I was surprised to here about the problem with the Swarovski. I have
the 80HD too with that same zoom lens, and it is quite superb
optically, and I have had no problems with the lens. I have had
problems with using it as a big teleophoto lens, but that is because
the quality of the T-rings to join my EOS camera to the Swarovski
camera adaptor does not seem high. They begin my giving you a nice
rigid jojn, and the photos are sharp and beautiful (at an equivalent
focal length of 800mm) but the T-ring quickly loosens, and you loose
rigidity and sharpness.
I shall wait for the digitscoping/digital camera technology to
improve and/or come down in price, and then move to that system.
Before buying the Swarovski I used a Celestron C90. Vastly cheaper
(probably can ger them in the states for $350 if you shop around)
though important to get the model with the one and one quarter inch
eyepiece. Very good optics though. But you cannot get zoom lens for
them, and they are defintely clunkier and less mobile for carrying
around. Be well woth considering if you were on a limited budget and
it is not important to use it as a camera as well. I did for a while,
but the t-mount/T-ring problem was even worse for these than for the
Swarovski. And changing from camera use to eye much less smooth than
with the Swarovski. And seeing that I am myself monocular, I was
happy to spend money on a fancy scope rather than fancy binos.
Before finishing though, I should say that if any one is in the
market for a fully waterproof nitrogen purged set of binoculars,
Vanns.com in the states has an amazing deal going; they are selling
Meades 7x42 Rainforest Pros for under $200 US (I just bought a pair
for $179). These Meades are $450 even at discount prices from other
suppliers, and I have not seen any reputable brand of fully sealed
nitrogen purged binos for under $350 US before. I bought these
because my other brand of meades (8x42 wide angled safari pros - for
obvious reasons wide angled is important to me) are optically very
good, but they did fog up a couple of times in PNG in 2000, twice at
critical moments.
Kim
Until April 2002 visting at
Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences
101-40
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, California 91125
USA
phone: 626-3953608
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