Swift Audubon 8.5x44 Model 804 (4 Viewers)

[elkcub]

Finally, the Type-2a Audubon (1981) was issued with a brown leatherette case. This specimen was a retirement award to George Angell in 1982, which may account for its rarely-used, pristine condition. As they always did, however that top of the case came apart when the glue eventually dried out. So I hold it together with scotch tape.

 

[[email protected]]

Yes, Dennis I'm sure of it because there were several small differences between the Type-2a (which you own) and Type-2b (which I own). Please note also that the eBay seller didn't know what he/she was talking about. What you have is obviously not "multi-coated," although the auction says so several times.

I had actually looked at that auction recently and chuckled about the multi-coating bit.

The two factoids that make it a Type-2a are:
1. The tripod attachment has a phillips-head retaining screw, which the Type 2-b does not.
2. A black case was supplied with the Type-2a, but a brown case with the Type2-b.

I'll attach pictures to show the difference in a while, and I'll have more to say about the wide-field aspects.
Ed

PS. I credit the serial number to be either an error made in 1978, or (less likely) a modification made later on. There is no way this binocular was made in the 1990s, except with spare parts from the past. 😛

I wonder if it could have been rebuilt by Swift and a new S/N used to indicate it. Sometimes Swarovski does that when they totally update a binocular.

 

[[email protected]]

Finally, the Type-2a Audubon (1981) was issued with a brown leatherette case. This specimen was a retirement award to George Angell in 1982, which may account for its rarely-used, pristine condition. As they always did, however that top of the case came apart when the glue eventually dried out. So I hold it together with scotch tape.
View attachment 1519804

The top of my case is in perfect condition, so I wonder if it is a newer case than the S/N indicates.

 

[[email protected]]

In 1978 the Swift Catalog emphasized the wide-angle aspects of the Model 804 8.5x44 Audubon and the Model 766 7x35 Holiday. If one REALLY wants a wide view, the 600ft@1000yd. Holiday provides a (600/52.4)x7 = 80.15 AVOV, and it weighs a whopping 3.5oz. less than the 804.
View attachment 1519779

The history behind these is sure interesting. It is amazing how many different models they made in their 50-year run. I would like to find a pair of those Holidays 7x35 in cherry condition.

 

[elkcub]

Dennis,
Check out auction 145175865249 on eBay. The Linet was made by Hiyoshi using the same quality optics and mechanicals as Swift.
I own the 8x40, which has a 12 degree FOV. (Unfortunately, slightly out of collimation.) They are AMAZING!! The one at auction has a 13.5 deg. FOV, or a 94.5 deg. AFOV. Fan Tau had Linets showing on his website for a long time and had a lot of good words to go with them.
Ed

 

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Dennis,
Check out auction 145175865249 on eBay. The Linet was made by Hiyoshi using the same quality optics and mechanicals as Swift.
I own the 8x40, which has a 12 degree FOV. (Unfortunately, slightly out of collimation.) They are AMAZING!! The one at auction has a 13.5 deg. FOV, or a 94.5 deg. AFOV. Fan Tau had Linets showing on his website for a long time and had a lot of good words to go with them.
Ed

Thanks! I put it in my watch list. It looks to be in excellent shape and that is a huge FOV.

 

[elkcub]

Ed when you say 804 ED, your referring to the 804/HR5ED (pic 1 & 2 picture)?

There we’re two 820‘s that we’re produced , 4 if we want to count ED and non ED versions. I believe the 1st version (the one I have) in picture 3 and then what I believe to be the last of the Swift porros , the 820 , with a kind of NL bridge design with the focuser in the middle picture 4. The latter as a stronger improved 820 version.

I think somebody should scoop up Dennis’s 804 fast. I haven’t seen to many of that version, in that condition and with all its accessories. Good glass!

