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WOW! First time trying out binoculars

Binoculars Visual Observing
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27 replies to this topic

#26 HenkSB

HenkSB

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Posted 04 June 2025 - 08:39 AM

If a binocular is placed with the eye guards on the eyebrows, the arms do not need to lift all the weight of the instrument, only a small part. The arms mainly aid in pointing the instruments. Of course that does not make the binocular tripod-stable. But it brings a lot of freedom to view the heavens across the skies. It is a compromise between freedom of movement and stability of the instrument.

I wear glasses, I can't rest the binos on them.  The glasses correct my astigmatism.  Also, the 20x80s weigh 2.5 kg as opposed to 1.7 kg for the 15x70s.

 

On a good tripod, the added detail is enormous. The higher the magnification, the more so. Buit for extended objects, detail is not always the thing that matters most in the views.

I have the Tiltall tripod that is very good but twisting my neck to view upwards makes it hard to use them.  Even with a parallelogram mount you still have to look up, which is awkward unless leaning backward in a ZGC, and then a parallelogram is hard to use when changing positions, I think.

 

I once built a holder for a first surface mirror at 45 degrees right in front of the lenses with the binos on the tripod, but the optical quality of the mirror was not nearly good enough.

 

I'll figure something out for stabilizing the binos in front of my eyes on the ZGC.  The realization that I had a ZGC was an aha moment, so thanks for the message.



#27 HenkSB

HenkSB

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Posted 20 June 2025 - 05:06 PM

I got a smaller CZG that is easier to transport than the one I owned and added support poles to it to rest my elbows on.  They attach to the arm rest with strips cut from an old bicycle tube.  That makes them easy to attach and movable. For lower targets simply push them out a bit, sideways.  I tried it out on the redwood of the neighbor at about 60 degrees, and it seems to work OK.  I'll bring them to the Kaibab star party next week.  Me Celestron 20x80s are in the chair.

 

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#28 frankmorgan

frankmorgan

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Posted 21 June 2025 - 11:03 AM

Welcome to the amazing world of binocular astronomy .2 eyes are better than one !!! There are some amazing instruments for low power ,wide angle observing in 7x,8x,9x and 10x . Its seductive because instead of setting up scopes ,you grab a wide angle bino and are immediately out among the stars ! Clear Skies


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