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Anonymous
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I plan to buy binoculars for astronomy and am leaning towards 10x50s, but would like some advice on which model. I wear glasses and have done very sporadic observing with binoculars (very old, inexpensive pair), an 8" Coulton Dobsonian, and a Bushnell Voyager 4.5"Reflector. I want to use the binoculars as a draw to force me to observe more often and to get my 8 year old son to begin observing with me. Any advice on the best values in binoculars would be greatly apprciated. I am looking to spend $150 or less. Many Thanks, Mark
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lighttrap
Reged: 02/06/04
Posts: 3833
Loc: cloudy, foggy, humid NC, US
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Welcome to CN!
One reasonably long eye relief 10x50 that can be had for around your price range is the Nikon Action EX. Note: the "EX" for extreme designation. It's a different optic than the plain Action series. I would recommend trying to find some locally, (perhaps in a hunting store), and try them out in the store to see if they work with your glasses.
Mike
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18" Starsplitter II f/4.5
8" Hardin Dob f/6
C5 workhorse mini SCT f/10 or f/6.3
70mm TV Ranger dual purpose birding/astro
77mm Leica Televid APO
16x70 Fujinons on UA Deluxe Mt.
12x50 Nikon SE
8x30 Nikon E2s
and many others
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Welcome to CN! You have made a good choice for the binocular size based on your useage. I can think right off that bat a couple of quick recommendations. Oberwerk sells a 11x56 binocular for $100 and a 10x50 wide angle model for $130. The eye relief for both are about 18 to 19 mm.
I'm sure others will provide a multitude of other choices. You may want to also browse the mini review section.
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EdZ
Professor EdZ
Reged: 02/15/02
Posts: 12566
Loc: Cumberland, R I , USA42N71.4W
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I'll offer these links for excellent suggestions made here to answer the same question.
Light Trap's beginning binocular suggestions
Nikon Action Extremes 8x40, 10x50 and 12x50 with comparison to Orion Ultraview 10x50 and Pentax PCF WP 10x50 among others.
More on Selecting a Good 10x50 Binocular
each of these articles will give you some pointers to consider. Also some of the same binoculars are reviewed in each article, so you can get more than just one opinion.
edz
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Teach a kid something today. The feeling you'll get is one of life's greatest rewards.
member#21
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KennyJ
Reged: 04/27/03
Posts: 10143
Loc: Lancashire UK
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Mark,
A warmer welcome to Cloudy Nights than the temperatures here in Lancashire over the past two days , which has peaking at just 10 C ( 50 F ) only a week before the longest day !
My advice may appear a little "controversial" , but having tried to help many people , each looking for advice on a binocular purchase , in similar situations to yourself at this point in time , I have come to the conclusion that the biggest mistake you MIGHT make at this stage is to restrict yourself to a "fixed budget" of $150.
Rather than create or allow "upper financial limit" to become THE all -powerful factor in this forthcoming purchase , may I suggest that you rather read up on as much info you can find amongst this and any other bino - astro forums / web sites ,THEN decide how much it's going to cost you to be a genuinely happy bino user for a considerable time hence.
It doesn't HAVE to cost you a relative fortune.
You don't HAVE to go out and buy a top of the range Nikon or Fujinon.
Probably , all you need to do is find out the cheapest way to get yourself a Pentax PCF 10 x 50.
Regards , 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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Alby
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 02/12/05
Posts: 899
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Mark;
My suggestion is the Pentax PCF WPII 10x50(KennyJ beat me to it):)
As stated above....take your time to decide! Look up past treads here at CN for a plethora of info and answers.
Good luck
Alby
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Alby
Scoping Savant
10in LX200 Classic SCT
Oberwerk BT 100 45
7x50 USSR Binocs
Nikon Action Extreme 10x50 binocs
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KennyJ
Reged: 04/27/03
Posts: 10143
Loc: Lancashire UK
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I've just checked , and in fact , for very little above $150 , this must be worthy of serious consideration :
This is around 60% of the average UK price for the same item
http://www.opticsplanet.net/65803.html
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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Rich N
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/22/04
Posts: 5312
Loc: San Francisco Bay Area, Calif...
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Quote:
I plan to buy binoculars for astronomy and am leaning towards 10x50s, but would like some advice on which model. I wear glasses and have done very sporadic observing with binoculars (very old, inexpensive pair), an 8" Coulton Dobsonian, and a Bushnell Voyager 4.5"Reflector. I want to use the binoculars as a draw to force me to observe more often and to get my 8 year old son to begin observing with me. Any advice on the best values in binoculars would be greatly apprciated. I am looking to spend $150 or less. Many Thanks, Mark
Hi Mark,
I strongly suggest you go to a store in your area so that you can hold and look through the binocular you are going to buy. Even if you can get if for $25 less mail order, buy the one in your hand that you know works well.
If the guy in the store has a demo model and then pulls a box with a new binocular from the back to sell to you, try that new one before you buy. If the demo model is better, buy it.
Too many binoculars these days are not correctly aligned. One side is not looking exactly at the same place as the other side. The quality control is not good enough to be able to rely that, unit to unit, the one that is mailed to you will be ok.
A well aligned binocular is easy and comfortable to look through.
Eye relief is not always measured the same way. You can't rely on the listed eye relief numbers. You need to try the binocular and see if the eye relief is fine for you.
IMHO, it would be well worth driving a few hours to find stores selling binoculars you are interested in.
You might also want to check out 8x42 binoculars. They are usually lighter weight and easier to hold.
All the best,
Rich
Edited by Rich N (06/14/05 08:00 PM)
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edcannon
professor emeritus
Reged: 11/19/03
Posts: 679
Loc: Austin, Texas
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I'll emphasize the 8-year-old son. You definitely should take him to the store with you to try out the binoculars.
