[lostnumber]

Hi

this is my first post here. I've been looking around at various websites for binocular reviews but have come up lacking on any good current recommendations for astronomy binoculars. The guide provided here is excellent but for someone who hasn't looked at a pair of binoculars for many years I don't know what the good brands are, what people are using etc.

I am interested in getting a good quality set to start up, something with good sturdy build quality to last many years and with suitable magnification and aperture for star gazing. I am thinking 7x50 or 10x50, these seem to be the minimum specs for beginner stargazing.

So I would like to know if anyone can recommend a few models to check out at the local optical store. I work right near a York Optical shop, would I be best served going straight to them and seeing what they recommend?

My dad had a pair of Nikon 7x35's through which we saw the moons of Jupiter one year. He's had them for many years. I have seen a pair of Nikon 10x50 but haven't found much information or reviews on the specialty of each model range title e.g. Monarch, Action. Do these titles mean much? would you recommend a particular brand/model? Are there any brands to particularly avoid?

Thanks in advance for your help with this.