Need some advice guys...

[Hawkspar]

I am looking for some advice in choosing between 2 sets of bins. I'm getting ready to order a new pair and I can't decide between 20x80's or 25x70's.  I'm currently using 15x70's and I'm a little unhappy with the magnification level. I want something a bit more powerful. I like the idea of the wider FOV on the 80's but then I like the higher magnification on the 70's. I do however like the tripod mounting adapter much more on the 80's as well. I'm looking at Celestrons by the way. Anyway, any thoughts or advice would be very much appreciated... Thank you!

[Grotemobile]

I would go with the 25x.

You have already got the

15x.Can see no point in

getting the 20x.

Steve.

[Tzitzis]

Well I agree with Grotemobile. If you only use them with tripod and you can live without it then you should consider something else in the area x25? With a diferent adapter?

Also if you are using them with a telescope I think 70 FOV helps with tracking and then going in the scope. 80 is big imo.

[laudropb]

You will not notice much difference between 15x 20x as regards resolution. It really depends on what you want for FOV

[ronin]

What do you want 20x or 25x for?

Not just "A bit more magnifiction" but specifically ?

[Charic]

I went the other way, as I find my 15x70s just cant compete with my  telescope on planetary details. I now opt for my 8x40s for looking at the night sky  giving me a bright image from the 5mm exit and  an 8.2°  view.

If you already own the Celestron 15x70s  they have the wider afov of  about 4.4° over the two you desire.

The 20x80s have  about 3.7°  the 25x70s have about 2.8° so your going downhill in fov?

Magnification  reduces  brightness too, so again you may be losing out!

If you want more magnification then you may need the 25x. The best course of action is to try them first. 

I would at first, have opted for the 20x80? More aperture allows more detail, beneficial to the higher powers, going from just 15x to 25x with the same aperture of 70mm, will just give you a darker tighter view. Going from 15x to 20x with the 80mm seems the best option, a fraction more power and maybe just as bright, but in the end, will you perceive this difference with your own eyes? Try them first. You can always return the goods if they don't excel? Have a chat with the SGL sponsor!

[spike95609]

If you've got light polluted skies I'd consider the 25x70s as they'll darken the background a bit more and help stars stand out. I'm not sure how much difference extra magnification really makes in terms of a better image though. I've looked through some 22x and 25x binoculars, and they'll bring out a bit more detail in star clusters over my 15x bins but that's about it.

[DemosL]

I went the other way, as I find my 15x70s just cant compete with my  telescope on planetary details. I now opt for my 8x40s for looking at the night sky  giving me a bright image from the 5mm exit and  an 8.2°  view.

If you already own the Celestron 15x70s  they have the wider afov of  about 4.4° over the two you desire.

The 20x80s have  about 3.7°  the 25x70s have about 2.8° so your going downhill in fov?

Magnification  reduces  brightness too, so again you may be losing out!

If you want more magnification then you may need the 25x. The best course of action is to try them first. 

I would at first, have opted for the 20x80? More aperture allows more detail, beneficial to the higher powers, going from just 15x to 25x with the same aperture of 70mm, will just give you a darker tighter view. Going from 15x to 20x with the 80mm seems the best option, a fraction more power and maybe just as bright, but in the end, will you perceive this difference with your own eyes? Try them first. You can always return the goods if they don't excel? Have a chat with the SGL sponsor!

More aperture also gives you more light gathering power.

[Peter Drew]

I would upgrade to a 80mm short focus telescope.   This could give you either a wide field view or greater magnification if needed, probably much better optics as well. Would nicely compliment your existing binocular.

[Hawkspar]

Let me explain... the reason I am looking for possibly some more magnification is because the other night I was looking at Saturn through my 15x70's and I could not resolve it into anything more than a bright blob really. Now I'm pretty new to Binocular Astronomy so I'm not really sure what I should be able to expect from them. I'm interested in viewing objects such as Nebula's, star clusters and pretty much Messier objects. Since I am such a newbie I'm not sure if I should have been able to resolve Saturn any better with 15x70's or not? Or possibly they may be slightly out of adjustment? I know looking at objects on the ground things look good and clear and stars look pretty clear I think. I've heard people mention on the Lounge about the stars looking like perfect pinpoints through these bins but I'm not sure mine are quite that good? Back to Saturn, I could definitely tell that it was not a star I was looking at. It was sort of a yellowish blob I guess. No rings or hint of rings could be discerned. So I guess my question is this, does this seem right using Celestron Skymaster 15x70's? Am I expecting too much or is this about right? I realize that they are binoculars and not a telescope so I cannot expect telescope quality images. I'm just wondering if what I am seeing is about normal or if I may need some adjustments to these binoculars? Any help or advice would be GREATLY appreciated! Thank you so much!PS--- What can I expect to be able to see with these things???

