Cameras and Lenses
Auto Focus Binoculars
Maybe this will be of interest to someone (maybe not 
)
Occasionally I see posts about auto focus binoculars, not just here, but in other forums. Mostly I read things like, "I think some were made years ago", or, "No, they wouldn't work".
Well I've owned a pair of Minolta Auto Focus Binoculars for almost 20 years (that's a guess), so I thought I'd post some pictures of them, and also some info:
* Mine are 8x23.
* The focusing system is SLR like phase detection.
* Holding down the large button continuously focuses on the subject.
* The two smaller buttons are to manually focus.
* Minimum focus is about 6 feet.
* Considering the size of the objective lenses, the image is clear and bright, even in low light.
* They are powered by a 3v Lithium camera battery, that lasts for months, maybe years.
* Fold down rubber eye cups with individual dioptre adjustment.
Oh, and I seem to remember paying about £200 for them. BTW, I still use them.
Well Minolta were the one's that cracked in-body autofocus for cameras, and their binocular division were quietly making their way in the market, so something like this would have been a unique selling point for them.
Nice to see the fruits of their labours!
Carl
The problem is not these "true" autofocus bins (so much ... they have to pick the right target) but most "autofocus" bins are really "fixed focus" and rely on the user's eye accommodation to do the focusing: that sort of works for younger people but not for older folks.
I think that's were most of the "not so good" comments come from.
I have a set of Minolta reverse porros and apart from being a bit dim (not fully coated I think and a BK7 prism) optically they're not bad. I can imagine these being similar.
Interesting collectible bin thought!
Thanks for the photos.