I agree whole-heartedly with Mary about the Swift Audubon 8.5x44 porro. The sharp image this binoc gives you matches or exceeds that of all higher-priced binocs I have tested in A-B comparisons (at optics sales tents.) I still use the old Model 804. The newer design (still porro prism) is the 820, or with ED glass, the 820ED. (There is also a Swift Audubon 8.5x44 roof prism version. I have no experience with this one.) The Vortex Viper HD 8x42 roof, another mid-priced binoc, is reportedly also very good. I'd like to test it against my Swift for center-of-field resolution. I've been told that the reason Swift binocs are seldom reviewed is that the company does not respond to requests for optics for testing. Bruce Date sent: Sat, 28 Apr 2012 12:15:26 -0400 Send reply to: Mary <[log in to unmask]> From: Mary <[log in to unmask]> Subject: [Ohio-birds] Optics To: [log in to unmask] > I'm always dismayed by the fact that no one seems to consider the Swift > Audubon 8.5x44's. They don't get reviewed, they don't get noticed and the > ED's which I have had forever are my favorite binocular hands down. I > think I like them better than my Swarovski's. I actually bought a second > pair just to have in reserve in case they quit making them. Besides their > WFOV and brightness which are excellent I LIKE PORRO's. Another point of > sadness is that there are almost no porro's anymore. I like something > wide across my chest as opposed to dangling all long on it, maybe because > I'm not tall. Even as a woman with medium sized hands I find clutching > roof's tend to feel cramped. These porro's have a nice size barrel as far > as I'm concerned. Can't recommend these enough. LOVE THEM. > http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/swift/swift-audubon-8-5x44-ed-porro- > prism-binocular > > Mary, Dayton/Fairborn > > ______________________________________________________________________ > > Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our > thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional > discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. > > You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS > Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]