As I've posted, I have been doing some buying of some older vintage porro prism binoculars. I have come across a couple on the auction site that looked interesting. But here's the deal. While they look just like the classic golden era Japanese porros, of either German or American body style, they seem to lack the J-B and/or J-E codes. It is my understanding that all approved optical manufacturers stamped their procusdt with their own unique code, sent the binocular to the JTII where it got the little oval label we have all seen. A couple of these are Bushnell (80's vintage Banner and Explorer) and a couple haves names I never heard of before, but who look like 60-70's vintage.
I see two possibilities. First is that the binocular did not come from a manufacturer from the JTII family, or (second) came along after JTII quit inspecting all optics. I don't know when or where that happened. Google comes up sort of blank so far about JTII.
So, are there any vintage knowledgable folk who have any ideas?
Steve:
That is an interesting question. The 2 newest binoculars that I have that are included are the Action Nat. II, and the later 10x35 E, they show production started in 1986 and 1988, and continued on. They both have the JTII sticker.
Your older models may have lost the sticker, or ?
More info, JCII stands for Japan Camera Inspection Institute, started in 1954, and continued until Dec.1989. Many will remember
cameras and lenses also had the stickers. A google search will be interesting, by then counterfit stickers started, and so it goes, as more production left Japan for other countries. There is a museum of cameras with the JCII in Japan.
I found some of this on the Pentax camera forum.
Jerry
[QUOTE=NDhunter;2357478]Steve:
Your older models may have lost the sticker, or ?
Jerry[/QUOTE]
Jerry,
I'm sure some of them have lost the stickers. All however, have primarily the J-B code, and less often a different J-E code. I guess I was wondering too if there were any sort of numbers of binoculars made and sold outside of the JTII influence.
Asking sellers on the bay questions you can rely on is...well let's say it is sort of unlikely, or maybe an exercise in either frustration or futility. A lot simply don't know enough to be able to answer. So I may need to learn a little more to be able to ask better questions. Thought I had that down OK, but I have sure been hosed a couple of times here lately, latest arriving yesterday.