Wray
- Clearvu 8x30
- Crystar eyepiece focus 6x30 (*)
- Crystar centre focus 6x30 (*)
- Magnivu 8x30 (*)
- Defiant 10x35
- Raylite 8x30 (*)
- Clearvu 8x30
- Wrayvu 8x40, introduced 1957
- Flight 9x35
- Wray Nine 9x60
- Farvu 10x40 (*)
- Brystar 8x40
- Brystar 7x50
- Brystar 10x50
- Brystar 8x60
- Wray Eleven 11x60
(*) In 1949 catalogue
In the 1950s Wray offered a wide range of binoculars from the cheap end of the market up to the most exclusive. In 1954 the Clearvu 8x30 retailed for £13 9s 3d; the range-topping Brystar 8x60 for £47 10s. Rivals Ross and Barr & Stroud concentrated on the top end of the market only.
Clearvu 8x30
This was Wray's entry level binocular in 1954. The version without bloomed (coated) lens sold for £13 9s 3d.
For this price you only got a fibreboard case instead of a leather one. Field of view was also less then Wray's other 8x30 binoculars, the popular Magnivu and the expensive Raylite.
Price 1954: £13 9s 3d (uncoated lenses), £15 11s 3d (coated lenses)
Crystar 6x30
Crystar was a civilian version of the binoculars Wray produced for the RAF in the Second World War. It was significantly lighter than the military version. It weighed just 15½oz.
Wray made both eyepiece focusing and central focusing models.
Price 1954: £19 2s 6d (eyepiece focusing), £21 15s (centre focusing)
Magnivu 8x30
The Magnivu was made in the popular 8x30 size. It was aimed at horse racing enthusiasts and anyone who wanted general purpose binoculars.
Price 1954: £18
Raylite 8x30
Weighing just 15½oz and having a field of view of 8.6° the Raylite was a useful binocular. It retailed for £26 4d in 1952.
Price 1954: £25
Flight 9x35
The Flight had 'bloomed' or coated lenses. It was like to the Ross Stepruva. This proved a popular size. It was a bit more powerful than the standard 8x30 glasses and offered better vision on dull days due the slightly larger objective lenses. However, it was still a compact size and easy to carry.
Price 1954: £25
Defiant 10x35
The Defiant, introduced in the early 1950s, was a more powerful version of the Magnivu. It was available both with bloomed or non-bloomed lenses. The 10x35 spec offered a high magnification in a compact binocular. The Defiant with bloomed lenses cost £21 10s in 1954. It was in the middle of Wray's range.
Price 1954: £19 (uncoated lenses), £21 10s (coated lenses)
Wrayvu 9x40
The Wrayvu 9x40 was aimed at the popular sporting market. It had combined powerful magnification with a larger objective lens. Field of view as less good compared with other Wray binoculars. In 1960 the Wrayvu 9x40 cost £18 18s.
The Wrayvu 9x40 competed with the Ross Solaross 9x35 which offered similar performance and similar weight. The Ross 9x35 sold for a similar price - £19 9s 9d. The Which? report for June 1960, 'Prismatic Binoculars', rated the Ross as better on optical and mechanical quality.
Price 1970: £19 9s 9d
Brystar
Brystar was Wray's best binocular.
It was a larger Zeiss-style binocular offered in 7x50 or 10x50 form. By 1954 it was also available as an 8x40 and an 8x60. The 7x50 glass was meant for night vision or nautical use. The 10x50 was increasingly popular for general use.
The Brystar was the most expensive of Wray's range in the 1950s. The 8x60 cost £47 10s
Prices (1954)
- Brystar 8x40 - £37 10s
- Brystar 7x50 - £40
- Brystar 10x50 - £44 10s
- Brystar 8x60 - £47 10s
Wray binoculars - data
| Model | Field of view at 1000 yards | Exit pupil | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crystar 6x30 | 142 yards | 5mm | 17oz |
| Brystar 7x50 | 126 yards | 7.1mm | 30oz |
| Wraylite 8x30 | 148 yards | 3.75mm | 15½oz |
| Magnivu 8x30 | 126 yards | 3.75mm | 21oz |
| Clearvu 8x30 | 110 yards | 3.75mm | 21oz |
| Flight 9x35 | 132 yards | 4mm | 18½oz |
| Wrayvu 9x40 | 100 yards | 4.3mm | 22oz |
| Defiant 10x35 | 104 yards | 3.5mm | 23oz |
| Farvu 10x40 | 115 yards | 4mm | 20½oz |
| Brystar 7x50 | 126 yards | 7.1mm | 30oz |
| Brystar 10x50 | 112 yards | 5mm | 30o½oz |
| Brystar 8x40 | 148 yards | 5mm | 25oz |
| Brystar 8x60 | 148 yards | 7.5mm | 40oz |
Comments
The Wray Brystar 8x60 had a field of 99yds at 1000yds - probably a "slip of the pen" in your list above.