Jenoptem Serial Numbers
By Holger MerlitzLong time before, almost a century ago, 8x30 binoculars of Porro prismdesign had already reached quite a reasonable performance level. Thiswas so because 8x30 was about to establish itself as one of thestandard sizes in military applications, at least in Europe, and therehas always been plenty of money available for war toys at any times.8x30 binoculars are compact, lightweight and fairly powerful.No surprise that these devices had quickly been accepted on thecivilian market as well in rather peaceful times. In thisreview, I will present a small, and in no way exhaustive,selection of these classic binoculars, coveringboth military and civilian samples. Despite of being made afterWWII, some of them carry a heritage which reaches back wellbefore the 1950s. For comparison, I refer to earlier reviews of, and.Fig. 1: The Carl Zeiss Jena Deltrentis (MDI issued,serial no. 4177769, 1973)The Zeiss Jena Deltrentis was no doubt the mother of most classic 8x30Porro binoculars.
On,this item is first showing up in 1920, along with the centerfocus version called Deltrintem. At that time, the body wasmade of magnesium and of featherlight 390 g. The wideangleeyepieces were designed by Albert Koenig, were free of distortionand contained 4 lens-elements. A single layer anti-reflectioncoating with a bluish color was first added during WWII. According to, this ocularwas replaced in 1947 by an Erfle design with 5 lens-elements anda certain amount of pincushion distortion in order to eliminatethe. In 1978, theamber colored multilayer coating was introduced, and around 1990, when Docter tookover the old Zeiss plant in Eisfeld, another improved coatingof greenish color was used. The production ofthis binocular was halted around 1995.
Tales of graces f titles. The civilian, center focus versionwas also called Jenoptem during the 1980s. The sample on Fig. 1was not made for the regular army 'NVA', but forthe ministry for internal affairs, which covered paramilitarylaw enforcement units - hence the imprint 'MdI' (Ministerium desInnern).Perhaps no other binocular in history has been cloned as oftenas the Deltrentis or the Deltrintem. Millions oforiginal Zeiss Jena 8x30 were made,and even more copies have been produced in various countries,for their military, but also for the civilian market where they weresold under countless brand names. Two of those clones are alsosubject of the present review.Fig. 2: The Bulgarian military B8x30 (serial no. 220064,probably made around 1980).
Hi i have carl zeiss jena jenoptem 8x30w binoculars made in DDR serial no 6758515. Can you tell me in which year these were made. Genuine ones have 7-digit serial numbers, not 6, with no letters, so it's a good indicator that they are genuine. Yours were made in 1988. Apr 22, 2014 It'm buying one in Rome Italy for € 189 with serial number 467 728, what year was it built? Thanks and congratulations for the blog. Reply Delete.
Right: The list of items insidethe case.In 1945 the Soviets disassembled the Zeiss Jena plantand transferred machines and also selected engineers to theEast as a part of their war time reparations. It is generallybelieved that the blueprints of many Zeiss Jena productswere taken over without any major modifications, yieldingquite a decent lot of optical products made in USSR,including binoculars and camera lenses, among others. ThisB8x30 was sold to me as a 'Soviet military binocular', butin fact the factory logo has been identified by Per Beckmanas belonging to the Bulgarian factory. Most likely, it is a Zeiss Deltrentis clone aswell and it may also be based on the same blueprints as the Sovietmade clones.Fig. 3: The Chinese 8x30 military 62-8WYJ (serial no. 638089,current production). Right: Silica gel cartridges for dryingBefore the mid 1930s, the Chinese army imported theiroptics mostly from Germany and also from US, but by 1940,China had already established their own optical industry.This military 62-8WYJ is often called 'type-62', since it wasfirst designed in 1962 as a clone of the Soviet8x30 binocular.
It was actually in service from the 1960s until the end of the1990s, when it got replaced with the which is currently the standard binocular ofthe PLA (Peoples Liberation Army). Last true militarymodels were made in mid 1980s, but thisbinocular is still in production at several factories(the factory code is the encircled number, here '98'), like thecurrent model in Fig. 3, and samples from different factories may vary incertain details. This binocular is also employed in several thirdworld countries. As an interesting gadget, it has gotexchangeable silica gel cartridges built into either tubeto keep them dry inside - a very useful featurewhen in excessive use under humid weather conditions. Theprism house covers extend about 1cm down the body which mayhave a favorable impact on water resistance.The body is a little bit higher when compared with the Deltrentisor the Bulgarian B8x30.
