DOLLOND Luma 8X30

Dollond Luma is actually Wray Clearvu dressed a little differently.To my taste a little bit more casual. All in all really nothing to write home about. Far from Ross, Kershaw and Barr & Stroud league.

ROSS Steptron 8X30

Another great pair of binoculars and very collectible. What is particularly interesting is the position and size of focus wheel. Is it really huge and accurate. It is heavy and well built. The view is very English; very sharp, wide but not as crisp and neutral colours as some best German binoculars. If you have Kershaw Olympic or Barr & Stroud C.F. 24 than you know what I mean.

Second opinion: Simon Spiers, WpgBinoculars

HARTMANN Porlerim 8X30

8X30 Porlerim was introduced after WW II in 1948. Therefore this Hartmann model is not so old in design. Its best features are clear image quality and neutral colours. Its light transmission could compete very well with top brands.  It also has a few interesting internal mechanical solutions. It has sharp wide field of view and is well build. Maybe a little too heavy. Excellent pair of binoculars!

Second opinion: Simon Spiers

WRAY Clearvu 8X30

Another Englishman in my collection. It has the most unusual finish I've ever had in my hands. Very rough prism housing with other parts in glossy black. Also markings in a beautiful typography. That's it. The view is clear but too sandy-yellow, not so bright and rather narrow.

BARR & STROUD C.F. 24 8X30

It is built like a tank and is very heavy, despite having a bakelite prism housing covers. If you can get an optically clean C.F. 24 it should be very bright and sharp. It is worth to have it professionally cleaned. It can easily compete with the best German optics (will not win the gold medal : ) but it's definitely better than Deltrintem/Jenoptem brothers. It's drawback is its minimum focus distance - only about 8 m. Great Britain binoculars are very interesting because they have a wide range of design and built approaches. This one has an interesting strap fitting.

Second opinion: Simon Spiers, WpgBinocular

BAUSCH & LOMB Zephyr 8X30

Great find! Near mint Bausch & Lomb Zephyr 8X30. Bausch & Lomb is not well known outside the USA and these days very hard to find one in Europe. Opticaly and mechanicaly it should be on par with best German optics. First impression is its lightness. Its body is made of strong, light, one-piece magnesium alloy. Despite a larger size than European competitors it weighs only 495 g. My best binoculars so far was E. Leitz Binuxit. Zephyr is lighter, has wider field of view and is a little brighter. Its set of features is certainly superior. But Binuxit still has its hard to describe pleasant feel and comfort view.

Second opinion: WpgBinoculars, Brin Best

KOMZ 6X24

Nice little pair of binoculars. Sharp and wide field of view (11.4 deg.). Typical green-yellow tint. Focus wheel has some play.

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 Best, Simon Spiers, WpgBinocular

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

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