Telescope Reviews: Zeiss Binoviewer

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Equipment Discussions >> Binoviewers

Pages: 1 | 2 | (show all)

Emanuele
Lord of the Ring

Reged: 11/19/03

Loc: Brescia-Italy, and Iowa-US

Re: Zeiss Binoviewer new

[Re: rick rian]
#4257834 - 12/19/10 07:14 AM Attachment (60 downloads)

Here's a picture of it:

Post Extras:

rfic1
sage

Reged: 10/25/05

Re: Zeiss Binoviewer new

[Re: Emanuele]
#4258030 - 12/19/10 10:00 AM

Emanuele,
The diagonal and coupler looks the same as mine.

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Emanuele
Lord of the Ring

Reged: 11/19/03

Loc: Brescia-Italy, and Iowa-US

Re: Zeiss Binoviewer new

[Re: rfic1]
#4258105 - 12/19/10 10:39 AM

rfic1,
yes, they do look like yours.
I am wondering why the black paint though ?

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rfic1
sage

Reged: 10/25/05

Re: Zeiss Binoviewer new

[Re: Emanuele]
#4258156 - 12/19/10 11:05 AM

Given your binoviewer has a Baader sticker I suspect it one of the early generation binoviewers from Baader when they began to make them using the zeiss plans and components. I would ask Baader and see if they made a run with your color.

Post Extras:

rick rian
Seeker of Truth(s)

Reged: 08/03/04

Loc: Upper Mid West

Re: Zeiss Binoviewer new

[Re: rfic1]
#4258413 - 12/19/10 01:19 PM

Quote:

Given your binoviewer has a Baader sticker I suspect it one of the early generation binoviewers from Baader when they began to make them using the zeiss plans and components. I would ask Baader and see if they made a run with your color.

I agree, send an email to Baader with your photo attached and see what they say, it certainly appears to be a Mark IV painted black. Maybe a first run?

Post Extras:

Emanuele
Lord of the Ring

Reged: 11/19/03

Loc: Brescia-Italy, and Iowa-US

Re: Zeiss Binoviewer new

[Re: rick rian]
#4258423 - 12/19/10 01:23 PM

I will guys, thank you

Problem is that Baader never responds to emails!
E.

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Catalin Fus
Vendor CFF Telescopes

Reged: 08/20/07

Loc: Krakow, Poland

Re: Zeiss Binoviewer new

[Re: Emanuele]
#4264381 - 12/22/10 09:07 AM

hope it still helps the information I will provide regarding the binoviewer bought on amart and the one available in Italy.
I'm quoting from Mr Baader response to a friend of mine here in Poland who wanted to buy the same bino as Emanuele.

'this was the unit Zeiss build beside us in the early beginning, untill they close.

It is compareable to our very first Baader Binos. Optically good. Coatings are not so good.
But the Bino should be better as every cheep bino on the market'

'This is Mark I '

kind regards
Cata

Post Extras:

rfic1
sage

Reged: 10/25/05

Re: Zeiss Binoviewer new

[Re: Catalin Fus]
#4264425 - 12/22/10 09:32 AM

That's not very good news and suprised to hear such. I am anxiously waiting for a good night to give it a try and see for myself.

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vahe
professor emeritus

Reged: 08/27/05

Loc: Houston, Texas

Re: Zeiss Binoviewer new

[Re: rfic1]
#4264436 - 12/22/10 09:37 AM

One negative about original Zeiss viewers is the diameter of 1.25” eyepiece holders, these are machined to be exactly that size and with certain eyepieces the fit can be extremely tight. One of my eyepiece pairs, 24mm Tak LE will not slide into the Zeiss viewer, not just tight, it simply will not slide into the opening, there is definitely considerable variation in the eyepiece barrel size, all other TaK LE’s fit in this viewer just fine, but the 24 will not.
For the 24 LE’s I have to use a later model Baader viewer with Lapides focuser, the 24’s fit in this viewer just fine.

Vahe

Post Extras:

Catalin Fus
Vendor CFF Telescopes

Reged: 08/20/07

Loc: Krakow, Poland

Re: Zeiss Binoviewer new

[Re: rfic1]
#4264469 - 12/22/10 09:50 AM

Sincerely, I really do not know what to say, but at least the part with coatings is true, things have evolved in the past 10 years or so (those binos are at least 10 years old if I'm not mistaken). Prisms quality is another question and I don't want to speculate.

Hope to hear your impressions soon. Maybe you can compare them with a good modern pair like Denk I/ Denk II/ Televue/Baader Mk IV / Baader Mk V.

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rfic1
sage

Reged: 10/25/05

Re: Zeiss Binoviewer new

[Re: Catalin Fus]
#4264497 - 12/22/10 10:04 AM

I assumed these viewers would have been available around the time of the Zeiss Abbe I ortho's were produced or possibly when the APQ refractors were available. Was the Zeiss coating technology different then compared to the Mark IV viewers.

Post Extras:

rfic1
sage

Reged: 10/25/05

Re: Zeiss Binoviewer new

[Re: rfic1]
#4264529 - 12/22/10 10:23 AM

Vahe,
Hopefully I will find your comparison of the Ziess viewer to the Mark IV to be the standard.
I am getting a quick change adapter that will allow me to use the viewer with a modern Baader T2 diagonal prism.
I know the Zeiss AbbeII ortho's fit into my Zeiss viewer in addition to 12mm TMB mono's and my 1.25" to .965" adapters that hold my Pentax ortho's.. For me the main eyepieces I will be using with the viewer are 16mm Zeiss Abbe II, 18mm Pentax, 12mm TMB and 25mm Pentax Kellner's. Likely will be getting a pair of 32mm Brandons

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vahe
professor emeritus

Reged: 08/27/05

Loc: Houston, Texas

Re: Zeiss Binoviewer new

[Re: rfic1]
#4264558 - 12/22/10 10:39 AM

I did a quick review of some eyepieces last night including first light for the new 24 Brandons, it is in “Eyepieces” section under “Got the new 24 & 16 Brandon flat tops”

Vahe

Post Extras:

rick rian
Seeker of Truth(s)

Reged: 08/03/04

Loc: Upper Mid West

Re: Zeiss Binoviewer new

[Re: Catalin Fus]
#4264604 - 12/22/10 11:05 AM

Quote:

... I'm quoting from Mr Baader response to a friend of mine here in Poland who wanted to buy the same bino as Emanuele.

'this was the unit Zeiss build beside us in the early beginning, untill they close.

It is compareable to our very first Baader Binos. Optically good. Coatings are not so good.
But the Bino should be better as every cheep bino on the market'

'This is Mark I '

kind regards
Cata

Thanks for the information, Cata, this is very helpful!

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Paul G
Post Laureate

Reged: 05/08/03

Loc: Freedonia

Re: Zeiss Binoviewer new

[Re: vahe]
#4264662 - 12/22/10 11:51 AM

Quote:

One negative about original Zeiss viewers is the diameter of 1.25” eyepiece holders, these are machined to be exactly that size and with certain eyepieces the fit can be extremely tight. One of my eyepiece pairs, 24mm Tak LE will not slide into the Zeiss viewer, not just tight, it simply will not slide into the opening, there is definitely considerable variation in the eyepiece barrel size, all other TaK LE’s fit in this viewer just fine, but the 24 will not.
For the 24 LE’s I have to use a later model Baader viewer with Lapides focuser, the 24’s fit in this viewer just fine.

Vahe

After Zeiss stopped making them the first production run of the Baaders had the same problem. My ZAO I's would become stuck in the binoviewer at certain temperatures. I sent them back to Astro-Physics and as it turned out the inside diameter of the eyepiece holders was EXACTLY 1.25" and the outside diameter of the ZAO barrels was EXACTLY 1.25". Love that German precision! Roland machined out the eyepiece holders slightly for me, subsequent production runs used a larger opening.

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