East of England Binocular Centre
Telephone: 01522 807991
Mail Order Only Optical Specialists
Mail Order Only Optical Specialists
Swift Binoculars
|
The Swift Audubon 8.5x44ED, highly recommended ideal for bird watching, walking and general nature viewing. The wide field of view makes them great at airshows.
The Swift Audubon ED has an extremely sharp, crisp and true colour image. Although its magnification may sound odd, 8.5x it does work exceedingly well. The Swift Audubon ED is fully waterproof, has a built-in tripod thread, twist up/twist down eyecups for spectacle wearers, soft case, conventional porro-prism design, multi coated wide angle optics and has a smooth, easy grip rubber finish. Supplied with Swift Premier 25 year guarantee. The Audubon ED is finished in black rubber. The ED lenses provide better colour transmission then the standard non-ED Audubons and tend to cut-though haze better than standard optics. We highly recommend these binoculars, they are one of our top sellers, the build quality is excellent, as is the image quality. NOTE - We have marked these binoculars as "discontinued" as at this time (May 2011), it seems very unlikely we will every get any more stocks Nearest equivalent, in terms of image quality would be the Kowa BD-XD8x42 Stock Availability: Discontinued, details shown for reference purposes only. Show Box Photograph Price shown includes VAT and SHIPPING for this item to: Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Other countries shipping is charged at cost, email for details. This page updated: 23 August 2014 |
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Relevent links for this item (links open in a new window)
|
Accessories for Swift Audubon ED
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Arthur 05/04/2006 21:22:57 | Are these in stock yet?
Are they much better than the non-ED version or the roof prism model. |
eebc - Richard 06/04/2006 18:17:10 | Yes, we have the ED versions back in stock.
The roof prism and non-ED are on a par with one another. The ED version has a better image, the colour and sharpness are both improved. |
J Baxter 10/06/2006 17:37:40 | Where abouts is the tripod socket, will it fit onto a Velbon video tripod?
Many thanks. |
eebc - Jamie 11/06/2006 10:41:44 | The tripod socket is at the front between the objective lenses. An L shaped bracket is needed to screw into the binoculars to fit to a tripod.
You Velbon tripod should be fine, if it has a second locating pin next to the screw this may get in the way, most of these locating pins are either telescopic or can be removed if necessary. |
Chris Y. 14/04/2007 01:28:30 | 1) Dimensions in mm, please, when open to average setting.
2) Dioptre adjustment? Is this on eyecup, or as on some new porros, in a central location? 3) Is there any further info on water resistance ie depth/min? Or are we just talking rainproof ? Very interesting model, though! Any users comments? |
eebc - Jamie 14/04/2007 15:29:27 | I think this is the first ever time dimensions in mm have been requested!
Swift do not list official dimensions for the Audubon binoculars, I have measured them and got the following: Height approx 140mm (with eyecups in the down position) by about 180mm width. Dioptric adjustment is in the traditional location; on the right eyepiece. Again, Swift do not show in their documentation any details of how waterproof they actually are. They are made in Japan, but I am not sure if the JIS waterproofing specifications apply. The binoculars are physically marked "waterproof". |
Kev 18/04/2007 13:29:15 | I got a pair of these for Christmas, truely excellent binoculars. I compared them to a friends Swarovski and could not see any difference.
I have just ordered a second pair for the wife! |
KM 21/06/2007 14:45:48 | According to my local dealer, these binoculars are currently unavailable, is the "Available from stock" accurate?
If I ordered them how much will shipping be to Aberdeen? |
eebc - Chris 21/06/2007 14:55:17 | I do not know the importers stock levels, the ones we currently have in stock were delivered about a week or two ago.
As it says below the item description, there is no shipping charge for items to Great Britain and Northern Ireland. |
Victor Wheatly 06/07/2007 11:33:51 | EXCELLENT BINOCULARS, VERY, VERY GOOD.
