Binoculars for 8 year old

[Susan]

Hi,

My 8 year old son wants to become an astonomer and I am wondering how
to encourage his interest. I think a pair of binoculars would be a good start along with a star chart so he can learn to identify the objects in the sky. Could anyone recommend binoculars suitable for an 8-year-old that are not too expensive to start with?

Thanks,
Susan

[Kevnool (Kev)]

7X50s is my choice as even if you got a shaky hand at least you can see a steady wide field which then is another story............good luck Susan.
Cheers Kev.

[norm]

Hi Susan,

Binoculars are a great starting point in visual astronomy. I would recommend something in the size of 8x42 fully multicoated lens.

Try Andrew Communications (Greystanes) as a starting point.

They've got a pair of 8x42 triple multicoated, however they're going for $169. Something cheaper maybe a pair of 8x40 @ $79.

I bought a pair for my boy when he was 8 last yr (8x42) for bird watching ($89) and they're brilliant for the price.

I've bought a few things from there and the service is very good. Give them a ring and see what they may have on offer/special.

Things to consider are:
- weight
- how comfortable are they to hold at upright position for short periods
of time
- robustness - knowing kids, they'll bump, knock them around no matter
how many times you tell them to be careful.

Be careful of anything too big, weight will be a deterrant. But whatever you choose your boy is going to have a blast and if cared for will last a lifetime.

Cheers Norm

[areyouabus (Pauly)]

nikon action 7x35. You can pick up for around $150 on ebay. They have the widest field of view of any cheap binoculars - 9.3 degrees.
Means he can see more stars at the same time, great for learning constellations

[adman (Adam)]

Its a hard one. I have an 8 year old as well, and if I spent $150 on each profession he wants to be when he grows up, I would be a very poor man!

My initial thought is that you don't want to spend too much, as it may be something that he uses for a couple of days, then ends up sitting in the bottom of a toy box. BUt at the same time, you don't want to get something too cheap that puts him off because he can't see anything through it.

However, binoculars are very useful things once you have a good pair. So it is probably best to get something fairly rugged that will stand up to the kids using them, but is also good enough for the adults to use when the need arises....

Hope that helps.

Adam

[rmcpb (Rob)]

When my boys were smaller binocs really gave them problems to get set up properly for a good view and to hold steady. In the end they either used my 8" dob or a small refractor we had. They loved the simplicity and steadiness of the scopes.

[torana68 (Roger)]

put the money into club membership , then he can learn and maybe borrow a club 'scope, if he sticks at it buy him a nice newtonian

[ZeroID (Brent)]

I'll go with Adams advice here, binocs area good way to start and always useful for astro and terran use anyway. Worth buyinga reasonable pair regardless. Every household should have some some where.
I'd suggest though it might be good for you to store/hold/keep them safe for when he wants them rather than let then rattle around in the toybox or where ever. Unless maybe he gets the idea of the value of them and keeps them special on his best toy shelf or whatever so they stay good. Some kids seem to take better care of their stuff than others.

[Suzy]

Hi Susan,

Allow me to tell you a little story of an 8 year old that loved watching the skies with binoculars and never got over it.......

When I was eight, my father had a pair of expensive (they were back then) good quality 7x50 binoculars purchased back in the 60's, which were always kept in a special place. I grew up watching the skies with these binoculars with my father right by my side. Because they were "his", I always had respect for them and knowing it went back in its special case and in its special place, to me as a child, made them all the more "special". He never denied me using them and would always happily pass them over whenever I wanted to use them. It gave me a thrill every time I used his "special" bincoculars and I in turn would feel very special.
When my father passed away 12 years ago, upon the instructions of his will, gave me his beloved binoculars, and to this day these are what I use (and in a sense, still feel he is by my side). The red velvet inside the storage case is still perfect, but the leather outer casing has worn throughout the years - but I will never replace it as it represents too much sentiment. A good pair of binoculars has so far lasted 50 years, in great condition, and many years left in them still.

If they were handed to me at 8, they would have gotten accidentally mistreated. At that age it is difficult to be so "dilligent" with things, as they are still growing up and learning how to look after things as responsibility comes with age, IMO ( my daughter at 8 was very good with her toys, but there were times when she got lazy).

