Swift changes 828 Audubon diopter (1 Viewer)

Purple Martin · Jul 31, 2011

I just received a new pair of Swift Audubon 828 HP (used to be called HHS) 8.5x44 binoculars. The manual and every review I had read indicate the central focus diopter wheel operates the diopter adjustment of the left lens. After a while I finally figured out that instead it works on the right lens (no matter what the manual says). Sure enough, I got on Swift's website and it indicates it now is the right lens.

I like the 828 a lot. Very smooth operating mechanics and very high quality optics. All the reviews I read before buying said this binocular is a real bargain--performing better than optics more than twice its price. Anyone have any insight into why Swift and its Japanese factory switched the diopter to the right lens?

Martin

ceasar · Jul 31, 2011

My 828's diopter works in the same manner. All other Swifts seem to have the diopter on the right eyepiece. The 828's are still made in Japan and I wonder if the changeover to move it from the left eye to the right eye might have had something to do with overall cost savings?

This is speculation of course, but Leupold's Mojave Series and Cascade Series look like they have the same diopter mechanism. And there are probably others that have it. It would be interesting to find out if they are made in the same Japanese factory as the Swift Audubon 828 is and if their diopter adjusts the right eye also.

I note also that the designation "Premier HP" does not apply to these binoculars on Swift's website as their box indicates. This designation is reserved for the "Eaglet" series. The 828s are listed in the "Audubon" series along with the 2 Porro Prisms. And it is noted that they still have the same "renowned 8.5 x 44 optical formula" which means 5 element oculars as opposed to the 3 element Kellners used in the Eaglets oculars.

Bo

Purple Martin · Jul 31, 2011

Bob:

I notice that the optics4birding website rates the 828 higher than the more expensive Eaglet--putting the Audubon 828 in a higher quality class.

Martin

Steve C · Jul 31, 2011

Purple Martin said:
I just received a new pair of Swift Audubon 828 HP (used to be called HHS) 8.5x44 binoculars. The manual and every review I had read indicate the central focus diopter wheel operates the diopter adjustment of the left lens. After a while I finally figured out that instead it works on the right lens (no matter what the manual says). Sure enough, I got on Swift's website and it indicates it now is the right lens.

I like the 828 a lot. Very smooth operating mechanics and very high quality optics. All the reviews I read before buying said this binocular is a real bargain--performing better than optics more than twice its price. Anyone have any insight into why Swift and its Japanese factory switched the diopter to the right lens?

Martin

I'd guess it is a simple grammar bungle going on. Steiner is about the only manufacturer I can think of that uses a left eye diopter. Swift has always been right eye diopter. I think now everything says right eye, because it always was, just now that everything got fixed up, so those early manuals will have the mistake forever in them I suppose. The early reviews were, I'd guess, just infomercials based on published mistakes.

I would also suppose the new 8.5x44 is a pretty good glass, the older one was always one I liked, but never did own.

ceasar · Jul 31, 2011

Martin,
There are a number of people here who hold the 7 x 36 Eaglet in high esteem. I've never tried it but by it's specs it seems to be quite compact and lightweight. The other Eaglets don't seem to have as many fans and the 10 x 42 has a quite narrow FOV.

There aren't many 7 x 36 roof prisms made in this configuration and they all seem to be larger and heavier than the Swift with wider FOV's. I have Vortex's inexpensive Diamond Back 7 x 36. It has a very wide field with the distortion you expect in these wide field binoculars. It's also built like a tank and correspondingly heavy.

Steve and Martin,
I think the 828 is a really good binocular and an excellent value. It's centerfield apparent sharpness is excellent as I see it. Most people would say "Really Sharp!" It tapers off near the edges but it can be dialed back in using the focus knob if you want to look at something near the edge of the view. There is some pincushioning there. The focus wheel is slow and and turns toward infinity counter clockwise. Long eye relief; 19mm. Ergonomics is top notch in my opinion. It is really well designed with thumb groves precisely placed and it has excellent balance in the hand. It could be a bit brighter. About all Swift would have to do is add dielectric prisms and speed up the focuser a bit to make this a really great binocular! Of course this assumes the improvements wouldn't cost an arm and a leg: Say keep their price around $400.00.

Curiously, this is the only binocular I own that I can use with the diopter at 0. I usually need something around -1. Must be an anomaly in this one.

Bob

elkcub · Aug 1, 2011

Steve C said:
I'd guess it is a simple grammar bungle going on. Steiner is about the only manufacturer I can think of that uses a left eye diopter. Swift has always been right eye diopter. I think now everything says right eye, because it always was, just now that everything got fixed up, so those early manuals will have the mistake forever in them I suppose. The early reviews were, I'd guess, just infomercials based on published mistakes.

I would also suppose the new 8.5x44 is a pretty good glass, the older one was always one I liked, but never did own.

Steve,

My 828 was acquired in 2005. The diopter wheel is in the center, but it operates the focus of the left tube.

Ed

ceasar · Aug 1, 2011

elkcub said:
Steve,

My 828 was acquired in 2005. The diopter wheel is in the center, but it operates the focus of the left tube.

Ed

Ed,
The diopter mechanism on my new 828 which operates the focus on the right tube looks like this one on the top of the Leupold Mojave focus wheel. In fact the entire focus wheel/diopter looks the same as the Mojave's.

http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/leupold/leupold-bx-3-mojave-10x42-binocular

Does yours look like this too? I'm wondering if there was also an external change.

