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Newly designed Audubons? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter ted nordhagen
- Start date
No, there is an ED version of the current model, but that's not the one I mean. The ED version of the HR/5 Audobons is the one that I wish I had.
brocknroller
porromaniac
I had an 804 H/R5 ED, but I was not impressed with the view. The sweet spot was a narrow slit. Orion's Belt spans 2.75*, and that wouldn't fit in the sweet spot (at least horizontally). If I turned the Audubon on its side, I could fit Orion's Belt in the vertical sweet spot with plenty of space to spare.
There could have been something wrong with that sample, but stars within that narrow slit were pinpoints.
The mechanics on the 804 ED were shot, but that was from years of use (or abuse). The central hinge was loose, the right diopter was loose, and the focuser bridge flexed! The other three 804s I owned all had sturdy bridges, hinges, and diopters.
The body was slightly different, with either longer barrels or more inset objectives. The objectives on the 804s have a shallow recess, but the EDs had plenty of "shroud" around them. That's a good thing, keeps out stray light.
The ED version also didn't seem as bright as my 804 FMC version, which also had a wider sweet spot but more pincushion. The ER was also slightly shorter on the ED version.
If I ever found an 804 H/R5 ED that was as bright and sharp as the FMC 804 I had, but w/out the excessive pincushion, and a large sweet spot like the MC version (had two of those, they were consistent), I would reach binonirvana. I still have the 804 MC version and use it mainly for stargazing.
But alas, it's always somethin', if it's not one thing, it's another...
Rowdy
Porros get no respect. Even though some are stuffed with great optics, almost nobody makes a very nice one anymore since roofs became all the vogue. It's like even the best Porro makers' concerns stop and end with glass, with little thought for little touches that would make a sensitive lady or gentleman user feel coddled, lucky, special you know, a little bit gladder to be alive. Which is to say, to like the binocular very much. There's more to it than just the view doggone it, you have to live with the thing.
The Nikon SE and Swaro Habicht are exceptions. At $500, the Audubon is playing close to these price wise, and optics wise, but apparently not nice wise.
I have two optically fabulous Porros myself. One, a Fujinon FMT-SX, is strictly weapons grade. Get back from that thing--you could get hurt if you don't know what you're doing! The other, a Docter Nobilem, well at least it's center focus but to little avail, the knob is so hard to reach, and the armor is exactly like a brand new tire. You simply have to lift your skin off it to move a little bit, as any slippage is prevented.
Most modern Porros are strictly for Porro buffs, price conscious optics mavens, and if cheap, first time buyers. Normal people will not be tempted, and the demise of the breed will continue.
Cheers,
Ron
The Nikon SE and Swaro Habicht are exceptions. At $500, the Audubon is playing close to these price wise, and optics wise, but apparently not nice wise.
I have two optically fabulous Porros myself. One, a Fujinon FMT-SX, is strictly weapons grade. Get back from that thing--you could get hurt if you don't know what you're doing! The other, a Docter Nobilem, well at least it's center focus but to little avail, the knob is so hard to reach, and the armor is exactly like a brand new tire. You simply have to lift your skin off it to move a little bit, as any slippage is prevented.
Most modern Porros are strictly for Porro buffs, price conscious optics mavens, and if cheap, first time buyers. Normal people will not be tempted, and the demise of the breed will continue.
Cheers,
Ron
brocknroller
porromaniac
"Yeah, porros don't get no respect. Take my roof. Pleeease!"
Well, I never thought I'd say this, but thank God I'm not "normal"!
Question: Does the Docter's tire rubber armoring smell like a tire? According to Steve Ingraham, that's how the original Zeiss Victory smelled. I have a strong aversion to the smell of rubber tires.
Is the Docter the 15x60 model? Not sure I could reach the focus while holding those (not sure I could use them handheld), but I could reach the focus while holding the 7" by 8" Octarem, but only with my middle finger. I'd need to be Gene Hackman or a vampire to reach it with my index finger.
Btw, I haven't seen "Popeye Doyle" in the cinema for a long while, so I looked him up, and he's now writing novels.
http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-3445_162-173431.html
Rowdy
Last edited:
jaymoynihan
Corvus brachyrhynchos watcher
Me too :-C
Mark9473
Well-known member
That feel changes considerably with use, Ron. I consider the rubber on my 3-year old Nobilem 15x60 is essentially pefect now. Just enough grip to hold it securely, but not the almost rough & sticky new tire feel it had in the beginning. The areas that are touched less (or not at all) in normal use are still a bit too non-slip though.
Mark.
