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Looking for a budget Bino, confused !

marX

By marX
in Discussions - Binoculars

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marX

marX

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Hi !

I'm looking for a budget 10x50  binos to observe the moon and I have shortlisted these (from Amazon India)...

1. Olympus 10x50 DPSI  Wide Angle Binoculars

2. Pentax XCF 10x50

3. Vanguard FR 1050W

4. Celestron Binoculars Nature 10x50 poro

5. Bushnell 10x50 Wide Angle

So, what do you guys think the better one given the fact that they almost cost the same !

But yeah, I'm leaning towards the Olympus at the moment.

Any help would be much appreciated.

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Schorhr

Schorhr

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Hello MarX,

personally, for the moon, I would choose a small telescope - depending on your budget.

The moon is still rather small at 10x ( http://www.12dstring.me.uk/foveyepiece.php?aperture=50&flength=100&barlow=1&efl=10&afov=65&day=31&month=5&year=2013&object=moon ) though of course lots of details are already visible and binoculars are great for deepsky observing (though a 6x or 8x can be held more comfortably free handed).

I have never looked through any of those mentioned, perhaps someone else can say something about their usefulness for astronomy.

If you can stretch your budget and planets, nebulae and galaxies are of interest for you as well, you could get a small telescope instead (Heritage 130p, 70mm refractor, Firstscope... depending on your budget and if you could live with a used one or not, 20-180€...).

Binoculars are always a good addition though, but a inexpensive Bresser 6x30/8x40/10x50/8x60 can be a nice start as well in my experience, and once you know what kind of gear you REALLY want, you can still upgrade.

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marX

marX

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I'm logging on from my mobile at the moment, so, I'll keep it short.

First of all, thanks for the replies guys!

I agree with you guys regarding going for a telescope instead of a binoculars but I also do some birding too.

Also, we have had some intruders in our property and a good binoculars should help me identify them in low light conditions.

I failed to mention all these in my OP, sorry :(

@BinocularSky

Yup. There is an Amazon lightning deal coming up tomorrow for that particular bino.

I'm waiting for it to start.

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Charic

Charic

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............with the extra info, a 7x50 would make sense or even something 8x. Wide views, especially for nature makes it easier to follow and/or locate birds easier. The brighter image from a 7mm exit pupil will allow for better night time observation for your intruder watching, plus the binoculars will be easier to hand hold, as 10x magnification  and upwards will often need to be steadied against something, or on a support system to reduce the magnified image of unsteady hands? A telescope or larger 15x70 binoculars would be better for the Moon, but either choice wont do both tasks you ask, really well. Its generally one or the other. If your of a younger age, say below 40ish, 7x50 would be great. I've been using them for many Years. Only thing I would suggest is to get them with some sort of weather proofing / shock proofing , which offers additional protection, which mine don't.

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marX

marX

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I had an 8x40 binoculars earlier which had difficulty in gathering enough detail in low light conditions.

So, an 8x50 binoculars would be the best bet?

Btw, I'm below 40!

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Charic

Charic

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marX,.........5, 6.25 & 7.14mm are the respective exit pupil sizes of 8x40, 8x50 & 7x50 binoculars ( the sum of dividing the objective lens by the magnification......ie 50/7= 7.1428.....The 7x50 should offer the brightest image. That said, the quality of the optics, your own eyes, and the conditions under which you are viewing, will have an effect on the final result,  but on paper, 7x50 should be better.

You really should try to handle some binoculars first. That is the only real test, to see if your comfortable with them. I just bought some Nikon 10x50's and they were not  right for me. If I'd tested them first, I would'nt have bought them.

Binocular sky suggested the 'Oly'......Olympus, but if you click on his link in his signature box, you`ll find a wealth of information to read.  
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Charic

Charic

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.......ran out of time to edit?  Yes, your assumption that 8x50 would be better than the 8x40 is correct, and  it may also offer a better twilight performance (amount of resolution you get when viewing in dim light,  may be even slightly better than the 7x50 )

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marX

marX

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.......ran out of time to edit? Yes, your assumption that 8x50 would be better than the 8x40 is correct, and it may also offer a better twilight performance (amount of resolution you get when viewing in dim light, may be even slightly better than the 7x50 )

Unfortunately, there is no quality 8x50 binoculars available here for a reasonable sum. Also, the 7x50 binoculars are almost twice as costly as the 10x50.

