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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Swift Gran Prix 8x30 (1 Viewer)

OPTIC_NUT

Well-known member
An old, fairly standard-looking, 50s-60s-style 8x30 with some surprises.
The 'condition' comment said the views didn't line up but I figured
I'd have a go at fixing it if the price stayed down. It did: $10 and $14 S+H.
After a perfunctory external cleaning (acetone to cut polymerized skin goo
and a 90% IPA chaser to go fine), the collimation was beautiful and the
image was extra-sharp and good contrast, excellent color.
There is a 'faint purple' multi-coating, where the lenses become ghostly..
very nice. They have these cool screw-up metal eyecups, very unusual for
that era, very nice. Running gear was like early Empire but tighter.
A slightly wide 393ft//100-yd view (7.5 deg). Very rich crisp view.

The greatest part was the zero-squint view: no blackouts at all.
They work with glasses, though you loose 5% fov. Not bad for the time.

I'm guessing these are the little brother to the precision 8x40 Gran Prix.

The workings and grease were all good. Don't know if it was great grease
or maybe they got a pro cleaning. Case dry but no cracks. I applied beeswax
boot dope, esp. to the hinge. Then a mop-off and a damp-rub (removes dust
and shines wax).
The case flexes and shines like no tomorrow. I have to try that more
often.
 
Nice find ON, I cant recall having seen an 8x30 Gran Prix come up, I have the 8x40 and its a pretty good glass.
 
I love the 8x30 size. "Collectible", as they say. Easy on the neck
and on the bookshelf in quantity. Plenty bright for me.
It's great to have a Swift! I had a very nice 8x44 Swift
but I gifted it off before appreciating it.
 
Re-evaluation: on a sweep with other binocs and using a 6x16 monocular to see the font,
this model did not do that wel (relatively). On a good day it looks nice, but models like the
Tasco #320 (8x30,460 ft, 60s model and 70s model) and the L.L.Bean/Bushnell "Discovery"(8x25, 393ft, 2013)
trounced it in peak resolution, cross-field resolution, and contrast. Sometimes, when you look out
on a nicely-lit morning, many binoculars look good.
Oh well. Their mechanics are good...

There are searchable magazine and newspaper pages showing up now on searches.
It seems the Swift Gran Prix 8x30 was a budget model. Good but not great.
 
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