Here are the new modular Swarovski scopes (10 Viewers)

[Hermann]

I cant wait to see the new Swaro system and I wonder how long it will be before the others dust off their own designs that have been gathering dust for the last 15+ years.

Well, yes. Perhaps. It all depends on how good the new Swarovskis really are and their durability, especially the durability of the big bayonet. And on how many people are prepared to pay their price. Many people won't really *need* a modular scope, so keeping the old line, possibly even reducing the prices, may in fact be a shrewd move. There's still much to be said in favour of simple, straightforward designs, as long as such scopes aren't too expensive.

By the way, I'm quite interested to hear what prism design they use, but that will have to wait until some people here have got their hands on one of the new Swarovskis.

Hermann

 

[henry link]

Hermann,

The shapes of the scopes suggest that there's no change from the current prisms: Schmidt in the angled and Porro in the straight. I'm happy to see Porro instead of Schmidt-Pechan.

Henry

 

[bcl05]

Those look amazing. Now I just need to win the lottery....

 

[John Cantelo]

I think Steve Dudley has nailed it - a small OG 'scope when visiting an area which generally experiences good, bright light is perfectly adequate most of the time. What with bins, camera and lenses taking your optics with you using your cabin luggage allowance is tight enough already and who's trust their optical gear to the hold? I take a 50mm 'scope with me to Spain as I try to avoid hold luggage altogether.

These are undoubtedly brilliant 'scopes and the modular system is very clever indeed, but I can't help thinking that the 95mm instrument is a step too far (too big, too heavy, too expensive). A lightweight high quality 'scope in the 50-60mm OG range would have been preferable,

 

[Jim M.]

According to the stat sheet Henry linked to (no pun intended). 67.4 oz for the 85 and 75.8oz for the 95 (angled). 95 too heavy for routine field use for my tastes, and even the 85 weighs more than the Kowa 883. Would expect to "have it all" at these prices.

Jim

 

[John Cantelo]

Well, yes. Perhaps. It all depends on how good the new Swarovskis really are and their durability, especially the durability of the big bayonet. And on how many people are prepared to pay their price. Many people won't really *need* a modular scope, so keeping the old line, possibly even reducing the prices, may in fact be a shrewd move. There's still much to be said in favour of simple, straightforward designs, as long as such scopes aren't too expensive.

Hermann

An excellent point - are these new 'scopes 'solving' a problem that doesn't really exist at the price of greater cost and reduced durability?

 

[mr h]

May be in 2or3 years they will bring out a lighter version so every one will have to upgrade:king:

 

[Steve Dudley]

Many people won't really *need* a modular scope, so keeping the old line, possibly even reducing the prices, may in fact be a shrewd move. There's still much to be said in favour of simple, straightforward designs, as long as such scopes aren't too expensive.

I cant see them reducing the price of the traditional models. If buying two different current scopes (65mm and 80mm bodies plus one shared eyepeice = currently $5069) is less than buying two of the new modular systems (and lets face it, anyone going for this will buy the 65 and the 95 and omit the 85 altogether = according to the Eagle Optics site, $4957), then it kills the modular system, especially if the everyday 65mm is heavier and longer in the modular system. And as you can see from the prices I've given, there isn't a lot of room to reduce the price of the current lines before this becomes a cheaper option than their modular system. Interesting.

 

[Steve Dudley]

An excellent point - are these new 'scopes 'solving' a problem that doesn't really exist at the price of greater cost and reduced durability?

And you've hit this one on the head John. I think new products often don't solve a problem, they just give consumers a new option. Look at the open bridge binocular. Did that solve a problem? No, it offered a new style of binocular with a different hold.

 

[nigel mockridge]

Looks a lovely bit of kit , but i have just come back from lugging the 65, on a 8 mile round trip along the cliffs at portland , dorset , oh that weight !! .

 

[ClayTaylorTX]

Looks brilliant but that 95mm is going to get all steamed up on a tropical foreign trip. Even the 80mms get too cold in the early morning and are a fog magnet.

cheers, alan

Tip for tropical birding - when you are in your air-conditioned hotel room, see if the bathroom has an a/c duct. If not, store the optics in the bathroom with the door shut, and they will not cool down as much.

OR, if you have a small insulated drink cooler / lunch bag, store the optics in there with the cooler closed up, thus keeping the optics away from the cooling effect of the a/c. Once you go outside into the hot & steamy, your optics are less likely to experience external fogging.

 

[username]

And you've hit this one on the head John. I think new products often don't solve a problem, they just give consumers a new option. Look at the open bridge binocular. Did that solve a problem? No, it offered a new style of binocular with a different hold.

