Swift Eaglet 7x36 Roof Prism Binocular

I originally purchased this binocular for my late wife because of its close-focusing capability; the close-focus is actually closer to four feet than the 5.9 feet given in the specifications. She would often use it for viewing dragonflies and butterflies while she patiently sat on shore while I was wading and fishing; of course, she also used it for birding. I have often used it while kayaking because of its waterproofing. I often mentor people who are only modestly competent at birding, and this is the optic of choice when I loan them a binocular. It is small enough to be comfortable in smaller hands, such as those of women and children, but still large and weighty enough to not get lost in larger hands like mine. The view is bright and sharp, especially for an instrument in this price range. The large and easy to locate center-focus is silky smooth to operate. The twist-up eyecups are a huge improvement over the previous version of this model; that was the only criticism I had of the former version. I wear glasses, and so do many of my older companions, so high eye-relief is an important feature in a binocular. Even though I own a Leica 7x42, I often choose to carry the Swift Eaglet 7x36 because of its lighter weight, and near perfect combination of features. Friends have purchased this model on my recommendation, and all the people I have loaned it to have enjoyed using it.