BirdForum is the net's largest birding community dedicated to wild birds and birding, and is absolutely FREE!

Register for an account to take part in lively discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Steve C" data-source="post: 1284604" data-attributes="member: 56622">I suppose I have two keeper binoculars.  One is the very first binocular I bought lo those many yeays ago when it became apparent that my Biology Major was going to require one.  That turned out to be a Swift 8x40 Nighthawk WA (499'@1,000 yds).  Why that one?  Simply because the store I bought from carried Swifts and I knew the owner very well and he recommended the brand.  That one looked to be the best one I could afford.  That glass never let me down in decades of really hard use, even I suppose when it had every reason to give up the ghost (I was none too easy on stuff back then).  I always sort of chuckle to myself how I used that and how well it held up when I hear somebody worrying about how "fragile" porros are.  I bought it in 1969.  I finally sent it back to Swift in 2001.  The lens coating was gone, some of the screws in the face plate were missing and the eyecups were "vestigal" to say the least, but it was still tight and it still worked.  I was amazed at how well it worked when I got it back.  Thank you Nicholas Crista (Swift's chief repairman). I can take it out and use it today and not feel at a great optical disadvantage.  I bought another one on eBay several years ago that is probably safe too.The second keeper is my Leupold 6x30 Yosemite.  In this day and age of $2,000+ US binoculars, I at first just passed this off as a simple kids toy.  I thought "6x and less than a hundred bucks, you have got to be kidding me!"  Well guess whose original "prophecy" was way off base?  Yep, mine.  I am continually amazed at how good it is for a cheap 6x porro.  Same pretty much goes for the 8x big brother.  The Yosemite is a stark testament to what a true bargain really is.</blockquote>

Verification