Paul

Paul,

Your pictures are very interesting because I believe you showed the second version of the 804ED, which has black rather than gray armor as seen in the pictures on pg. 18 of our 2006 article. Sorry to say, several credible indications are that this black model did not have air-spaced objectives and was the actual predecessor to the 820ED. I'd like this to be wrong, of course, but two repairmen, one in the US and one in the Netherlands found the black 804EDs had cemented doublets with no spacing shim. If so, Swift preceded Swarovski in degrading their product in anticipation of a model change.

I have one standard 820 Audubon, s/n 207140, which may or may not have been made in 2000 (I bought it long before 2020). To keep my sanity I didn't even try to keep up with Audubon models after Swift, Inc. was sold to Swift Sport Optics in 2006.

Ed

 

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Dennis,
Check out auction 145175865249 on eBay. The Linet was made by Hiyoshi using the same quality optics and mechanicals as Swift.
I own the 8x40, which has a 12 degree FOV. (Unfortunately, slightly out of collimation.) They are AMAZING!! The one at auction has a 13.5 deg. FOV, or a 94.5 deg. AFOV. Fan Tau had Linets showing on his website for a long time and had a lot of good words to go with them.
Ed

I won the Linet for $257. Is that a good deal, or did I overpay? I get them Friday. Thanks, for the tip.

 

[elkcub]

Dennis,
Notice that there was stiff competition, and the binocular looks to be in beautiful condition. Moreover, you can send it back within 30 days. Surely it wasn't a give-away, but you will get to experience the widest FOV obtainable, and can test the limits of that dimension. I'm looking forward to comparing notes with you.
Congratulations!
Ed

 

[[email protected]]

Dennis,
Notice that there was stiff competition, and the binocular looks to be in beautiful condition. Moreover, you can send it back within 30 days. Surely it wasn't a give-away, but you will get to experience the widest FOV obtainable, and can test the limits of that dimension. I'm looking forward to comparing notes with you.
Congratulations!
Ed

I get them Friday. I will let you know what I think.

 

[PeterPS]

I get them Friday. I will let you know what I think.

I know the seller: none has more super wides than Mark M! He's the guru of super-wide angle binos and has lots of posts about them on CN. The Linet Imperial has the widest FoV of the 7x binos, but for many of these binos the stated FoV is an overestimate (by about 1*).

 

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Wow! I got the Linet Imperial 7x35 13.5 degree WA. That has to be the best binocular I have ever bought for $250. I can't believe how immersive and real the view is. A 95 degree AFOV is way wider than anything around, including the NL and Nikon WX. I don't believe I have ever looked through a binocular that makes things look so real, especially with the big 3D view of the porro prism.

The edges start falling off at about 15% of the FOV, but it doesn't matter because the FOV is so huge you can't really see it all at once anyway. It is just like there are no binoculars between you and what you are looking at. The MIJ build quality of these is really remarkable also. The binoculars are pretty heavy at about 33 oz. but it is those huge prisms that give you the wonderful view.

A binocular like the NL gives you a view that is synthetic, pie plate flat and artificial compared to these. These may not have the high transmission of the newer roof prism binoculars, but with a 5 mm EP you don't need it because they are bright enough and eye placement is so easy and comfortable. More people should try these vintage WA binoculars, and then I don't think they would spend $3000 for the latest alpha roof.

 

[dries1]

Do they fog up, the eye relief ahmmm......., looks tight.

 

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Do they fog up, the eye relief ahmmm......., looks tight.

Nope they don't fog up but I don't think they would work well for eyeglass wearers, though. What is weird about the vintage WA porros is they don't have rubber eye cups like an E2, nor are they adjustable. They are just a simple hard material, but they work fine. You just put your eyes up to them, and they are comfortable, and you don't get any black-outs. Just a big, comfortable view. I guess they weren't so dumb 50 years ago, and they didn't overcomplicate things with 6 step adjustable eye cups.

 

[elkcub]

What's generally is not appreciated is that binocular eyecups went through an interesting mechanical evolution, in parallel with optical design and coating technology. During the evolution of the Swift Audubon, from 1958 through 1999, this is most evident in the very early years before rubber was introduced in the 1971 Model 2a. Thereafter, a foldable rubber eyecup evolved until the advent of Model 820 which had a twist-out eyecup. The lack of replacement rubber eyecups may be a primary reason why older Porros have become obsolete.