Mark9473
Well-known member
Works for me if I reposition my right hand by about 1 inch. Can't see myself using my index finger at all though, it's shorter so the middle finger would be in the way. The only binoculars where I use my index finger are the little 8x20s.
Mark.
Alexis Powell
Natural history enthusiast
Sticky new rubber is easy to treat. Wipe with ArmorAll, rub off. In my experience, after one such treatment, the sticky feeling never comes back.
--AP
WGPu
Providence Petrel
"ronh",
Your comments made me laugh, esoterically, shall we say. You said: "a Fujinon FMT-SX, is strictly weapons grade" and I thought, "whoa, that descriptor is used in only one profession." So my head peeled left to see your location and I chuckled, noting you're up on the mesa. I spent several years in the '90s at Rocky Flats and adopted the user ID that you see here. Thanks for the chuckle.
And thanks for the 820ED comments. I'm thinking about buying a pair.
Bates Estabrooks
Oak Ridge,TN
Your comments made me laugh, esoterically, shall we say. You said: "a Fujinon FMT-SX, is strictly weapons grade" and I thought, "whoa, that descriptor is used in only one profession." So my head peeled left to see your location and I chuckled, noting you're up on the mesa. I spent several years in the '90s at Rocky Flats and adopted the user ID that you see here. Thanks for the chuckle.
And thanks for the 820ED comments. I'm thinking about buying a pair.
Bates Estabrooks
Oak Ridge,TN
Bates,
Yes, a loose slang term for something overbearingly businesslike. Nice of you to drop a line.
They are supposedly turning Rocky Flats into a nature sanctuary. Far out! Hopefully there will be some entirely new species there.
Keeping the country safe (It IS safe, right?),
Ron
Yes, a loose slang term for something overbearingly businesslike. Nice of you to drop a line.
They are supposedly turning Rocky Flats into a nature sanctuary. Far out! Hopefully there will be some entirely new species there.
Keeping the country safe (It IS safe, right?),
Ron
brocknroller
porromaniac
It's a little known fact that Gene Hackman is a vampire. You can see that his index finger is longer than his middle finger in this photo:
http://i.usatoday.net/communitymanager/_photos/lifeline-live/2010/09/28/genex-large.jpg
He'd have no problem reaching the focuser with his looong index finger on the 15x60 Nobilem.
Sundance
Chosun Juan
Given to Fly
New Swift's in hand .............. Wow!
Chosun :gh:
Chosun :gh:
Chosun Juan
Given to Fly
It's just as well that my presciption glasses have "transitions" lenses in them, 'cause these things are . bee - r - i - g - h - t . !
Right from the start when looking through them, I was overcome with a warm, tingly feeling all over ...... it was like I was dematerializing right then and there, and being partially teleported to the actual subject being viewed, with no hint of glass separating us !! . :cat:
Chosun :gh:
Right from the start when looking through them, I was overcome with a warm, tingly feeling all over ...... it was like I was dematerializing right then and there, and being partially teleported to the actual subject being viewed, with no hint of glass separating us !! . :cat:
Chosun :gh:
Chosun Juan
Given to Fly
Ron, thanks for the smidge of interest - I was wondering when someone's curiosity would be piqued enough to pick up on those provocative morsels and post! Here are some further tidbits .....
The Good
*There are times (not all, but many) when the centrefield view has a virtually 'transparent' quality to it - I described it as like "being partially teleported to the actual subject" only because the image scale is a little smaller than my expectations (8.5x spec'd, or even 8.8x as albino's measured), otherwise, you are "there".
*The brightness is fantastic - visibly brighter than the Zen-Ray 8x43 ED3 (widely considered to be a very bright binocular, near 90%tr based on what Charles has said about the new Prime HD, and comparing the two), so if it's felt that the minimum difference discernable is about 3%, then this would put the Swift at ~93%, or somewhere slightly over ........ bee - r - i - g - h - t . !
*That "porro" cleanliness of view. Despite a slightly smaller 5.2mm (5?) exit pupil versus the Zen's 5.4mm, and the ability of my younger eyes to dilate well past this, image quality is maintained just after sunset, up until my pupils overwhelm the EP's ability. The Zen loses some of it's fine view at sunset and beyond for me.
*Colour rendition is neutral and natural, maybe with a peak in the yellow - very similar curve shape to a Zeiss FL, I would imagine. There is no funky saturation 'boosting' going on in the blues, and reds, so very realistic. Looking at an Eastern Rosella (which makes a fantastic real colour chart and could even be somewhat of a standard ....), everything shows exactly as it should - the white of the cheeks is negligibly warm in tone (almost, but not quite like a 'daylight' fluro, as opposed to those vivid blue druggie deterring ones!)
