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Zeiss Dialyt 10x40B - Current Equivilant????

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ahiaring View Drop Down
Optics Apprentice
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Joined: January/21/2011
Location: Boise Idaho
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    Posted: October/30/2016 at 20:38
A very special friend who was a "Grandfather Figure" to me recently passed and left me his Zeiss Dialyt 10x40b Binoculars as his last gift to me. Optically they seemed pretty good and to honor him, I left my 10x42 Leicas Geovids at home last week and took these Zeiss out on a mule deer hunt.

I took a bad stumble on the mountain side and the binoculars went with me. The focus wheel jammed and wouldn't move. That night back at camp, i left them in my truck - as i do with all optics. The next morning when I got up, they were badly fogged internally and 100% unusable.

Now I guess I have two questions...
1. What is the current Zeiss Bino that is equivalent? I filled out the service form and am sending them in, but my concern is they may be unrepairable as I am guessing they are close to 25-30 years old. If so, and assuming zeiss offers to replace them, are these Conquest HD or Victory level? Terra HD?

2. I attached a picture, but can't find a serial number anywhere. Based on the picture, any guess as to approx. manufacturing year? What was the quality of these brand new? I know he paid a pretty good sum of money when he bought them new many years ago. I am assuming they were made in West Germany?

Thanks
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WJC View Drop Down
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Joined: May/28/2014
Location: Twin Falls, ID
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote WJC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/31/2016 at 14:04

Adam:

Hello from a dad and husband—okay granddad and husband—in Twin Falls; yeah, I read your profile.  

First, you may find those binos are considerably older than you think. But, from my perspective, even a 35-year old Zeiss has not even reached adolescence. But, although I’ve always had a soft spot for Zeiss, that type of focus mechanism has always been a pain. 

The photos attached show the kind of work Cory Suddarth and I used to do at Captain’s Nautical Supplies in Seattle. It was made just before Alexander Smakula came up with Vacuum AR coatings in 1935. For many years, I was Zeiss’ go to guy for out of warranty repair. When we did an “overhaul” we did an overhaul. In this case, the customer required the objectives to be “de-swaged” out of their housings—there were no screw-in retainer rings, and both objectives to be recoated.

Then, when I imported his deadwood butt from Florida to help me out, I turned about 70- 80% of the work over to him, so I wouldn’t have to chip a nail; don’t you hate it when that happens?  Anyway, he’s the best of the best, and you can find him at Suddarth Optical Repair in Henryetta, Oklahoma.


PS While many things about this forum are top notch, the photo handling stinks, so I had to give up; sorry



Edited by WJC - October/31/2016 at 16:05
“Water, water everywhere nor any drop to drink.” — Samuel Taylor Coleridge
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