A monocular is a compact refracting telescope used to magnify images of distant objects, typically using an optical prism to ensure an erect image, instead of using relay lenses like most telescopic sights. The volume and weight of a monocular are typically less than half of a pair of binoculars with similar optical properties, making it more portable and also less expensive. This is because binoculars are essentially a pair of monoculars packed together — one for each eye. As a result, monoculars only produce two-dimensional images, while binoculars can use two parallaxed images to produce binocular vision, which allows stereopsis and depth perception.
Carl Zeiss AG, branded as ZEISS, is a German manufacturer of optical systems and optoelectronics, founded in Jena, Germany in 1846 by optician Carl Zeiss. Together with Ernst Abbe and Otto Schott he laid the foundation for today's multi-national company. The current company emerged from a reunification of Carl Zeiss companies in East and West Germany with a consolidation phase in the 1990s. ZEISS is active in four business segments with approximately equal revenue in almost 50 countries, has 30 production sites and around 25 development sites worldwide.
A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope informally, is an optical sighting device based on a refracting telescope. It is equipped with some form of a referencing pattern – known as a reticle – mounted in a focally appropriate position in its optical system to provide an accurate point of aim. Telescopic sights are used with all types of systems that require magnification in addition to reliable visual aiming, as opposed to non-magnifying iron sights, reflector (reflex) sights, holographic sights or laser sights, and are most commonly found on long-barrel firearms, particularly rifles, usually via a scope mount. Similar devices are also found on other platforms such as Artillery, Tanks and even Aircraft. The optical components may be combined with optoelectronics to add night vision or smart device features.
Schott AG is a German multinational glass company specializing in the manufacture of glass and glass-ceramics. Headquartered in Mainz, Germany, it is owned by the Carl Zeiss Foundation. The company's founder and namesake, Otto Schott, is credited with the invention of borosilicate glass.
Jenoptik AG is a Jena, Germany-based integrated photonics company. The company is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and is included in the TecDAX stock index.
Meopta - optika, s.r.o. is a Czech Republic based company that manufactures various products mainly in the field of optics. The company was once well-known for its still and movie cameras, although it no longer manufactures such products.
Bushnell Corporation is an American firm that specializes in sporting optics and outdoor products. It is based in Overland Park, Kansas and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vista Outdoor. Bushnell makes binoculars, telescopes, spotting scopes, riflescopes, red dot sights, GPS devices, laser rangefinders, game cameras, night-vision devices and other optical equipments.
Pentacon is the company name of a camera manufacturer in Dresden, Germany.
Întreprinderea Optică Română, often abbreviated by the acronym IOR, is a major optics company established in 1936 in Bucharest. IOR produces military and civilian-grade optics and associated equipment for export and domestic production. The company is known in North America particularly for its riflescopes, binoculars and other sporting optics, which often accompany Romanian military equipment sold on the North American market, such as the PSL rifle.
Tasco sells consumer telescopes. Tasco mainly imports telescopes for amateur astronomers but has expanded into other optical products, such as spotting scopes, microscopes, binoculars, telescopic sights, and other rifle accessories. Tasco sells via retail stores, catalogs, and online retailers. Tasco is based in Miramar, Florida. George Rosenfield founded the firm as the Tanross Supply Company in 1954. It started as a distributor of fishing tackle and hardware. The name was later shortened to Tasco as its offerings expanded to include binoculars and eyepieces.
Leupold & Stevens, Inc. is an American manufacturer of telescopic sights, red dot sights, binoculars, rangefinders, spotting scopes, and eyewear located in Beaverton, Oregon, United States. The company, started in 1907, is on its fifth generation of family ownership.
Schmidt & Bender is a German company specialized in producing high end telescopic sights for hunting, sports, law enforcement and military arms.
Vortex Optics is an American manufacturer of special optical equipments for hunting, wildlife watching, outdoor recreation, shooting sports and law enforcement and military. Vortex products include binoculars, spotting scopes, riflescopes, reflex sights, holographic sights and other accessories. It once had a sister company known as Eagle Optics, which developed high quality optics for birdwatchers.
Krasnogorsky zavod is a Russian factory in Krasnogorsk near Moscow which specializes in optical technology. Part of Shvabe Holding.
A red dot sight is a common classification for a non-magnifying reflector sight that provides an illuminated red dot to the user as a point of aim. A standard design uses a red light-emitting diode (LED) at the focus of collimating optics, which generates a dot-style illuminated reticle that stays in alignment with the weapon the sight is attached to, regardless of eye position.
Analytik Jena AG, based in Jena, is a provider of analytical, bioanalytical and optical systems for industrial and scientific applications. Analytik Jena was founded in 1990 as a sales and service company for analytical technology. The company has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange from July 3, 2000 until March 27, 2015. Analytik Jena and its subsidiaries employ about 1,000 people in more than 90 countries. The international Group earns two-thirds of sales abroad and maintains business relationships in more than 120 countries around the globe.
Blaser Jagdwaffen GmbH is a German firearms manufacturer of high-end shotguns and rifles both for the hunting and tactical market. It was founded in 1957 by Horst Blaser, developing the drilling Blaser Diplomat. In September 2008, Blaser established a office in San Antonio, Texas.
Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH comprises the Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology business group of ZEISS and develops and produces equipment for the manufacture of microchips. The company is majority owned by Carl Zeiss AG, with a 24.9% minority stake by ASML Holding.
Zeiss inner rail, generally simply referred to as Zeiss rail, is a ringless scope sight mounting system introduced by Zeiss in 1990 as an alternative to traditional ring mounts. A patent was granted in 1992, and the patent expired in 2008. The mounting system is now also offered on sights sold by other major manufacturers, such as Blaser, Leica, Minox, Meopta, Nikon, Noblex, Schmidt & Bender and Steiner. The system has so far seen most use on the European high-end market.
Scope mounts are used to attach telescopic sights or other types of sights to firearms. The scope sight itself is usually made for only one of two main types of mounts, which can be classified as scopes for ring mounts, for example a 30 mm tube, or scopes for rail mounts, such as the Zeiss rail. Words such as mounts and bases are used somewhat loosely, and can refer to several different parts which are either used together or in place of each other as ways to mount optical sights to firearms.
