Swift 804 Audubon Binoculars - A Beginner's Experience (4 Viewers)

[elkcub]

Jim,

Before the company was sold few years ago, Swift moved its HQ from Boston, MA to San Jose, CA. On the day I was invited to visit with Alison Swift, then president, her husband opened a box that had just arrived from Boston containing several dusty, vintage binoculars. Not knowing the history, of course, he was rather baffled and asked me about the largest. I nonchalantly said, "Oh, that's a Type 1c Audubon, circa 1968-70. You've kept the very best."

The pedestal should complement the instrument, and bring out its noble Japanese heritage. This suggests a bamboo stand within a glass display cabinet. From then on it's "ABCDE" — Above and Beyond the Call of Duty and Enshrined. 8-P

Let's hear more when it arrives.

Regards,
Ed

 

[elkcub]

Swift New Shape Binoculars for the Connoisseur

Jim,

Back in 1966 the predecessor to Swift-Pyser, Pyser-Britex, Ltd. marketed the BWCF Type 1c Audubon for £36 and a line of "new shape" Swifts including an 8x30 (Hunter), 7x35 (Sportstar), and 8x35 (Highland). I have no field of view data, but these BCF models were probably not extra wide angle. The Hunter first became available in April 1966, and marketed for £23.12. I don't know if models like these were also sold in the US at that time — possibly with different names. The series were said to use "Swift's exclusive Ve-cote coating giving [a] brilliant 'white image'."

Only 804 Audubons appear to have withstood the ravages of time.

Ed

 

[Simon S]

Jim,

Back in 1966 the predecessor to Swift-Pyser, Pyser-Britex, Ltd. marketed the BWCF Type 1c Audubon for £36 and a line of "new shape" Swifts including an 8x30 (Hunter), 7x35 (Sportstar), and 8x35 (Highland). I have no field of view data, but these BCF models were probably not extra wide angle. The Hunter first became available in April 1966, and marketed for £23.12. I don't know if models like these were also sold in the US at that time — possibly with different names. The series were said to use "Swift's exclusive Ve-cote coating giving [a] brilliant 'white image'."

Only 804 Audubons appear to have withstood the ravages of time.

Ed

Elkcub, my girlfriend picked up a pair of mint Swift Highland binoculars and they are model 713 and boast a 5 lens ocular. Field is 420ft at 1000 yards.
Resolution is fairly poor for a Swift binocular, on par with the Belmont range, and have objective lens extensions made of plastic.

 

[elkcub]

Elkcub, my girlfriend picked up a pair of mint Swift Highland binoculars and they are model 713 and boast a 5 lens ocular. Field is 420ft at 1000 yards.
Resolution is fairly poor for a Swift binocular, on par with the Belmont range, and have objective lens extensions made of plastic.

Simon,

Thanks for the info. 420 ft. isn't too shabby for an 8x.

Supposedly, that series was up-scale, according to the advertising. I think all the Swift models at the time had plastic objective extensions — including the 804 Audubons. Over time they tend to crack, but an expert repair person like Nicolas Crista can glue them back almost perfectly. Still, the rubber front ends used on later Type 4s was a big improvement.

Thanks,
Ed

 

[James Bean]

Verily, my cup runneth over... 'Enshrined' indeed ! My Audubon 1c arrived first thing this morning and it's mint. Lovely brown leather case & strap (nicer quality than later models) and even the 'Passed' sticker on the binocular looks like it was affixed yesterday. Quite pristine in all respects, this Audubon is new 'out of the box'. The black body, instead of the later grey, is set off by the chrome-barred focus ring and eyepieces, with matching chromed ring + 2 white rings on each objective: sounds 'overdone' perhaps, but looks so classy. Focus and dioptre adjustments are firmly smooth, and the IPD bridge movement is good and tight. Considering it's nearly 40 years old (1969) this 1c is simply gorgeous. The view is 'big', clear and clean, just as I hoped it would be; the wonderful '3D' image is the 'reach out and touch' kind, with magnificent depth; when I looked at the fir tree in my front garden, I was in there, amongst the pine needles and cones all around me. No doubt about it, these older big-body 804s have an uncanny optical quality which in my experience is unique; there's no substitute for 'being there'. Even the close focus was a surprise: about 10 or 11 feet, not bad for an 'oldie' and about the same as my 1984 3b. So, am I impressed? Let's just say I'm going to need a ladder since, at 5'11", I'm not tall enough to reach the top of that pedestal... Jim.
P.S. Ed, I envy your personally meeting the Swift president of 'the old firm'. It must have been a memorable occasion. Do you have any more anecdotes?