EXCELLENT SERVICE, I ORDERED THEM ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND THEY ARRIVED ON WEDNESDAY MORNING. |
eebc - Jamie. 06/07/2007 11:40:26 | Thanks for your comments, we try our best. |
Colin Somerton 26/07/2007 20:54:01 | This is not a question but a comment. I have owned a pair of Swift Audubon ED for nearly a year. They are superb and outclass my wife s Opticron Imagics completely. Comparing them with almost equivalent spec. Swarovski I suggest you save about £500 and go for the Swifts. |
eebc - Chris. 30/07/2007 11:13:18 | Thank you for your comments, we keep telling people that the Swift Audubons are great binoculars. Glad you are happy with them. |
Willem Jansen 03/12/2007 17:47:25 | What is the price in Euro s whitin shipping to Holland for the Swift Audubon 8.5 x 44 BWCF ED |
eebc - Jamie 03/12/2007 18:02:26 | To ship the Swift Audubon 8.5x44ED to Holland would add £10.00 (Ten pounds)
making the total 299.00 (pounds) This is approximately 430.00 Euro dollars or approximately 620.00 US Dollars. Shipping would be by internationally insured Airmail. |
JH 18/03/2008 13:13:09 | How effective is the waterproofing on these binoculars? The Swift website claims that they are fogproof, but a number of reviews say they are not. My previous binoculars developed severe lens fungus after a few months in the tropics and I d like to know if these would have the same problem. |
eebc - Chris. 18/03/2008 13:33:07 | When Swift first brought out this design of Audubon 8.5x44 binoculars (which must be over 5 years ago now), they did have problems with the waterproofing.
We had a couple of pairs let water in, but Swift repaired them very quickly and made changes to the construction of the binoculars to prevent this problem. We have not had any problems with the Swift Audubon binoculars since the first batch that we had. I would think the reviews you have seen were probably done at the time of the launch, as I said they have improved them since then and we have not had any problems. |
kevin crockford 21/05/2008 11:57:47 | Could you tell me the postage costs for shipment to Malta please? Also, would there be any insurance cover just in case of accidental damage whilst in transit? thanks, Kevin |
eebc - Chris. 21/05/2008 12:15:25 | Shipping to Malta would add £10.00
This would be by internationally signed for airmail and includes insurance. Delivery is normally about a week to Malta. |
jim millar 26/05/2008 09:45:54 | where can i get my 10/42 audubon bincs realigned ?they were dropped and binocular focussing lost.thanks |
eebc - Chris. 27/05/2008 13:39:53 | Assuming the binoculars are Swift Audubon binoculars then any Swift dealer can arranged to have the binoculars repaired. Recollimating and service normally costs around £60
If they are not Swift binoculars, then my only suggestion would be to return them to the original dealer you bought them off, they should be able to arrange repairs. |
Dunstan Crockford 16/06/2008 18:43:57 | Does your company have a tracking service for goods ordered? Thanks |
eebc - Jamie 18/06/2008 11:31:36 | Mainly - items of large value are dispatched normally by trackable means. |
Dunstan Crockford 18/06/2008 14:43:49 | Mine is a positive comment regarding your fantastic delivery service.The Swift Audubons were in Malta in record time! Well done!I am so pleased to have these fantastic Binoculars and would not hesitate to recommend EEBC,and the product to all my friends! Thanks! |
eebc - Jamie 18/06/2008 15:29:12 | Thank you for your comments, we try our best!
I have yet to hear a bad comment about the Swift Audubon binoculars, everyone who seems them, likes them! Glad you are happy with them (and us!) |
Dunstan Crockford 07/08/2008 14:42:51 | Hi,I realised that the front eye pieces of my recently purchased Audubon ED are smaller in diameter than my 40 year old Audubons!!! Just asking why these were reduced...the older ones seem to give a wider angle of view! I am not in any way complaining...just curious!!! |
eebc - Chris. 07/08/2008 15:18:52 | The Swift Audubon binoculars have (nearly) always been 8.5x44, so they have a 44mm objective (front) lens, Swift may have reduced the physical size of the binoculars slightly over the years, but the optics are the same size.
The eyepieces themselves, again may be physically smaller and may even have less glass, but the exit pupil remains the same at 5.18mm. I do not have the specifications of the Mk3 model (which I am guessing you have), but the field of view of the ED model increased slightly over the previous model the Swift Audubon HR5. It is possible, that the new eyepieces do not fit your eyes/face/nose as well as your old pair, this could mean the new binoculars are a bit further from you eyes and give you less field of view. |
Manfred Adler 24/11/2008 22:19:54 | Hi,
what much does this bino cost including shipping to Germany? Thanks Manfred |
eebc - Chris. 25/11/2008 10:13:14 | Thank you for your enquiry.
Shipping to Germany by internationally insured and tracked airmail would add £13.00 to the price (making the total £328.00). It normally takes 3-4 days, but can take as long as 7 working days. |
James E 14/02/2009 22:20:54 | I have a pair of 8.5 x 44 that I purchased 31 years ago. They have been used constantly and still perform as well as the day I bought them. I wear spectacles and find that I don t even need to fold down the rubber eye cups.Last year I compared them in the field with a friend s new Leica bins costing over £800 and they weren t much better than mine. The new ED version should be much better than my old pair and I m sure they will be replacing my old bins later this year, even though I haven t tried them out yet.Although the Audubon s are bigger than over makes i ve tried, they have a good feel and are so easy to find birds in flight with a quick focus. Apart from the odd strap replacements, i ve never had and repairs and they have taken quite a few knocks over the years. I ve found them to be exellent value for money. |
eebc - Chris 27/02/2009 11:51:42 | I seems as though everyone who look through the Swift Audubon binoculars like them. They really do have a huge field of view and a good bright, sharp image.
Thank you for your comments. |
Teun 12/03/2009 16:20:09 | Hi,can I pay with PayPal? |
eebc - Chris 12/03/2009 16:30:37 | We do not accept PayPal as payment, only the following credit/debit cards:
Visa, Visa Delta, Mastercard, Maestro (domestic and international), Switch, Solo and JCB cards. |
david murden 24/08/2009 17:00:40 | I have a pair of these binocular purchased 7 years ago these are the best binoculars I have ever used .I dropped them last week and they are now out of focus is it possible to get them sorted out? Ido not want to have to replace them. |
eebc - Chris 24/08/2009 17:01:02 | Repairing a pair of Swift Audubon should not be a problem.
Repairs due to impact tend to cost around £50-70. They can either be returned via ourselves or your local dealer, or alternatively, you could send them directly to Pyser (link above) who are the agents for Swift products in the UK and do all the repairs (if you brought/sent them to us, chances are we would send them on to Pyser). |
Geoff and Tracy 25/10/2009 10:25:40 | We rolled up on our Harley to purchase a set of audubon ED 8.5x44 and apart from being pleased with the bino s which are truly excellent,may we thank you for your hospitality. |
eebc - Chris. 26/10/2009 17:52:34 | Glad you are happy with them.
We were most impressed by the bike! |
ANTHONY TETLOW 22/07/2010 16:30:51 | AM INTERESTED IN YOUR SWIFT AUDUBON 8.5X44 ED MODEL. AM LOOKING TO PART EXCHANGE A VIRTUALLY NEW PAIR OF 8X42 STRATHSPEY BAK4 WATER/FOG PROOF BINO S. WHAT CAN YOU DO ? TONY |
eebc - Jamie. 22/07/2010 16:38:54 | Thank you for your enquiry.
We do not sell any second hand equipment, so would not be interested in your binoculars. The Swift Audubon ED are excellent binoculars, with a very fine image, they are a good choice. |
Jim Jackson 17/09/2010 14:18:22 | Thank you so much for allowing me to collect these binoculars, I rang lots of so-called Swift dealers and you were the only ones to have them in stock. I would have preferred a closer dealer, but in the end it was well worth the 250 mile round trip, the Audubons really are the bees knees! |
eebc - Chris. 17/09/2010 14:46:05 | Collecting binoculars is no problem, we have them in stock, so why not?
To be fair to other dealers, whilst we try to always have the Audubons in stock, there are odd times when we do not have any. Everyone seems to like Swift Audubons, glad you are happy with them. |
Robin Irvine 16/01/2011 19:55:51 | Everywhere I have looked these binoculars are out of stock. Could you tell me what the problem is and how long it will be until they are available? |
eebc - Chris 17/01/2011 09:16:18 | The problem as I understand it is due to exchange rates between europe and Japan, which would currently mean something like a 25% increase in price.
Somewhere along the supply chain, Swift have decided that people will not pay £500 or more for a pair of Audubon and simply not ordered any more. Even if the exchange rate problem sorted itself out tomorrow, I would still expect a six month delay whilst they are manufacturered and shipped from Japan. I think it was fairly common knowledge in the trade that supplies were going to dry up, we ordered quite a few of them to enable us to supply them as long as possible, but these stocks have all gone now. We do still have a couple of pairs of the Standard Swift Audubon but obviously these are going really fast at the moment. I do know know what the stocking level is like in the US, I looked at a few websites and they too are showing out of stock, I can only assume the dollar/Yen is causing a similar situation. |
joseph stewart 07/02/2011 20:39:50 | are they in stock? |
eebc - Jamie 07/02/2011 22:34:57 | No, as it says above, we are hoping for more towards the end of the year.
We only have a couple of the standard version left as well. |
Jacky Brearley 26/08/2011 12:50:58 | Do you have any of these binoculars in stock?
Thank you |
eebc - Chris 26/08/2011 13:10:17 | We do not have any of the Swift Audubon binoculars in stock - this model has been discontinued.
I understand there is a new model available in the United States, but have no idea if it will ever be made available here. |
Moira Gregory 14/11/2011 16:06:53 | Can you still get Swift Audubon HCF 8.5 x 44 roof prism binos? |
eebc - Jamie. 14/11/2011 16:19:21 | The short answer is unfortunately, no.
There are reports that the Swift Audubon range is again available in the USA, but no news as to if or when they will be available this side of the Atlantic. A very good alternative is the Leupold Cascades. |
Lady Bute 21/11/2011 18:58:20 | Do you now have these binocs in stock, please?
If so, price? Many thanks. |
eebc - Chris 22/11/2011 10:34:59 | These binoculars are discontinued.
Swift in the United States are selling a new Audubon ED, but they are not currently selling it (or anything else for that matter) in Europe. In the US the price is around US$600, which would generally indicate, if they ever get over this side of the Atlantic, a price of around £600 Swift Optics have a Faceybook page, which shows the new Audubon being available from January 2011, but when asked about supplies in Europe at the end of April 2011, they say "Were still trying to work out the logistics of selling internationally." |
Dawson Hulme 19/02/2012 21:16:44 | Can you help-:Got a pair of swift audubon 10x50 which I ve had for 20 odd years they must have been dropped lately and now are out of alignment can you fix them or give me any advice to where s the best place to send them? Looked at that pyser link don t know where to start.
Thanks, Dawson. |
eebc - Chris. 20/02/2012 09:36:53 | If it is just a case of collimating (re-aligning) then most camera shops can arrange for them to be done by their camera repairers.
Pyser have removed details of Swift from their website, as they are now unavailable, but they are still repairing them and have the spare parts. You would have to give them a ring for more details. We can arrange for them to be repaired, but by the time four lots of shipping (you to us, us to repairers, repairers to us, us to you) are taken into account, it gets rather expensive. |
rob taylor 08/11/2013 20:51:05 | Hi , i have an old pair of swift audubon 8.5x44. i have unfortunately lost one of the rear rubber eye cups , approx 42 mm dia , is it possible to purchase replacement eye cups? ROB thanks |
eebc - Chris 11/11/2013 10:01:00 | Thanks you for your enquiry.
