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Swift historians
Yes. Actually, the first two digits are the year of manufacture. Yours were made in 1975 not 1971 as I stated originally. Sorry about that. There's no reason not to use them, so have fun. Ed -
Swift historians
Made in 1975 by Hiyoshi Kogaku, Japan, and marketed by Swift-Pyser, UK. These Neptunes are 7x50, which is somewhat unusual. Most were 7x35. They are probably "fully coated," but otherwise the optics are fine. In its day, Mk 1 was marketed as an economy binocular with fairly narrow field.. Ed -
Swift historians
Hi James, I have not the slightest idea where Swift got its inspiration for these 7x35 Model 825 Audubons. It must have been a coincidence. J-B 35 corresponds with the manufacturer Raito Koki Seisakujo Co. Ltd. - Lite Koki Seisakujo Co. Ltd, incidentally, so at that time (c. 1989) they didn't... -
Swift historians
I doubt it. My guess is that these date to the late 1950s or early 1960s. German pattern binoculars sold by Swift during that period did not include a 7x50 "Saratoga." Their 7x50 model was the #788 "Nighthawk," which had a slightly larger field of view of 376'. The Swift model #801 Saratoga... -
Swift historians
Hi Simon, That's interesting. The first "Swift" binoculars, I believe, were sold by Swift & Anderson (S&A) and imported from France and Germany back in the early 1930s. These were all of so-called "German" design and later given a catalog designation of Z (for Zeiss). S&A also imported the... -
Swift historians
Hi Adrian, Your Saratoga was made in 1968, as indicated by the first two digits of the s/n. The 1969 Swift catalog says it has a FOV=393', close focus of 25', and weighs 24.7 oz. It was marketed for $63.95 (vs. $132 for the Audubon). That would be $370.28 today, which isn't too shabby... -
Swift historians
It's all somewhat confusing. Except for the Audubon, the European and American lineups were not exactly the same. In fact, even with the Audubons, Type 2 was distributed in North America, and Type 3 was distributed in Europe. The optics were the same but the focus knob location was different... -
Swift historians
Correct. That's the US model that was called a "Neptune." (There are at least two.) Swift-Pyser imported and distributed somewhat different models in the UK and Europe, one of which was the 7x50 Neptune Mk I. I don't think we got any on this side of the big pond. Ed -
Swift historians
Ok. It's a Swift-Pyser offering with a body similar to (but not the same as) Type 3 Audubons from SP. The red ribbon is a tip-off. Not distributed in the US. Most likely it was made by Hiyoshi Kogaku in the mid 1970s. The sequel may have been the 7x50 Red Label "Skipper," that has a Type 4... -
Swift historians
The only information I have is for a Model 802 7x35 Neptune. It's an outstanding small and handy instrument. I own one in mint condition made in 1988. It's like a miniature Audubon. (Note that 7/8.5 = .82, and .82 * 44 = 36.2, so the proportions are pretty close.) Are you sure there is a... -
Swift historians
Well, I'm not going daft quite yet. One reason I value collecting and refurbishing older Swift products, Audubons in particular, is that they provide a comparative basis for optical technology development over the last half of the 20th Century. It's really nice, for example, to have a way to... -
Swift historians
Simon, I almost missed this post. They are quite a buy at £35! Often the best ones are buy-it-now. I'm sure we'll be hearing more soon. Didn't you buy another Supreme some months ago for a low price? Ed -
Swift historians
Nice hearing from you. I got interested in the Neptune models after finding the attached Swift brochure from 1958. An Audubon is not on the cover, but rather a Model 802 Neptune. Does it look like yours? I believe it was made by Tamron, but they were not conveniently dated like the... -
Swift historians
Tom, I just acquired a mint Swift 7x35 Neptune MK II, dated 1988. Beautiful optic with fully coated lenses. Neptune models may have pre-dated the Audubons starting in the late 1950s, and there are at least three later models that I can find. But they are all MK II. Are you sure yours is MK... -
Swift historians
Hi Simon, Thanks for the pictures and evaluation. After having my 804R (c. 1986) cleaned by Nicolas Crista, I'm now much more aware of how a thin layer of dust can degrade the image. Apparently, there is a tendency for the cement used in the older Swift bins to powder over time. This might... -
Swift historians
Some perceived sharpness is due to coating improvements, I think, certainly differences in general color rendition. The original Swifts used "amber" coatings, with little else, which might account for the warmer tones. I adapt to color tone very quickly, and hardly even notice the strong... -
Swift historians
I'd appreciate if you'd let me know of any Swift "Supreme" 10x50 or 8x40 that show up beyond your price range. if I were in the UK I'd be looking for SWPA bins dated in the mid-80s. (Swift-Pyser Wide Angle) These look to be quite comparable to the Audubon of th era. They came in 9x42, 10x42... -
Swift historians
I haven't seen many (any!) Type 4 804 Audubons on eBay of late, which is disconcerting. I wonder where they went? Of the ones you missed, how much did they go for? My impression was that an HR/5 in great condition would fetch about $200, and an 805R about $150. But that was some time ago... -
Swift historians
That was fun, and I learned a lot. I compared the 7x35 (600') Holiday with the 7x50 (525') Commodore, both made in 1978 and marked fully coated optics. I also included the standard and ED versions of the 8.5x44 (430') 804 Audubon, which were made in the mid 1990s with fully multi-coated... -
Swift historians
Well, I deleted my earlier post because I remembered having a Model 766 7x35 Holiday Mark II. It was made in 1978 by Hiyoshi Kogaku and has an enormous 600 ft. fov. It also uses BK7 glass and displays diamond shaped exit pupils. The Model 802 7x35 Neptune Mark II of that vintage is... -
Swift historians
bosun, It's wonderful that you enjoy the old ones so much. Do you use them for birding or horse racing? :eek!: :eek!: Ed -
Swift historians
It's very interesting but not entirely accurate, IMO. For one thing, I'm fairly certain that Barium Crown (BaK-4) is more expensive that commmon crown (BK7); a number of reputable books say so. Decomposing the 6-digit glass numbers, there is a small tradeoff between refractive index and... -
Swift historians
Simon, There are several Saratoga models listed above, and from what I gather everyone likes them. The use of BK7 glass is not as detrimental as it's made out to be, and you may be one of the few clear thinkers who base their conclusions on what they actually see rather than what others say... -
Swift historians
Well, I get the idea now. I've also noticed that different models have "pistons" that extend different distances, but didn't know there might be a close-focus adjustment inside. Makes sense. Thanks, Ed -
Swift historians
Bosun/Stabor, Could you attach a picture showing the close-focus adjustment on the Saratoga, — that is, if you're not off to the races? Ed :D