Astronomy binoculars beginner

[GrampianStars (Rob)]

I ended up with these entry Pentax 10x50 XCF
after my 2 sets of 8x42 triplets somehow walked
https://www.dirtcheapcameras.com.au/...ars-65792.html
which do the job well for scanning

[IRT]

ok all thanks for the helpful feedback on this topic

I have made the decision to stick with 10x50 as it sounds like a better allrounder and I will probably end up using the binoculars for other things aswell as astronomy viewing.

I have found these 4 binoculars which I think fits in my budget well and I would like to know out of these which one is the best bang for buck and the pros or cons of each if you have the time.

thanks

Saxon L Series 10x50 Porro Prism Binoculars $99
http://www.opticscentral.com.au/inde...Q#.VfJMTW6OFv4

National Geographic 10x50 Porro Binoculars $67
http://www.ozscopes.com.au/national-...inoculars.html

Celestron Professional Binoculars Upclose 10x50 $68
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Celestron...item2c78a6d864

Barska Escape 10x50 Wide Angle Binoculars $94
http://www.ozscopes.com.au/barska-10...inoculars.html

[BeanerSA (Paul)]

They are all going to be very similar, pick whichever ones you can get with the least amount of effort. Time to make a decision, dude.

[IRT]

Originally Posted by BeanerSA

They are all going to be very similar, pick whichever ones you can get with the least amount of effort. Time to make a decision, dude.

Yeah making decisions is not my strong point

Well all 3 apart from the saxon have bk7 the saxon has bak4
is there going to be any major difference between this?

am going to place a order this weekend so yeah I'm trying to have the decision made before shipping day: monday

[julianh72 (Julian)]

Originally Posted by GrampianStars

I ended up with these entry Pentax 10x50 XCF

+1 for the Pentax XCF 10x50 (a.k.a. Pentax SP) - they are great value for money, and give a really nice 6.5 degree wide-angle view.

Bintel sell them for AU$139 (branded as Pentax SP), but you can pick them up even cheaper from On-Line retailers from the USA - but the recent collapse of the Aussie dollar may mean the imported price is higher than it was a few months ago. (Don't make the mistake of buying "Pentax Whitetails Unlimited" - these are even cheaper, but they are not as good as the XCF / SP binoculars.)

[BeanerSA (Paul)]

http://binocularsky.com/binoc_minefield.php

What can you do? As someone on a forum recently wrote with respect to budget binoculars: "The only really telling way to rate any bins is by putting them up to your head and have a look through them." Always try before you buy!

[IRT]

Originally Posted by BeanerSA

http://binocularsky.com/binoc_minefield.php

Thanks I wish I could try before I buy but unfortunately that is not possible the only shop around here is BCF and looking on their website they dont seem to stock anything decent.. or do they?

[IRT]

Originally Posted by GrampianStars

I ended up with these entry Pentax 10x50 XCF
after my 2 sets of 8x42 triplets somehow walked
https://www.dirtcheapcameras.com.au/...ars-65792.html
which do the job well for scanning

nothing works on that website cant click links or see photos not sure why? I did a quick google but cant seem to find many places stocking this particular model

[BeanerSA (Paul)]

Originally Posted by IRT

nothing works on that website cant click links or see photos not sure why? I did a quick google but cant seem to find many places stocking this particular model

I wouldn't bother. I recently bought a pair of binos through them. And whilst I eventually got what I paid for, their attitude towards customers leaves a bit to be desired.

[BeanerSA (Paul)]

Originally Posted by IRT

Thanks I wish I could try before I buy but unfortunately that is not possible the only shop around here is BCF and looking on their website they dont seem to stock anything decent.. or do they?

http://search.bcf.com.au/search?w=binoculars

Any of their products would be comparable to anything else you looked at.

[Astropic]

BAK4 prisms give you sharper image than the BK7 prisms.

http://www.birding-binoculars.net/buying-guide.html

[IRT]

I can buy these locally http://www.raysoutdoors.com.au/onlin...ecommendations

anyone think these are good? I wouldnt mind buying them for the weekend and would prefer to buy locally then wait for shipping

[Astropic]

I cant seem to find any related information of the binoculars that Ray's Outdoor is selling. Not even from Bushnell website. It might be good idea to pop in to Ray's outdoor and try out though.

[IRT]

Originally Posted by Astropic

I cant seem to find any related information of the binoculars that Ray's Outdoor is selling. Not even from Bushnell website. It might be good idea to pop in to Ray's outdoor and try out though.

they are these ones here - http://bushnell.com/all-products/bin...rview/10x-50mm


rays made a mistake 10x52 should be 10x50


are they good binoculars or would they be not much better then these - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Celestron...item2c78a6d864

[Astropic]

My preferably would be Bak-4 binoculars, but, if to choose from one of them, I will go for Bushnell which come has multi-coated lens.

[IRT]

alrighty These are the two options Im left with now, I will be placing one in my cart and clicking order today..... I am going to go with the Saxon L 10x50 however if someone can convince me that $40 more is worth the pentax please let me know before the end of today......

Pentax: http://www.bintel.com.au/Binoculars/...oductview.aspx

saxon: http://www.opticscentral.com.au/saxo...l#.VfNmo26OFv4

Sorry to muck around so much but I found it really hard to figure out which is best for my dollar... every single website has different recommendations and suggestions and kept throwing me off course. So it is those 2 listed above should I spend $40 more or just be happy and go with the saxon? thanks again guys

[BeanerSA (Paul)]

Nope. You're on your own. Own that decision.

[IRT]

Originally Posted by BeanerSA

Nope. You're on your own. Own that decision.

Good advice BeanerSA,

I decided to go with your suggestion of the Nikon Aculon A211
http://www.teds.com.au/nikon-10x50-aculon-a211

I was about to go for the pentax but with shipping it ended up more expensive.... I found a Freeshipping coupon for Teds and managed to score the nikon for $149 free shipping. So yes I own this decision and I really hope I made the right one.

I decided to buy something at least half decent as I plan to keep them for years to come.

Thanks for the help IIS.

[BeanerSA (Paul)]

Originally Posted by IRT

Good advice BeanerSA,

I decided to go with your suggestion of the Nikon Aculon A211
http://www.teds.com.au/nikon-10x50-aculon-a211

I was about to go for the pentax but with shipping it ended up more expensive.... I found a Freeshipping coupon for Teds and managed to score the nikon for $149 free shipping. So yes I own this decision and I really hope I made the right one.

I decided to buy something at least half decent as I plan to keep them for years to come.

Thanks for the help IIS.

Good job man, they were the ones I was going to get, until I was able to extend my budget a bit. If they are within your budget, then they will be great.

Let us know how you go!

[IRT]

Originally Posted by BeanerSA

Good job man, they were the ones I was going to get, until I was able to extend my budget a bit. If they are within your budget, then they will be great.

Let us know how you go!

No worries will let you know how I go!

The saxon ones I was looking at were going to be $115 with shipping, the pentax around $157 and the nikon $149 freeshipping

thanks for the help