There is a link at the top of the page to Pyser-SGI, they were the UK importers of Swift until Swift essentially ceased to be. Pyser still offer a repair service for Swift and from what I can gather, are going to continue to do so until the parts run out. If they do not have the spare eyecups, I do not know who would. Give them a call, their number is on their website, you will need to know the model number of your Audubons (Mk3, HR5, 804, 820, it will be marked on them somewhere) |
j.tratt 21/04/2014 09:12:15 | do you have any swift Audubon ED 8.5x44 in stock? |
eebc - Jamie 21/04/2014 10:03:39 | We do not have any Swift binoculars in stock, unfortunately they are no longer available.
Nearest equivalents would be the Vanguard Endeavour 8.5x45 |
John Tratt 08/05/2014 23:10:52 | I see these binoculars are still available from some suppliers in the USA but they will not send them to a private address. is there any way round this problem, & could they be shipped to a third party in this country & then be sent to me? |
eebc - Chris 09/05/2014 09:35:44 | Swift closed their European operations several years ago. Since then we have not been able to get Swift binoculars (which is a pity, we used sell loads of them).
Reading some forums, they are still 8.5x44, still have the same model number (820 / 820ED) but are different binoculars. I can not confirm or deny this as Swift no longer sell to Europe and have not seen a pair, but it is something you should be aware of. |
Mr John Tratt 23/08/2014 01:06:40 | do you have the Swift Audubon ED 8.5x44 binoculars in stock? |
eebc - Jamie 23/08/2014 09:29:11 | No we do not. |
Brian Anderson 13/05/2016 18:55:01 | I have a pair of swift audubon 8.5 by 44 (they are quite old have 813473 and Japan stamped on them) and there is something loose inside the right hand side They still are usable but wondered about getting them fixed. Do you offer a repair service? I could get someone to drop them in for an estimate is that possible? I live in Pickering North Yorkshire.
Thanks |
eebc - Jamie 14/05/2016 09:32:19 | We do not repair binoculars ourselves, but can arrange for it to be done.
Repairs usually take about 4 weeks and unfortunately normally cost around £80 to £100. Problems can occur if spares are required which are no longer available, but most of the time, particularly with rattles, it is normally just a case of tightening things up. If I remember correctly, the first and last digits of the serial number are the year of manufacture, in your case, 1983. The models from that period, the MkIII and HR/5, were both excellent binoculars and very well thought of. |
Collin 18/03/2017 15:27:12 | I have a pair of Audobons serial number 790316. I need to get new eye cups and distal lens covers. Can you recommend anywhere I can get these? |
stanley bennett 25/04/2017 18:37:55 | Sorry this is not about the 8.5 Audubon exactly but how rare is a 10x50 Audubon.?
Stan Bennett. |
eebc - Chris 26/04/2017 10:40:14 | Thank you for your inquiry.
Short answer is we do not know. I have seen them and indeed sold them, many years ago, from memory around 25 years ago. From what I can remember, Swift sold a couple of different Audubons (7x35 and the 10x50) trying to make an Audubon range of binoculars (much like their Trilyte range consisted of a couple of different models). I think this was around the same time as the 8.5x Audubon was the HR5 model, so around late 1980s or early 1990s There was certainly less 10x50 models sold than the 8.5x44 models. |
Gwynfor Jones 03/07/2017 20:44:57 |
I've inherited my fathers Swift Panoramic Mark 2 binoculars which appear to be in reasonable condition apart from the leather straps for both the instrument and case which are brittle and broken. Do you have suitable replacement straps in stock for sale please ? |
eebc - Chris 05/07/2017 13:58:26 | Thank you for your inquiry.
We do not have any of the thin leather straps in stock, the only ones we have are the Neoprene Binocular Straps |
Paolo 19/10/2020 15:53:17 | Good Morning,
is the Audubon 8,5x44 820 ED back on the market? If so, can you send me a quotation and shipping cost in Italy? Kind Regards Paolo Morini |
eebc - Jamie 30/10/2020 15:36:29 | I believe there is a model offered for sale in the United States, but as far as I am aware, they are not being distributed in Europe. |