The Swift Audubon 8.5x44 ED being produced in 2 models, preserving the specifications, except:
A porroprism version with the mechanical quality of the old HR/5 version and armour like the Nikon 8x32 SE, and of course better eye relief
and
A water proof roof prism version, with better eye relief also. :smoke:
Jay,
Have you tried the new, redesigned 820 ED? At least according to the one person on earth who bought one, the bridge doesn't flex. It employs the old B & L Discoverer body. The report of it having "oversized" eyecups turned me off.
The roof prism has 19mm ER, not enough of that is useable with eyeglasses? The porros don't have enough useable ER, about 12mm.
The roofs are in serious need of updating with only 75% light transmission, according to the allbino boyz. Even anecdotal reports show the view is noticeably dimmer than the porros.
The price is competitive with the porros, but the FOV is smaller, 8.2* for the 820 vs. 6.4* for the 828. They'd have to charge significantly more than the porros if they updated the EP design to increase the FOV but from what I see of Chinese bins, the addition of dielectric coatings wouldn't break the bank.
Except for the recent update to the 820's body design and the updated Eaglets and the "new" Horizon roofs, Swift binoculars seem to be frozen in time.
This "new" Aerolite looks like it's from the Pleistocene Epoch (at first I thought Pliocene, but then noticed the rubber armoring):
http://www.optics4birding.com/armored-aerolite7x50zcf-binoculars-292.html
My "dream" is more modest. I'd be happy with an 804 H/R FMC that had as good edges and no more piincushion than my 804 MC version.
Brock