Telescope Reviews: Poll : How Many Binoculars Do You Own?

I hadn't realised when this new poll appeared yesterday that members would be encouraged and prove willing not only to "tick the boxes" , but to expand a little upon the why's and wherefore's of their individual choices, which is probably much more meaningful , and certainly more interesting to read , than a simple box of results.

Regarding "how many" , I ticked the 6 to 8 box , because including the Swarovski 8 x 20s which I bought for my wife, I currently have 7 models at my disposal.

1. The Swarovski 8 x 20 is a great little genuine pocket sized roof prism model, (see my review in the CN mini-review section )which comes in handy for all sorts of uses.
Within the last month , it came in very useful at a 20,000 seater rock concert , and on several occasions for daylight viewing during short walks in Wales.
Only last night , a very cloudy one , at one stage my wife was out in the backyard looking at Sirius through a break in the clouds, fascinated by all the twinkling colours and the sheer prominence of the star.
As I think I mentioned in my review , for a 8 x 20 , it actually performs surprisingly well for hand -held astronomy.

2.My Practika 12 x 25 reverse -porro is the least expensive of my little collection ,but at around £30 , even that cost almost as much as do some 15 x 70s in the U.S.A !
I bought it for two reasons. One was to experiment with hand -holding a 12 x binocular, the other to have a binocular I could keep in the glove compartment of a vehicle without worrying overmuch about it getting stolen, lost or damaged.
On one occasion I carelessly left it out of it's carry -case on the dash of a vehicle , in warm sunny conditions , and the result was flaking of the ruby coatings.
It also came in handy during experiments with comparing magnifications and fields of view ( it has 4.6 degrees )and the effects of exit -pupil in daytime and night -time use.
The 2mm exit -pupil certainly helps minimise the effects of astigmatism when looking at stars without my glasses on.

3.Much of which applies to (2) applies to my "fake" Minox foldable pocket roof 8 x 25, which I bought in a moment of madness during a holiday in the Canary Islands 7 years ago.
It is out on permanent loan to one of my son -in -laws , who takes it all over Europe to "enhance" his enjoyment of watching Formula One motor racing.If he knew a fraction as much about optics as he does about motor racing I'm sure he would realise that for the sake of missing just ONE Grand Prix ( the winner of which has been a foregone conclusion anyway for the past 2 years ) he could treat himself to a binocular that would "enhance" his enjoyment many fold.

4.My Telstar 10 x 50 is a Japanese Porro prism model with a narrow 5 degree TFOV, which I have owned for almost 40 years now. If nothing else it serves to illustrate what a long way binocular technology has come since those days.
I only use it now very occasionally , mainly to remind me how fortunate I am to own any of the other binoculars.

5.Swift Audubon Kestrel 10 x 50 ( see mini -review )has an outstanding extra -wide 7 degree TFOV, and in spite of poor edge performance ( particularly frustrating for astronomy) ,remains my most used binocular , partly because it has been relegated to "permanent vehicle status".
On -axis resolution in daylight is surprisingly close to that of ANY 10 x 50 I've ever tried. A side by side comparison with the Telstar gives the impression the Swift model must be worth about TEN times more ,when in REAL terms ( i.e as a percentage of income at the time of purchase ) it actually cost virtually the same.
An underated model for daytime use.

6. Helios 15 x 70 Observation has much in common with the Swift 10 x 50. It is Japanese made , fully multi -coated , has Bak 4 prisms and is a centre -focus porro -prism model with built -in tripod adaptor.The model costs around £139 new in the UK , but anyone wishing to spend considerably more on the same item can always buy the Orion Little Giant, which retails for £225 in the U.K.
The worst aspect of this 15 x 70 is the 8mm eye -relief.
Strangely , the more I use this binocular , the more I tend to like it -- but it is better for astronomy than it is for daylight use , when excessive false colour ( CA )easily becomes a problem. It is surprising how much more enjoyable it is to use with a really good tripod and mount , such as the Manfrotto 055B / 501 head on which I have it mounted.
To add a little perspective , in daylight , this 15 x 70 seems mediocre compared with the only other two 15x models I've ever had the chance to compare it against , which were Swarovski 15 x 56 SLC and Minox 15 x 58 BR. Of course both of the latter models cost MANY times more to buy.

7.Although not included in Ed's list of specifications, I maintain that for all round hand -held use ( both day and night) a 7 x 42 is a tough combination to beat, especially when a specimen is as outstanding as my beloved Zeiss classic BG A T *P*.
It's 8.6 degree TFOV makes looking through all other glasses, apart from the Swift Kestrel, appear constricted, and it is an aspect which might even now put me off ever buying a Nikon Superior E 10 x 42 , which for all it's attributes , does present ME with a slight "tunnel -vision" effect by comparison.

If I were to buy another binocular in the near future ,it would probably be either a 20 x 80 with at least a 3 degree TFOV , or a Canon IS 12 x 36 mark two.

Regards , Kenny

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If everyone is thinking the same thing , no-one is thinking - General George S.Patton

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