Orion for 30$ or Celestron for 330$ ?

[JoseBrown]

Hey experts!

I am asking for you humble opinion of best astronomy binoculars for the affordable price.

I may be new to this activity, but I already did some research and considering 2 models - Celestron 7x50 vs Orion 15x70.
Both are claimed as "for stargazing", both have the best ratings and suggested by many review websites. https://wildproofgear.com/best-binoculars-for-stargazing/
As I learned these manufacturers are reliable as well.

My budget is okay to afford smth under 400$, but the question is - do I need such powerful binocs like Orion? From the other hand a 29.99 device doesn't look reliable and long lasting, and especially it doesn't seem to be an "astronomy" when there are some 2000$+ options like swarowski.

Can a 30$ and a 2000$ bucks items both have the same functions?

[JeniSkunk]

With binoculars, you should really go in store and try them.
Some things to check and consider.

See how their weight is to hold and use. If their weight feels too heavy to manage, then you might need to consider a different pair of binoculars.

Make sure the eye relief works for you. The article you linked to describes what eye relief is.

Check that the eyecups aren't too large for you to use. The 15x70 Acuter (http://www.astroanarchy.com.au/binoculars/Saxon_15x70_WaterProof.html) available from Astro Anarchy here in Brisbane, were a failure for me because of this. The eyecups were too large for me to have my eyes centred on the eyepiece lenses.

[Ukastronomer]

What is the difference between a £6000 car and a £26,000 car, think about it, they both "do" the same thing, but one does it better

[skysurfer]

It is a bit of a comparison between a Nissan Micra and a Toyota Avensis. Different specs.
A 15x70 captures twice the light of a 7x50, and goes a lot deeper than a 7x50, but a narrower FOV. A 7x50 shows the whole Southern Cross in a single field (7º), while the 15x70 can just show Orion's belt (4º).


And most cheap binos have too small prisms so the aperture is capped: I had a 15x70 which was actually 65mm and an 10x50 which was actually 44mm.
You can check that by holding a flashlight (a cellphone's builtin flashlight can also be used) behind the center of the eyepiece and holding a flat surface (e.g. a white wall) a few cm in front of the objective which shows a circle with the diameter of the real aperture.

[doppler]

Another thing to consider is, if the magnification is too high you might find it hard to hold the binoculars steady enough for enjoyable hand held viewing.
Rick

[Bobbyoutback]

I have both those that you are considering , the 15x70 don't get used much as they are to difficult to hold steady .

My most used binoculars are a Nikon 8x42 wide angle , good for astronomy & day use .
https://www.digidirect.com.au/optics/binoculars-and-accessories/nikon-aculon-a211-8x42-binoculars-baa811sa

Recommended ! :thumbsup:

Bobby.

[JoseBrown]

The thing is that that the cheaper model is even lighter than that costs 330$. 2 lbs vs 5 lbs

As for eye relief, this is a feature I consider from now. :thanx:

[JoseBrown]

Yes, I guess they are designed to use only with a tripod. While Celestron can be taken in a backpacking trip.

[Domino]

Another good idea is to check the collimation before buying. If not collimated properly your eyes will tire very easily when viewing astro objects. Personally, I would go for the 7x50 over the higher powered Orion. As others have mentioned, using higher powers will cause ‘the shakes’ and will frustrate you no end.

[Rigel003]

For years I've used 11 x 70 (cheaper Chinese made) and 7 x 50 (expensive Zeiss). I enjoy the extra light and magnification from the larger binos but the field of view is limited, the edge of field performance not great and holding them still is difficult. No way would I consider 15x magnification for hand held use. I've recently bought a mid price pair - Nikon Action EX 10x50 and find them to to be an excellent compromise for astro use in terms of weight, magnification and optical quality. They have long eye relief and an unusually wide field of view for a 10x magnification (6 degrees). Highly recommended.

[JeniSkunk]

The Acuter 15x70 I mentioned earlier in the thread, felt like they were about the same weight as my WW II Zeiss 10x50, when I was trying out the Acuter in store last year.
It's a weight I've become used to managing hand held. My Zeiss weigh 953g, and their leather case itself is 951g, so they're not lightweight.


Like so many centre focus binoculars, those Nikon have a diopter adjust on only one eyepiece.
If, like me, your eyes have a large difference in glasses lens prescriptions, diopter adjust on only one eyepiece doesn't cut it.
You need either separate eyepiece focus, or diopter adjust on both eyepieces with centre focus.