Sun
member
Reged: 09/09/07
Posts: 58
Loc: England
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Hi,
I have recently bought a celestron Omni XLT 120 telescope and i've been using my dads old 10x50 binoculars.
I think its time for me to purchase my own pair.
I’m willing to spend around $100 on a pair.
I like the look of the celestron 10x50 OptiView w/ LPR Filters.
Can you guys recommend any good pairs in my price range that are great for astronomy and can also be used for terrestrial?
Many Thanks
-Dave
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Celestron Omni XLT 120
Celestron Optiview 10x50
Celestron Plössl Eyepieces: 4mm - 32mm
Celestron Barlow x2
Orion Tri Barlow x3
Tele Vue Powermate x5
Philips SPC900NC CCD Webcam
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KennyJ
Reged: 04/27/03
Posts: 10142
Loc: Lancashire UK
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Hi Dave ,
As you know , $100US is only £50 at today's exchange rate , and given that the very best binoculars costs over £1000 in the UK , you don't have to be a genius to work out that binoculars that are GREAT for anything , let alone for astronomy , are not likely to be found for £50 !
The superstore Lidl sells Bresser 10 x 50 Porro prism models for around £15 -- and for £9.99 in annual sales around christmas time .
I have a pair of those ( they are actually more like 10 x 40 ) and although they are obviously not " great " , they are as good as any other binoculars I've ever seen selling brand new for £50 , and in fact are quite impressive for astronomy , more so than for daytime use .
Good luck !
Kenny
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Two eyes and a preference to use both
Zeiss 7 x 42 BGAT
Captain's Helmsman 7 x 50
Nikon 10 x 42 Superior E
Swift Audubon Kestrel 10 x 50
Helios 15 x 70 Observation
Strathspey 20 x 90
Televue 76 APO
Zeiss 85 Diascope
Helios 102 f5 refractor
Various eyepieces barlows tripods mounts etc.
Panasonic Lumix DMC - TZ5 digital camera
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Sun
member
Reged: 09/09/07
Posts: 58
Loc: England
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Hi kenny,
The reason I put only $100 was fairly simple. Things in America seem to cost the same to us regards of the type of currency.
The celestron I was looking at are 89 pounds, whereas i found them in America for $85!
But I guess it adds a little more for shipping.
Anyway, as you spotted i am in the UK, I am willing to go up to the 100 pound mark.
The reason I'm more heading to Celestron is because the only UK retailer for celestron is in my hometown, so very easy to take back if there's any problems.
Although, from what you are saying, Am I likely not to see any difference from those 15 pound pair to, say, a 100 pound pair? (by no you probably have guessed but my pound symbol doesn't work on my keyboard  )
Regards
-Dave
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Celestron Omni XLT 120
Celestron Optiview 10x50
Celestron Plössl Eyepieces: 4mm - 32mm
Celestron Barlow x2
Orion Tri Barlow x3
Tele Vue Powermate x5
Philips SPC900NC CCD Webcam
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Bruce MacDonald
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/12/06
Posts: 1019
Loc: Devizes, Wiltshire, UK
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Dave
So you are based in Tring?
I'll second Kenny's recommendation for the Bresser 10x50s. Whilst not as good as premium binoculars, they are not all that bad especially when you factor in the cheap-as-chips price. (I bought mine for a tenner from Lidl.) I have been using a pair almost exclusively for observing variable stars and hunting novae for the last month and as far as I can tell the only flaw with them is the baffling is not very good. The optics though are perfectly reasonable.
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Bruce MacDonald
Devizes, Wiltshire, UK
Per Mare Per Terras
Viz Top Tip: Don't waste money buying expensive binoculars. Simply stand closer to the object you wish to view.
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Sun
member
Reged: 09/09/07
Posts: 58
Loc: England
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Hi Bruce,
I live in Leighton Buzzard (very near Tring) and I guess you know i'm talking about David Hinds Ltd (they were based in Tring, but only recently moved to LB in the last half a year)
You mentioned that the only flaw is the baffling? What does this mean?
Thanks
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Celestron Omni XLT 120
Celestron Optiview 10x50
Celestron Plössl Eyepieces: 4mm - 32mm
Celestron Barlow x2
Orion Tri Barlow x3
Tele Vue Powermate x5
Philips SPC900NC CCD Webcam
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Bruce MacDonald
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/12/06
Posts: 1019
Loc: Devizes, Wiltshire, UK
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I hadn't realised David Hinds had moved to Leighton Buzzard - I was in Tring late last year and I popped in to the shop to look around.
