Unmarked 6x30 Voightlander ?

[garys39]

I saw this evening a set of unmarked 6x30 binoculars on ebay, tan finish, in a voightlander case. This type of unmarked binocular has been known to have been produced late wartime, and I also have a pair in an identical case, which I bought at a car boot sale, I think that the chances of two turning up in the voightlander case, does seem to point to the possility that voightlander were a maker of this unmarked type.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WWII-German-Ar...item2eb2dcfbc4

The finish appears to original from the pictures supplied, mine have a black finish.
Regards Gary

[MAUSER99]

I think they were black..You can see in one of the photos where the tan paint rubbed off. The black is underneath. It's amazing how much more the tan ones sell for. And I'm sure this is the reason for the paint. They do look like they were made by ddx. As I have a few pairs and the eye-cup end of the glass is identicle.

[Michael Downey]

Originally Posted by garys39

I saw this evening a set of unmarked 6x30 binoculars on ebay, tan finish, in a voightlander case. This type of unmarked binocular has been known to have been produced late wartime, and I also have a pair in an identical case, which I bought at a car boot sale, I think that the chances of two turning up in the voightlander case, does seem to point to the possility that voightlander were a maker of this unmarked type.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WWII-German-Ar...item2eb2dcfbc4

The finish appears to original from the pictures supplied, mine have a black finish.
Regards Gary

Gary, I have a couple of set of binos marked only 6 x 30 which are finished with the rough black lacquer as used on early/mid war binos. One set came in a Voightlander marked what appears to be a camera case. I have around 15 of these so called later war binos on file. Most are finished in tan. I have never sat down and physically compared these late war variants with the more common encountered ddx or cag marked binos. It may well be that ddx (Voightlander) was the sole maker of these late war binos. One thing that is odd is why late war unmarked binos were made in early/mid war rough black lacquer finish.

[Michael Downey]

Top view. Notice no markings on the right hand plate.

[Michael Downey]

side and back views

[Michael Downey]

View of the Voightlander case. It looks like a camera case to me. I might be wrong though.

[Michael Downey]

Named to its eventual new owner it seems.

[porro]

Originally Posted by MAUSER99

I think they were black..You can see in one of the photos where the tan paint rubbed off. The black is underneath. It's amazing how much more the tan ones sell for. And I'm sure this is the reason for the paint. They do look like they were made by ddx. As I have a few pairs and the eye-cup end of the glass is identicle.

i can´t see black. but i can see two different tan colors.

[Wpgbinocular]

Originally Posted by Michael Downey

View of the Voightlander case. It looks like a camera case to me. I might be wrong though.

I have several post-war binoculars cases (i.e. Zeiss Jena, Kershaw, Pecar Berlin) of this type so it's possible it really is a binocular case. Even if it is, though, it certainly wasn't military issue.

[Stew]

Hi Michael ,Wpgbinocular,porro,mauser99 and garys39 , an interesting thread , and thank you Michael for your photos on the black 6x30.
I'm also interested in 6x30 binoculars made towards the end of WW2 which only had 6x30 on the covers and no other inscriptions.

I have read quite widely on the internet on this topic, and a summary of the views held by senior collectors appears to be :
(i) the maker of the tan binoculars that do not bear the makers and other usual inscriptions (referred to by me as "plain" ) is probably Voigtländer & Sohne A.-G., Braunschweig ,and were made towards the end of WW2 when black pigment was scarce.
(ii) The late war tan models (in almost unmarked condition ) and the plain black binoculars (marked as per the tan models) were probably made immediately postwar and were sold commercially in flat leather cases marked "Voigtländer". The cases are camera cases?
(iii) The plain tan binoculars that are battered and look like they have seen military service are believed to be genuine late war models.

(iv) It has been noted by collectors that late ddx dienstglas marked 6x30s are identical in design (especially the oculars) to the tan plain 6x30s. However , the tan coloured cag dienstglas marked 6x30s also have the same ocular design as the late ddx and therefore evidence is not conclusive.
It is possible that the plain tan 6x30s were made by cag as well.
As for the plain black binoculars - they are all of identical design to late ddx dienstglas binoculars .
(v) It is believed that some of the black plain 6x30s in Voigtländer cases were on sale in the NAAFI shops immediately after WW2 .

see a reference to these plain binoculars on page 96 Hans Seeger Ferngläser und fernrohre