Telescope Reviews: Re: Final 10x50 choice for Astronomy?

Hey mate!

Although it goes against common wisdom, which holds 50mm as the minimum aperture necessary for stargazing, I've found that the Nikon 10X35 E2 performs better under light polluted skies than my other 10X bins (Orion 10X50 Ultraview, Nikon 10X50 Lookout II, and Celestron 9.5X44 ED). At 22 oz., they are very easy to hold for long periods, and the small exit pupil (3.5mm) gives much better constrast than the 5mm exit pupil bins above. They are also very sharp, sharp as any above but wtih a wider FOV (70* AFOV), and they have better edge sharpness than the Ultraview and Celestron ED.

While you won't see as many stars with the E2 as you would with the Kestrel or other good quality 10X50s, the light throughput in the FMC E2s is so good that you don't miss very much (counted 21 stars in the Pleaides with mediocre transparency). And what you gain in contrast (bright stars against dark background) is well worth any trade-off in star counts, IMO.The Pleaides, Hyades, and Alpha Persei clusters are truly awesome even under light polluted skies.

As an added bonus, the small exit pupil on the E2 compensates for my astigmatism so I don't need to wear glasses. With the 5mm exit pupil Kestrel, I WOULD need to use glasses; but with only 10mm eye relief, the FOV would appear very narrow. For more info on the E2, see my mini-review in the "small binoculars" thread.

Brock

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The Grinch
Troublemaker Extraordinaire

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