Quality of Russian milsurp Binos compared to...?

[libertyman777]

I picked up a pair of Russian military surplus binoculars a few years back. They have independent focus and what looks to be a mil based grid in the fov. Power is 7x30. They are ugly and heavy but the image is very clear. I was wondering how these stack up against modern units and what I could expect to spend to at least equal this quality.

 

[libertyman777]

Re: Quality of my Russian milsurp Binos?

Here's a pic. I suspect that modern technology has made things lighter and better but these old binos are pretty cool.

 

[JL]

Re: Quality of my Russian milsurp Binos?

They're typically cheap, and therefore give bang for the buck nicely. All that I've seen had yellowish image which is less optimal but oomphs contrast up a bit.

Reticle mil system used in those is 6000 circle, not NATO 6400 or true 6283 mrad.

 

[libertyman777]

Re: Quality of my Russian milsurp Binos?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JL</div><div class="ubbcode-body">They're typically cheap, and therefore give bang for the buck nicely. All that I've seen had yellowish image which is less optimal but oomphs contrast up a bit.

Reticle mil system used in those is 6000 circle, not NATO 6400 or true 6283 mrad. </div></div>

Yeah I think you nailed it. IIRC there were a couple of different flavors available when I bought this pair. The others were 12x maybe?

Thanks for the info on the grid. That's good to know.

I used them tonight. I can't remember what I paid but like u said it wasn't much. Wished I would've bought two.

 

[Yippeekiay]

Re: Quality of my Russian milsurp Binos?

These are modeled after a very good original The KOMZ BPO:

http://www.holgermerlitz.de/kronos8x40.html

I don't see the KOMZ logo so assume this is a copy. Haven't had a chance to look through the Baigish version but if they came close to the original they should be pretty high quality binoculars. I've got a pair of the KOMZ for keeping in the truck. Close to bomb-proof these are. Prone to glare issues though. What JL said about the yellowish image is very true unfortunately. It can be a bit distracting at first. The clarity is what sets these apart from most mil-surp bins. Some of the sharpest on the market. A good choice for what they are, though I'd like to compare them next to an IOR 7x40

 

[libertyman777]

Re: Quality of my Russian milsurp Binos?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Yippeekiay</div><div class="ubbcode-body">These are modeled after a very good original The KOMZ BPO:

http://www.holgermerlitz.de/kronos8x40.html

I don't see the KOMZ logo so assume this is a copy. Haven't had a chance to look through the Baigish version but if they came close to the original they should be pretty high quality binoculars. I've got a pair of the KOMZ for keeping in the truck. Close to bomb-proof these are. Prone to glare issues though. What JL said about the yellowish image is very true unfortunately. It can be a bit distracting at first. The clarity is what sets these apart from most mil-surp bins. Some of the sharpest on the market. A good choice for what they are, though I'd like to compare them next to an IOR 7x40


</div></div>

Thanks much for the information. Any idea where similar Binos can be found?

 

[warbird2006]

Russian..... really?

 

[ZiaHunter]

I have a pair that is very similar and supposedly were East German. The optical quality is surprisingly good but awfully heavy and just keep them around for occasional use.

 

[Comber]

Zeiss Jena (East German Zeiss), later sold as the "Docter" brand, had a pair that was uncannily similar to look at. Very much bang for the buck in those.

 

[libertyman777]

I have a pair that is very similar and supposedly were East German. The optical quality is surprisingly good but awfully heavy and just keep them around for occasional use.

Yeah, heavy is right but I'm going to try some different straps that better support the weight.

 

[billmy67]

Some of the optics in those are very good. I have an older pair of kronos 20x60's that are quite good. I use the tripod adapter that came with them and they make a great spotting setup. They are heavy!