENA Jenoptem 8X30

70 years of production. First launched in 1920 as Deltrintem. This one was made in 1990, at the end of its original lifetime. Well-performing optically (not excellent). Despite the latest T3M coating I prefer Deltrintem colours and its built. Jenoptem has light green-yellow tint. Diopter adjustment is too light and focuses somehow differently than Deltrintem. Maybe, I say maybe, Jenoptem is slightly sharper than Deltrintem. However, it is brighter than Deltrintem.






Further reading: Brin Best, Allbinos, Holger Merlitz

KOMZ 8X30 "Baigish"

Well-built, military binoculars. Russian classic, optically good with usual green-yellow tint.






The second opinion: Simon Spiers