Field Notes
The Audubons have been out on a few casual strolls around the wetlands, and an epic bush-bashing exploratory trek up a river tributary, in an effort to see if they can earn a permanent gig at the house of Juan.
In a variety of conditions, some clear practical usage pro's /con's have emerged.
Pro's:
In close-in, dense, riverside shrubbery, the Swifts show great dof, brightness and clarity, and the fast focuser is ideal. The fov is wide, and the bins 'point' really well. They are ideal for finding /following gee-whizzits, and the smaller porro image scale is suitably realistic. After looking through these, you would have to largely wonder, what all the 7x fuss is over.
In woodland canopy, or longer lakeshore viewing, the clarity, and faithful colour rendition, make for great viewing. The image scale gets back toward where it should, and the ever-so-imperceptably muted blues aid the birds to 'pop' out in the image. Looking at a
rainbow bee-eater, the colours are well represented, with the yellows ever-so-slightly 'brighter', and the blues showing no 'artificial saturation pop'.
At longer distances (circling raptors, moonshots, etc) the extra dof is appreciated. I've nutted out a stable grip suitable for very large hands (two end fingers wrapped around the objective barrels, and braced against the body), which allows an offset push-pull focuser operation with the middle fingers. If the wrists are rotated down so that the forefingers just butt one another, and the thumbs are offset after circling under, to brace on the inside of each prism housing side, then a stable grip ensues which nearly, but not quite equals that available on an open-hinge design. I was able to clearly see the four moons of Jupiter the other night.
At all distances, resolution is around about a wash with the Zen-Ray 8x43 ED3 - so kudos to the Zen for sticking neck and neck with the Swift.
Even though the Swift shows a brightness (and image quality around this dusk period) advantage over the Zen 8x43 ED3 up until just after sunset, during the remainder of the 'gloaming', it's pretty much even stevens in brightness and image quality. The 1mm objective diameter and ~3% transmission advantage of the Swift, by then, eventually succumb to the 0.2mm smaller exit pupil diameter compared to the Zen. Under midnight, near full moonlight conditions, the race is pretty much a dead heat in terms of brightness and image quality.
Con's:
The ER is just a bit short for
me (needing around 19mm), and I'm probably losing 5 - 10% or more, of the fov, which is annoying.
At middling - longer distances, the image scale still doesn't quite cut the mustard.
Glare, although roughly on par with the Zen ED3, can wash out the image evenly over the whole fov in certain trying circumstances. At other times, the ususal ED3-type crescent appears at the edge of the view as bright light sources approach within 30°.
I did notice missing picking up some still birds on the edge of the fov with the Swift, until they moved, in comparison with the Zen ED3 (the wider fov visible may have helped here).
The ridiculous (and well over spec) 15ft close focus, caused a few missed views of lbj's close-in (luckily no newbies else I'd av been well p'd off).
The rubber armouring around the prism housings has now taken on a distinctly slippy - slidy feeling. Not sure if it was
exactly the same type as the barrels when it first lobbed here - but the soft, grippy, tactility was identical when new.
The "rubbish" untethered obj / eyepiece covers remain a complete and utter pain, and will often see the bin left on the shelf when ducking out for shorter jaunts, or to hang the washing out etc. Totally impractical. For shame Swift.
Even though I've found a pretty good grip with my bear-sized paws, those with smaller hands may stuggle, and will more than likely be more 'wings-out' than preferrable.
On closer examination, some flex in the bridge mechanism can be deliberately induced (pushing down on eyecups - which then pivot about the central shaft) ...... I can't think of a time in practical use in which this would be a factor. If you are using the bins without glasses, and have the eyecups fully up, or in an intermediate position, then any great degree of pushing will result in the less than precise eyecups collapsing. When used with glasses, then, although I press somewhat firmly to maximise fov (not entirely successfully), any more force would be likely to cause possible damage to your spectacle frames, so normal flexing would be minimal. The degree of this movement is less than on other porros I have.
Unforgiveable:
Those damn internal glass surface specks! :storm:
In daylight, there are 1/2 a dozen easily visible on each side.
Scrutiny with a torch shows about 10~12 on each side.
Other companies have been crucified for a measly (but still rightly unacceptable) two specks - so what the bl**dy hell is going on Swift?
(The defence council has been damnably silent!)
Much mental to'ing and fro'ing has taken place over the fate of this bin .....
The plan was to do some eyecup (for greater ER), and maybe body (leather - ya vul herr frauline!) mods, and have this as a long term keeper. However, the specks change all that, and this bin has been convicted, and is on death row ........ only a last minute appeal can save it.
Chosun :gh: