swift saratoga

[andrew63]

Just got a pair of the above 8x40, they will be used to scan for some of the brighter DSO as aid for identification of the field.

They are old but is there any possible defects i should look out for other than fungus? What field of view would they have in degrees?

thanks, andrew

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I just Googled them. The Mk I has a field of 393 ft at 1,000 yards (7.5 deg) and the Mk II a field of 488 ft at 1,000 yards (9.3 deg ).

[andrew63]

Thanks michael, they must be 7.5 as it's 393 - thats quite handy as it's about the field of my 6x30 finder! They should prove to be very useful.

andrew

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

They have a very good reputation, should be fun.

[Guest]

You should have no problem with those.I have a pair.I think that they come from the late 70's or early 80's.They are sturdy in their manufacture,you should have no problem there.I also have a set of Helios 10 x 50 nature plus.These have the slight extra mag.But sometimes the Swift's seem to have a more contrasty image.For example looking at The Double cluster in Perseus.The Swift's appeared to show a clearer view.But it's down to the individual.The Swifts are a quality glass in my opinion.Enjoy them

Martin

[BinocularSky]

If you have the 393 ft one, it is a MkI and is almost certainly from the 1960s. There is a very simple way to tell with Swift binoculars: the first two digits of the serial number is the last two digits of the 20th Century year of manufacture. IMO the MkI is a better binocular than the MkII -- Swift went for wider fields for the Saratoga and the Newport (10x50) and they didn't really work that well -- very mushy around the outside.

As others have said, its a nice binocular; pretty bright for its size (and is therefore a perfect demonstration of how well-designed optics and mechanics wins over fancy coatings and Bak4 prisms ). I used to have the Newport; again, very good optics but a bit too heavy fro hand-holding (but ideal for self-defence! )-- I regret selling it!

[Quark]

I have the Mark II's and the optics are crystal clear and came with a hard case & at £7 (they wanted a tenner but accepted what i had)from a local charity shop were a bargain i couldn't resist.