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

Swift Eaglet 7x36 and Ultralite 8x42 (1 Viewer)

Sancho

Well-known member
Europe
I came across one each of these models via a local website. Both were unused, ever. Both were boxed and even had 'new bino smell'! I was pretty stunned by both, although they are different combinations of fine features. The Eaglet feels heavier, although I didn't weight them. It is a curious 7x bino, in that no single aspect is outstanding, but it is such an excellent combination of features that it could serve as an all-round workhorse, especially for 7x fans.
The Eaglet is Trinovid-like in its robustness, yet feels like a semi-compact (think Opticron DBA Oasis 8x21 or Leupold Katmai 6x30). Fine sharp view, I had to wring its neck to get even minimal CA, and sharp across a good 65% of the FOV. Stated FOV isn't much, but I thought it was perfectly satisfactory. No numbers yet, I couldn't be arxxd.
The Ultralite was surprising. Sharper, I think, by a hair than the Eaglet, although I get confused about sharpness between bins of different magnification. Certainly a little brighter, but the FOV was tight for me, and the build quality was a bit 'plasticky', although it is sufficiently robust for normal use by even the average Neanderthal. Just don't drive jeeps over it or blast it with shotgun pellets.
Conclusion? I bought the Eaglets. I don't know why, I hardly even bird anymore, but I thought they would make the perfect hiking bino....compact yet full-size, casual yet serious, understated yet impressive. On rare occasions a bino-obsessive comes across a 'special' bino that exudes an indescribable non-mainstream panache. Something that appeals to the Idiot Hipster in all of us. (The last time that happened to me was a 2nd hand pair of Bausch and Lomb 12x50 Elites). And these Eaglets have the most tactile rubber armouring of any bino I've ever seen. And they smell beautiful. In fact, I think I'll go smell them now;). Tomorrow I might even look through them!
 
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I had an Eaglet for quite a while. I agree with everything you say about it. Mine measured at 400' fov rather than the listed 376 however.
 
Sancho,

Nice find!

The Eaglet is essentially the same as the Opticron Classic 7x36 that I use. I seem to remember the weight was a little different, but still around the 600g mark so not heavy in my book. The first sample I bought wasn't quite as sharp as the demo I tried but I'm quite satisfied by what I have now. It's probably not techically the best binocular I own on a number of points but it's a real joy to use and a keeper for sure. Hope you think so too.

David
 
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Thanks Steve and David. It's certainly a cute bino. It's a bit heavy for use as a 'jacket pocket' compact though.
The 8x42 Ultralite I saw wasn't heavier, but it was longer. It was a roof-prism (I think the original Ultralites were porros?). He has those Ultralites on sale on a local website. If I weren't over-binned already, I'd buy them. The seller had recently sold a pair of Audubons. I would have liked to have seen those.
 
Took the Eaglets out for an evening stroll tonight. Nice little bins, maybe not as tack-sharp as modern expensive roofs but very neutral colour and the surprise was the impressive low-light performance. I was looking for owlets and pine martens (unsuccessfully) and the Eaglets were more than capable looking into dark wooded areas after sundown.
 
Which of the versions of the eaglets did you buy?..i had the CFT prism version..cold fussion technology ,had to do with the way they applied the multicoating in the prism..a gimmic of some sort ,i imagine,but in anycase these last version are phase coated,and the older version is not..
 
The Opticron Classic 7x36 is my most favourite binocular. It's a simple design that is a joy to use. I've tried several different units and I think there's a bit of sample variation. The unit I ended up with is very sharp, thank goodness.
 
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