What bins?

[jayjt29]

Hi,

I have just booked a Med cruise next year for me and the family, can't wait its on the Independence of the sea's (3rd largest cruise ship in the world).

Anyway i want some bins for the cruise, but have also been thinking about getting some for star gazing. My budget is £100.

I would like a pair that does not require a tripod and wont look out of place on a cruise ship! But a pair that i could also use to view objects in the sky.

Any recommendations would be great, Ive never owned a pair of binos before.

Thanks

Jay:)

[Hobbes]

I tried out a pair of Helios NatureSport Plus 10x50 Binoculars at an event recently and was really impresed with them. Definately on my shopping list.

[jayjt29]

Thanks Rob, ill look into them

Jay

[JamesF]

I'm thinking that anything more than 10x50 could be a pain because they'd need a tripod or similar support. Otherwise I'd recommend the Celestron 15x70s.

James

[JamesF]

Actually, I've just remembered my parents mentioning that when they did their "Natural Disasters and Political Unrest" tour on the QM2 earlier this year, there was a chap on the ship who did talks on astronomy and regularly had a scope set up on deck. I assume Cunard won't be the only people who do it, so it could be worth checking.

James

[jayjt29]

Cheers James, yes 10x50 seems to be the size for me. I've got a few on the short list

Hope they have a scope set up on my ship, will look into it

Jay

[ollypenrice]

On a budget of £100 go for Porro prisms rather than roof prisms. They are cheaper to make so you get better optics for your money. Wnen money is no object roof prisms are fine, and make for slimmer bins.

Most birders will say that 10x is the max for hand holding. As I get older I find that actually I get more out of 8x because I'm not as shake-free as I was!

There is a good selection of Porro bins on the sponsor's website. (FLO above.)

Olly

[brantuk]

Yup - I was gonna suggest 10x50 porro prisms with Bak 4 coatings (I seem to recall there's Bak7 coatings as well). Won't look out of place on a cruise ship and hand hold'able without a tripod.

[Multi-Coated]

Hi Jay , went round the Med from Southampton last July on the same ship. Took a pair of 10*50 cheap Meade bins with me that performed well for the money . Quite hard to hold steady though as the ship moves slightly even when calm although you won't feel it ( for astro). Loads of other ships in the shipping lanes though for you to look at , if you get chance that is ! Loads to do on board.

Have a great trip - Rob

[tom714uk]

Have a look at Strathspey binoculars, they're very good for the price (and you get excellent service).

Do note that the prices aren't quite as good as they look because they exclude VAT on the website.

Tom

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[ollypenrice]

A quick test for BAK4 prisms is to hold the bins to the light but away from your eyes. Look at the eyepieces. If the bright circles of light leaving the eyepieces are circles the prisms are BAK4. If they look like two squares, one rotated inside the other, they are not. However, even some very cheap bins have BAK4 glass prisms these days, including my fifteen quid Bressers. At a hundred pounds you'll get quite nice quality. If you only want them for astro then individual focusers are fine but these would drive you nuts for terrestrial, birding etc.

I always take bins on holiday, even when cycle touring and cutting the end off my toothbrush to save weight! I used them inside cathedrals to admire the murals, on the road to read distant signs, etc etc etc.

Olly

[Nexus 6]

Hi Jay, for an alternative I would recommend a set of Visionary Neoma 8x42's, at around £100. I have a set myself and been very impressed with the views delivered, they are light years ahead from the usual 10x50's I have used in the past. Worthy of serious consideration.

[jayjt29]

Thanks for all the info guys, perhaps to much and now may have to change my plans!

Cant wait Rob only another 10 months!

Jay

[BinocularSky]

One of the reasons that 7x50 are often referred to as "marine" is that anything greater than 7x is difficult to hold steadily on a target from a moving deck. 10x is great for terrestrial use, less so at sea.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre using Forums

[jayjt29]

Cheers Steve,

I guess ill only be on deck for 2 weeks so ill still give the 10x50's ago, good to know though thanks

Jay

[appalachik]

Whatever you choose, it is preferable they are described as "fully multi-coated", That should ensure the binos are capable of superior light transmission and contrast,

Fully multi-coated means that all internal air-to-glass surfaces have been treated with more than one layer of anti-reflection coating, as well as the Objective and Ocular lenses.

