My next set of binos. Any difference....

[stephenb (Stephen)]

I'm doing away with the monster 12x50's and looking at either 7x50's or 10x50's for widefield sweeping, some variable star work etc. Any advice on which size? Or is there a negligible difference in actual viewing?

Cheers,
Stephen

[Shark Bait (Stu)]

I use an old pair of Japanese 'Clearview' 7x50 binoculars with a 7.1 degree field of view. I have looked through 10x50's and been tempted by the extra magnification but at the end of the day I am satisfied with the Japanese glass that I already have.

Having binoculars mounted on a parallelogram next to a telescope is a killer combination when scanning the night skies. Some parts of the sky just look better through binoculars.

What is the field of view on a pair of 12x50 binos?

[dannat (Daniel)]

Stephen having had 10x50 & 7x50 the 10 power I found difficult to handhold still to observe fine detail.
I normally say 7x for dk skies &10x for light pollution (where you don't get the benefit of large exit pupil)
The 10 power I tout did show slightly more detail on dso's.

R u at redesdale? I could pop out with my 7x50 Fuji for you to try if u like

[stephenb (Stephen)]

Did I say 10x50's ? I meant 15x70's sorry. The field of view is about 4 degrees. These days I cant even hold them still and they live on a tripod.

7x50's with about 7 degree FOV.. interesting to know.

[dannat (Daniel)]

15x70 is diff altogether, need mounting always IMO, I could bring my 15x50 for you to try also

With your scopes I would prob pick 7x50

[Shark Bait (Stu)]

In practical terms the Crux will fill my FOV in the 7x50's with a little extra sky either side of Gacrux and Acrux. Hope this helps.

[skysurfer]

Originally Posted by dannat

15x70 is diff altogether, need mounting always IMO, I could bring my 15x50 for you to try also

Depends on which ones. I have had these 15x70 since 4 years and am happy with it. The image is crisp and 4.4 deg FOV and can hold them steady particularly when lying in a chair. They weigh only 1400g. Some 15x70 weigh 2.6 kg which is indeed too heavy.

[The Mekon (John Briggs)]

The best 7x50 are Nikon Prostars. The Nikon Tropicals are almost as good. Both are rugged, will last for ever but heavy.

Having used both the above for many years, I now find a 7x35 wide field easier to handle. I have an older Nikon pair with 9.3 degree field. It is really light and easy to use. The big drawback is centre focus. Individual focus is always to be preferred for any work at infinity focus such as astronomy or marine.

[LightningNZ (Cam)]

The Nikon Action 10x50CF is really quite good and fairly priced at around $200. The have wider FOV eyepieces than normal and will give around a 6.5* field - almost as good as 7x50s. They're also a lot lighter than my Saxon wide-angle 10x50s.

Cheers,
Cam