Swift historians (1 Viewer)

[Kevin Purcell]

I thought the design was a rather obvious attempt to go head to head with the Germans.

The marketing phrase is "parallel placement" to make your product look like (and hint that's its very similar to) another product without actually infringing trademarks or design patents (e.g. the style of the relief below the prism housing).

It's an odd one for me as I thought of Swift as it's own company with "Swiftian" products not a obvious imitators of their rivals.

Then again Zeiss didn't make a 7x35 which I imagine was still a popular magnification and exit pupil size at the time (though 10x was taking over with "serious" birders at that time).

Still a very interesting piece. Thanks for bringing it up and the photos too, James.

 

[James Bean]

Thanks 'rdmadison' for your input; sounds like your 825 #Z201052 is just a little bit older than mine (#Z201362) so will have the Swift gold spot and gold 'Audubon' on the body. I agree its style is very 'germanic', particularly reminiscent of Zeiss contemporary models. I also agree it's comfortable to use: some binoculars you take to immediately, as if made for your hands. One slight negative is the focus goes the 'wrong' way (anticlockwise to infinity) but I can tolerate that, even though it goes against the Swift 804 series 'norm'. Close focus is a measured 8 feet, so not bad, but nowhere near Pentax Papilio standard. It does seem pretty rare and I'd never seen one 'in the metal' until I found this example.

Kevin: You're right about the 825 imitating rather than emulating the Zeiss; it resembles it, instead of being a blatant copy, but it works well, though the Zeiss still has the edge for elegance IMO. The 825 does seem somewhat out of place in the Swift product line, which may explain its relative rarity. Minolta tried something similar with a svelte model not unlike a Leica, which was very good but just didn't have the cachet (or price) of the Wetzlar product. Come to think of it, the 825 is no doubt scarce because of its original price, which was considerably more than (say) an 804 whose optics were quite superior, although not waterproof. In short, the 825 'seemed' overpriced, even if quality was high enough to merit its placement, because it lacked a prestige Alpha name, so the best Swift could do to remedy that situation was to call it an 'Audubon'...

 

[kk99ll]

Hi Guys

Wonder if anybody could give me any info on these Swift Neptune binoculars

and tell me if they are any good.

Many thanks.

 

[elkcub]

Made in 1975 by Hiyoshi Kogaku, Japan, and marketed by Swift-Pyser, UK. These Neptunes are 7x50, which is somewhat unusual. Most were 7x35. They are probably "fully coated," but otherwise the optics are fine. In its day, Mk 1 was marketed as an economy binocular with fairly narrow field..

Ed

 

[kk99ll]

thanks for getting back to me,I bought these when I was a teenager, and forgot about them, I found then in the attic only recently.
does the s/n indicate when they were made?.

 

[elkcub]

thanks for getting back to me,I bought these when I was a teenager, and forgot about them, I found then in the attic only recently.
does the s/n indicate when they were made?.

Yes. Actually, the first two digits are the year of manufacture. Yours were made in 1975 not 1971 as I stated originally. Sorry about that.

There's no reason not to use them, so have fun.

Ed

 

[kk99ll]

thanks Ed

 

[martindf3]

Hi, Ive just joined this forum so I can pass on some information on a pair of Swift binoculars that I recently aquired.
Hope it is useful to someone out there,

Swift
model number.. 801
model name.. Saratoga MK11
Type.. 8x40, Extra Wide field
FOV.. 488ft at 1000yds
optics.. fully coated
serial number,, No 26-706309

I presume they were made in 1970, anymore info would be welcome.

thanks all

Just being searching for information on Swift Saratoga . I now own these binoculars . i have just adjusted them to focus closer thanks to forum ,all information has been very much appreciated
Regards Martin

 

[Ysterkvisten]

Hi guys

Just bought a pair of Saratoga MkII (serial 741213) on Ebay in near mint condition.
One thing puzzles me though, the focus-knob is a bit strange and does not reach all the way down to the bottom of the lower bridge, well it does when I focus up close but moves upwards when I focus afar.
The focus knob also moves either to easy or a bit to hard.
Anyone know the remedy for that?