So my suggestion would be to do what my father did with me and You don't need to wait till such dire endings to pass them over, but an age where he will really appreciate them (and he will appreciate them more because of the sentiment attached). 7x50's are fairly easy to handle, and I know they give great views, because they kept me interested in the skies all my life. My sister-in law and I had a bino session last summer, hers were 10x40's and the difference was very noticeable to me. In my 7x50's (as an example) I could clearly make out the Southern Pleiades, they were beautiful and bright & I couldn't stop looking at the beauty, but in hers they didn't show up so well (quite dim). The Orion Nebula was the same. I'm no expert with bino's by the way, only speaking from my experience.

All the best with your decision,
Suzy.

[GrampianStars (Rob)]

http://www.andrewscom.com.au/site-section-11.htm
8x42 triplet is a good match for an 8yold's eyes
there are plenty others here to choose from

[dannat (Daniel)]

for an 8yr old to be hold them for any length of time i personally think 7x50 is too much weight - also the 8x42 triplets are heavy as well. {my kids testify to this}

i like the nikon action 7x35 or the action extreme 7x35 - buy from the & save some bucks {my 7yr old can just handle the 7x35 Aust geographic bins ipassed to him}

Personally i would get some leupold yosemite 6x30 (or maybe even the 8x30 - kids cannot hold binos steady so 6x is a good way to go) - they are very good value for the price $100 from US, and waterproof to boot

[astro744]

Originally Posted by dannat

for an 8yr old to be hold them for any length of time i personally think 7x50 is too much weight - also the 8x42 triplets are heavy as well. {my kids testify to this}

i like the nikon action 7x35 or the action extreme 7x35 - buy from the & save some bucks {my 7yr old can just handle the 7x35 Aust geographic bins ipassed to him}

Personally i would get some leupold yosemite 6x30 (or maybe even the 8x30 - kids cannot hold binos steady so 6x is a good way to go) - they are very good value for the price $100 from US, and waterproof to boot

I agree with the weight but 30mm aperture is getting a bit small and images will be dim. 7 x 42, 8 x 42 or 8 x 40 would be ideal but not triplets (weight). There are many to choose from and a higher cost will give you better optics with clearer and sharper images but good quality lower cost ones can be found. BINTEL have a nice range and expert advice in Glebe.

[Susan]

Thank you all for your advice and for that wonderful story Suzy. There are things such as the weight of the binoculars when holding them for long periods that I hadn't considered.

I'm still not sure what to get but I know what some of the available options are now and I'll make sure I take my son with me when I buy them and get him to hold them up for a while to see how he goes.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to exploring the night sky with him.

Thanks, Susan

[M54 (Molly)]

Hi Susan,

I know some people mount their binoculars on a tripod for easier viewing, so that might be easier for an eight year old.

Suzy, that was a lovely story, and a very good point made about the respect for your dad's property that you might not have had if they had been yours.

[Susan]

Hi all,

I've just seen 2 pairs of binoculars at a photographic shop near us. They are Nikon Action 10x50s and 7X50s for $249 and $299 respectively. My son tried them and the eye pieces fit his eyes ok. He claims the weight is ok although you can get an attachment for the binoculars to mount them. 50mm seemed to be the general recommendation aside from the weight problem. Even though the shop is a photo shop and not a telescope specialist, the fact that it is local is a big advantage due to my particular circumstances. The Nikon Action 7x35s have been recommended and I was wondering if anyone had used the 7x50s or 10x50s.

Thanks,
Susan

[dannat (Daniel)]

N action is ok though the action extreme is a step up in quality (better glass & waterproof)..if you bought from the US you coud get the action extreme for the same money. in the US the action can be had for 100 US or just under, post is about 50. i would ask the shop if they have the pentax pcf - which are waterproof fogproof - they are slightly better quality than nikon action

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Suzy, that was a wonderful story, thanks for sharing it.

Susan, a pair of 8x42 bino's would be ideal. (It's the same size that I use)
I would seriously consider mounting them on a tripod, because even light weight bino's become heavy after 5 - 10 minutes of holding them up in front of you. And once your hands become shaky, you won't be able to see any detail.