Carl Zeiss Jena Nobilem Super 8×50

Specifications:

Objective diameter:  50 mm
Magnification:  8 x
Exit pupil: 6.25 mm
Eye relief (acc. to spec): 17 mm
Usable eye relief (measured from rim of eyecup): 11 mm
IPD: 54  – 75 mm
RFOV:  8.0  degrees = 140 m
AFOV (measured, rounded): 64.5 degrees
Minimum focus distance (measured): 5.35 m
Focus type: CF (direction of rotation from close to infinity: > clockwise)
Degrees of rotation of focus wheel from 5.35 m to infinity (measured): 180 degrees
Range of diopter adjustment (estimate): +/- 4 dpt*
Excess travel of focus wheel beyond infinity position (estimate): 5 dpt*
Prism system:  Porro I
Waterproof: splashproof
Weight (measured, with eyepiece cover and strap): 1‘278 g
Made in: DDR (East Germany)
*range of diopter adjustment not affected by position of focus wheel

 
Remarks:

The “Super”- Nobilem 8×50 was only produced between 1980 and 1985; the sample in this collection is from 1981. Carl Zeiss Jena tried to outperform the western Zeiss Oberkochen with the massive field of view of 140m. The drawback: the prisms had to be made so big that people with regular size hands can barely reach the central focusing knob without taking one hand off the binocular. On the plus side, minimal vignetting and good illumination of almost the entire field of view are still appreciated nowadays when panning the night sky.