Telescope Reviews: Advice on Zeiss Binoculars

No!

Incidentally, after using my Swaro 12x50s for a week or so (both terrestrially and astronomically) I decided to return the pair I ordered for a refund (they came with a 30-day return policy).

Optically, they're superb and the best 12x50 I've ever looked through. However, I found that while they're better designed ergonomically and easier to hand hold (reasonably steady for a 12x50) they still start shaking fairly quickly (if I'm hand holding them) after I place them on the object I wish to look at.

So given their high cost and the fact that I already have a pair of Zeiss 15x60 B/GATs (which are like the Swaro 12x50's bigger brothers) that I can use on a mount, I concluded that the Swaro 12x50s just didn't do enough for me to warrant keeping them.

This recent experience kind of takes me back to an opinion that I formed many years ago in relation to 12x50s and that was yeah, you can hand hold them some but to get the real value out of them you need to use the with a mount. And, once you decide to cross that threshold, then why not get a pair of 12x50s when you can get a nice pair of 15x56s, 15x60s, 16x70s or 18x70s instead?

In any case, it looks like I won't be getting to do a comparison of the Zeiss 10x56 Night Owls vs the 12x50 ELs. However, from past experience using many other different pairs of binoculars I can pretty much imagine what the likely outcome of such a comparison would be.

For some deep sky objects and Milky Way star fields the larger aperture and larger true field of the Zeiss 10x56 would provide the nicer view. But for many other objects and some portions of the Milky Way, the tack-sharp-to-the-edge 12x50s and with their higher magnification and greater contrast would produce the more engaging view. But with the 12x50s you really need to use them with mount to be able to get the type of performance out of them which they are capable of providing.

As for the Zeiss 10 x 56 FL vs the Swaro 10x50 ELs I'd say stick with the 10x56's provided you're pleased with the views that they're already providing you with and if you can hand hold them reasonably steady. You also have the option of getting a mount to use with them (at least some of the time) and I would recommend that. Else if you're not all that pleased with the views they're providing or if you find them rather difficult to hand hold reasonably steady then swithing to (but not supplementing them with) the 10x50 ELs might then make sense). Another good option is the 10x50 Fujinons but they're kind of heavy.

There is no single binocular that is best for all applications. What I think makes the most sense is to get a pair that is going to be very good for hand holdable use (e.g., an 8x42, 8x50 or 10x50) and also and second higher power and larger aperture pair (like the sizes I mentioned above) and use that with a mount. And then after you got those (which I consider to be essential requirements) adding a pair like the 10x70 Fujinons or Nikons makes sense for the very bright views of the Milky Way they can provide. But in order to get the most out of a fine pair of 10x70s you need (1) a mount and (2) be able to get to really dark sky sites to be able to use them at. In an urban or suburban location they're just not going to be able to perform up to their potential and therefore I would not recommend getting a pair if you can't take them to really dark sky sites to use them at.

John Finnan