Aoe Binoculars

[thomas2003]

looking at AOE range of binos the MX ultra series 15x70 caught my eye. Can any one tell me what there opinion is if they are worth the extra cost $469 compared to $139 for the standard 15x70 AOE binoculars for astronomy. Reg Tony.

[Starkler]

Value propositions are a personal thing and i can only speak for the cheaper AOE 15x70's.

I have written a review on mine here (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=3710&highlight=15x70)

In short I could not ask anything more of these binos at the price point. Reflections are well controlled, the view is wide and the eye relief is good. The only let down is the plastic focus bridge that flexes and moves a bit if you press against the eyecups.

I would only spend more if I was going to use them a LOT and everything else was equal or better in the higher price model.

[skies2clear]

Tony,
a friend of mine has a pair of the $469 binos, and we have both come to the conclusion they are excellent. Can't comment on the cheaper ones, never having looked thru them. The dearer ones, I believe, are the same bino that Astro Physics in the US sells/recommends, at a higher price, and if they say/recommend these, you bet they'll be very good,

CS
Nick

[janoskiss]

If you have to ask then my guess is that they are probably not worth the extra $ for you right now. The cheaper 15x70s are very capable binos and great value for money. If you are considering using them hand held at all then note that the cheapies are a lot lighter. But at 15x you really need to put binos on a mount to get the most out of them. For hand held use you really need to get something with 10x power or less.

[Mark Elkington]

I have a pair of Barska Blackhawk 15x70s, which are the same as (or close to) the lightweight $150 version from AOE. They are the single best astronomy equipment purchase I have ever made.

The views are wide angle, satisfyingly sharp on axis, and with a good usable field. As another respondent said, you'd want to see before buying a substantial performance boost from the $469 model before committing to them. Better value IMO would be to use the change for a second pair, say 20x80s or 25x100s.

Big binos beat good cheap binoviewers in my experience, and are an unbeatable bang-for-buck travel and rich field scope.

Happy choosing!
Mark