Binocular recommendation

[middy]

After almost 2 years of observing with my Dob I figure it is time to get a pair of binoculars.

I have $150 to spend on some binos. I have been thinking about 10 x 50s but then I have seen Andrews have some 10 x 60s for only $99. I am thinking the extra 10mm of objective lens would be good to get more light in and they are still a nice low magnification. Has anyone tried these binos?

What do others recommend with a $150 budget?

[Dennis]

Hi Andrew

Have you read the binocular overview in Projects and Articles?

It can be difficult to recommend a binocular, as I guess we all have different requirements. My wife enjoys bird watching so we splashed out on some Leica binos as they were on sale (well, in as much as Leica can be! ) because they were intended to be for a lifetime, had close focusing, etc. For astronomy, they are completely overkill and we would not have purchased them for that alone.

My personal experience has been that unless the bino is mounted, my astronomy sessions don’t last very long as I get fed up with the aching arms, jiggly images along with the inevitable sore neck & shoulders. So, if they will be for astronomy only, then I suspect to get the best out of them, you will need to mount them as hand holding will no doubt limit your pleasure.

I know that they are priced at x3 your budget, but I have heard good reports about the AOE 10.5x70 or 15x70 MX Ultra at $459.00. The reason I mention them is that they could end up being that once in a lifetime purchase that will be in the family for years and can be used for outings, holidays, etc and that may be sufficient reason to revise the budget? I have never seen or used them, but in writing the article for IIS, they seemed to get good reviews.

Cheers

Dennis

[chris lewis]

Hi middy ! binocular astronomy will give you some of the best night time views available. The key things to look for in an astro binocular are:1/ Bak-4 prisms - this prevents light cut off - then making sure the lens are: 2/ 'F.M.C.' - 'Fully Multi Coated' which increases light transmission and contrast. [Also called 'Broadband' coatings]. 3/ They have a good return policy and that they arrive in pristine condition and are well collimated. 4/ Do you want to hand hold ? once you get to 12x or more and / or more then 60mm you do have to look at mounting them on some form of tripod. I am assuming you do want to hand hold as you want to keep 'to a low magnification'. Some people can hand hold the more light weight 15x70's and even the 20x80's but you will see more if they are steady. Having said that I tend to recommend a 10x50 as a 'first time' binocular. The 10x60's you are looking at for $99 appear to have 'coated only' lens. 'Coated only' lens will give increased internal reflections and provide less contrast. Andrews also sell a 10x50 'Water proof, nitrogen filled, Bak4 prism and FMC' bino for the same price of $99 which I would recommend over the lower speced 10x60's. 'AOE' sell 2x pairs of 60mm at 9x and 12x both for $109 with FMC / Bak-4 prisms - this will give you increased light grasp over the 50mms. AOE also have some 70mm at 11xand 15x for $139 with the Hi specs- however as mentioned before these are really tripod mounted size binos - having said that a Hi quality 15x70 bino does give incredible dark sky viewing. 'Demo-ing' some different binos would be an excellent idea - as I and others can recommend binos but you really do have to try various ones at it is a personal choice. 'You pay for what you get' is very applicable for optical instruments - do pay a bit more money for a better class of bino if you can - no one ever regretted paying for quality. Good luck.

[chris lewis]

Dennis just read your article and yes the 15x70 MX binos are truely stunning very hi specd binos - I recieved mine about 2x weeks ago and they are now my number one bino [out of about 40x odd binos -I buy / collect /sell them] these are truely suberb binos - no obvuious aberrations or distortions, absolutely pin point images out to 90 -95 % and the the most 'contrasty' image I have ever seen. They have a IF focus and they lock solid. The lens are highest level broadband coatings and have a deep purple / magenta reflection. The light transmission is excellent and is equal to my 80mm size for brightness. They are very solidly built and they are heavy for 70mm binos and really have to be tripod mounted. Yes if you do want a very hi quality life long astro bino then these MX binos are highly recommended. I intend to do a mini review sometime and post it on IIS.

[Dennis]

Hi Chris

Thanks for the feedback on the AOE 10.5x70 and 15x70 MX Ultras, they also get a good write up on the Astro Physics website.

I also noticed that AOE have the (smaller) 7x50 or 10x50 MX Ultra at a price of $359.00. I assume if they are from the same family/spec as the 70mm’s, then they should share the same attributes you described?

Might be worth exploring these Andrew; only just over x2 your budget, a better size for hand holding and all-round applications and with a good pedigree it seems?

Cheers

Dennis

[Peter Ward]

Save some more cash and get Canon Image Stabilized, 30 or 50mm.

There are simply none better IMHO.

I have some very nice Fujinons, but they have been gathering dust since I got the Canon's.

[chris lewis]

Hi Dennis yes those 7x50and 10x50 MX are from the same 'family'. These binos are made by the 'Kunming- United Optics' factory in China. [ Google it and look under 'giant' binoculars ]. These are the top end ' BA8 ' range with the highest specs available. Other companies market the the same range such as Oberwerk, Astrophysics and Orion [as the 'Resolux' which I have]. Yes I would strongly recommend looking at the 10x50 MX's - they will give you excellent build and image quality and are easily hand holdable. They will last you a lifetime. They are nitrogen filled so fill never internally 'bloom' or 'fog' with mildew and they will hold collimation well as they are shockproof. Peter above does recommend the Canon Image Stabiliser binos and I do agree with him - these are also excellent binos. I have never owned one but have viewed thru one on several occasions.The summary being - do spend the extra cash on a top end model - you will not regret it. Chris

[abellhunter]

Low Power & Wide Field the 7 x 50s should be your 1st choice! You will have money to spare (buy used), and put the rest in the 11 X 80 "jar". The 7 X 50s are light and easy to hand hold with plenty of power! BUT when you go up to the 11 X 80's, best to have a tripod to get the most from these "heavies".

Aloha, Lance aka "abellhunter"

http://www.anzaobservatory.com

P.S. Here's a pair (20 X 125) that cost about the same as a USED CAR!

[middy]

Thanks for all the info guys, and a great and informative article Dennis.
I have lots to think about now before I make my purchase.