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Swift Eaglet (1 Viewer)

C

ceasar

Well-known member
Swift Eaglet-825R and Plover-702B

I recently received a very nice Optics Buying Guide (Actually a Catalog) from "Time & Optics, Ltd." of 6954 CR 77, Millersburg, OH44654. They did not list a web address so you will have to write or phone them for a copy. 1-866-308-0727.

In their catalog, they list the unusual Swift 825R (roof prism) 7 x 36 Eaglet priced at 329.99. It is FMC, waterproof, has a 374' FOV and 16mm ER, weighs 20 Oz. It does not have Phase Coating. Close focus under 6'. They tout it as a great butterfly and dragonfly binocular.

It looks like a solid, well built binocular. Does anyone out there have any experience with it?

They also list a surprisingly inexpensive ($102.00) 8 x 40 Porro. The 702B "Plover." It has a remarkably wide FOV of 472' and an ER of 14mm. Weighs 25 Oz is "fully coated" with Bak4 prisms. Sounds like good starter binocular or even a handy backup! Any comments are appreciated.

Bob
"I came, I saw, I sought expert advice."
 
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ceasar said:
In their catalog, they list the unusual Swift 825R (roof prism) 7 x 36 Eaglet priced at 329.99. It is FMC, waterproof, has a 374' FOV and 16mm ER, weighs 20 Oz. It does not have Phase Coating. Close focus under 6'. They tout it as a great butterfly and dragonfly binocular.
It looks like a solid, well built binocular. Does anyone out there have any experience with it?
Click to expand...

I've always liked the Swift Eaglet (nothing spectacular, but a good easy view), but it has been a few years since I've last payed around with one. Based on my recollections, I think it has been functionally replaced and perhaps superceded by the Nikon 8x36 Monarch (similar size, close focus, eye-relief, FOV, handling). I seem to recall, contrary to the info in your catalog, that phase-coatings were added to the Eaglet a few years ago. Also, the Eaglet has always been a good choice for butterfly watching because it has a close focus of ~4 feet. It would be interesting to compare a current Eaglet to the 8x36 Monarch. The Eaglet is one of those nice, functional binos that have been forgotten by communities like Birdforum that tend to discuss only recent products. Probably the lack of twist-up eyecups makes it seem hopelessly out of date to some. My biggest gripe w/the Eaglet has been that it has generally been overpriced compared to other models of similar quality.
--AP
 
Alexis,
Now that's a prompt response!
The catalog indicates that the Eaglet has twist up eyecups now. It makes no mention of phase coating so I assumed they weren't phase coated. It has similar lines to the old Leitz Trinovid BA but I doubt if they use the Uppendahl roof prism.
Bob
 
Bob,

It would seem that you and eye are continuing to notice all the same bins in that catalog. I was curious about the Eaglet last night as well. It is nice to find that Alexis has some experience with it as it caught my interest. I do not have the catalog here with me at work but I know there were a few others in there that peaked my interest as well. We will have to discuss them further.
 
Bob,

I pulled out my most recent Swift catalogue, where it not only states that the Eaglet is phase-coated, but also sport a new coating technology called CFT (cold fusion technology). Unfortunately, these changes are not reflected in their website which is long overdue for an update. I did recently have a conversation with a Swift marketing rep. who told me they are currently reworking the website, and Swift will be offering new bino's in 2007, including adding an 8x42 & 10x42 to the Eaglet line which will be called "Eagles". She went on to state that these new coatings have "dramatically" improved the the Eaglets. By the way, an updated Eaglet should say "CFT Prisms" just below the Eaglet badging.

Ted
 
Hi,

The Swift Eaglet happens to be the subject of one of Stephen Ingraham's finest, most balanced reviews. You'll find it here http://www.betterviewdesired.com/EagletEgret.html

My opinion about the Eaglet as a butterfly/dragonfly binocular is that its close focussing is strongly at odds with the narrow field of view. I mean, you're not looking at your toes but at a species that likes to fly (and how!). So you'd need the largest FOV you can get.

Renze de Vries
 
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I've looked through one of the updated versions (twist up eyecups and phase coated). It was a very nice binocular, and i would have bought it, but.. The field of view put me off. It felt like looking through a pipe.
 
Thanks all!
I appreciate your response.

Now, does anyone have any comments on the "Plover?"

It looks like it could fit in as a larger version of Leupold's 6 x 30 Yosemite. It's an 8 x 40 and it's price and optics are similar. The Plover is "fully coated" rather than "FMC" and the Yosemite is "multicoated." They cost around 100 bucks a piece and they each have a big wide FOV and 5mm exit pupil.

Are they new? Anybody ready to get one for the wife for Christmas and keep us posted?

Bob ;)
 
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The field of view on the Eaglet caught my eye as well. At 7 degrees and a 7x magnification that is only a 49 degree apparent field. The Minox BD BR 7x42s I owned briefly had the same combination and I was left feeling much the same way as the rest of you. Excellent image quality on the Minoxs but too narrow of an apparent field.

I have heard nothing on the Plovers Bob but there were some others that peaked my interest. How about the Celestron Ultima DX 8x32 porro with that 429 foot field of view and 16 mm of eye relief? At that price I think they would also compete/compare with the Yosemites and Plovers. Those Plovers have an exceptionally wide field of view. I wonder what percentage of it shows distortion.
 
