Extinction Idiots

[baggiebloke]

Binos? I'm intrigued ...

Two pairs of Opticron and one Zeiss. The Zeiss were an indulgence - no point pretending otherwise, but they're the ones I most often pick up now.

Wildlife mostly, assuming whatever it is keeps still long enough for me to focus. Goldcrests are a nightmare.

I do like the Japanese Opticrons. However, I love Zeiss. Using 10x40B Dialyts from the early 80s at the mo and have some pristine 8x20s from the same era, like new.

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Also got 2 pairs of Nikon HGs, made in Japan, which are absolutely superb.

Carl Zeiss Jena - do they still exist? Up there with Lokomotiv Leipzig as one of the best team names ever.

As BB says that was the Zeiss company from the old DDR. The Zeiss you see around now is a descendant of that business and one of the 'names' in high-end optics, along with Leica, Swarovski and a few others. Not sure if they make cameras any more, but a few years back a Leica compact would have been double the price of a near identical Panasonic with a Zeiss lens.

As with many things there's a law of diminishing returns with bins. My Zeiss ones cost twice as much as either of the Opticrons; they're better, but not twice as good and a long way from the top end of the Zeiss range (two grand and more!).

The best value bins I've owned were Canon 8x23s again made in Japan bought in Northern Ireland mid late 90s. Some tosspot stole them from my car in Wolvo, they were in the glovebox, acceptable as they were nitrogen filled waterproofed. Cost about £70 and were great.