Swift Audubon ? from a hunter in Oklahoma (1 Viewer)

Hello all! I am brand new to this forum. Let me just say that I am actually more a hunter than a birder. Let me also say that hunters usually know next to nothing about optics. They will buy a $1500.00 rifle and put a $100.00 scope on it. I am getting into scopes and binoc in a serious way and you birders seem to be the most knowledgable group of freaks...er.....afficcianados (lol) out there. And the technical knowledge posessed by some of you concerning binoculars is impressive.
So here is the first of a few questions I would like to toss out to you all.
I see alot posted in forums about the Swift Audubon. Seems the new ones are WP and offer ED glass. They also seem to have a roof model. These are relatively inexpensive ($279.00-$379.00) .
1. What is so great about these binocs that they are the standard mid price binoc for the last 20 years?
2. How do they hold up under hard use?
3. Does extended viewing cause any headaches or eyestrain?
4. How is the customer service of Swift?

Thanks in advance to any who answer

I have the ED and non-ED 820 porros. Very good optics - high centre resolution, lots of light, and a wide field of view. Very easy to look through - not likely to cause headaches or eyestrain. The ED is better than the non-ED, but unless you have exceptional eyesight, the non-ED is good enough that you will only notice the difference if you try digital photographs through them, with the camera on zoom.

Down side: They are waterproof only under a rather narrow definition of the word, which doesn't cover most situations when you would actually get them wet. Quality control isn't perfect, but you can get slips with binoculars costing two or three times the price. Most roofs are more compact than porros, and supposedly more robust (but rock vs lens will kill most binoculars)

Try them (or anything else) before you buy them, but if you don't require absolutely bulletproof, or extremely compact binoculars, I would recommend the 820 Porros.

I've been using a 25 year old pair of Swift Audubons and my only complaints have been that they are heavy, not waterproof, and don't focus close in. With the new 820 Porros ED out, these shortcomings have pretty much been taken care of and I just placed an order for a pair earlier today. In my opinion, there isn't much out there that is easier on the eyes for viewing.

After using them you might grow to enjoy the view through the bins better than through the scope

I've got new 929 waterproof roof swifts. They seem pretty good but I think you really have to try binoculars out because i've used some expensive ones that didn't impress me and cheaper ones that did.-Larry from CT. USA

I have recently discovered birding. Like you I am primarily a hunter. I have read for years that when it comes to optics you get what you pay for. Naturally, Leica, Swarovski and Zeiss are the names that I have associated with "high end" optics when it comes to binoculars. I am primarily a deer hunter. Like most deer hunters that like to shoot I had collected a half dozen rifles all of which were capable of killing deer at any sane distance that I was willing to shoot. I decided to sell a couple and invest in some great optics, because I can't shoot a deer that I can't see. So I sold a few rifles and bought a pair of Leica Ultravids (8x42). I was so impressed by these binos that I started using them to look at the birds at a feeder my family kept out in the back yard. Pretty soon my son and I were interested in the names of the various birds we were seeing. A few trips to Barnes and Noble later and I have a couple of bird watching books and a field guide. Now I'm hooked on birding and on the Leica's as well! They are very expensive but I feel that I traded into them very reasonably and I still have 3 or 4 deer rifles that will do anything I might need of them at any range I should be shooting. I've also picked up a great new hobby. The test will come this fall when I see what the Leica's can do for me in the deer woods. Prior to these Leica's the only other binoculars I had are a pair of Bushnell Trophy 10x42's. Those have now become my son's birding binos. If you've got more than 3 or 4 rifles for the primary types of hunting you do, then I say sell a few and invest in the best. You will be amazed.

Guys, appreciate the discussion of optics but please stop the hunting/shooting/killing references. Thanks.