CN FORUMS ARCHIVE Telescope Reviews: Light Trap's beginning binocular suggestions

What follows is a list of *ONE GUY'S* ideas on binoculars suitable for astronomy. In most cases, I have either owned or tried samples of each. I'll add comments as appropriate. This list is NOT a "best of" list. Nor is it all comprehensive. It's not even a list of all the binoculars I've owned, much less tried. This list IS an attempt to give people some idea of where they might want to begin their shopping. Primarily, this is strictly intended for folks that are bewildered by the seemingly vast array of binocular choices on the market. If you know enough to disagree with this list, you probably know enough not to need it.

Narrowing down the choices is not as daunting a task as it may at first seem. For instance, after owning all manner of different size binoculars, I find that the most useful for HANDHELD astronomy usually boil down to essentially one of 2 or 3 sizes. This surprises a lot of people, and many may choose to disagree with that blanket assessment. However, for the person just starting out, it's important to know that if you observe from an area with even a modest amount of light pollution, you'll probably want a binocular with a 5mm exit pupil or less. Only if you observe from a very dark site, will a larger exit pupil help, and only then, if your pupils really can still dilate to the extent that they could when you were a child.

There are, what at first, might seem like any number of binocular configurations that would be useful for astronomy. However, after owning and using 8x56, 9x63, 11x56, 12x60 and several other configurations, I've pretty much concluded that most beginners need not even worry with these somewhat obscure sizes as they really only show up at the very bottom and very top of the binocular market, and rarely offer the end user anything that can't be more readily achieved with more conventionally sized binoculars. For that reason, I'm confining the first 2 lists below, to only 8x40 & 10x50s. There is plenty to choose from just with those two sizes. I've also included some select 7x50s, even though most people would do MUCH better to choose either an 8x40 or 10x50 due to the better contrast afforded by a smaller exit pupil.
I've also left off 7x35s and 8x32s because I don't consider objectives below about 40mm to be anywhere near as desirable for astronomy as those of 40mm and above, even though I often favor the smaller sizes for birding.

Points to be taken from this post are:
1) Most manufacturers and importers have a tiered marketing system; offering low-end, medium grade sometimes high-end optics. Thus, brand means very little in today's marketplace.
2) The best bargains in binoculars are almost never found in the very lowest price offerings, no matter what the brand. In addition to optical and mechanical shortcomings, very low-end binoculars often do not hold up very long in the field. I've seen examples of low-end binoculars not lasting ONE season in the birding market. You say, "So what, I'll baby them and I don't bird in the jungle?" Well, many of the very low cost binoculars won't survive a few outings into the nighttime dew, either. For a very few dollars more, there are examples that will survive for quite a long while. Be careful how you spend your money and your caution will be rewarded for years, even if you spend quite a bit more than you'd originally bargained.
3) Good mid-range porro prism binoculars often represent the most optical and mechanical quality for the amount spent.
4)Binoculars are a highly subjective product, with people liking or disliking particular examples for what amounts to very personal reasons.
5) When at all possible, TRY BEFORE YOU BUY. If that's not possible, at least only deal with vendors that have a hassle-free return policy.
6) Binocular prices vary widely. Shop wisely. In some cases, I've found the markup on binoculars to be well over 100%
7) Even amongst what have in the past been well known, highly regarded brands, manufacturing locations and practices change frequently and often quality control varies accordingly. I've personally seen some pretty
shocking QC problems even with big name binoculars from Nikon, Pentax, Celestron and Orion, just to name a few. What's worse, is most of the listed importers and manufacturers have often changed binocular model
specifications while keeping the model name more or less the same. It's a very confusing marketplace out there. But, there are many good buys to be had for the careful shopper. This list is current as of July 2004.
8) Hopefully, by now, we all know to look only for Bak4 prism, *fully multicoated* binoculars.

