German binocular 8 x 30 w “Jenoptem “ Carl Zeiss Jena 1971

No: 3933867

For the C.Zeiss history click here

Some of the best little gems to be found on the market place right now, would be from the East German Jenoptem range of binoculars, produced in Jena before the fall of the Berlin wall.

Zeiss has a exceptionally long and fascinating history dating back from the first optical shop in Thuringia. Opened by Carl Friedrich Zeiss in 1846, producing simple microscopes. Since the fall of the Berlin wall, all production from this factory ceased to be, and the West German Zeiss factory in Oberkochen won the rights in a court case to the trade name. Carl Zeiss Jena was the main factory right up until 1991, but after the reunification of Germany, costs and the overwhelming competition coming from the Zeiss factory in the West, which had previously opened up after WWII, proved to be the final nail in the coffin. East and West were now reunited, but not necessarily united!

Jenoptems manufactured up until 1978 had the bluish Zeiss T lens coatings.

The Multi-Coated version appeared in 1978 and is more sought after.

They were produced in formats 8x30, 7x50 and 10x50.