Dollond Livista 8x40

Mfr: Dollond (Wray?), England

Date: circa 1960's

AFOV: ~65 degrees

TFOV: ~8.1 degrees

Eye Relief: ~8mm

Prisms: high index

Serial Number: 187218 (along bottom of hinge)

The Livista is a nicely compact and lightweight wide angle 8x40 binocular.   I believe that it was either made by Wray or that Dollond absorbed Wray (see the Wray Nine).  The Livista's optics are coated and light leakages are well suppressed.  The image is a bit soft toward the edge and also has a slightly warm (yellowish) hue.  I found the image quality to be solid but unspectacular, probably due to its short eye relief.

Dollond dates back to 1750 and John Dollond, one of the founders, is known as the inventor of the achromatic telescope.  Aitchison was another British optical firm, founded in 1889.  The two companies merged in 1927.  At one time Dollond & Aitchison sold binoculars under their own name and those of other makes (Ross, Barr & Stroud, Zeiss, etc.).  The firm of Dollond & Aitchison currently runs a line of optical (eyeglass) shops in the UK, and I do not believe that they produce binoculars anymore.  If you have any knowledge of the relationship between Dollond and Wray, please contact me.