Under $100
Honestly, I cannot recommend binoculars in this price range. Typically, binoculars in this category exhibit gross amounts of sperical and chromatic abberations. What's worse, is often binoculars in this range are nowhere near
as durable as their moderately more expensive counterparts. If absolutely constrained to this price range, I'd almost suggest bottom fishing for Dept.store Simmons Red-line 10x50s for $20-30USD or similarly priced Tascos or BSAs simply because you'll be more likely to upgrade from these low price samples sooner. In the under $100 category, Bushnell Legacy 10x50s, 8x40s and Nikon Action series 10x50s, and 7x50s get a lot of press. I've owned examples of both these lines, (in some cases several examples), and honestly cannot recommend them. This is what often irritates people, but I'll stand by that assessment. In this category, you're literally throwing your money away. That's not to say that binoculars in this category aren't capable of showing MUCH more than is available naked eye, but over the long term, binoculars in this category almost always prove to be disappointments. (I just know I'm going to hear flak about this one. <sigh>) OK, onto the interesting stuff.

$100-$200USD -- HANDHELD suggestions
The following are listed in rough alphabetical order and the prices are 7/24/04 USA street prices culled from several US vendors. This list IS biased. No way around that. OK, here we go in pseudo alphabetical order:

Leupold Wind River "Mesa"
8x42 WP 6.5*FOV $150
10x50 WP 5.5*FOV $175
[Comments: I own a 2nd generation Leupold WR 10x50 prior to the "Mesa" designation and it's remarkable for it's compact size and reasonably decent optics. This is one of the most compact 10x50s that I've seen, though I don't know if that trend continues in the more recent "Mesas". More than that, the sample I own is remarkably clear to the outer edges of about 80% of the 5.5* FOV. Again, whether this trend continues in the newer "Mesa" series is unknown. I consider these to be amongst the better bargains out there.

Minolta (aka Konica) Activa series:
8x40 WP 8.2* FOV $135
10x50 WP 6.5* FOV $150
I've never owned these, but have looked through a few sets. These, honestly
don't impress me quite as much, though I suspect they have common lineage to
other binos mentioned on this page. I've noticed pretty bad edge distortions on both sizes tried. However, numerous very experienced binofiles list these as choice, and so I present them here. Honestly, they're not bad, and you may just find yourself really liking them for the money.

Nikon Action Extreme:
7x50 WP 6.4* $130-$150
8x40 WP 8.2* $130-$150
10x50 WP 6.5* FOV $140-$200
This series really took me by surprise. I used to recomend the basic Nikon Action series for those on an extreme budget, but only with budget as primary consideration. Then along came several radical changes in design and configuration amongst the models in this line, and all of a sudden I couldn't recommend *anything* in this line, because it was like hitting an everchanging target. Then, along came the Extremes. If my 2003/2004 10x50 sample, serial number 400140 example is anything to go by, then this is one hot series to look out for. They are kind of bulky and blocky, and their screw up/fall down eyepiece cups are annoying, but overall I've never seen so many decent features and such pretty decent overall optical quality in a binocular that routinely sells in this price range. Still, these aren't for everybody. Birders will likely HATE their excessive weight and bulk. Stargazers may well hate the fact that the nominal screw-up eyecups often are screwups in their own right that collapse with little eyebrow pressure. However, these are currently bargain priced at something between $129-$169 depending on source. They're a very decent example of how far Chinese optics have recently come into the marketplace. NOTE: I have ONLY tried the 10x50 in this series, and only one sample of that size. The wide field of the 8x40s, makes me suspect that this size in this line would probably show spherical aberrations out of the center of the field of view. But, again, I've not tried any size other than 10x50. ***1/8/05 Update: Since writing this I've sold off the Nikon AE 10x50s primarily due to excessive spherical distortions outside the central viewing portion of the lens. This bothers some folks more than others.

Pentax PCF WP
7x50 6.2* FOV $170
8x40 6.3* FOV $170
10x50 5* FOV $184
Like Nikon, Pentax has really confused a lot of people with all the changes they've made to their PCF line over the years. Typically, this line is known for narrow, but crisp FOVs that are sharp almost to the edge. I have not owned or used the newer WP series PCFs, primarily because I don't like where they put the strap lugs on this newer series. I have owned 2 examples of older PCFs, but will keep my comments for another section, since they were both larger sizes. Overall, I'm not a huge fan of Pentax PCF series binoculars. In one direct comparison, the older Pentax PCF V 10x50s I tried were the dimmest of several similar 10x50s that I compared them to. However, these binoculars are so popular amongst amateur astronomers that value them for generally good flat field views that I feel compelled to list them as a viable option for folks to try for themselves.

Swift
As much as I like Swift's original 8.5x44 Audubons, and 2nd generation 10x50 Kestrels for terrestrial use, I cannot recommend either for astronomy, as both suffer from severe sperical edge distortions due to their wide angle eyepieces.

