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New Swarovski product announcement in January 2024...? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Bentley03
- Start date
ticl2184
Well-known member
The ATX STX is over 10 years old now so I imagine it's only a matter of time before a new version is released
Cheers
Tim
Popeyethesailor
Active member
Hi Peter can i ask what you mean about the ATX eyepiece please? I have sent mine back to Swarovski but it has come back the same, I am sure when on high mag the center of the image is slightly blurred
But what would be a feasible improvement? The latest trend seems to be a minor facelift to justify a hefty price increase. Optically there is not much room for improvement.
Which products could those be? The Leica zoom seems to be well liked among the hobby astronomers but it's only a 2x zoom and some reports of its AFoV are wildly exaggerated. Some of the fixed wide angle astro eyepieces have limited eye relief and the dimensions of hand grenades!
John
Wasabrot
Well-known member
Featherlight comes from Peter and not from Swarovski itself. ;-)
I'm curious how good the optical properties will be and which addtional AR functions will come in the next years.
I added the “featherlight” comment as it was commonly stamped on wide angled porros in decades gone by, when the bino was not especially light!.
The zeiss Harpia has a constant wide angle, but it does odd stuff at low powers. I quite like the 76degree Baader Morpheus, good eye relief and not too massive.
Peter
The zeiss Harpia has a constant wide angle, but it does odd stuff at low powers. I quite like the 76degree Baader Morpheus, good eye relief and not too massive.
Peter
New AX Visio 10x32 binocular
Swarovski has just announced a new binocular with integrated electronics (thanks to Ome Arie who first noticed this, and Wasabrot for linking to the details, see posts #76 and 87 at: New Swarovski product announcement in January 2024...? ) It incorporates various electronic technologies...
www.birdforum.net
Ace Optics customers here in the UK have probably received an email this morning inviting them to visit the shop (which is in Bath) for the opportunity to 'test drive' this new product. There is also the offer from them to present an online webinar demonstrating the product.
I've just double checked and they do have a demo copy in store. In addition, one of their team attended the three day training seminar for the product in Absam, so they are fully set up for anyone wishing to visit and try out this new product.
Go try!!!
Jon.Bryant
Well-known member
Is it just me, or are the AX Visio 10x32 simply horrible?
Firstly, they are very heavy and bulbous looking for a 32mm objective lens (like holding two hand grenades!).
... and isn't the fun of birdwatching ID? Do most competent birder's really want a binocular that does the ID for them? I actually like doing my homework before foreign trips, even when on an organised tour - my mantra has always tried to be , if I can't say why it is such and such, then I shouldn't be ticking it (even if the guide says it is one) - OK there may be some ticks on my list, where for tricky ID I respect the experience and knowledge of experts.
I say do the ID, but it will be interesting to see just how accurate the system is - will it tell Marsh, Blyth's and Eurasian Reed Warbler apart or say American Herring Gull from European? A lot of complicated ID takes hours or observation and often other clues - audio, or even now DNA (with for example Stejneger's Stonechat) - surely the really tough nuts will be beyond what the system can cope with. The advertising blurb says 9000 species, but I wonder whether this is pristine breeding plumage males, or all the options for age, sex, wear and moult?
Without trying to sound patronizing, I suspect the target audience will be people new to bird watching who need more help and guidance - but I for one would prefer to reach out to the local bird-watching community, and share the company of a more experienced local.
I wonder how long it will be before BBRC get a submission that simple says 'my AX Visio's told me it was'. I can see a another 'it must be one as Merlin Identified it' parallel in the pipeline.
Firstly, they are very heavy and bulbous looking for a 32mm objective lens (like holding two hand grenades!).
... and isn't the fun of birdwatching ID? Do most competent birder's really want a binocular that does the ID for them? I actually like doing my homework before foreign trips, even when on an organised tour - my mantra has always tried to be , if I can't say why it is such and such, then I shouldn't be ticking it (even if the guide says it is one) - OK there may be some ticks on my list, where for tricky ID I respect the experience and knowledge of experts.
I say do the ID, but it will be interesting to see just how accurate the system is - will it tell Marsh, Blyth's and Eurasian Reed Warbler apart or say American Herring Gull from European? A lot of complicated ID takes hours or observation and often other clues - audio, or even now DNA (with for example Stejneger's Stonechat) - surely the really tough nuts will be beyond what the system can cope with. The advertising blurb says 9000 species, but I wonder whether this is pristine breeding plumage males, or all the options for age, sex, wear and moult?
Without trying to sound patronizing, I suspect the target audience will be people new to bird watching who need more help and guidance - but I for one would prefer to reach out to the local bird-watching community, and share the company of a more experienced local.
I wonder how long it will be before BBRC get a submission that simple says 'my AX Visio's told me it was'. I can see a another 'it must be one as Merlin Identified it' parallel in the pipeline.
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dwatsonbirder
Well-known member
^^ 100% this.
Not to mention the obvious applications that such AI technology could have in replacing skilled ecologists in the field who've spent decades observing and carefully cultivating knowledge and have accumulated significant debt through education.
I don't buy into alarmist conspiracy theories, but I can see a very real possibility of this kind of technology completely destroying the requirement (and skills) of employed fieldworkers. Awful.
Jon.Bryant
Well-known member
Well the cat is presumably out the bag with the AX Visio 10x32.
With regard to IS, I had wondered whether any of the top brands will ever make IS bins, but the launch of the AX Visio has got me rethinking.
My logic has always been that top grade binoculars are beautifully crafted and engineered and that IS is quite a big add on. Assuming that adding IS to bins requires some give, what would you compromise to gain IS - FoV, weight, image quality, or even just ergonomics and how they fit your hand?
I have a pair or higher powered IS binoculars, but for me these are on occasional pair for certain conditions and habitats. For occasional use, I am happy with the performance of the current offering (I have the Kite 16 x 42). Would I spend top dollar on a secondary set of bins for occasional use - probably not.
Before today, I would have said that all the top brands have probably done their market research, know their current offering will be the main sellers, and realize that a line of IS bins that are a compromise in some way, will have more limited sales.
tehri
Well-known member