*Excellent CA control in the sweet spot - CA is virtually non-existent here (better than the Zen, which itself, is quite good).
*W - i - d - e . fov (69.3° Afov near as dammit qualifies as extra wide). The trade-offs are field curvature and pincushion, though the deep dof helps the first, and the latter is at around about Zen ED3 levels, so no real biggie - I haven't done any real scrutiny in this area yet).
*The view is sharp and clean in the centrefield, though I haven't specifically checked resolution yet.
*Outstanding dof, and 3-D effect. The moon is actually a sphere hanging in space! who knew?! (just looks like a flat disk through roofs).
*Superb focus precision. No slop, or hysteresis in the mechanism - and it's buttery smooth! (ok, so the butter may have been in the fridge for a while, as the tension is firm though not objectionable, and I could have stood it to be a little bit lighter, with my particular requirements). btw, focus direction is clockwise to infinity - woohoo! (take note LS), and much faster than albino's list (try 270° - cf - to the moon! - good - me likes).
*"Z" Body contruction and attractive, patterned rubber armouring, has a solid, quality, feel to it, even though the bin itself 'feels' lightweight (actual weight is around about a Zen ED3, maybe ~27.5oz / 780g, though no precise measurement apart from the kitchen scales yet).
The Bad
*Image scale is much smaller than I would prefer. Compared to a roof, it looks to be about ~7.5x close-in, to about 8x on a moon-shot. Not quite the holy grail I was after.
*Close Focus is nowhere near as close as listed, being ~4.5m (15ft)??!!
*The focus knob is a ribbed, rubber covered affair, which detracts from the experience somewhat. There is just the tiniest bit of 'give' in the ribs when applying pressure, that I can detect with my finely-tuned fingertips. It's like the difference between driving an Audi R8 V10, and a Ferrari 458 Italia - both superb, but the Ferrari is just that bit more razor sharp. I think it would benefit from a Zen ED3, or Minox, style knurled metal knob - that would take it from 'superb' to 'perfect'.
*The 'bitter-zone'. No real problem, it's just not the 'sweet-zone'.
*The eyecups are about as precise as a Britney Spears comeback concert. Luckily for me, they stay all the way down, where I can nearly see the whole field (enough to see a small nick in the field stop), and are of a softish, if big and flat nature (again, a bit like Britney ....!)
*Glare control is nothing to write home about. No Leica like 'black holes' surrounding the EP, but not quite as bad as the albino's photos either. In practice, so far, similar to a Zen ED3, maybe a little better in some instances.
*At maximum IPD, your elbows will be spread out like you're ready for take-off! even though there's enough 'real estate' for very large hands. A comfortable binocular to hold.
*The neckstrap, though padded, and widish, is Not, the thick, luxurious, curved, well crafted affair, that will leave you feeling as pampered as time-off relaxing at the day spa.
*The stylish, black, velvet effect, and rubber panther print bag (would make a great handbag!) is let down only by the poxy strap, and 'noisy' velcro latch - hardly a thing of stealth!!
The Ugly
The supplied, cheap, hard, plastic (rubber?), Indiviual, Untethered! objective lens covers, and eyepiece rainguards, are absolute rubbish. Totally impractical to use, and leave you feeling ripped off, after forking over half a G .....
No doubt, there'll be more to say later - but that's enough of a fix for now! .....
Some other info (past and present):
http://www.allbinos.com/158-binoculars_review-Swift_Optics_820_ED_Audubon_8.5x44.html
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=it&tl=en&u=http://www.binomania.it
http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Swift8.5x44AudubonED-30.htm
http://www.betterviewdesired.com/Swift-8-5x44-Audubon.php
http://www.betterviewdesired.com/Swift-Audubon-8-4X44-and-8-5X44-ED.php
Chosun :gh:
The Good
*There are times (not all, but many) when the centrefield view has a virtually 'transparent' quality to it - I described it as like "being partially teleported to the actual subject" only because the image scale is a little smaller than my expectations (8.5x spec'd, or even 8.8x as albino's measured), otherwise, you are "there".
*The brightness is fantastic - visibly brighter than the Zen-Ray 8x43 ED3 (widely considered to be a very bright binocular, near 90%tr based on what Charles has said about the new Prime HD, and comparing the two), so if it's felt that the minimum difference discernable is about 3%, then this would put the Swift at ~93%, or somewhere slightly over ........ bee - r - i - g - h - t . !
