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New product at Swarovski European Launch Tour (1 Viewer)
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Hermann
Well-known member
I actually think a zoom binocular isn't such a good idea. Too heavy. Binoculars need to have a reasonable weight, as far as I'm concerned, and I must admit, I'm not particularly happy with binoculars getting bigger and heavier at the moment.
Hermann
I think that a Alpha with guaranteed reliable operating true zoom mechanism, rather than a Switch-Power mechanism, would cost so much to build and be so heavy that they wouldn't sell very well at all. The low priced zoom binoculars on the market are notoriously unreliable.
Bob
Bob
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Couldn't agree more.
Brunton made their Epoch Zoom about ten years ago, an 8-15x35 binoculars that employed a true zoom between 8x and 15x. It was heavy at 35 oz., bulky, and cost a ton ($2600 retail). It had a very narrow FOV of 273' at 8x and narrowed even more as you went to 15x. I have one that I picked up drastically marked down after it was discontinued, and the zoom works well to 12x--after that the FOV is too narrow and darkens considerably in low light. The zoom does work well, and the view is quite good, except for the typical excessive CA found in Brunton binos. I can't see Swarovski doing a true zoom (probably $3500+), but Swarovski has the marketing genius to pull it off!
Torchepot
Well-known member
ticl2184
Well-known member
Strange why Swarovski have launched a Bino unit for the TX range of objectives...
It comes in over 2 grand to buy without an objective unit ...It weighs in at about 1.4kg...And you stuck to a fixed magnification when you use it ...About 30x....Plus you can't really use it for digiscoping. ...
However you do get access to less eye fatigue and a more natural and comfortable binocular view ....
However you can save yourself a small fortune and digiscope with the ATX and STX modules and watch the screen with both eyes..
But perhaps I'm just being picky
It comes in over 2 grand to buy without an objective unit ...It weighs in at about 1.4kg...And you stuck to a fixed magnification when you use it ...About 30x....Plus you can't really use it for digiscoping. ...
However you do get access to less eye fatigue and a more natural and comfortable binocular view ....
However you can save yourself a small fortune and digiscope with the ATX and STX modules and watch the screen with both eyes..
But perhaps I'm just being picky
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No offense, but you are being picky. A good binoviewer is a bear to make.
If it had been easy, binoculars would use one big objective lens with a binoviewer at the eyepiece end.
I don't think you are being picky at all. I can imagine this being brilliant for long term monitoring of nest sites by RSPB and other organisations, and for those who just can't get used to one ocular.
But on dull days its nice to back off the mag to 20x and on crisp clear bright days and something tasty in the distance, rack up the mag to take a peak. And all the time its nice to carry less weight rather than more.
The cost / weight / benefit balance doesn't appeal to me at all.
Lee
Vespobuteo
Well-known member
I agree with your analysis, but I suspect that Swaro see this as an complement to the ATX eye piece, and they want us to buy both.
But who knows, the BTX might be so nice to use that some will actually ditch the ATX and start using the BTX instead. With the extender you might get by pretty well. But it's hard to tell so far, the "Swaro fan boys" invited to those events sometimes seem to be a bit overly enthustiastic.
Strange beast. It looks like the Greenough system in stereo microscopes.
Swaro has apparently created a superior binoviewer. I really hope they get the market success that work deserves.
Scopes are nowhere near fun to use because of the monocular view.
Swaro may have the marketing clout to bring about a change for the better with this innovation.
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