The "Plover" has about a 9 degree FOV! 8x magnification times 9 degrees = 72 degrees apparent field.
Bob :cool: :news:
 
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FrankD said:
Celestron Ultima DX 8x32 porro with that 429 foot field of view and 16 mm of eye relief? At that price I think they would also compete/compare with the Yosemites and Plovers.
Click to expand...

Something tells me that they would win by a significant margin. Too bad that i quit, it would have been fun to compare them.
 
A few miscellaneous comments:

I agree that the apparent FOV of the Swift Eaglet is disappointing--that's one of the reasons why I think the Nikon 8x36 Monarch (which has about the same true field) is a bit more satisfying. On the other hand, until the most recent crop of low end roofs came out, the Eaglet was one of the only sub $400 phase-coated roofs with a 5 mm exit pupil and a true field over 6.5 degrees (The Bausch & Lomb 7x42, now Bushnell 8x42 Discoverer, being the more impressive such standout). In any case, although I like a wide field as much as anyone, I've never found a 7 degree field difficult to use for close-up insect viewing use (that is what my old Bausch & Lomb 8x42 Elite had).

The Eaglet's minimum interpupillary setting is 57 mm--very disappointing because otherwise it would be a great bino for kids given its small size, lower mag, big exit pupil, and very close focus.

The Plover has been around in some form for many years. I've never had interest in it because of its short eye-relief. There used to be lots of full-sized porros with very wide FOV and no eye-relief. Most are gone now.

I'm more interested in the reintroduction of the Celestron Ultima porro line. I've always had a favorable opinion of Celestron's extensive Ultima line of porros (including some ED versions with good eye relief) and so was disappointed when they were discontinued a few years ago. Choices have been surprisingly limited lately for anyone looking for a good inexpensive wide-field porro. I hope these new Ultimas are as good or better than their predecessors. Incidentally, I seem to recall that the past 8x32 model also claimed 16 mm eye-relief, but it was actually more like 13 mm. I'll be interested in the eye-relief and close focus abilities of the new Ultimas.
--AP
 
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Too bad that i quit, it would have been fun to compare them.
Click to expand...

Oh, come on Luca, just one more.... one addict says to another

Alexis,

I have heard next to nothing about the Celestron Ultima series but your comments now have me curious. I am going to see if I can track down a pair.
 
Otto McDiesel said:
I've looked through one of the updated versions (twist up eyecups and phase coated). It was a very nice binocular, ... The field of view put me off. ..QUOTE]

I am still interested in these. Separate and apart from FOV, how are the newer phase coated ones optically? what are they comparable to in optical quality?
re they made in Japan, or China?

jay
Click to expand...
 
Eaglet 825R, Phase Correction Coated Version

I bought a pair in the past month. I've been interested, and like many people haven't seen much commentary on them.

It is very ergonomic in the hand, and very comfortable to view through. To answer the last post's questions: (1) It is made in Japan; this is printed on the axle's end cap. (2) Optically, it is very good, but falls short of competing with the very high end roofs (e.g., from what I've viewed through, Swarovski SLC 8x30, Zeiss Victory II 8x40 and Night Owl 7x45, Leica Trinovid BA 10x42, B&L Elite 8x42, Docter 8x42, etc.). By this, I mean that the view is sharp and bright, but resolution is not as great, and the color saturation is dull in comparison with the others listed. By the way, the right eye diopter adjustment is detented (click-stopped), not continously variable.

Its best feature, to me, is its comfort in use. I like it, but I'm not really excited by it.

I notice that Swift is also offering 8x42 and 10x42 versions of it, as well as porros that resemble those of other brands these days. I like Swift products and have several of their models, but I'm not sure what they offer these days is a distinctive as they used to be.
 
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jaymoynihan said:
...
I am still interested in these. Separate and apart from FOV, how are the newer phase coated ones optically? what are they comparable to in optical quality?
re they made in Japan, or China?

jay
Click to expand...

Jay,

I'm not at liberty to say where I got this information, but according to my source the Eaglet measured a remarkable 92.0% average transmission across the spectrum, by comparison with 67.5% for the HHS Audubon, 83.2% for the standard Audubon, and 85.6% for the Leica 7x42. I assume that the Audubons are the most recent models shown in the Swift catalog. I don't know which series Leica he tested. I would add that by my inspection the transmission distribution was also more uniform for the Eaglet over the spectrum, staying above 80% from 430 nm to 730 nm. Very impressive! I just wish I were free to post and say more.

BTW, I'm sure that Renze de Vries and I would be interested to compare notes about the 804ED, which IMO is the the finest birding optic ever made (ok, by Swift). But, sadly, they are no longer available.

Blue skies,
Ed
 
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Is that I assume, the light through-put, the transmission?
Any thoughts on the resolution of the 7x36?

And, the 804 ED is the original ED Audubon, prior to the addition of the armor and water resistance, right?
 
jaymoynihan said:
Is that I assume, the light through-put, the transmission?
Any thoughts on the resolution of the 7x36?

And, the 804 ED is the original ED Audubon, prior to the addition of the armor and water resistance, right?
Click to expand...

Yes, total transmission of a specified white light.

I don't own the binocular, just have these relevant optical stats.

Oh, I expect it's the current 820ED Audubon, not the beautiful 804ED we own.

BTW, you know that the eyepieces of the 804 ED were made water resistant by the addition of O-rings, right? They work too.

Blue skies,
Ed
 
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