[happy-kat]

In my 130mm telescope I need magnification x65 to see Saturn has a separate ring around the body. I have not tried it in my 80mm telescope but I expect I would need a similar magnification and it would be even smaller and it was tiny anyway.

[ghostdance]

Hawkspar, my 20x Tento bins don't resolve Saturn as a disc with rings, only an obvious oval-ish shape. My 15x Quantums don't resolve it either so your Celestron 15x are right on par.

I quite like Peter's rec to get a nice small scope. My 90mm Mak shows Saturn nicely when conditions allow, plus great on The Moon. Win win

[Pig]

In my 130mm telescope I need magnification x65 to see Saturn has a separate ring around the body. I have not tried it in my 80mm telescope but I expect I would need a similar magnification and it would be even smaller and it was tiny anyway.

Objects will be the same size in any scope if magnified by the same amount. The size you see is determined by how much magnification the scope can deliver.

[happy-kat]

^ thank you (can't do same mag in both scopes as FL different so can't quite replciate scenario to see that).

[Charic]

I'm sure back in the late 90`s I could see Saturn with my Stellar 20x80s but I don't remember any specific detail,  just the fact I knew it was Saturn. None of my present binoculars ( 7x50 8x40 15x70 ) gives me any details on Jupiter, or other Planets for that matter, but  their just ok on the Moon. I only need binoculars in astronomy for the wider views. On a good night, the details I see on Jupiter are great using 200x 203mm, that's a massive improvement over binoculars alone. 

From your thread #10, you are seeing what is expected from those optics. We were not aware of your ability or knowledge on the subject, which you have now highlighted.

I would now suggest you keep the ones you own and maybe consider / investigate  the  idea that Peter drew suggests. Also consider a lower power of 10x or below, giving wider views, which will take in larger swathes of the night sky.

[Hawkspar]

Ok... thank you guys. It seems I am seeing just what I'm supposed to see then! And yes Charic, I do also use a pair of 10x50's that work really well. Thanks guys... great input as always!

[LukeSkywatcher]

Like telescope aperture, bins work the same. The more aperture..........the more light gathered. So its always best to go for a larger aperture binocular over magnification. I have a set of 20x90 Strathspey bins. 

I also have a set of 10x50 Strathpey bins which while im outside observing are never far from me. They are my work horse bins. 

[happy-kat]

Do they show Saturn as an oval or can you see the ring separate?

[LukeSkywatcher]

My 20x90 bins show the inner planets as dots.......points of light. 

[DemosL]

My 15x70 bins show Saturn as an egg.

[BinocularSky]

There's a lot going on here, Hawkspar: let's try to untangle some of it:

* "Normal" (i.e. non-specialist) binoculars are not the instrument of choice for bright planets; their strength is in the larger, brighter "fuzzy blobs", especially open clusters.
* The Celestron Skymaster 15x70 are internally stopped (iris in the prism housing) to an effective aperture about 62mm; they are therefore more like 15x62. (This is a common feature of budget binoculars).

*  A few times on nights of good seeing, I have fleetingly glimpsed dark space between the ansae and the disc of Saturn, using mounted 15x70s (UP BA8) and 16x70s (Celestron Echelon). (Confirmed by other observers present.) Usually, however, I recommend at least 35x to make the ansae obvious. I would not expect to be able to see them with the Skymasters.

* Peter's suggestion of a ST80 (aka 80f5) is a good one. You can vary the magnification with the "stock"eyepieces, easily enough to see a bit of planetary (and a lot of lunar) detail and you can just remove the central cap on the objective cap to significantly sharpen the image of the Moon and bright planets. It's also a cracking little scope at low mag for the stuff that binoculars are good at: it's about as close as you can get to an inexpensive, very portable, general purpose small instrument.
* Another scope alternative is the one I use: I have a SkyMax 90 specifically for the Moon & bright planets (& white-light solar), and I stick with big binos for the faint fuzzies (but that's because I really like using binos and the SM90 is not the best scope for fuzzy blobs).

The upshot is that, for what you are trying to achieve, neither of the binocualrs you suggest are likely to meet your requirements.

[spike95609]

Likewise my 15x70's (costing a few hundred more than the Celestrons) show Saturn as a sort of an egg with just about a hint of some separation between the rings and the planet. I looked through a friend's 22x85s (again of the expensive kind) and the separation was more obvious in them. 15x70 binoculars will be great for viewing some Messier objects, like the Beehive Cluster, the Pleiades and some of the other more open star clusters. Many messiers need more magnification than binoculars can provide to really do them justice. You can see them with 15x70s, but some are so small it's hard to make out precisely what you're looking at with just 15x magnification. Telescopes help here!