Cannot identify a 7x50 Marine binoculars

[ned ismail]

On a visit to the Middle East in 1982 I walked with a colleague into a camera shop. He wanted to buy a lense for his SLR camera. I spotted a glass cabinet with binoculars and asked to look at one of them. Upto that point my knowledge of binoculars was almost zero. The man in the shop handed me a pair marked 16x50 I looked outside at a target. Then he handed me a 7x50 which I found much easier to use and it gave a superior view. So I chose it. I paid the equivalent of £30 - £40 . Back in England I gave them as a present to my father -in-law and he was very pleased with them.  Some years later he passed away.  When we visited my mother-in-law in 2014 I spotted a brown bag on a shelf in the garage which contained the same binoculars and the mother-in-law said I can have them back. So 32 years later I got them back. I examined them carefully. The performance during the day is excellent and at night is good.

Though made in Japan with "Japan 10 passed" marking, it has the following information: 7x50 Marine, Blickwinkel 7.1, Vergutete Optik.

All attempts to find the name of the manufacturer have so far failed.

Has anyone come across a similar pair of binos?

I can send pictures of the binos,

[D4N]

The markings are in German.

Blickwinkel 7.1 means 7.1° FOV and  Vergutete Optik means coated optics.

[Putaendo Patrick]

I've come across these, but whether Marine is a brand name or a model name I don't know. Many Japanese optical manufacturers made rather anonymous products which where branded and packaged by or for the importers. Have a look to see if there is a very small letter/number code JBxxx, or perhaps the "Japan 10 passed" sticker - this may (or not) indicate the Toko Seiki Co. Ltd. There may also be a tiny symbol, in a diamond or circle for example.

There's an interesting list of codes and manufacturers at http://home.europa.com/~telscope/jbcode.txt

[ned ismail]

Sorry for not coming back sooner. Here are some pics which may help identify these 7x50 solid sharp view binos which I bought early 1980s at a camera shop in the Middle East 36 years ago:

[Merlin]

Back in the 1970s ( Tempus Fugit ), I purchased a 7X50 binocular in a secondhand shop for £18. The bins were in perfect condition,  gave excellent definition, and had independent focusing on both eyepieces.

There was only a serial number on the bins, so I wrote it down and posted it to Frank's of Glasgow ( instrument makers ). They replied that I had a German naval glass. I eventually sold them to a teacher, who was delighted with them.

[25585]

I brlueve there was a time when a Japanese manufacturer copied Zeiss Jena/Jenoptem lenses. After legal issues, the Japanese actually were licensed to make products, CZJ were impressed enough by the quality of the Japanese imitations.

So those binoculars, could be part of that or a similar scenario. Perhaps.   

[PeterW]

Post war the Japanese were recognised as making some of the best bins out there, though the different bits were made by different workshops (hence the JB/JE stamp marks). They made bins for a huge number of random brands across the world, you can find top notch stuff with unknown branding sometimes. eBay and the Internet forums are your friends I. Tracking down good quality (cheap) wide angle Porro goodness.

Good that you’ve found bins that you really enjoy.

PEter