For Sale Leitz Wetzlar Trinovid Binoculars

I really didn't know where to put this, however I thought someone here might be interested. Here is a set of Leitz binoculars...the Trinovid 7x35B model. They come with the Leitz leather case and straps. There are some things I should tell you: (1) you'll see there is a nick on the right lower front trim ring. (2) there are cleaning marks and a scratch on the rear (eyepiece) elements. (3) these cleaning marks and the scratch make no difference. That is to say you can not see them while looking through the binoculars and they do not degrade the image. The last time I checked, you could buy new rear elements from Leitz, but as I've already said, the marks on these really make no difference and so I have not seen a reason to replace them. If you want to restore these to pristine condition, that might be a good idea...all depends on your particular point of view. I've owned these for a while, have used them and allowed other people to use them. I've never heard anything but compliments. I was told by a man at Leica this particular model is in very high demand with nature folks and particularly birdwatchers. I've used them at sporting events and on walks in the country. When I worked in a highrise office, I kept them in my desk drawer and watched the progress of construction projects and traffic problems in great detail. This is a very expensive set of binoculars, by the way. From time to time I check on eBay and currently there are 3 listed. The seller of the $199 starting bid set has already asked Leitz about repair of the problems his set has, by the way. Mine focus fine and smoothly and have no sloppiness at all...in fact they feel about like new.

You can have these for $150 plus the cost of insured and trackable shipping. I'd prefer not to be paid via PayPal however. If you want to know why, just ask.

If you have any questions, please send them to: jon_goodman@yahoo.com
Jon

Haven't priced 'em recently but @ $150 they're at least 75% less than new. A terrific price.

John Koehrer said:

Haven't priced 'em recently but @ $150 they're at least 75% less than new. A terrific price.

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Those are terrific binoculars, too. I've looked through a pair. Did they belong to anyone famous?

Seriously though, these are a steal.

I don't think the Trinovid is still available in 7x35B configuration today...at least they were not shown on the Leica website.

Owned by anyone famous? Yes! These were once the property of Jubilation T. Cornpone. He bought them while stationed in Upper Slobovia and later used them to spy on Stupefyin' Jones, Moonbeam McSwine, Bim Bovak and...Appasionata Von Climax. But...he never spied on Loverboynik. At least that's the story I heard.
Jon

Jon Goodman said:

I don't think the Trinovid is still available in 7x35B configuration today...at least they were not shown on the Leica website.

Owned by anyone famous? Yes! These were once the property of Jubilation T. Cornpone. He bought them while stationed in Upper Slobovia and later used them to spy on Stupefyin' Jones, Moonbeam McSwine, Bim Bovak and...Appasionata Von Climax. But...he never spied on Loverboynik. At least that's the story I heard.
Jon

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I have a set of Portugese 10x25 Trinovids, they fit in my pants pocket and are my vade mecum binos. for 7x50, I found a pair of coated WWII Spencer Buffalo ex USN binoculars, they're incredibly good in low light, and superb otherwise. I heard they belonged either to Repulsive Rogan or to Filthy McNasty, but I'm not sure if that's true.

Any decent binoc that will fit in a pocket is a hit with me. I have a couple of pair of tiny Vivitar 7x35s I've owned a while, and they do an ok job. Nothing to compare to the Trinovid by a large margin, but I think I may have paid $25 each for them.
Jon

I always carried a zoom monocular in the front pocket of my Bermuda shorts until my wife told me that I looked silly.

pm sent.

Umut

The Trinovids are still available.
Jon

Leica USA conversation

Because so many people have asked me about these and the availability / price of parts, I called Leica USA today. The rear lens elements (which come as a set with the metal collars) are $98 each and Leica agreed to pay for US shipping.

The rubber eyepieces are $25 each and also are molded into their metal threaded collars, should anyone want to replace those.

So, these are the Leica USA prices. And if you wanted to purchase these and put them back in very close to like-new condition, this is what you'd be looking at cost-wise. Or you could purchase a pair of Trinovid 8 x 42 new (the 7 x 35 power sadly is no longer available) for $1,450 plus shipping (not from Leica directly but from another seller who I know nothing about).

Is any of this necessary? I don't know, because I don't know your personality. If you are like me, then the answer is no. If on the other hand you are the sort of person who might find it hard to sleep knowing the scratches are present or if you are the sort of person who only wants really nice and perfect things, then the answer may be yes. Could these lenses be polished successfully? I would say the answer is no because of the cost and risk of breakage and also you would definitely lose the coating once they were polished...that is to say polishing them seems to me to be a bad choice given the risks involved. So there is the universe of options.

Jon

PM sent.

Chris

These have been sold.
Thanks,
Jon

I received the Leitz Trinovid 7x35B binoculars and they are great as-is, just as described.
I feel no need to invest in the repair now but I'm glad to know it's an option in future.

These were a terrific bargain. And Jon Goodman is a great guy to deal with!

Chris

Thanks very much for the compliment, Chris. I'm really glad you got them, and I hope you enjoy them as I did.
Jon

My wife is a fairly avid birder and will get good use out of them, so all's well that ends well.
These will replace a pair of decent but larger and heavier Pentax binoculars she was using.

Thanks again, Jon for the opportunity to get a great deal on something I couldn't otherwise afford.

Chris