Zeiss Binocular Serial Number Lookup
Therefore, this currently made sample may be a copy,but surely not any more an exact clone.Fig. 4: The Zeiss Oberkochen 8x30 (serial no. 634497,about 1960s)After WWII, a part of the former Zeiss Jena staff moved from theSoviet occupied East Germany to the West, where shortly thereafter the'Zeiss-Opton Optische Werkstaette Oberkochen GmbH'(in short: 'Zeiss, West' or 'Zeiss Oberkochen') was inaugurated.Binocular construction began from scratch, and thefirst output was this 8x30 which was ready by 1954. Thecivilian version of Fig.
4 was with center focus,as usual, and the military version was with individualfocuser for its superior water sealing (the military version,available from 1957 to 1964,was reviewed ).This binocular came with an air spaced (tele-) objectivewhich allowed for a short and very compact body, and ahigh performance wide angle eyepiece with no less than sixlens elements, designed by Horst Koehler. No doubt theZeiss engineers were eager to set new standards of modernPorro binocular design, and when presenting this new line(which also included anand model), theydid not only send a message to Jena but also to its archrival, Ernst Leitz. Leitz did not attempt to answer withanother improved line of Porro binoculars, but exclusivelyfocused on the development of their roof-prism line. Withthe Porro design gradually running out of fashion,neither of the both Zeiss factories did ever designany new 8x30 Porro after 1960, but instead introduced their8x32 Dialyt (Oberkochen) and later on the Notarem (Jena) roofprism binoculars.Since the eye relief of their binocular was very short,Zeiss offered, starting from 1958, a 8x30B version withlong 19mm eye relief but narrow apparent field of viewaround 50 degs., which was in 1968 extended to 60 degs.The 8x30 remained in production until 1971, and the 8x30Bstayed around until 1978.Fig.
5: The Leitz 8x30 Binuxit (serial no. 617222, about 1950s)The Leitz Binuxit was introduced as early as 1927 and remainedin production until 1962, when it was replaced with the8x32 Trinovid roof prism. During war times, light weight versionswere available for the military. War production stoppedaround serial no. So that the sample on the picturewas probably made sometimes during the 1950s.Its external appearance definitely resembles the Zeiss Deltrintem,but it is of entirely independent optical design.
The lenseshave got the typical single layer coating of that generation,but it appears that the prisms remained uncoated. This binocular isthe oldest among the seven competitors, but despite of itsage it is still in excellentcondition, both mechanically and optically - surely a demonstrationof Leitz's high quality production standards.Fig. 6: The Hensoldt DF, here with partial armor (serial no. 61714, about 1960s)The Hensoldt Diagon was introduced in 1948, it was the centerfocusing civilian version of the 8x30 binocular which would laterbecome the standard binocular of the German army (Bundeswehr).The military version, the 8x30 DF with individual eyepiece focuser and apartial rubber armor, was introduced in 1955, and by 1960 thefull rubber armor was available. The device in this picturebelongs to the latter series, I have removed parts of therubber so that the imprints on the prism house become readable.It is not immediately clear why this binocular had been chosenfor the army, since alternatives were available in 1955. First of all,Hensoldt had already collected much experience with their Dialytroof-prism series, during and even before the war times.
Then,Zeiss had just finished the construction of its superb Porrobinocular (Fig. 4) which had got the advantage of being morecompact and of superior optical design. I presume it wasa matter of cost saving, since Zeiss had surelycharged a bundle of money for their glass, more thanHensoldt did for its Diagon. Additionally, by 1955 Hensoldt couldalready offer 7x50 and 10x50 versions of its Diagon, which werealso adopted by the Bundeswehr, while the corresponding Zeissbinoculars were still under construction.The 8x30 DF remained in service until the 1970s whenthey were gradually supplemented (though not completely replaced)with the cheaper but also inferiorSteiner models. Since 1986, Hensoldt is again supplyingbinoculars to the armed forces.Fig. 7: The Hensoldt Fero-D 16 (serial no.
How To Spot Fake Zeiss Binoculars
204338, about 1990s)The Fero-D 16 is currently issued to the Bundeswehr, alongwith the 7x50 Fero-D 18 and the 10x50 Fero-D 19.Though not being a classic binocular, it is an interestingaddition to the lot of glasses compared here, because it demonstratesthe progress that has been achieved in optical engineering duringrecent decades. Among new features, not offered by any of theother contenders, are (almost) eye-glass friendlyoculars with 14.5mm eye-relief, an improved multilayer coating, and a dry nitrogen filling which preventsinternal corrosion and condensation. On the down side, itsfield of view is comparably small, and the Fero-D 16 is theonly non-wideangle binocular in this review. Most likely thiscompromise was necessary in order to increase eye-relief, butcost saving may have been an additional factor whenthis device was designed. In most cases, the Fero-D 16 comeswith built in laser protection filters.
As I have already mentionedin,this filter has got a negative impact on image brightness andcolor rendition. The sample on Fig. 7 has got its laser filtersand rangefinder reticle removed, with positive effects onimage quality.Fig. 8: In front: Hensoldt Fero-D 16, Zeiss Oberkochen, Leitz Binuxit.Behind: Hensoldt DF, Zeiss Deltrentis, 62-8WYJ, B8x30The following table is summarizing the specifications of thecontenders. (a): Measured field of view(b): Estimate (official spec.
Unknown)(c): Weight with complete rubber armor, 580g with partial armorAngle of view: Officially, all binoculars except the Fero-D 16are specified with a large 8.5 deg. Field, but in real life thereare differences, which might arise due to their short eye-relief andthe particular eye-cup design. A good test isthe Big Dipper, because the two stars at the bottom of theconstellation are 7.9 degs. Those do not fit into the fieldof the Fero-D 16, as expected.
Using the Hensoldt DF, they justbarely fit inside, with a minimum space left over - the field cannotbe larger than about 8 (or at most 8.1) degs. The Deltrentis,8WYJ, B8x30 and Leitz show a little more field, I would estimate8.3 degs. Only the Zeiss Oberkochen is wider, and it seems herethe 8.5 degs. Are actually reached.
It is interesting tonote that thewhich I hadtested earlier did only have around 8.0 degs., and this impliesthat Zeiss must have implemented some modifications in between(the Zeiss shown in Fig. 4 is of later production).Image sharpness: At the center, all of the contendershave got an excellent resolution. They essentially differ assoon as the edge of the field is approached. The Deltrentisand its derivates, i.e. The OMZ B8x30 and the Chinese 8WYJ,show point-like stars within about 50-60% of the field (measuredradially from the center).
After that, the star image is graduallydegrading and becoming very poor while approaching the edge. Since thisbehavior is quite similar among these three binoculars, it ispossible that they in fact share the same ocular design. TheLeitz Binuxit displays nice point-like stars in the center,and the image is visibly degrading beyond 70% of the field.Both Hensoldt behave almost the same, but one has to considerthat the Fero-D 16 has got the smallest field of view so that,in absolute numbers, its field performance is not so good.The best overall image is offered by the Zeiss Oberkochen:Beyond 70%, the stars are not point-like any more, but theimage quality is degrading slowly so that near the edge theZeiss has got the best imaging among all contenders. This isa remarkable result, considering the fact that this binocularis offering the widest field of view.Image color: Both Hensoldt glasses appear neutral, and the LeitzBinuxit comes next with a slight yellowish tint. The Deltrentis,8WYJ and Zeiss Oberkochen have already got a somewhat yellowimage, but not yet strong enough to disturb color fidelityon a significant level. The 'final score' is the sum of the individual scores andis intended to serve as an orientation only.This field of competitors can clearly be divided into twosubsets: There is a group of high performance binoculars,both Hensoldt among them and the Zeiss Oberkochen, anda second group, separated from the first by a significantmargin, which has got certain shortcomings.The leading position of the Fero-D 16 is no surprise becauseit is a currently issued binocular, designed withstate of the art technology. Therefore, it should beregarded outside competition here, not really beinga classic.
The removal of its laserfilters has led to a significant performance boost. Thepresent sample would reach much closer to (although notarriving at) the performance level of thediscussed in anearlier review, which also contained the same Fero-D 16, but withlaser filter installed. This binocular is not yet perfect,however: Its field of view is rather narrow and comes with amediocre edge sharpness.
This fact can only be explained withthe employment of a set of simple oculars, and in thisway Hensoldt has missed an opportunity to create another memorablehigh performance binocular.The performance of the Zeiss Oberkochen was a positivesurprise. In a couple of disciplines, this sample wassuperior towhichI had tested earlier.