 

[elkcub]

Well, Jim, there are now three of us on the planet who understand the origins of the Swift 804. Consider that at the other end of its long history lies the 804ED, which adds closure to the word "Inimitable." (hint)

The 1c was the first Audubon I purchased. Of course, at the time I didn't know (nor could anyone else) that it was a 1c — since these were the early days before classification. After opened the shipping box, I gently pulled open the cover of the leather case, as if making entry into an ancient sarcophagus. What greeted me were two glass eyes staring out from beneath a uniform layer of gray dust. With some disappointment, I slowly extracted the preserved instrument and stood it in the light of day. Thinking archaeologically at this point, and with growing concern for my own lungs, I inhibited the first inclination to blow away the curious dust. Instead, I donned a surgical mask and gloves, and used a "Giotto" rubber hand blower. Voilà! The powdery dust was so light that it departed without a trace, revealing a perfect specimen of the progenitor of the 804 line. It didn't take long to determine that the powder was the decomposed remains of the foam cushion under the leather cover, which over time had simply floated down like a gray shroud.

That experience, plus the psychological presence of the magnificent view that you so well described in the last post, motivated writing the article with Renze de Vries. Now you know the full story. Until you came along there was no one for us to share it with. :t:

Ed

 

[tom1946]

new to bird watching

Can anyone tell me about the build quality of the Swift Audubon 8.5 X44 BWCF 820ED.

I am new to bird watching, and have been using JB era Yashica 8X30 binoculars to date I am now ready to buy a better quality optic. From my reading, I know the Swift Audubon 8.5 X44 (804 model) had a devoted following, and were rated very highly optically. More recent comments about the newer 820 model while continuing to praise the optical quality (especially the ED model) have expressed some concern for the quality of the design of the bridge and other parts of the binocular.

I would be interested in hearing from anyone with field experience with the 820. The durability question, as well as all other comments and thoughts will be appreciated.

Any advice on other binoculars in the price category would also be welcome.

 

[Simon S]

Can anyone tell me about the build quality of the Swift Audubon 8.5 X44 BWCF 820ED.

I am new to bird watching, and have been using JB era Yashica 8X30 binoculars to date I am now ready to buy a better quality optic. From my reading, I know the Swift Audubon 8.5 X44 (804 model) had a devoted following, and were rated very highly optically. More recent comments about the newer 820 model while continuing to praise the optical quality (especially the ED model) have expressed some concern for the quality of the design of the bridge and other parts of the binocular.

I would be interested in hearing from anyone with field experience with the 820. The durability question, as well as all other comments and thoughts will be appreciated.

Any advice on other binoculars in the price category would also be welcome.

Hi Tom the Yashica,s you own are a great pair of binoculars, very close to the performance of the Zeiss Jenoptem of the 1970's.
The Swift Audubon 8.5 X44 (804 model) is however far better with a wider field of view, a much brighter image and you will notice the difference without a doubt!

 

[Simon S]

Hi Tom the Yashica,s you own are a great pair of binoculars, very close to the performance of the Zeiss Jenoptem of the 1970's.
The Swift Audubon 8.5 X44 (804 model) is however far better with a wider field of view, a much brighter image and you will notice the difference without a doubt!

Oh and build quality is great too:king::-C

 

[tom1946]

thank you

Tom

 

[elkcub]

Can anyone tell me about the build quality of the Swift Audubon 8.5 X44 BWCF 820ED...
...More recent comments about the newer 820 model while continuing to praise the optical quality (especially the ED model) have expressed some concern for the quality of the design of the bridge and other parts of the binocular.

I would be interested in hearing from anyone with field experience with the 820. The durability question, as well as all other comments and thoughts will be appreciated.

Any advice on other binoculars in the price category would also be welcome.

Tom,

I've examined them but don't have field experience with the 820 or 820ED. There have been few if any kudos for the 820ED—unlike the earlier 804ED. There have been no observations reported about improved color contrast or center clarity, at least not enough to justify the substantial added cost. (I'm assuming someone will correct me if I'm off base.) I assume this is because it's not the same optical design as the 804ED, e.g., no air spacing, etc. The 820 has received ample praise, for sure, but also some criticism for its waterproofing being somewhat deficient and the bridge not holding focus well. Still, it has a marvelous view, and for the money it would be hard to beat.

Blue skies,
Ed

 

[orbitaljump]

Elkcub, do you have an extensive collection of Swift? Id sure like to see it sometime....or maybe just chat.

