Audubon serial numbers, Swift models & prices:
re
ost #125... Shouldn't that be '00....' rather than '20....' for the year 2000 (dhowes)?
For reference purposes, I have a May 1995 "Amateur Photographer" supplement 'Buying Binoculars' which lists all binoculars then available on the UK market...all 683 of them!
As far as I know, this was the biggest listing of binoculars ever (at least, in the UK). I refer to it often (sad case that I am). Perhaps it would be interesting/informative to list the Swift entries, for the purpose of comparison of values, if anyone is thinking of buying used binoculars 10 - 15 years old? Here they are, giving model, minimum focus, fov, weight, and price (at that time,UK)...
Green Trilyte (roof), 7x42, 4m, 114m, 530g, £189.
Green Trilyte (roof), 8x42, 5m, 114m, 530g, £194.
Green Trilyte (roof), 10x42, 8m, 105m, 625g, £199.
Osprey Blue Spot, 7.5x42, 4m, 122m, 836g, £199.
Saratoga Blue Spot, 8x42, 4m, 140m, 780g, £229.
Ultralite Blue Spot, 7x42, 4m, 122m, 615g, £234.
Ultralite Blue Spot, 8x42, 4m, 115m, 615g, £239.
Newport Blue Spot, 10x42, 5m, 122m, 780g, £239.
Ultralite Blue Spot, 10x42, 4m, 115m, 615g, £244.
Gold Audubon, 8.5x44, 4m, 143m, 820g, £289.
Gold Sea Hawk (if), 7x50, 8m, 131m, 1,134g, £289.
Gold Audubon, 10x50, 5m, 122m, 922g, £309. (Later became Kestrel).
Gold Audubon (roof), 7x35, 4m, 143m, 595g, £329.
Observation, 20x80, 22m, 58m, 2,450g, £425.
Zeiss Jena Octarem, 8x50BGA, 5.1m, 122m, 1,250g, £479 (aka Docter Nobilem).*
*I include this as my favourite binocular ever (it's that good) and to show how similar its minimum focus and fov are to the Audubon 10x50 (Kestrel), but it's 328g heavier!
I hope the above details may prove of some use to those buying old(er) binoculars...