Hope someone reads this old thread

/Janne

 

[Simon S]

Hi guys

Just bought a pair of Saratoga MkII (serial 741213) on Ebay in near mint condition.
One thing puzzles me though, the focus-knob is a bit strange and does not reach all the way down to the bottom of the lower bridge, well it does when I focus up close but moves upwards when I focus afar.
The focus knob also moves either to easy or a bit to hard.
Anyone know the remedy for that?

Hope someone reads this old thread

/Janne

There should be an adjustment on the end of the focus barrel to take up the clearance.

 

[Renze de Vries]

Janne,

Do you mean there's empty movement in the focus wheel between the two bridges? If that's so you should have play in the focusing proper too. Correct?

Renze

 

[Ysterkvisten]

Knob play?

Hi

There is play when the gap occurs. The focus knob just moves downwards but it does not move the eye-pieces until it touches the bottom and gets a grip so to speak.

Should I adjust by removing the serial number button and insert a screwdriver?

Sorry for the angled photo. Up is left side, as you might have guessed.

Thanks for trying to help!

 

[Renze de Vries]

Hi

There is play when the gap occurs. The focus knob just moves downwards but it does not move the eye-pieces until it touches the bottom and gets a grip so to speak.

Should I adjust by removing the serial number button and insert a screwdriver?

Sorry for the angled photo. Up is left side, as you might have guessed.

Thanks for trying to help!

Strange, there's no axle through the focus wheel? Am I right?

Renze

 

[Ysterkvisten]

No axle all the way. When I unscrew the screw inside the focus knob, it get all loose and is removable, but that is what its supposed to be I guess.

 

[Ysterkvisten]

There is an axle, attached to the top of the knob of course.

 

[Renze de Vries]

There is an axle, attached to the top of the knob of course.

If I'm not mistaken the bottom of the knob screws in and out the knob, and is fixed by set screws, like the ones in the picture (of a Swift Saratoga MK II).

Renze

 

[Ysterkvisten]

I'll unscrew the axle today and see what happens. Mine looks exactly like the photo above, but there is play in the knob downwards.

 

[Renze de Vries]

I'll unscrew the axle today and see what happens. Mine looks exactly like the photo above, but there is play in the knob downwards.

Yeah, take it apart and put it together again. You should be able to adjust the focus wheel between the upper and lower bridge.

Renze

 

[ronh]

The odd stuff you learn hanging out on this forum. So, it seems the focus knob must fill that gap, or there will be play in both directions as it climbs the screw without pushing or pulling on the focusing mechanism.

You can't make the knob any longer, but if I've got this right, you must eliminate the gap somehow. It appears that might be what the "button" on the objective end of the hinges is for. If that thing could be screwed in a little bit, and close the gap down to where the knob fits tight, the problem would be solved.

But what do I know, it's probably not that easy. Mostly I just want to say, what a fine looking binocular it is it is! That is one beefy CF mechanism, hope you get it working right.
Ron

 

[Steve C]

Typically to remove the eye pieces, the cap at the objective end of the hinge is removed. There is usually a screw inside that that needs to be removed, then the eye pieces can, using the focus knob, be unscrewed until they are free of the binocular ocular tubes. You will be holding the oculars, the eye piece bridge, and the threaded focus rod in your hand as a unit. This allows the removal of ocular tubes and prism plates to gain interior access. As I see it, you should just be able to unscrew the whole unit out without doing anything, and that is not the way it should be.

What I see in your photos and as others have noted, is that there seems something very strange about the missing section of hinge. I'd guess that you need a new focus rod assembly and you need to get these serviced. If you were in the US, I'd recommend you send them to Nicholas Crista.

I do not see how the focus assembly of that binocular has a chance of being able to work at all. However that is one Swift I have not seen closely enough.