 

[elkcub]

Hi,

Well, I own about 32 binoculars of which 14 are Swifts. Most of them are Audubons, but I do have 7x35, 7x50, and 10x50 Mk II examples. Included among the Audubons is an 828 HHS roof and a standard 820. Two recent acquisition that I prize are original Type O Audubons (not shown in the article), which were sold by the predecessor company Swift-Anderson. However, I don't own any of the dozens of other models Swift sold over the years under various names and model numbers.

If you're in my area some time I'd be happy to show them to you. Otherwise they are always worth chatting about.

Incidentally, I have had each binocular I own cleaned and collimated before comparing it with anything else. I've encountered a few surprises in the process.

Clear viewing,
Ed

 

[orbitaljump]

Thanks Ed,

Im on the other side of the continent.

Id be interested in the picture of the "Type O."

Ive become a fan of Swift. I have the Type 2 8.5 Audubon porros, 7x50 Commodore with 375 fov and a Swift #821 Spotting Scope with the complete eyepiece set, have owned a Triton 7x35 and Type 2a or 2b and a 4a #804 and have bid on a Holiday, another 7x36(I think), and something else maybe 8x40 Saratoga.

Oh and I live on the other side of this magnificent continent....tough to ride over for a bino fest.

Cheers!

 

[elkcub]

Thanks Ed,

Im on the other side of the continent.

Id be interested in the picture of the "Type O."

Ive become a fan of Swift. I have the Type 2 8.5 Audubon porros, 7x50 Commodore with 375 fov and a Swift #821 Spotting Scope with the complete eyepiece set, have owned a Triton 7x35 and Type 1 #804 and have bid on a Holiday, another 7x36(I think), and something else maybe and 8x40.

Oh and I live on the other side of this magnificent continent....tough to ride over for a bino fest.

Cheers!

Sure. I've been meaning to continue posting on the Audubon historical thread:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1295850#post1295850
but here is OK too.

The original Type 0a Audubon is show in the first picture, and is quite different from any models shown in our 504 article (see the other thread). Note that lettering is in green and that the construction is more similar to a Type 2 than Type 1. These were made by Tamron for Swift-Anderson about 1957. The exact date is hard to pin down because it was not encoded in the serial number, but this specimen was from the first production, possibly a prototype. The oculars and prism-cover plates shown next reveal unique phenolic eye cups, that almost look incomplete. The third picture is a Type 0b, which was refurbished by Nicolas Crista. The eyecups are very similar, except that now there is provision to extend them with a bayonet mounted phenolic attachment. Note that the lettering is in white, and it is marked fully-coated rather than coated. The FOV for both instruments is 420 ft.

The picture on the next post reveals some of the unique aspects to this model.

 

[elkcub]

What we see here is that the cover plates are held on with no less than four screws, which is quite unusual. More unusual is that the cover plate and eyepiece tube are made from a single piece of extruded metal. The usual and less costly technique is to braze or solder the tube and plate together, as is done with all subsequent Audubon body types. Nicolas Crista tells me that the internal construction is of the highest quality, and involved considerable precision manufacturing operations.

The view through these robust instruments is quite stunning and compares very favorably with the later Type 1, 2, and 3 models. From an ergonomics perspective, if one must have a large, heavy binocular, these are probably as well balanced and friendly as they get. Type 4 (i.e., HR/5) is quite different, however, and much to be preferred.

Ed

 

[orbitaljump]

You should post these over on that other thread. Thanks for linking to it. Fantastic stuff. The Green Audubon!

Im gonna have to work on my Typing numerolgy. I have the 80s/90s smaller traditional style body with the Gold lettering(which I think indicates better coatings).

Anyway, Ill have a read and catch up.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Tero]

Even after I had been as thrifty as I could, would you believe my wife still hit me over the head and told me they were my Christmas present and I wasn't seeing them until Christmas day.

My tripod base...the head moves from the old base..is somewhere in a closet. Will have to do with duct tape repairs till then.

 

[orbitaljump]

Elkcub Ed, I have the Type 4b(2) Gold Writing HR/5 Fully Multi-coated model. Ive also had a 4a model which was fantastic as well.

Personally I would be happy with any of the Type 4 models in good spec and shape. The older ones were just too large for ergonomic comfort.....and I dont particularly like the newer 820s. I wish they would go back to the 804R style bodies.

 

[Kevin Purcell]

Personally I would be happy with any of the Type 4 models in good spec and shape. The older ones were just too large for ergonomic comfort.....and I dont particularly like the newer 820s. I wish they would go back to the 804R style bodies.

What is it about the 820 enclosure you don't like?