Help! Unknown Zeiss Binoculars

[MauserCollector]

I was given this Zeiss 7x50. I don't know much about optics since it's not my field, I was hoping that some of you other collectors could help me with finding out what it was used for, and who used it.

It's marked Richtkijker Nr. 45 Rechts. Richtkijker is Ducth and as far as i've found out it translates to "Rifle scope" So I'm guessing that it may have been used on a ship or an AA-gun, but I have no idea.

You can change the lens color to yellow.

It's marked:

Bi.Ri 7x50
Schr. E. 30°
7x 10°

I haven't been able to find any other markings.


I'm posting some pitures, if you need some better pictures or anything specific photographed just say so.

Hope someone can help me!

Sincerely Morten

[MauserCollector]

Some more pictures.

[mlespaul]

These were made by the Dutch subsidiary for Zeiss in the pre-war/interwar years for the Kriegsmarine. My friend Bruno P has documented these, and according to him these are quite heavy, as I'm sure you can attest. As a matter of fact, his site is the only other place I've ever seen these.

Not sure why they're marked both 7x50 and 7x10, as I know the field of view must be v e r y w i d e.

The schr E refers to schrageinblick which is the angle at which the oculars join the body, for ease of viewing. Pretty sure these were designed for mounting on shipboard observation deck areas.

Good news for you is they're evidently pretty rare, and yours is in excellent shape. Does it have a graticule, crosshair or something inside? I think I see a lighting attachment there on the right.

[MauserCollector]

Thanks

Hi mlespaul, Im happy to finally know what they were used for! And your friend is absolutely right, they are really heavy!

Do you know if it is "normal" they are not marked by a Prüfamt? Because I haven't been able to find any such markings.. (Since you have only seen a few it might be difficult to compare it to anything )

The 7x10 seems a little odd to me too.. I can't quite figure out the meaning..

The field of view doesn't seem that wide to me? But maybe I should take it out some where and test it, It's just a little bit big to carry out when you go hunting for example..

I can easily imagine them being mounted on a ship in the observation area,
there is no crosshair or anything inside, but on top of the right hand tube, there is somekind of Iron Sight, it's not adjustable.

The light switch flips down the yellow lenses for use in bad weather or at night? correct me if I'm wrong..

Your friend Bruno P, does he have a homepage or anything relating to the binoculars? If he want's to see the binoculars I have, to compare them to his, or have any questions just PM me and I will help out as much as I can..

Thanks again!

PS. They were found in a scrapyard, so since they are not very common I'm happy they didn't end up as metalscrap! It sometimes amazes me what people throw away nowadays..

Cheers Morten

[mlespaul]

Bruno's site is http://www.binoculaires.org/ and he's a very fine fellow.

Yes, very fortunate you pulled this one out. Try a different pair of binoculars with a FOV of 30 or less. Then look through these. you will recognize the difference.

Bi. Ri. stands for 'Binokulares Richtfernrohr'. Yours would have extended rainguard shields over the objectives with holes to allow the rainwater to exit, but which are missing here.

Seeger's grey book on page 240, section 2.7 shows your exact model at the top of the page. "possibly" for coast artillery, AA guns, ships artillery or rangefinders. Its' made of brass in the housing the rest is aluminum. Those funny circles on the side are for holding the rubber ocular eyecups. Betcha didn't know that, huh? (I didn't either, until I read Seeger )

Although the book says your item has a graticule in it in the right ocular view. Seeger says it's a single vertical line. Perhaps you should try focusing the ocular ring more while your're looking through it to bring the graticule into focus. Either that, or someone removed it .
Evidently you can select the filter with the one knob and combine it with the other switch to simultaneously switch the filters at once. Neat.

Nice piece!

[MauserCollector]

...

Very nice page he has there, great link!

Now, thanks to you, I have alle the abbrevations sorted out, they have puzzled me quite some time.. I googled them but nothing came up, I might have to get my hands on Seegers book it seems
A shame it's missing the rainguard shields, but nice to know what the different attatchments and such are meant for, I'm really learning a lot about the binos!
But you are exactly right, I had no idea what the cirlces were for!

I've tried to focus back and forth, left and right, but it has no graticule unfortunalely, either that or I'm just doing it wrong.. (which I seriously doubt )
And like you said you can combine the filters like you wan't, it has three settings, yellow, normal, and one that looks a little brownish, but it works like a charm, even after all these years! I think it's pretty impressive..

Once again I thank You very much for your time and help, I've learned more about them in a week than the six years I've had them collecting dust in my collection, but no longer! they are put on the top shelf in one of my "detolf's"

I've posted a few pics of something I'm not quite sure of what is for.. The inside is threaded and it has a button on the top so you can slide it off the rail it's attatched to

Sincerely Morten

[mlespaul]

That is the "head" of the reticle's illuminating system. That part would normally have the small light bulb assembly located there, and there would be an electrical lead extend back from the body into an battery box. It slides in and locks into the dovetail. keep that, its a unique shape and design. you may be able to rebuild it into a working system from other graticule illumination sets of later design (find them on ebay) they're called strich beleuchtlung sets.
That confirms that once, there was a graticule within that ocular. According to Seeeger it's a single, vertical line. This would hint that it had use as a weapons director by lining up the objective in the horizontal plane. Remember, as you are standing on the deck of a ship in heavy seas, rolling and listing, its important to keep the objective in line as your dipping below the swells. Having a horizontal line for a graticule would be pointless your own horiztonal orientation would be rocking and rolling.

If youve been on a ship in heavy seas, you'd know what I mean


M

[MauserCollector]

Great, I would never had guessed that.. And very very interesting knowledge .

At some point it would be nice to make it into a working set, so i'll keep an eye out for such a beleuchtung set.

I can understand that a vertical line is what you'd need when you are battling the rough seas..! Too bad it's missing.. I wonder why it was removed and how.. Because (to me) they don't look like they have been tampered with?

Morten