$200-$300USD --- HANDHELD suggestions

Carton Adlerblick
7x42 $215-$250
7x50 $240-$273
8x42 $225-$262
10x50 $250-$288
This is a German sounding brand that is actually Japanese. They got a good boost in popularity by getting mentioned by Dickinson & Dyer in "The Backyard Astronomer's Guide". To my knowledge, these are only offered in North America by 2 Canadian firms. (Keep in mind the above prices are in USD.) This brand is unusual for at least two reasons. One is that this is one of the only firms I know of that offers a reasonably priced standard 7x42. The other thing is that by today's standards, these models might be considered by some to be bit pricey not to be waterproof. But what really sets them apart, is that they are generally quite lightweight for their respective sizes. My older, leatherette covered Carton Adlerblick 10x50 is the lightest 10x50 that I've ever held. I believe this older unit is actually a couple ounces lighter than the newer rubber coated ones that are listed at 26.8oz. But, the real reason these sometimes hard to obtain binoculars are sought after is the optical clarity on them is superb. The FOV of the 10x50 in this series is quite narrow, but the view is undistorted almost to the edge of the FOV. Personally, I prefer a slightly heavier binocular, with a bit wider FOV in a 10x50, but the optics in these is so good that I may eventually get a 7x42 in this series. (I believe that Barry Simon was a bit less impressed by the optics in the 7x42 C.A. as compared to the 8x40 C.A.) One word of caution, eye relief is quite tight on these, and that coupled with an already narrow FOV means that folks that wear glasses to observe, would probably be better served picking something else.

Celestron Ultima
10x50 5* FOV long eye relief $225-$300
Celestron's Ultima series is somewhat unique in that they offer an 8x56 and a 9x63. One friend has the 10x50s and another has the 8x56s. I find that I greatly prefer the 10x50s for the reasons mentioned at the beginning of this list. The 10x50s offer generous eye relief and are clear almost to the edge of their FOV. They are also fairly lightweight. These might be just the thing for eyeglass wearers wanting a lightweight, fairly good quality binocular.
***1/8/05 Update -- Since writing this I've purchased a used, older set of leatherette covered Celestron Ultimas in 10x50. It's my unsubstantiated opinion that these are made by the same folks that made the older Carton Adlerblick 10x50s mentioned above. They suffer the same tight eye relief, but offer up almost identical crystal clear, narrow FOVs. How these compare to whatever is being currently offered by either brand is anybody's guess. I'll go out on a limb and guess that both brands may actually be Vixen sourced. I do NOT know that for a fact. But, now that Vixen binos are available branded Vixen in the USA, they might also be a choice worth looking at. Supposedly, the current Celestron Ultimas & Vixen Genomas have longer eyerelief, but at the time of this update, I've not personally verified that. If you're buying used, you might want to get the seller to confirm whether the item being discussed has the newer long eye relief, or the older short eye relief. (That's just one of many reasons why I don't generally reccommend buying binoculars used, unseen, unless you REALLY know the market and the seller.)

Fujinon BFL
8x42 WP 6.5* FOV $250
10x42 WP 6.5* FOV $260
These are Fujinon's entry into the birding market. I've borrowed a 2003 model 8x42 and birded and stargazed with it for a week. I'm quite impressed by this model. If it was offered in a 10x50, I'd buy one without hesitation. I'm curious if these don't come from the same source as the Leupold Wind River 2nd generation binoculars. However, the Fujinons seem to have much better coatings. For the person looking for a really good 8x42 in this price range these seem to me to be a good value in an ergonomic package. ***1/8/05 Update -- Since writing this, I bought a used set of the Fujinon BFL 8x42s primarily for birding from a canoe or other boats. Eye relief appears to be slightly longer than the published 15mm. These might be a choice for eyeglass wearers who wished for a smaller, lighter set of binoculars for dual duty.