Time to Google more...

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marX

marX

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Have any of you heard about this Bino http://www.amazon.in/Vanguard-FR-7500-Binocular-Black/dp/B000YSFO3Q/ref=sr_1_29?ie=UTF8&qid=1404904113&sr=8-29&keywords=binoculars

Its a 7x50 Bino and is very cheap.

I have to make a decision within 1 hr as the deal would be expiring, 7x50 Vanguard 7500 Vs Olympus 10x50 DPSI.

Its decision time !

I have never heard of the name "Vanguard", thats why I'm hesitating on pulling the trigger on that 7500 bino. Have you guys have had any experience with that brand ?

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marX

marX

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Did you buy them?........I cant see the prism types ie Bak-4 or BK-7 but here is an older catalogue about Vanguard optics. http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/documents/vanguard-2010-complete-catalog.pdf

I've not heard of vanguard until today.

I myself have just ordered some Helios Naturesport-Plus  8x40 from a uk supplier.

No, I didn't and the deal is now gone.  

I need to do more research I guess since my requirements are so diverse.

BTW, there is a Celestron and Nikon dealer near our district capital and I called him yesterday. He said that Nikon is costly and I might need to look at the Celestron stuff instead.

But I wonder how good are they considering they get very bad user reviews in Amazon.

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BinocularSky

BinocularSky

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But I wonder how good are they considering they get very bad user reviews in Amazon.

Well, considering that a "feature" of Amazon is for unskilled people to give glowing reviews of distinctly sub-standard binoculars...

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marX

marX

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Well, considering that a "feature" of Amazon is for unskilled people to give glowing reviews of distinctly sub-standard binoculars...

So, you think I shouldn't care much about Amazon's user reviews ?

But, unfortunately for me, that's the only metric to make a decision regarding which is a better buy unless you guys help.

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BinocularSky

BinocularSky

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So, you think I shouldn't care much about Amazon's user reviews ?

Just remember that they are most likely not written by people with a clue. When someone gushes about being able to see a few Galilean moon so Jupiter with a 15x70, that really is no great feat: you can do that with kiddies  plastic lensed 4x20s. Seeing dark space between Saturn's disc and the ansae of the rings: now that's a decent test of a 15x70. The negative reviews can be instructive if they are sensibly objective (too often they are of the "these are heavier than I thought they would be" type of muppet-comment - exactly how heavy did they expect a binocular stated as being 1.4kg to be? 320g, perhaps?), but I always take the glowing ones with a pinch of salt.

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trynda1701

trynda1701

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Well, if the Olympus suits you personally when you get a pair (weight, feel etc), the fact that it's on one of Mr Tonkins lists on the Binocular Sky site is a good thing.

Re Vanguard, I'd only heard of them regarding photo tripods (see my signature). I've had that model almost as long as I've had my Jenoptem 10x50w binoculars (25 years). Good basic tripod that does the job.

Mark

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marX

marX

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Olympus are great bins, nice wide field of view.

Yup.

Well, if the Olympus suits you personally when you get a pair (weight, feel etc), the fact that it's on one of Mr Tonkins lists on the Binocular Sky site is a good thing.

Re Vanguard, I'd only heard of them regarding photo tripods (see my signature). I've had that model almost as long as I've had my Jenoptem 10x50w binoculars (25 years). Good basic tripod that does the job.

Mark

Yeah, he lists the same model, Oly 10x50 DPS1.

I have been searching for info about  Vanguard bins and the general opinion among the shopping sites are positive, most of them says they are very rugged and have good performance.

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dannybgoode

dannybgoode

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I don't know if you have bought any yet but I scored some Nikon Aculon A211 10x50's from ebay for around the £70 mark and they are excellent.  CA is a little noticeable, particularly when birding in daylight but not off-putting and the image is super clear and sharp.

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