The PINACOLLECTION

Overview

This collection of modern binoculars and binocular telescopes has been built over a number of years, is still being completed and is now hosted by BINOCULARS TODAY. The vast majority of the instruments in the collection were manufactured in the last 30 years from about 1990 up to 2022. Some interesting binoculars from the 1950s, 1960, 1970s and 1980s have been added to give a bit of perspective to the current “state of affairs” of binocular making; however, truly historical instruments from before 1950 or even before WW II have not been included, since there are already a number of very good historic binocular collections around.
Instruments are being presented individually with photos, specifications and text; ratings for many of them are being added over time, and for others there may be additional (single or comparative) reviews.
Please note that what you will find in the section “Collection” is – and always will be – work in progress; further data, information and images, reviews and tests are being added as this website is being completed over the years, so please return from time to time or contact us with specific information requests if you prefer.

The following binoculars and binocular telescopes are part of the collection in March of 2023, listed alphabetically by brand name (a few, marked with a double star**, have been donated in February of 2023 to a public astronomical institution in the Canton of Zurich and are no longer part of the collection):

APM:
APM BT 70mm ED APO / APM BT 82mm ED APO ** / APM MS 28×110 / APM MS 20×80 ED /APM MS 20×70 ED /APM MS 10×50 ED /APM MS 25×100 ED / APM 6×30 (prototype) / APM 6×30 MS / APM 8×30 ED (prototype)
Astro Hutech:
Astro Hutech Hinode 1.8×40
Blaser:
Blaser Primus 8×30
BORG:
BORG 90FL APO Fluorite Binocular Telescope
Bushnell:
Bushnell Natureview 6×30 / Bushnell Rangemaster 7×35 / Bushnell Forge 8×42
Canon:
Canon 10×30 IS II / Canon 10×32 IS / Canon 12×36 IS III / Canon 12×32 IS / Canon 14×32 IS / Canon 10×42 IS WP / Canon 8×20 IS
Carl Zeiss Jena:
Carl Zeiss Jena Jenoptem 8×30 / Carl Zeiss Jena Nobilem Super 8×50 / Carl Zeiss Jena 7×40 B/GA / Carl Zeiss Jena Jenoptem 10×50 / Carl Zeiss Jena Deltrentis 8×30 / Carl Zeiss Jena Octarem 8×50
Celestron:
Celestron Skymaster 25×100 / Celestron Skymaster 20×80 / Celestron SkymasterPro 20×80 / Celestron Outland 8×25
DDoptics:
DDoptics EDX 8×42 / DDoptics EDX-HR 8×42 / DDoptics Pirol HDx 8×42 / DDoptics Pirschler 8×56 DIA HDX / DDoptics Pirschler 8×56 Gen.III Mg / DDoptics Pirs chler 8×45 Gen.III / DDoptics Lux-HR ED 10×42
Docter:
Docter 7×40 B/GA / Docter Nobilem 7×50 B/GA / Docter Nobilem 10×50 / Docter Nobilem 15×60 / Docter Aspectem 80/500 40x UWA, Docter Aspectem 80/500 Vario 20x-50x
Eschenbach:
Eschenbach Trophy D 8×32 B ED / Eschenbach Trophy D 8×42 B ED
Fujinon:
Fujinon 10×50 FMT-SX2 / Fujinon 7×50 FMT-SX2 / Fujinon 10×70 FMT-SX2 / Fujinon 16×70 FMT-SX2 / Fujinon 12×60 HB / Fujinon 2000 7×35 / Fujinon Techno-Stabi 12×28 / Fujinon 8×42 HC (“Hyper-Clarity”)
GMC Admiral:
GMC Admiral Bernina 8×42, GMC Admiral Compact 5×25 SWW
GPO (German Precision Optics):
Passion HD 8×42, Passion ED 8×32
Hartmann:
Hartmann 7×42 Compact
Hawke:
Hawke Sapphire 8×43 ED, Hawke Frontier ED X 8×42
Hensoldt:
Hensoldt 8×56 Nacht-Dialyt
Helios:
Helios LightQuest-HR 16×80
IOR:
IOR Valdada 8×30
Kahles:
Kahles 8×32 / Kahles 8×42 / Kahles Helia 8×42 / Kahles Helia S 8×42
Kasai:
Kasai 2.3×40, Kasai 3×50
Kenko Tokina:
Kenko 10×30 IS
Kern:
Kern Pizar 6×24 / Kern 6×30 Swiss Army / Kern 8×30 Swiss Army (double hinge) / Kern 8×30 Swiss Army IF (single hinge), Kern 8×30 CF (single hinge) / Kern Alpin 8×30
Kite:
Kite Bonelli 10×42 / Kite Ibis 8×42 ED / Kite Ibis 12×50 ED / Kite Lynx 8×30 HD / Kite Cervus HD 8×56 / Kite Lynx HD+ 8×42 / Kite Petrel 8×32
KOMZ:
KOMZ BPC 6×24 / KOMZ BPS 10×40 Baigish
Kowa:
Kowa BD 8×25 / Kowa BD 10×42 XD Prominar / Kowa BD II 8×42 XD / Kowa BD II 6.5×32 XD / Kowa Genesis XD33 8×33 / Kowa Genesis XD44 8.5×44 / Kowa Genesis 22 8×22 Prominar / Kowa Highlander 32×82 + 50×82
Leica:
Leica Noctivid 8×42 / Leica Trinovid 8×42 HD / Leica Trinovid 8×32 HD / Leica Trinovid 10×42 / Leica Trinovid 8×20 BCA / Leica Trinovid 8×42 BA / Leica Trinovid 10×42 BA / Leica Trinovid 12×50 BA / Leitz Trinovid 10×40 / Leitz Trinovid 10×25 BC / Leitz Trinovid 7x35B / Leica Ultravid 8×20 BR / Leica Ultravid 10×42 HD Plus** / Leica Ultravid 8×32 HD PLUS** / Leica Ultravid 8×42 HD Plus / Leica Ultravid 8×50 HD Plus** / Leica Ultravid 7×42 HD Plus** / Leica Ultravid 10×50 HD Plus / Leica Duovid 10/15×50 / Leica Geovid 8×42 HD-R (Typ 402) / Leica Trinovid 10×40 2019 (“Retrovid”) / Leica Trinovid 8×40 2019 („Retrovid“) / Leica Trinovid 7×35 2019 („Retrovid“)
**also the HD versions
Leupold:
Leupold BX-5 Santiam 15×56 HD
Lunt Engineering:
Lunt 7×50 MS / Lunt 10×50 MS / Lunt 20×70 MS
Maven:
Maven B.2 11×45, Maven B.6 10×50, Maven B1.2 8×42
Meopta:
Meopta MeoStar B1 8×32 / Meopta MeoStar B1 8×32 Plus / Meopta MeoStar 8×42 / Meopta MeoStar 10x42HD / Meopta MeoStar 10×50 / Meopta MeoStar 12×50 / Meopta MeoStar 12×50 HD / Meopta MeoStar 15×56 HD / Meopta MeoPro 8×32 HD / Meopta MeoPro 8×42 HD / Meopta MeoPro 10×42 HD / Meopta MeoPro Air 10×42 / Meopta MeoSport 8×25 / Meopta Optika 10×42 HD
Minolta:
Minolta Pocket 8×22
Minox:
Minox APO HG 8×43 / Minox BD 7×28 / Minox BN 7×50 DCM / Minox 7.5×44 RAPID
Nikon:
Nikon EDG 8×32 / Nikon EDG 7×42 / Nikon EDG 8×42 / Nikon EDG 10×42 / Nikon 8×30 D II WP/RA / Nikon E II 8×30 / Nikon E II 10×35 / Nikon HG-L 8×20 / Nikon HG-L 10×25 / Nikon HG-L 8×32 / Nikon HG-L 8×42 / Nikon HG-L 10×42 / Nikon Sportstar EX 8×25 / Nikon Mikron 6×15 CF / Nikon 5×15 D CF / Nikon 4×10 DCF / Nikon Monarch 5 16×56 / Nikon Monarch 5 20×56 / Nikon Monarch 7 8×30 / Nikon Monarch 7 8×42 / Nikon Monarch M7 8×42 / Nikon Monarch 7 10×42 / Nikon Monarch HG 8×42 / Nikon Monarch HG 10×42 / Nikon Monarch HG 8×32 / Nikon Aculon A 211 7×35 / Nikon Action EX 7×35 / Nikon Action EX 8×40 / Nikon Action EX 10×50 / Nikon Action EX 16×50 / Nikon 7×50 IF SP WP / Nikon 10×70 IF HP WP / Nikon 10×70 IF SP WP / Nikon 18×70 IF WP WF / Nikon WX 7×50 / Nikon WX 10×50
Noblex:
Noblex (Docter) Compact 8×21
Oberwerk:
Oberwerk BT-100XL-ED ** / Oberwerk BT-82XL-ED ** / Oberwerk 20×65 ED Deluxe / Oberwerk SE 8×32 ED
Olympus:
Olympus 7×35 DPS I / Olympus EXWP I 8×42 / Olympus EXPS I 8×42 / Olympus Pro 8×42
Omegon:
Omegon Nightstar 25×100 / Omegon Argus 25×100 / Omegon Argus 20×80 / Omegon 2.1×42
Opticron:
Opticron Oregon Observation 20×80 / Opticron Imagic 7×42 TGA WP / Opticron Adventurer T WP 6.5×32 / Opticron Savanna WP 6×30
Optolyth:
Optolyth Alpin Classic 10×40 / Optolyth Royal 8×56 / Optolyth Royal 9×63
Orion:
Orion 2×54 Ultra Wide Angle
Pentax:
Pentax DCF ED 8×32 / Pentax DCF ED 8×43 / Pentax 8×30 PCF CW / Pentax 8×36 DCF HS / Pentax Papilio II 6.5×32 / Pentax SP 20×60 WP / Pentax FB-8 8×18 / Pentax VD 4×20
Ross:
Ross Stepmur 10×50
SIG SAUER:
SIG-Sauer Zulu 9, 9×45
Steiner:
Steiner Commander XP 7×50 / Steiner Commander 7×50 / Steiner Commander XP 7×50 K / Steiner Commander XP 7×30 / Steiner Commander XP 7×30 K / Steiner Discovery 8×44 / Steiner Wildlife XP 8×44 / Steiner Safari 8×22 / Steiner BluHorizons 8×22 / Steiner Nighthunter 8×56 / Steiner Ranger Xtreme 8×56 / Steiner Observer 20×80 / Steiner Navigator 7×30, /Steiner Navigator 7×50
Svbony:
Svbony 202 10×42 ED
Swarovski:
Swarovski Habicht 6×30 / Swarovski Habicht 8×20 / Swarovski Habicht 8×30 / Swarovski Habicht 7×42 / Swarovski Habicht 10×40 / Swarovski SLC 8×42 / Swarovski SLC 10×42 / Swarovski SLC 8×56 / Swarovski SLC 10×56 / Swarovski SLC 15×56 / Swarovski EL SV 8×32 / Swarovski EL SV 8.5×42 / Swarovski EL O-Range 8×42 / Swarovski EL SV 10×42 / Swarovski EL SV 10×50 / Swarovski NL Pure 8×42 / Swarovski NL Pure 10×42 / Swarovski NL Pure 8×32 / Swarovski CL 8×30 Companion (disc.) / Swarovski CL 8×30 Companion (2017) / Swarovski CL Compact 8×25 / Swariovski CL Curio 7×21
Swift:
Swift Audubon 8.5×44
Vanguard:
Vanguard Endeavor ED IV 10×42
Visionking:
Visionking 5×25
Vixen:
Vixen BT-81S-A / Vixen BT-ED70S-A ** / Vixen ARK 30×80 / Vixen Ultima 8×32 / Vixen SG 2.1×42 / Vixen SG 6.5×32 / Vixen Atera H 12×30 / Vixen Atrek Light 6×30
Vortex:
Vortex Razor 8×42 HD
William Optics:
William Optics 10×50 ED
Zavarius:
Zavarius 7×35
Zeiss:
Zeiss SFL 8×40 / Zeiss Victory HT 8×42 / Zeiss Victory HT 8×54 / Zeiss Victory HT 10×54 / Zeiss Victory SF 8×42 / Zeiss Victory SF 10×42 / Zeiss Victory SF 8×32 / Zeiss Victory RF 8×42 / Zeiss Victory FL 8×32 / Zeiss Victory FL 7×42 / Zeiss Victory FL 8×56 / Zeiss Victory 8×20 T Compact / Zeiss Victory Pocket 8×25 / Zeiss Dialyt 8×56 B/GA T / Zeiss Dialyt 7×42 T*P / Zeiss 8×30 B Dialyt / Zeiss 8×30 B “W.Germany” / Zeiss  Conquest HD 8×32 / Zeiss Conquest HD 8×42 / Zeiss Conquest HD 10×42 / Zeiss Conquest HD 8×56 / Zeiss Conquest HD 10×56 / Zeiss Conquest HD15x56 / Zeiss Conquest 12×45 T / Zeiss Conquest 10×56 T / Zeiss Conquest 8×50 T / Zeiss Terra 8×25 ED / Zeiss Terra 8×32 ED / Zeiss Terra 8×42 ED / Zeiss 7×50 B / Zeiss 7×50 B/GA T / Zeiss 10×50 “Jahrhundertglas”
ZRAK:
ZRAK RD-7×40

** donated in February of 2023 to a public astronomical institution in the Canton of Zurich and therefore no longer part of the collection