Wreck a pair of Zeiss binoculars to make two telescopes?

MD

MD

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My neighbour has a set of 1938 Zeiss 8x40 binoculars in dire need of collimation.

The local bino repair shop (Vancouver telescope) has quoted him $500 to repair them. He can't afford that so he's offered to break them in half and give me one tube for a telescope.


Is that a good or a bad idea?
 
I've purchased a couple of pairs of older Zeiss binoculars from gun shows. Both needed some work, ie. knob missing, parallax needed adjustment, internal cleaning, etc.. I sent both to Zeiss in Toronto, and they did all the work and got them into as good a shape as you could get for $60 per binos.

Of course all depends on what is needed. If the glass or tube is broken, obviously there will be more cost.

Might be worth a call to them.
 
... You could also check with some of the local Camera repair Shops.... If the quoted cost was that high, then I'd guess there was more needed than a relatively simple, "Collimation". .... Some years ago a I had a pair of Ex Canadian Navy, WW2, R.E.L 7x50, Binoculars, Collimated and cleaned, and the cost was, admittedly it was years ago, under $100. And they're still giving good service on the Home Front! ..... David K
 
Send them to Zeiss. At least get an estimate for them to do the work. (It's probably not every day they see a vintage pair of binos like that). It would be a shame to destroy them with some bubba hack job.
 
The men who made those binos aren't making anymore. We are temporary caretakers of their work. To vandalize a vintage instrument because of bad advice is just wrong.
 
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