As for the baffling - basically there is not enough shielding of stray light in the binoculars. This shows up as an illuminated ring around the field of view. That is no problem when you are looking up but if you are trying to observe an object near the horizon and there is a streetlight in the way it will flood the field of view with the stray light.
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Bruce MacDonald
Devizes, Wiltshire, UK
Per Mare Per Terras
Viz Top Tip: Don't waste money buying expensive binoculars. Simply stand closer to the object you wish to view.
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mark22c
sage
Reged: 08/12/07
Posts: 343
Loc: cornwall UK
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i noticed the same thing with my bresser/meade 10x50's bought from lidl's, with mine (to a large degree) most of the light was being reflected onto the back of the main objective from the greased and very shiny baffle front. i degreesed mine and painted it matt black and it seems to have redused it quite a lot, i then went on to matt the interior and that helped a little too but i dont think that was necessary as the matting of the baffle made the most differance
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opticron "imagic" BGA SE 8x42 roof's
10x42 roof's
meade/bresser (lidl) 10x50 porro's
Edited by mark22c (09/29/07 11:02 AM)
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mark22c
sage
Reged: 08/12/07
Posts: 343
Loc: cornwall UK
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you can see the diferance the matting has made in this pic compared to the previous pic above
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opticron "imagic" BGA SE 8x42 roof's
10x42 roof's
meade/bresser (lidl) 10x50 porro's
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mark22c
sage
Reged: 08/12/07
Posts: 343
Loc: cornwall UK
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kenny i dont understand how the bresser/meade 10x50 bins you mentioned above have 40mm ob's, i checked mine and they're spot on 50mm? but i have heard others refer to them as 10x40's... are they the same bins or are my 10x50 bresser/meads differant?
anyhow if you get a chance to own a pair snap em up they crop up on ebay for around 20 pounds and would make a good pair of "FIRST" bins and are far better than most of the dross that you'll find out there in your price range, with a few exeptions ie straphsprey do some nice ones for around 40 pounds up,youll find em on ebay and from what i've heard from others they're good people too
Edited by mark22c (09/29/07 11:43 AM)
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Sun
member
Reged: 09/09/07
Posts: 58
Loc: England
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Ok thanks guys, i think i may take a trip to Lidl, although, i've never been to Lidl, is it like aldi? as in, the binos will only come in certin times of the year? or will they be stocked most the year round?
Thanks for your help
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Celestron Omni XLT 120
Celestron Optiview 10x50
Celestron Plössl Eyepieces: 4mm - 32mm
Celestron Barlow x2
Orion Tri Barlow x3
Tele Vue Powermate x5
Philips SPC900NC CCD Webcam
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richtea
sage
Reged: 02/01/05
Posts: 208
Loc: UK Yorkshire
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Hi Mark
Sounds like a good way of kind of upgrading these Cheapies
Was this straightforward or not ? as i always thought taking bins apart results in collimation issues etc
I know they are only £10 but wouldnt want to spoil them unless its simple
They are truly one of the best bargains i've ever encountered in Optics
My Bressers with the twist up cups have a slightly better fov than the Meade rubber eye cup version but the Meade's focus closer and may be even a tad sharper
Regards
RichT
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Carl Zeiss MC Jenoptem 10 x 50
Nikon SE 10 x 42
Nikon E11 8 x 30 + 10 x 35
Bresser/Meade x2 10 x 50(40)
Pentax Papilo 6.5 x 21
Minolta Activa WP FP 8 x 40
Praktica WA Lanthanum x2 8 x 25
Swift Audubon 804 FMC 8.5 x 44
Fujinon CD Phase Coated Roof 7 x 42
Opticron Minerva Porro 9 x 35
Opticron Vega 11 WA Porro 12 x 50
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mark22c
sage
Reged: 08/12/07
Posts: 343
Loc: cornwall UK
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i,ve been after another pair from lidl's for months, seems they dont have em very often down here, but i have heard tails of other stores haveing some left over from the last offer months ago. allthough generaly they're snapped up quick by us lot
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opticron "imagic" BGA SE 8x42 roof's
10x42 roof's
meade/bresser (lidl) 10x50 porro's
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mark22c
sage
Reged: 08/12/07
Posts: 343
Loc: cornwall UK
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it was very simple, if you can bare with me for a bit i'll down load some pics, if you take one bell off at a time to do it'll go back fine
you just have to be patient and carfull screwing them back on again as the threads are plastic on the bell. i found loosening the plate made it easeir, hang on and i'll find the pics
back in 5
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opticron "imagic" BGA SE 8x42 roof's
10x42 roof's
meade/bresser (lidl) 10x50 porro's
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mark22c
sage
Reged: 08/12/07
Posts: 343
Loc: cornwall UK
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first unscrew the bell, but make sure you keep them faceing down when you do as bits of greasy plastic swarf tends to come out the threads when you unscrew em
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opticron "imagic" BGA SE 8x42 roof's
10x42 roof's
meade/bresser (lidl) 10x50 porro's
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mark22c
sage
Reged: 08/12/07
Posts: 343
Loc: cornwall UK
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you then need to degrease the inside rim of the baffle only being very carfull not to get anything on the lens, keep the objective upermost to stop anything getting on it
i used lighter petrol to degrease and it hasnt caused any damage to the plastic.