It's unclear to me whether the original Audubon in 1958 had a friction-held detachable eyecup, but starting in 1989 a hard bayonet-mounted eyecup was used. Many/most of these were lost, of course, but none were really friendly to an eyeglass user — particularly for far-sighted folks.

Dennis is lucky that he can get along with hard eyecups.
Ed

 

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What's generally is not appreciated is that binocular eyecups went through an interesting mechanical evolution, in parallel with optical design and coating technology. During the evolution of the Swift Audubon, from 1958 through 1999, this is most evident in the very early years before rubber was introduced in the 1971 Model 2a. Thereafter, a foldable rubber eyecup evolved until the advent of Model 820 which had a twist-out eyecup. The lack of replacement rubber eyecups may be a primary reason why older Porros have become obsolete.

It's unclear to me whether the original Audubon in 1958 had a friction-held detachable eyecup, but starting in 1989 a hard bayonet-mounted eyecup was used. Many/most of these were lost, of course, but none were really friendly to an eyeglass user — particularly for far-sighted folks.

Dennis is lucky that he can get along with hard eyecups.
Ed

For me, they work really well, but I would guess it depends on how they fit your eye sockets. At least you know you will never have to replace them!

 

[Paultricounty]

Ed correct if I’m wrong didn’t the early Audubon’s have an adjustable eyecup ring similar to these Swift Holidays? Here on this early Holiday, made of medal and resemble a Swarovski eyecup but without the rubber covering. This allowed eye relief adjustment. Then as you say they went to rubber , then to adjustable plastic in the 820 line.

 

[elkcub]

Ed correct if I’m wrong didn’t the early Audubon’s have an adjustable eyecup ring similar to these Swift Holidays? Here on this early Holiday, made of medal and resemble a Swarovski eyecup but without the rubber covering. This allowed eye relief adjustment. Then as you say they went to rubber , then to adjustable plastic in the 820 line.

Paul,
I guess it's a matter of how far one goes back. The first attachment shows a 1965 Audubon with your Holiday on the computer screen in the background. They are the same mechanics, but only provide a measly 3mm more eye relief. Still, it works to a degree. The second attachment shows the original 1958 Audubon in the foreground, which may or may not have had a removable eyecup (I think it did). Behind it is the 1959 model with a bayonet mounted removable eyecup placed on the left cover plate. And finally, the 1965 model as seen previously. The FOV of these specimens, incidentally, was 420 ft. for the original 1950 models, and 445 ft. for the 1965 model.

Note that it only took one year to evolve to a bayonet mount and at most seven to evolve into a twist-out eyecup, which is not too dissimilar to modern roofs.

Ed
Ed

 

[Paultricounty]

Paul,
I guess it's a matter of how far one goes back. The first attachment shows a 1965 Audubon with your Holiday on the computer screen in the background. They are the same mechanics, but only provide a measly 3mm more eye relief. Still, it works to a degree. The second attachment shows the original 1958 Audubon in the foreground, which may or may not have had a removable eyecup (I think it did). Behind it is the 1959 model with a bayonet mounted removable eyecup placed on the left cover plate. And finally, the 1965 model as seen previously. The FOV of these specimens, incidentally, was 420 ft. for the original 1950 models, and 445 ft. for the 1965 model.

Note that it only took one year to evolve to a bayonet mount and at most seven to evolve into a twist-out eyecup, which is not too dissimilar to modern roofs.

Ed
EdView attachment 1522756View attachment 1522757

Very interesting. I’d assume the the Holiday/Panoramics went through the same evolution. Same with the focuser position.

 

[elkcub]

PS. There's a 1959 Audubon currently on eBay (256135416585) missing it's bayonet mounted eyecups.
And there's a 1967 Audubon on eBay (374703908549) with twist-up eyecups.
(I'm not recommending these, incidentally, except for collectors. The condition is only so-so.)
Ed