BAK4 porro-prisms will be your best choice of format for quality and value.

Good size choices for handheld astronomy have already been suggested, but I'll add 8x56 to the list as another valid choice.

I doubt there has ever been a time with better choice and value in binoculars so good luck choosing

Jenna

[BinocularSky]

I guess ill only be on deck for 2 weeks so ill still give the 10x50's ago,

In which case, possibly the best for astronomty in this range is the Strathspey Marine -- it has individual focusing (IF), which is much better for astronomy than centre-focus (ZCF). The review of this binocular on the Strathspey site (and on CloudyNights) is mine, so if you have any questions, do ask.

If you don't fancy IF, or if you think they might be too heavy for you (1.2kg), then the Opticron Vega are very good. If you are ever able to double your budget, the Opticron Imagic are superb for the price.

(All IMO, of course...)

You may also find my Evaluating Binoculars page useful.

Re BaK4/BK7 and full multicoating: Whilst BaK4 are, in principle, better (slightly more light into the eye), all else being equal, all else is not equal. There are much more important considerations for binocular choice, such as crispness of focus, flatness of field, edge distortion, chromatic aberration, build quality, smoothness of focus ... I could go on. The first binocular I ever used for astronomy, my father's Zeiss 10x50 Dekarem, have BK7 prisms and T-coatings -- overall they are optically and mechanically superior, and hence better suited to astronomy, than many of today's budget multicoated efforts with BaK4 prisms.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre using Forums

[Squif]

is fully coated and fully multi-coated the same thing?

[BinocularSky]

is fully coated and fully multi-coated the same thing?

No. There is no industry-wide standard on the terminology but, in general:

Coated: At least one glass/air surface (usually outer surface of the objective lens) has a single layer of antireflective coating (usually MgF2); other surfaces uncoated.

Fully coated: All glass/air surfaces of lenses (but not the prism hypotenuses) have a layer of antireflective coating.

Multicoated: At least one glass/air surface (usually outer surface of the objective lens) has two or more layers of antireflective coating; other surfaces may be single-coated or uncoated.

Fully Multicoated: All glass/air surfaces of lenses (but possibly not the prism hypotenuses) have two or more layers of antireflective coating.

More recently, we have had coatings described as "broadband". Again, no industry-wide standard, but can be assumed to be three or more layers of antireflective coating.

Kunming, who make binoculars for Celstron, Bushnell, Strathspey, Oberwerk, etc, are a bit more forthcoming as to the exact nature of their coatings:

Level I (equivalent to Fully Coated): Single layer of MgF2 on 16 glass/air surfaces: 2 surfaces on each objective, 6 surfaces on each eyepiece. Nothing on the prisms.

Level II (equivalent to a blend of Multicoated and Fully Multicoated): Broadband multicoatings of 5 to 7 layers on the 2 glass/air surfaces of each objective and the 2 glass/air surfaces of each eye-lens in the eyepiece. Single layer MgF2 coatings on all other glass/air surfaces including the prism hypotenuses.

Level III: Broadband multicoatings on all glass/air surfaces except the prism hypotenuses, which are single layer MgF2.

Level IV: Broadband multicoatings on all glass/air surfaces including the prism hypotenuses.

I hope that helps more than it confuses...

[Squif]

hahaha I love the way everything is made to be confusing when it comes to optics hahahahahaha

Thankyou for explaing it for me!

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

The Strathspey marine would be high on my list. Individual focusing is great for both marine and astronomical observing.

[Astromart]

I did a Med cruise last year & the star display was magnificent, you could almost reach out & touch them & the Milkyway was unmissable. A good pair of 10x50's will be sufficient for all-round use. Enjoy.