Not that its likely or even possible?....a scope that converted from angled to straight would by very nice indeed...:cat:

Though i consider this as likely as Swaro fixing their EL binocular focus wheels to be as perfect as the rest of the binocular....

ps...and about time someone brought out a 9x mag pair of bins too....Swaro...?

http://username-beast.blogspot.co.uk/

 

[ClayTaylorTX]

Hermann,

The shapes of the scopes suggest that there's no change from the current prisms: Schmidt in the angled and Porro in the straight. I'm happy to see Porro instead of Schmidt-Pechan.

Henry

Henry, et al - All of the solid-body swarovski Optik spotting scopes have porro prisms - always have, always will. Only the collapsable (CT) spotting scopes used the Schmidt-Pechan. The ST, STS, STX (straight eyepiece) models have one extra internal reflection to change the direction of the light path coming out of the prism.

 

[Paul Hackett]

Hi Clay

Very interesting product indeed !

1. Is it totally waterproof when both modules are connected together?

2. Do any of the previous Swarovski digiscoping adapters fit this model?

3. Are you making a straight version of this model?

4. Any light transmission figures yet?

See you at Birdfair Hopefully !

Regards

Paul

 

[Mark Batten]

Small improvements for lots of extra dosh.. well worth a löök though.

 

[ClayTaylorTX]

And you've hit this one on the head John. I think new products often don't solve a problem, they just give consumers a new option. Look at the open bridge binocular. Did that solve a problem? No, it offered a new style of binocular with a different hold.

Steve et al -

OK, the "modularity" aspect of the scope has actually obscured the actual intent of a New Swarovski Optik Spotting Scope - the optical design itself! This is a totally new re-figuring of the optical system, with Swarovision and the ability to properly place the eyepiece lenses closer to the prism (since the bayonet mount and sealing lenses are omitted) giving a noticeable increase in optical quality.

The 25-60x eyepiece is only Wide-Angle (Apparent FOV 60 degrees or larger) from 27x to 60x. Had they designed the eyepiece to be Wide-Angle throughout the range, they would have lost the 20mm eye-relief at the 25x and 26x settings. Now, THAT's sticking to your optical principles!

Permanently building the eyepiece into the body of the Observing Module also adds the option to move the zoom ring next to the focusing ring. In the field, this is amazingly efficient.

The new dedicated digiscoping adapters now use the strength of the scope body to support the weight of the camera and adapter, not the bayonet mount of the eyepiece as in the older models.

The addition of the modularity was of course figured into the plan, but if the engineers had said "the addition of the modularity will affect the final image quality", it is very likely that the modularity would have been left out. An 85mm New Scope was inevitable, but the modularity option made the 95mm both possible and economically feasible.

These scopes will out perform any spotting scope that is remotely similar in size to that of the chosen objective.

 

[ClayTaylorTX]

Hi Clay

Very interesting product indeed !

1. Is it totally waterproof when both modules are connected together?

yes, even if they are separate.

2. Do any of the previous Swarovski digiscoping adapters fit this model?

No, but the new adapters will fit the old scopes with the correct sleeve.

3. Are you making a straight version of this model?

available January, 2013.

4. Any light transmission figures yet?

Not that I have seen.

See you at Birdfair Hopefully !

Unfortunately, I will be in Tucson, AZ for the Tucson Audubon Birding Festival that weekend.
Regards

Paul

See above - Clay

 

[cousin_itt]

This new breed of scope also gives us an additional rare opportunity too:
that of seeing some 25-50x eyepieces on the secondhand market.

 

[Brian2]

30 - 70 zoom and given the extra light from the 95mm
It's going to be an eye opener alright. Fingers crossed they have one to try at the birdfair next month

 

[henry link]

Henry, et al - All of the solid-body swarovski Optik spotting scopes have porro prisms - always have, always will. Only the collapsable (CT) spotting scopes used the Schmidt-Pechan. The ST, STS, STX (straight eyepiece) models have one extra internal reflection to change the direction of the light path coming out of the prism.

Hi Clay,

This isn't quite accurate. The straight scopes have always used normal Porros (no extra prism needed). The angled scopes have used two different designs. The AT used a Porro followed by a semi-pentaprism to angle the light path. That requires two extra reflections, one of them mirror coated because it's below the critical angle for TIR. The ATS and ATM use Schmidt roof prisms.

As for the collapsable scopes, I have an internal view of an AZF 30x75 from 1991 that shows an Abbe-Konig roof prism. Later models use Schmidt-Pechen.

Good to hear that Swarovski, unlike Zeiss, Leica and Nikon, is sticking with Porro for its straight scopes.

Are there any changes to the objective design?

Henry