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opticron "imagic" BGA SE 8x42 roof's
10x42 roof's
meade/bresser (lidl) 10x50 porro's
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richtea
sage
Reged: 02/01/05
Posts: 208
Loc: UK Yorkshire
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Hi Mark
I believe what Kenny and others including myself are referring to is the "stop" which looks like an internal ridge in the binocular barrel about half way down
This i think effectively cuts the objective down to perhaps between 40 and 45mm
Kenny has also suggested his pair may only be 9.75 mag
So we have probably got some interesting "hybrids" out there ie 9.75 x 43 10+ possibly ish by 40-45 etc
I suspect the close focus and fov may vary as well
Actually (sad of me really) just checked my Bresser pair and though crudely measured against my E2 Nikon they may well be below the full 10 mag by a touch
Oh and had forgotten how very good they are at this price which seems commercially astonishing !
Regards
RichT
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Carl Zeiss MC Jenoptem 10 x 50
Nikon SE 10 x 42
Nikon E11 8 x 30 + 10 x 35
Bresser/Meade x2 10 x 50(40)
Pentax Papilo 6.5 x 21
Minolta Activa WP FP 8 x 40
Praktica WA Lanthanum x2 8 x 25
Swift Audubon 804 FMC 8.5 x 44
Fujinon CD Phase Coated Roof 7 x 42
Opticron Minerva Porro 9 x 35
Opticron Vega 11 WA Porro 12 x 50
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mark22c
sage
Reged: 08/12/07
Posts: 343
Loc: cornwall UK
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dont paint it like this pic as paint will run onto the lens
use the brush to paint around the baffle, mat black model paint will do
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opticron "imagic" BGA SE 8x42 roof's
10x42 roof's
meade/bresser (lidl) 10x50 porro's
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mark22c
sage
Reged: 08/12/07
Posts: 343
Loc: cornwall UK
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would the exit pupil give me any idea as to the true apiture? either way they're excelent bins for the price... and for astronomy show you a suprising ammount of stuff, dso's and the like. mine are allmost as good as the 15x70 skymasters and being lighter get used an awfull lot more, not to mention the wider fov and sharper optics!
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opticron "imagic" BGA SE 8x42 roof's
10x42 roof's
meade/bresser (lidl) 10x50 porro's
Edited by mark22c (09/29/07 12:17 PM)
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richtea
sage
Reged: 02/01/05
Posts: 208
Loc: UK Yorkshire
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Hi Mark
Wow that was quick with piccies too
Now am i brave enough to possibly "do in" one of my £10 specials
Will have a think on this as i note the "swarf" bits you mention and also realise the ease with which i could make a mess of the lenses
Its right about now i'm thinking "does drink make my hands shake !!"
Thanks for the tip and pics
Regards
RichT
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Carl Zeiss MC Jenoptem 10 x 50
Nikon SE 10 x 42
Nikon E11 8 x 30 + 10 x 35
Bresser/Meade x2 10 x 50(40)
Pentax Papilo 6.5 x 21
Minolta Activa WP FP 8 x 40
Praktica WA Lanthanum x2 8 x 25
Swift Audubon 804 FMC 8.5 x 44
Fujinon CD Phase Coated Roof 7 x 42
Opticron Minerva Porro 9 x 35
Opticron Vega 11 WA Porro 12 x 50
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mark22c
sage
Reged: 08/12/07
Posts: 343
Loc: cornwall UK
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if you dont feel up to it thats ok, cheap or not, i didnt get any paint on the lenses and the swarf was cleaned off the bell's thread before reasembly, a few small bit were picked out of the bins body with cotten buds but this wasnt hard.
just go slow with the brush when painting, keep the lens upermost, watch your progress through the objective and take your time.
the hard bit was putting the bell back on as the tread doesnt want to "take" you just have to be carfull not to force it and be patient and it'll go back ok
collimation was fine after i finished, hadn't changed a bit
--------------------
opticron "imagic" BGA SE 8x42 roof's
10x42 roof's
meade/bresser (lidl) 10x50 porro's
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