To be fair, that military binocularhad been heavily used and plenty of cleaning marks and a slightamount of haze on the prisms may have had some influenceon its performance. But there have also been improvementson the design itself, the field of view of the civilianversion tested here was a little wider than the one ofthe military version.
Also, lens coating technique hasimproved continuously, and it is likely that the presentbinocular took profit of a later generation coating.In summary, this is an almost perfect 8x30 binocular,apart from its short eye-relief and its non-waterproofbody. If equipped with a modern multi-coating, this glasscould actually compete with my favorite 8x30, the.The Hensoldt DF is on a similar level as the Zeiss. Being somewhatinferior in its optical performance, it has an advantage withits rugged construction. In any way this DF is a very solidand reliable performer, without any significant weakness.I dislike the attached rubber ocular and objective coverswhich usually come with thefully armored version and I do suggest to cut them off asan act of mercy to the user.Among a couple of other aspects, this review has proven two points:First, the Leitz Binuxit was superior to its Zeiss competitionfrom 1927 onwards, the year of its introduction, until 1954, the yearwhen Zeiss Oberkochen introduced its new binocular. It also provesthat the engineers of that period were well aware of thecompetition and their performance levels, and always eagerto strive for improvements. This oldBinuxit of the 1950s was beating its competitors of the 1970s(Deltrentis), 1980s (B8x30) and the currently made 8WYJ, not a bad resultfor such a grandpa model. Again, if equipped with a modern multi-coating,this binocular were still able to compete on todays medium range market.Among the Zeiss Deltrentis and its clones, the Chinese 8WYJ wasthe strongest.
It may be of the same heritage as the Bulgarian B8x30,which in turn may be a copy of the Deltrentis, but there are a couple ofimprovements which make the 8WYJ superior to its ancestors.The stray light protection is somewhat improved, the coatingis probably superior, and a few mechanical refinements have beenimplemented. However, this binocular does not have multi-coating,or, in case it does, then a rather inefficient one which isno better than a good single coating.One might argue that the Chinese engineers should rather havecopied the Hensoldt or the Zeiss Oberkochen instead. In fact,there exists a much superior Chinese 8x30 binocular, the,presumably a Fujinon FMTR-SX copy, which would no doubt beable to compete head to head with the Fero-D 16.The performance of the Deltrentis may appear a littledisappointing.
I was surprised to experience the mediocrequality of its coating, which seems to be entirely missingon the prisms. Another fundamental flaw of thisdesign, and this includes also the later versions of the8x30 Deltrintem and Jenoptem, is its sensitivity to straylight. I have no clue how the crowd of gifted engineersat Zeiss Jena could tolerate such an amount of straylight even in ordinary day light use.
Other binocularsof the same factory, like the 10x50 Dekarem/Jenoptem orthe 7x50 Binoctem/Jenoptem, do not display any such problem.In any way, I strongly suggest to everybody who wantsto buy a Deltrintem to go for the later multi-coatedversion (serial no. Beyond about 4.8 Million, after 1978)which is significantly better. If somebody needs a cheapand water resistant 8x30, he shouldnot choose the Deltrentis but instead look out for aHensoldt DF which is available for about the same price.The Bulgarian B8x30 was lacking behind, mostly because ofits strong yellow image color and a related reductionof light transmission. The present sample is in ratherdecent condition, externally, since it had never beenused before. However, it haspast a few decades of storage and was not treated wellduring that time, which led to a slight amount of hazeon its prisms (only visible with a flashlight).I cannot exclude that this circumstancemight have had a certain negative impact on its performance,and a freshly cleaned sample of this binocular would possiblyhave been competitive with the Deltrentis. Its coating isapparently superior to the Zeiss Jena glass. Since it ischeap, this B8x30 is still offering a reasonable deal.I have also seen very similar Soviet made binoculars,various versions of the BPC 8x30 made at KOMZ and withcenter focus, which were available for 30 Euro and less, andperhaps of identical optical construction and merits asthe OMZ made Bulgarian glass.But one has to be aware that their performance levels remainlimited, a natural consequence of carrying the heritageof a 90 year old binocular design.The information given in this report reflects the personalimpression and opinion of the author only.
I cannot guarantee for theaccuracy of any given specification. I have neither been payednor have I been supported in any other way to write this review.Thanks to Per Backman who found this link!Last updated: December 2008.