Emperor!Takahashi!

I suppose if it happened to Anakin Skywalker, it could happen to any of us.

My takeaway is that brand loyalty mainly afflicts those who have observed through a Takahashi. 😉😇🙃

Agreed. And I'll probably mount the 7x50 from time to time. It's nice to be able to use them on the tripod or to hold them by hand. I'm confident that I'd only be able to use the 10x50 mounted, which would be a loss since I love the handheld binocular stargazing experience. When observing with a mount, I'm usually inclined to put something larger on it 😊 The plan is: WX handheld, Highlander Prominar mounted, and every now and then WX mounted.

My eyes find them easy to appreciate. My arms have to work a little harder for it 😉

Those are beauties. Nice work 👍 This thread inspired me to look more deeply into microscope eyepieces, and I got a pair of Nikon CFIUW 10x/25 (their top-notch ultra-wide eyepieces) that I've been using for a few weeks. The CFIUW is outstanding. They're tiny, exceedingly sharp, render colors beautifully, and offer the same immersive, "floating" quality as a 28mm Edmund RKE. I'm thoroughly pleased, and I intend to write up a report once conditions allow since there isn't as much information on these vs. some of the Zeiss and Leica pairs. I also discovered that the CFIUW is very easy to rehouse in a 1.25" barrel.

What she doesn't know, she can't smell 😇

I'm curious whether others experience brand loyalty when choosing astronomy equipment. With a username like Emperor!Takahashi!, I suppose there's nothing subtle about my position. I find that I don't feel as drawn to a telescope if it isn't a Takahashi, even if it's an outstanding instrument. I know perfectly well that there are many outstanding instruments in the world, and I don't see any instrument as "less than." And yet, there's something (probably several things) that I just love about a Takahashi. Partially, it's the optical performance. Partially, it's the method and care with which they're made. And partially, it probably relates to the fulfillment of childhood dreams... I remember how those Takahashi ads in S&T felt so alluring and impossibly out of reach. I feel similarly about the Binotron binoviewer and Vernonscope Brandon eyepieces that I own. These are produced in the US by dedicated individuals who care deeply about what they're making. That evokes loyalty in me. I'm glad that we live in a world where high-quality optics are increasingly affordable and someone can buy an SVBONY Zoom and enjoy excellent performance. But I also want to live in a world where people can set up shop, create something beautiful, and be able to survive that way. I recently read a couple SGL threads where people with no first-hand experience of Brandons dismissed them as "not worth it" because they're more expensive than other comprable eyepieces. Some of the comments irked me, and it made me reflect on how craftspeople and specialized small-scale manufacturers must feel in a world where their creations are so easily underappreciated. I'm really pleased to own my Brandons and Binotron, and I hope those companies receive recognition and support, which is my hope for Taurus Telescopes in Poland, Costruzioni Ottiche Zen in Italy, etc. And I'm equally pleased when people enjoy Altair telescopes, Sky-Watcher mounts, and so forth. That's some of my rationale, and I'm curious whether, and why, others feel loyal to certain brands.

I'm not sure if they're small enough, but the Nikon EII is compact, beautifully made, and has splendid optics. Highly recommended 👍👍

R.I.P. I remember admiring his charts when I was only a kid. It must have been at the same time as I read the Chronicles of Narnia, and Goosebumps. So, it was C. S. Lewis, R. L. Stein, and Wil Tirion. I thought Tirion was the coolest of them all. "He makes maps... of stars." A poetic life.

Happy Birthday! 🎂 🔭🎂

Thank you 😸 I want to spend time with them under dark skies before writing up a more thorough observing report. That's especially because these are the 7x50, which I bought instead of the 10x50 because 1) I do not want to need to use a tripod with them, and 2) using them under dark skies is my intention. With that said, I had them up on the rooftop in London last night, and the word that seems most apt is "magnificent." I was sitting there looking at Lyra in its entirety... so vivid, so sharp. It was like what I see through a superb refractor and binoviewer, but with an ~11° FOV. I cannot imagine a more perfect view, and I cannot wait to use them under the dark skies that they're made for. I do not say this with the desire to gush or to denigrate other binoculars: these are almost like a totally different instrument. The view is different to the extent that my mind does not even want to classify them as a binocular. Of course, they are binoculars. But it feels like some other word is warranted to classify them more accurately.

What do you like about space?

The postman brought something extra special today. Now he must stay away for a while, except to carry away all of the items I'm selling to finance this one!

I didn't since it gets pretty tall. I think it wouldn't perform too well if there's strong wind. But otherwise, I think it will be quite solid even when the tripod is quite extended. Another excellent option is the Vixen HAL 130 tripod. That would be rock solid with the Sightron and 4" refractor, and it's light and comparatively inexpensive. You would need an adapter (available here) though, since the tripod uses an M10 stud for use w/ certain Vixen mounts. There might be other, similar tripod adapters that don't need to ordered from Japan, but I am not sure. I recently ordered several things from that vendor, Kyoei, without any problems whatsoever. So, if you wanted, you could order the tripod and adapter at the same time from them (since they have a minimum order). I like how the HAL 130 looks, too 🙂

With the Sightron mount, a solid carbon fibre tripod is also a good option. Especially if you're using something like a 4" refractor, which isn't too heavy, and if you want to keep the setup light. I mounted a 4" refractor on the Sightron (and also the older Scopetech Zero) on this tripod with great results: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/tripods/stellalyra-carbon-fibre-tripod-with-38-thread.html It's a good, rigid tripod that complements the Sightron well. The UNI is lovely, of course, but also considerably beefier (and more expensive). One might find it overkill for this purpose.

No idea what it is but I love it. Well done.

Now that's a terrible idea... for no reason in particular 😇

Coronado and Lunt's celebrity couple name would be Luntonado. Or maybe... nevermind. More seriously, though, I can comment that Lunt has incredible customer service. I've dealt with them a few times on non-solar astronomy items, and I've been so impressed by how responsive, knowledgeable, and eager to support their customers they are. An exemplary outfit.

I sincerely thank everyone for the incredibly kind wishes and the supportive "likes." They truly meant a lot to me. And I'm so pleased to share an update: I got the job! 🎇🌜🌛🌟 Soon, I'll say goodbye to London, England and hello to Cork, Ireland. I've already connected with a few fellow stargazers in Ireland thanks to SGL 🤩 Thank you, again, everyone, Emperor Takahashi

And how well did it work? 🙂

How fascinating. I'm a fan of the Rigel Quikfinder, which serves as the base for this finder. And I've used the 2x binoculars and monoculars before. The thought has crossed my mind to use the latter as a finder, but I never thought of combining these two into one finder. The Rigel requires more specific positioning of one's eye than many finders... and these ultra-wide Galilean monoculars/binoculars come with their own ergonomic idiosyncrasies. My hunch is that this finder could be great, or it could be a total flop. I wish I could borrow one to try out!

Thank you! 😎 It's a great mount for this size of scope. Disappears in use.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! As usual, you're exactly right 👍 EmperorT

My FS-102 NSV has its own entrance song.

Nikon WX. https://www.kyoei-osaka.jp/SHOP/nikon-wx-7x50if.html They're on sale for ¥613,000. Don't let that number scare you, though. That's only £3,012.