I kind of wonder if 10x50 is too big for an 8-year-old boy to use. Beyond that, if he doesn't wear glasses while you do, there will be a lot of switching of eyecups, interpupillary distance, right-diopter adjustment, etc.
One thing I learned the hard way is that frequent flipping up and down of folding rubber eyecups wears them out to the point that they break off. So I'll recommend something other than that type if much of that is required.
It might actually be better, if budget would permit, to get the youngster his own binocular, and I'd be somewhat inclined to recommend a 7x35 (lighter weight, larger field of view) for that young a child.
Do make sure that the model you get will fit his interpupillary distance.
Ed Cannon - Austin, Texas, USA
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BushyBill
sage
Reged: 06/03/05
Posts: 205
Loc: Out Bush in Australia
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Rich - great advice!
It,s a real hassle to have to return dud binoculars because of quality control.
Have fun Bill.
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10" F6 dob
6" F10 dob
4" F5 refr
Saxon ED80 F7.5 refr
20x80 Triplet binos
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DJB
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 02/23/05
Posts: 1267
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Hi Mark and a warm welcome to CN,
I would suggest that you check out the ORION 10x50 WA Outsider: 7.6* FOV; Fully Coated (only); ER= 17.8 as per ORION; and tripod adaptable. In one case that I can recall, this bino got better reviews than some of ORION's more expensive models. Might be a first step.
I use one, and I must say for $69.95, it's a pretty good deal--approx. 2# weight and fairly clear FOV out to about 70-80%.
Of course, if you receive a dud, Orion has excellent customer service and replacements policies. Good luck!
Regards,
Dave.
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Swedpat
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 02/18/05
Posts: 1033
Loc: Boden, Sweden, Scandinavia
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Mark,
In this I absolute agree with Ed.
A 10x50 even for many adult people is a bit hard to hold steady. An 8 years old boy will surely after a short while experience it strenuous to use a 10x50 relating to both the power and the weight of it. The first I thought about was as Ed mentions a 7x35.
If the boy don't wear eyeglasses my proposal is a Nikon Action 7x35 CF, Maybe the 8x40. Fairly light weight, very wide field and not too expensive. Here you get good optics for the money. If he does, it will likely be a bit more expensive. If you choose the Pentax PCF WP II the 8x40 model will surely suit him better than the 10x50.
But I know that if you choose to buy him his own binocular it can be hard to get him to accept a LOWER power binocular than you have, because childs often want high magnification...
Regards, Patric
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*2,3x40 Constellation View Wide-Bino
*Leupold 6x30 Yosemite
*Leupold Katmai 6x32
*Swarovski SLCNew 7x42B
*Bresser (Lidl) 10x50
*Oberwerk 11x70
*No name (Kunming) 15x70
*Scopos ED APO 66
*Meade 5000 26mm Plössl, Vixen LV 10/5mm
Psalm 19:2
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lighttrap
Reged: 02/06/04
Posts: 3833
Loc: cloudy, foggy, humid NC, US
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Kudos to Ed Cannon and Patric for picking up on something I totally overlooked. The factor of choosing binos that an 8 y.o. can use, does complicate the issue. As much as I generally like the 10x50 size for general use, they very likely might be a bit much for many children to use. I don't have much experience with yound children and binos for stargazing. Most times when I'm around kids and binos, it's for birding, and there are several models and sizes I could suggest, but few are suitable for much astronomy. Personally, after trying everything from 21mm on up for astro, I cannot recommend much of anything under about 40mm. Even some of the very top end 32mm binos aren't really satisfying for astro.
I've really been quite disappointed with the last several samples of Nikon's Action line in 7x35 and 8x40 that I've seen. Quality control has been all over the map, with those. Still, for the little amount of money that those can be had for, they would be one consideration. Another consideration, might be some Swift ZCF Ultralites in 7x42 or 8x42. Those can be found on the 'net for $180-$190. That's a whopping increase over the ~$65 cost of a set of Nikon Action 8x40s, but I mention the Swift Ultralites specifically because they offer an inter-occular separation that can go down to fit most kids. That's something that can't be said of many 40-50mm binos on the market, today. EdZ has a mini-review of them here.
My revised suggestion is to go to as many local stores as you can find, with your son, and just try out whatever they have to find out what you both can live with. It's going to be kind of tricky to find suitable binos that meet the criteria of astro suitable, eyeglass friendly, kid friendly and still meet your budget.
Mike
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18" Starsplitter II f/4.5
8" Hardin Dob f/6
C5 workhorse mini SCT f/10 or f/6.3
70mm TV Ranger dual purpose birding/astro
77mm Leica Televid APO
16x70 Fujinons on UA Deluxe Mt.
12x50 Nikon SE
8x30 Nikon E2s
and many others
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HfxObserver
professor emeritus
Reged: 11/12/04
Posts: 624
Loc: Waterloo ON, Canada
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I'll also throw my vote behind the Pentax WP 10X50. A fellow observer has those and they are very nice, and not too expensive. The 8X40 WP is also a great binocular if keeping the 10X steady proves to be a problem.
I had a pair of old Bushnell 10X50's I used to get started, and the difference between these and the Pentax is a whole different game. With a 10X you have a VERY versatile bino.
-Chris
-Chris
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Chris
7X50 Vixen,22X100 Antares
80mm William Optics Megrez II ED
Santel MK6
Borg 125SD f6 (Pentax/Oasis version)
Tak-Lapides
Pentax XW's 40,20,14,10,3.5 3.8XP, Speers 5-8, 30mm Widescan III
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