Bob

elkcub · Aug 1, 2011

ceasar said:
Ed,
The diopter mechanism on my new 828 which operates the focus on the right tube looks like this one on the top of the Leupold Mojave focus wheel. In fact the entire focus wheel/diopter looks the same as the Mojave's.

http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/leupold/leupold-bx-3-mojave-10x42-binocular

Does yours look like this too? I'm wondering if there was also an external change.

Bob

Here is a picture. Look any different?

Ed

Steve C · Aug 1, 2011

elkcub said:
Steve,

My 828 was acquired in 2005. The diopter wheel is in the center, but it operates the focus of the left tube.

Ed

Thanks for the information

. It had been a while since I has one of these in my hands. Got confused as every other Swift I had is/was right tube.

ceasar · Aug 1, 2011

elkcub said:
Here is a picture. Look any different?

Ed

Wow Ed! That was fast. You didn't just take that picture did you?

It looks just like the one on mine, right down to the printing. I wonder how hard it was to switch it to the right tube? I notice that the right ocular moves very slightly when the diopter is adjusted so it would it involve redesigning the eyepieces or just reversing them? Maybe they changed coatings too? Who knows?

By the way, does yours have HHS printed anywhere on it? On the outside of the left tube of mine it says SWIFT AUDUBON Model No. 828. With the "Bullseye" circling the word Swift. I'm looking for a way to tell them apart other than the diopter.

Bob

elkcub · Aug 1, 2011

ceasar said:
Wow Ed! That was fast. You didn't just take that picture did you?

It looks just like the one on mine, right down to the printing. I wonder how hard it was to switch it to the right tube? I notice that the right ocular moves very slightly when the diopter is adjusted so it would it involve redesigning the eyepieces or just reversing them? Maybe they changed coatings too? Who knows?

By the way, does yours have HHS printed anywhere on it? On the outside of the left tube of mine it says SWIFT AUDUBON Model No. 828. With the "Bullseye" circling the word Swift. I'm looking for a way to tell them apart other than the diopter.

Bob

Bob,

Here is a picture of the badge on the left side. "HHS" is quite prominent.

It really is interesting they would do this, although it probably didn't take much redesign effort. Perhaps many of the internal parts could be used by flipping them left to right.

Ed

ceasar · Aug 1, 2011

elkcub said:
Bob,

Here is a picture of the badge on the left side. "HHS" is quite prominent.

It really is interesting they would do this, although it probably didn't take much redesign effort. Perhaps many of the internal parts could be used by flipping them left to right.

Ed

Thanks Ed, I guess you did just take these pictures!:t:

The "HHS" has been removed from the latest models.:C

Bob

Purple Martin · Aug 1, 2011

ceasar said:
The focus wheel is slow and and turns toward infinity counter clockwise.

Bob

Yes, that is one of the drawbacks I read about before I bought. I’m probably in the minority here, but I rather enjoy the slower focusing of the 828. I like being able to ease the focus knob into a sharply focused view without ever having to go back-and-forth like I do sometimes with other binoculars that have short focus knob travel. But that is just my preference. I imagine there are situations where more quickly changing focus from a distant to a near object and vice versa would be a boon.

Martin

elkcub · Aug 1, 2011

So, if I understand this correctly they changed the center diopter control from left to right, removed the HHS designation, but didn't change the focusing direction. Maybe that's for the next production run.

Incidentally, from what I can tell the very first HHS had the diopter control on the right tube.

Ed
PS. I didn't take this picture. |=)|

ceasar · Aug 2, 2011

That photo raises another question, Ed.

Why are there little notches in the rim around the right ocular and not in the left rim? There aren't any on my new 828.

Bob

elkcub · Aug 2, 2011

ceasar said:
That photo raises another question, Ed.

Why are there little notches in the rim around the right ocular and not in the left rim? There aren't any on my new 828.

Bob

Bob,

As I mentioned, it appears that the original diopter adjustment was on the right tube itself, i.e., it wasn't integrated with the center focus. My 2005 model doesn't have notches on the oculars either, altho the center control operates the left side. Your's operates the right side.

BTW, I'm not sure whether or not any of these were manufactured by Hiyoshi Kogaku, as I can't find any marking inside or out.

Ed

ceasar · Aug 2, 2011

Sorry Ed,
I forgot to mention in the above post that the focus knob on the one in the photograph looks exactly like the one in use now. But I can't really tell if the top section of it can be pulled back to operate the diopter.

Actually upon giving it a 2nd look it is indeed different than the one you show in thread 8 and on mine. It has cross hatching rather than grooved lines around the circumference so it may actually be used for center focusing only and the one pictured in thread 16 has a right eye diopter.

It looks like the 828/HHS has undergone a few internal changes along the way. They should have thrown in dielectric prisms when they did one of the changes.

Bob

brocknroller · Aug 3, 2011

ceasar said:
....

It looks like the 828/HHS has undergone a few internal changes along the way. They should have thrown in dielectric prisms when they did one of the changes.

Bob

Indeed! According to Allbinos, the 828's light transmission is only 75%, which is under par by today's standards. I tried the lower cost Monarch 8x42 ATB with dielectric coatings last Saturday ($249 at Sportsman's Liquidation Outlet), and it was BRIGHT during daylight and held up well under low light.

The Swift Audubon 820 porro's light transmission is 90%. While it's not feasible to match that in the 828 roof at this price point, Swift certainly can and must do a better than 75% if they want to boost sales. There are too many good alternatives out there today near the same price point and some have a wider FOV and even ED glass.

Brock

Swift changes 828 Audubon diopter (1 Viewer)

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