Zeiss Jena Nobilem Super and Spezial

Mfr: Carl Zeiss, Jena, Germany (DDR, East Germany)

The Nobilem 8x50 "Super" and 12x50 "Spezial" were early wide angle models in Zeiss Jena's high end Nobilem line.  I believe that they were introduced in 1981 and sold until about the mid 1980's.  Apparently very few were sold, possibly due to their high cost.  I was told by a U.S. distributor for Zeiss Jena that only a few dozen passed through his hands.

These two models share the same distinctive short and wide body enclosing larger than normal prisms for the wide field.   In this regard they are reminiscent of the Zeiss Oberkochen porro models of the 1960's but with slightly better performance, in my opinion.  The Super and Spezial were replaced by models  in the regular Nobilem line (Octarem, Dodecarem) that did not have as wide a field of view and were also physically larger, though they are also fine binoculars.

Nobilem 8x50B Super

Date: circa mid 1980's

AFOV: ~64 degrees

TFOV: 140m at 1000m (~8 degrees)

Eye Relief: ~17mm

Prisms: high index porro

Serial Number: 5462951

The 8x50B Super has a relatively compact body and rubber eyecups.  It is  very well baffled with minimal light leaks.  The multicoatings have a copper tinge typical of Zeiss Jena optics from this period.  The optical image is well corrected, with just a small amount of field curvature and astigmatism at the edge.  There is also a small amount of pincushion distortion, and the image is very slightly yellow.  Without using glasses, the field stops are crisp and easy to see.  With the rubber eyecups folded down, I found this model to be just usable with glasses.

In comparison with the Nobilem 8x50 (or Octarem), the Super is not quite as sharp at the edge but has a wider field.  It is hard to say which model is preferable, but the Octarem can usually be found for much less money.

The 8x50B Super was my introduction to high end German optics so I have a particular fondness for it.  It is not quite what I would consider "super", though, falling just short in a few respects.   With a few mm more of eye relief (20mm) and a bit more field of view (70 degrees), this would be my ideal binocular.

Nobilem 12x50B Spezial

Date: circa mid 1980's

AFOV: ~66 degrees

TFOV: 96m at 1000m (~5.5 degrees)

Eye Relief: ~13mm

Prisms: high index porro

Serial Number: 6013810

The 12x50B Spezial is a sister model to the Super with higher power and correspondingly less eye relief.  Optically its characteristics are very similar to the Super.  It has a wide field of view that is just slightly soft at the edge and with a small amount of lateral color.