*That "porro" cleanliness of view. Despite a slightly smaller 5.2mm (5?) exit pupil versus the Zen's 5.4mm, and the ability of my younger eyes to dilate well past this, image quality is maintained just after sunset, up until my pupils overwhelm the EP's ability. The Zen loses some of it's fine view at sunset and beyond for me.
*Colour rendition is neutral and natural, maybe with a peak in the yellow - very similar curve shape to a Zeiss FL, I would imagine. There is no funky saturation 'boosting' going on in the blues, and reds, so very realistic. Looking at an Eastern Rosella (which makes a fantastic real colour chart and could even be somewhat of a standard ....), everything shows exactly as it should - the white of the cheeks is negligibly warm in tone (almost, but not quite like a 'daylight' fluro, as opposed to those vivid blue druggie deterring ones!)
*Excellent CA control in the sweet spot - CA is virtually non-existent here (better than the Zen, which itself, is quite good).
*W - i - d - e . fov (69.3° Afov near as dammit qualifies as extra wide). The trade-offs are field curvature and pincushion, though the deep dof helps the first, and the latter is at around about Zen ED3 levels, so no real biggie - I haven't done any real scrutiny in this area yet).
*The view is sharp and clean in the centrefield, though I haven't specifically checked resolution yet.
*Outstanding dof, and 3-D effect. The moon is actually a sphere hanging in space! who knew?! (just looks like a flat disk through roofs).
*Superb focus precision. No slop, or hysteresis in the mechanism - and it's buttery smooth! (ok, so the butter may have been in the fridge for a while, as the tension is firm though not objectionable, and I could have stood it to be a little bit lighter, with my particular requirements). btw, focus direction is clockwise to infinity - woohoo! (take note LS), and much faster than albino's list (try 270° - cf - to the moon! - good - me likes).
*"Z" Body contruction and attractive, patterned rubber armouring, has a solid, quality, feel to it, even though the bin itself 'feels' lightweight (actual weight is around about a Zen ED3, maybe ~27.5oz / 780g, though no precise measurement apart from the kitchen scales yet).
The Bad
*Image scale is much smaller than I would prefer. Compared to a roof, it looks to be about ~7.5x close-in, to about 8x on a moon-shot. Not quite the holy grail I was after.
*Close Focus is nowhere near as close as listed, being ~4.5m (15ft)??!!
*The focus knob is a ribbed, rubber covered affair, which detracts from the experience somewhat. There is just the tiniest bit of 'give' in the ribs when applying pressure, that I can detect with my finely-tuned fingertips. It's like the difference between driving an Audi R8 V10, and a Ferrari 458 Italia - both superb, but the Ferrari is just that bit more razor sharp. I think it would benefit from a Zen ED3, or Minox, style knurled metal knob - that would take it from 'superb' to 'perfect'.
*The 'bitter-zone'. No real problem, it's just not the 'sweet-zone'.
*The eyecups are about as precise as a Britney Spears comeback concert. Luckily for me, they stay all the way down, where I can nearly see the whole field (enough to see a small nick in the field stop), and are of a softish, if big and flat nature (again, a bit like Britney ....!)
*Glare control is nothing to write home about. No Leica like 'black holes' surrounding the EP, but not quite as bad as the albino's photos either. In practice, so far, similar to a Zen ED3, maybe a little better in some instances.
*At maximum IPD, your elbows will be spread out like you're ready for take-off! even though there's enough 'real estate' for very large hands. A comfortable binocular to hold.
*The neckstrap, though padded, and widish, is Not, the thick, luxurious, curved, well crafted affair, that will leave you feeling as pampered as time-off relaxing at the day spa.
*The stylish, black, velvet effect, and rubber panther print bag (would make a great handbag!) is let down only by the poxy strap, and 'noisy' velcro latch - hardly a thing of stealth!!
The Ugly
The supplied, cheap, hard, plastic (rubber?), Indiviual, Untethered! objective lens covers, and eyepiece rainguards, are absolute rubbish. Totally impractical to use, and leave you feeling ripped off, after forking over half a G .....
No doubt, there'll be more to say later - but that's enough of a fix for now! .....
Some other info (past and present):
http://www.allbinos.com/158-binoculars_review-Swift_Optics_820_ED_Audubon_8.5x44.html
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=it&tl=en&u=http://www.binomania.it
http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Swift8.5x44AudubonED-30.htm
http://www.betterviewdesired.com/Swift-8-5x44-Audubon.php
http://www.betterviewdesired.com/Swift-Audubon-8-4X44-and-8-5X44-ED.php
Chosun :gh: