I bought a Swift Audubon 804 and need more information! (1 Viewer)

[Bonkema]

Hallo Listers,

I bought a Swift Audubon 8.5x44 804 Multicoated binocular and try to find the production year and some specific information. I read a paper from Renze de Vries and E. Huff (2005) and I think my binoculars very much look like a type 4b(1) with Multi-Coated Optics. But they are not identical! The serial nr is: 911119 and J-B56. The binoculars are very very good uindeed. Could anyone shine his light on this? Many thanks. Jan-Bert

 

[Binastro]

It says multicoated but not fully multicoated.

Also the serial number suggests 1991.

B.

 

[Renze de Vries]

Hallo Listers,

I bought a Swift Audubon 8.5x44 804 Multicoated binocular and try to find the production year and some specific information. I read a paper from Renze de Vries and E. Huff (2005) and I think my binoculars very much look like a type 4b(1) with Multi-Coated Optics. But they are not identical! The serial nr is: 911119 and J-B56. The binoculars are very very good uindeed. Could anyone shine his light on this? Many thanks. Jan-Bert

Hello Jan-Bert,

I don't see anything unusual in your Audubon, except for the rather high serial number. But please take note of the caveat in our production data given for this type: 1985-1989 (approx.). When we were working on our paper we were often dependent on data on Audubons listed on auction sites and/or information by forum members and so we had to guess here and there.

Your specimen looks exceptionally well preserved, congratualations!

When Hiyoshi built this Audubon model for Swift and was put to the market in 1985, two varieties were avaialble, one with blue lettering and objective bands as issued in the USA and one with gold lettering and marked HR/5 in the European market (or rest of the world). In later years Swift USA conformed to the European (British and Dutch) style and all Adubons became gold printed HR/5's.
So here we have an American edition type 4 (in our survey called type 4a), produced in 1991, at a time when type 4b was issued for some years already.

If you have more specific questions - or any questions whatsoever - feel free to send me a private e-mail.

Renze

 

[Chhayanat]

Hello Jan-Bert,
I don't see anything unusual in your Audubon, except for the rather high serial number. But please take note of the caveat in our production data given for this type: 1985-1989 (approx.). When we were working on our paper we were often dependent on data on Audubons listed on auction sites and/or information by forum members and so we had to guess here and there...
Renze

The only difference that I can find between this binocular and the second of the near-identical ones described in the seminal study by de Vries and Huff (I have had the PDF on my PC for years now) is that the right-hand prism cover reads Model No.804 in the present binocular and those in the study read 804R.

 

[Renze de Vries]

OK, let's set things straight and update the Swift Audubon type 4a section in our Swift Audubon survey to perfection:

Type 4a is the American edition of the redesigned Audubon 804 made by Hiyoshi for Swift Instruments. It was marketed from 1985 through (prob.) 1991 and came in 4 varieties, differing in cosmetic appearance while optical and mechanical identical.

1. Small blue band on objective tubes, blue printing, Mark II in white triangle, model no. 804R

2. as 1. but Wide Field in white triangle

3. as 2. but model number changed to 804, without the R

4. as 3. but Swift gold badge added on the front of the housing


Notes: the R was probably initially added to the model number to announce the Audubon's quite radical redesign. In its last guise, with the gold badge taken from European fashion, we see the transition to the later all-gold printed and badged HR/5 Audubon (type 4b).

Renze