Nikon Sports Marine (without compass)
7x50 WP 7.5* FOV individual eyepiece focus $235
For the person who desires a rugged 7mm exit pupil binocular, who isn't bothered by individual eyepiece focus, this one is a real find. These have a good wide FOV, and surprisingly, it's remarkably clear over most of the area. I compared these to some top of the line Steiner Night Hunter 7x50s that cost over $600, and to some top of the line Swarovski SLC Habicht 8x56 low light binoculars, and found that the views through these mid-priced Nikons was almost as good as through their much more expensive competitors. In this price range, these are fantastic performers. But, they are hampered by having the contrast robbing 7mm exit pupils. For somebody wanting a good boating or low light surveillance binocular, these would be very high on my short list.

Orion Vista
8x42 6.5* FOV $220
10x50 5.3* FOV $230
A friend bought the 10x50s in early 2003 for stargazing. This is a good quality Japanese binocular, that FAR exceeds the image quality in Orion's lesser Scenix line. I'm not sure that these represent the most value or the most robust package, now that waterproof Leupolds and Nikons are available for less money. These *may* be a little better optically, but without having done a side-by-side comparison, it's hard to say. Optically, I do not believe that these are quite on the same level as the Carton Adlerblicks, (though it wouldn't surprise me if they don't have very similar origins).

Orion Savanah
8x42 6.5* FOV $240
10x50 5.3* FOV $260
I haven't seen these, but if they are in fact, a waterproof version of the Vistas, then they ought to be decent. But, see my comments about the relative value of the Vistas.

$100-$300 Higher Power Binoculars These can be used handheld for brief periods but are MUCH better when mounted. (That's true of all the 10x50s listed above, as well.)

Nikon Action Extreme
12x50 WP 5.5* $190
16x50 WP 4.1* $200
I haven't tried either of these. Yet, IF they live up to the quality level of the Extreme 10x50s, these should give the more famous Pentax PCF higher power models a real run for their money. With their wider FOVs, I would expect some edge of FOV distortion. But one of my complaints about the Pentax PCF series is their overall narrow FOVs. So, perhaps these will offer a good option to those.

Oberwerk
15x70s new version 4.3* FOV $149
I did some of the original reviews on the orginal Oberwerk 15x70s. In stark contrast to what seems to be the trend with other importers, the newer Oberwerk 15x70s are improved, with better coatings and mechanical improvements. To my mind, the Oberwerk 15x70s are the BEST value in binocular astronomy today. These can be handheld, but obviously, do MUCH better from a good mount. It's worth pointing out that I'm not as enthusiastic about some of the other Oberwerk sizes and configurations. I've had other sizes in this brand, both larger and smaller, and none has come close to the performance standards set by the 15x70s. It's also worth pointing out that there are many, many imitators of these binoculars at reduced prices, and none offer the same good level of quality coatings, prisms, etc. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Pentax PCF WP
12x50 4.2* FOV $190
16x60 2.8* FOV $250
I have not used the WP version of these. I used to own an older (2002?) model of the 16x60s, which I sold because of it's very narrow FOV. And I currently own a 2003 PCF V model 12x50. These are known for offering narrow FOVs but are generally quite good to near the edges of the FOVs. In my opinion, Pentax binoculars and spotting scopes have some QC issues. This is evident in my PCF V 12x50s in the form of a large, light colored spec of dust that was factory sealed into one of the objectives. It doesn't hamper the view at all, but it kills their resale value. (I've seen similar problems with Pentax spotting scopes.) Nonetheless, these offer a blend of optical quality in a package that a lot of folks find agreeable.

Crème de la crème
OK, I said I wasn't going to make this a BEST OF list. However, if you have money to burn, and you really want the very best out there, here's my short list.
Fujinon FMT-SX 7x50 7.5* FOV -- $530
Fujinon FMT-SX 16x70 4* FOV -- $600
Nikon SE 10x42 6* FOV -- $800
Nikon SE 12x50 5* FOV -- $850 (my favorite binos of all time!)
Swarovski W Habicht 10x40 6.2* FOV $750

Now, careful readers are going to notice that not once have I mentioned a single roof prism binocular. That's because they're not optimal for astronomy. While prices on properly phase coated models keep coming down, they're still more expensive than same quality porro prism binoculars, and to my mind, they offer no advantages to the amateur astronomer. If you find that you greatly favor the closer hand position of a well made roof prism binocular, plan to spend a bare minimum of $500 to get a roof prism binocular that is the optical equal of any of the porro prism binos listed in the $100-$200 category. For a really good roof prism, expect to pay closer to $1000.

Mike Swaim

Edited by lighttrap (01/08/05 11:46 AM)

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