Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/08/13

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Wollensack lenses for Leica
From: Marc James Small <msmall@infionline.net>
Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 20:03:15 -0400
References: <3.0.2.32.20030813125816.00d864e0@pop.infionline.net> <p05100303bb603ff8a815@[193.250.17.50]>

At 01:59 PM 8/13/03 -0700, Jerry Lehrer wrote:
>To the best of my knowledge, Kodak would never have had any
>interest in buying Wollensak.  Why should they lower themselves?
>
>I have compared WOC binoculars with other WW2 manufacturers
>and have found that even Univex made better ones.  Of course the
>best was Bausch and Lomb.

Jerry

In the Interwar period, Wollensak routinely out-performed Kodak and Bausch
& Lomb on both the War Department's Ordnance Department and the Navy
Department's Bureau of Ordnance trials.  Wollensak also supplied the RF
gear for both of the Argentinian battleships and was installed on board the
single Chilean dreadnought during its refit in the 1930's.  In the Postwar
comparison of US Navy fire-control gear against those from Japan and
Germany, the Wollensak gear was evaluated as optically excellent and
mechanically on par with Nikon and Zeiss rangefinders, though both Nikon
and Zeiss RF's were optically clearer.  Wollensak RF's, I believe, were
brighter and more useful in low-light conditions than was Axis gear.

During World War II, all binoculars were built to a single specification
for their power and size.  These designs were almost always B&L for both
the Army and Navy, and all were tested to the same standard before being
purchased by the military.  Thus, a Wollensak military binocular ought to
perform identically with one from Univex or B&L.  To my fairly certain
knowledge, however, Wollensak was a very minor player in the binocular world.

Marc

msmall@infionline.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
Cha robh bąs fir gun ghrąs fir!

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Replies: Reply from "Jon" <jon.stanton@comcast.net> ([Leica] Wollensack)
In reply to: Message from Marc James Small <msmall@infionline.net> (Re: [Leica] Wollensack lenses for Leica)
Message from Christer Almqvist <chris@almqvist.net> (Re: [Leica] Wollensack lenses for Leica)