New Binoculars - 10 x 50 or 12 x 50?

[Doc63 (Neil)]

Hi all. I was wondering if I could get some advice on binoculars.

I'm looking at buying a new pair of binoculars, but cant decide on whether to get 10 x 50 or 12 x 50.

I currently have a pair of 7 x 50 and a cheap pair of 10 x 50. Both are over 30 years old.

I was looking at getting the Bushnell Legend 10 x 50, but was wondering if the 12 x 50 would be the way to go, seeing as I already have a pair of 10 x 50 (K-mart specials).

The Bushnell Legends have BaK-4 prisms and are full multi coated.

Other specifications for both are:

10x50
Exit pupil 5.0
FOV 340f@1000yds/113m@1000m (6.5deg)
Eye Relief 17mm

12x50
Exit pupil 4.2
FOV 290f@1000yds/90m@1000m (5.5deg)
Eye Relief 17mm

Would I be better off getting the 12 x 50s, or, would the 10 X 50s be so much better than my existing cheap ones that they would suffice (how much more would I see with the 12 x 50s)?

I'm 46 years old, so the exit pupil of 4.2 is probably OK.

Cheers

Neil

[dannat (Daniel)]

Neil, i would stick with the 10x50's.. for 2 reasons
# the advantage of binos is the wide fov they take in..
# 10x is easy enough to hand hold - the 12x won't magnify much more but you will get more image shake

[Doc63 (Neil)]

Originally Posted by dannat

Neil, i would stick with the 10x50's.. for 2 reasons
# the advantage of binos is the wide fov they take in..
# 10x is easy enough to hand hold - the 12x won't magnify much more but you will get more image shake

Thanks Daniel. I was worried about image shake. The difference between my 7x50s and 10x50 is quite noticeable, though I have noticed its much better when I use them while seated.

How much better would the image be through new binoculars with BaK-4 prisms and fully multi coated lenses than my 30 year old K-mart brand?

[PCH (Paul)]

It's difficult to say exactly how much better the view would be Neil. But with improvements in coatings I would say it would be definitely better, speaking from experience comparing my son's pair of 30 year old 7x50s versus a new pair of similar spec binos.

You may even be able to try before you buy, but even if you can't, many here have el cheapo brand binos from aoe.com.au and andrewscom.com.au and are very pleased with the views they get.

Cheers

[g__day (Matthew)]

Andrews sell 15 * 70mm (and 11 * 70mm and zoom ones) ones that where good, cheap ($149) and very light. At 70mm you get alot more light reach than 50mm - effectively double - which makes a huge difference from my experience.

I'd easily recommend 70mm ones over 50mm - pointing 50mm vs 70mm at Orion or its belt was a chalk vs cheese comparision for me.

http://www.andrewscom.com.au/site-section-11.htm

[Doc63 (Neil)]

Originally Posted by g__day

Andrews sell 15 * 70mm (and 11 * 70mm and zoom ones) ones that where good, cheap ($149) and very light. At 70mm you get alot more light reach than 50mm - effectively double - which makes a huge difference from my experience.

I'd easily recommend 70mm ones over 50mm - pointing 50mm vs 70mm at Orion or its belt was a chalk vs cheese comparision for me.

http://www.andrewscom.com.au/site-section-11.htm

Thanks Matthew. Both of those sizes would need to be mounted, wouldn't they?

[g__day (Matthew)]

I use 20 * 80s - which weight a ton, the 15 * 70s are less than half (say a third of the weight) - maybe 700 grams.

Easy to use in a chair or a hammock, yes you can mount them - or just have them rest on a stick while you're viewing. Any sort of mounting that allows a steadier view really makes binocular viewing a pleasure.

Matt

[dugnsuz (Doug)]

I started back on this astro-journey with a pair of AOE 15x70's - they are hand holdable but not for too long. With the support of the armrests in a reclining chair I found the views steady and very enjoyable.
Doug

[Doc63 (Neil)]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I was definitely looking for a size that could be hand held without too much image shake. I have used my old 10x50s while seated and the amount of image shake is very much reduced.

I would also like the flexibility of being able use them for terrestrial viewing while travelling.