what binoculars do you own

[SteveNickolls]

Helios Apollo 15x70's

Opticron Imagic TGA WP 10x50's

Currently the Apollo's are the main use binocular on a Vanguard Tracker 4 heavy tripod and red led dot finder. The Opticron's replaced a pair of cheap Meade 10x50's that had done years of sterling service.

Cheers,

Steve

[Davey-T]

Everybody needs a big pair of bins

On home made mount on Meade tripod, right angled eyepieces are a boon, especially at my age, have trouble looking up with just my eyes.

Revelation 20x88 with assortment of eyepieces great for stuff like the Coathanger and Pleiades

Dave

[Solar_observer]

Helios Apollo 15x70's

Opticron Imagic TGA WP 10x50's

Currently the Apollo's are the main use binocular on a Vanguard Tracker 4 heavy tripod and red led dot finder. The Opticron's replaced a pair of cheap Meade 10x50's that had done years of sterling service.

Cheers,

Steve

these are the 2 pairs of bins,I'm considering buying.

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[TwoPi]

I've got a pair of Helios Stellar 11x80s. Actually they're on long-term loan from my mother-in-law

Great views, but bloomin' heavy so pretty much always cart quite a sturdy tripod with me when I want to use them. Which makes me wonder whether I should get a pair of 7x50s at some point...

[zed0]

Recently acquired a pair of Helios Apollo 22x85s currently used on my manfrotto camera tripod. Only had a couple of nights with them so far but moving house in a few weeks and looking forward to darker skies there

[GrahamJ]

I have a pair of Hilkinson 8/56 Japanese bins, superb optics. Also 20/80 strathspey, not had them long so not used much, seem pretty good though.

[RichieP]

Orion 12 x 63 Mini Giants - I think they are great but I don't know anybody else who has them.

Also 10*40 Olympus roof prism which are much lighter but not great for Astro work.

[Iancovici]

8x30 Baigish BPC Russian Binocular [baigish means in Tatar language "Owl" as this bino is produced in Kazan Optics Factory in Tatarstan Republic in Russia where Tatar language are also spoken aside from Russian; BPC stands for "Binocular of Prism Central in Russian"]

I bought this from market in Black Sea port city of Constantza a couple months ago with price of 100 lei [that's about 25 pounds] I was very excited to meet a Russian binocular, though there were other binoculars there even bigger ones I could have got I decided to get this after testing each ones, this one seemed to had the clearest and sharpest image and I also wanted it to be portable as I wanted to use it in the daytime as well to observe the nature and spy on the neighbours etc [j/k]. I'm to this day very content with it and use it more often even than the newly acquired telescope, as I'm nearsighted and I prefer to take off me glasses when viewing through both bino and scope, it helps me a lot to locate the objects I want to see.

I'll also tell a secret for those folks who sees this.. [not so proud of it, nevertheless it hasn't changed my fondness towards this bino].. When I got this Russian bino because I was so excited naturally I wanted to know everything there is to know about it, and when I was checking the manufaturers website [www.baigish.ru <<they've english version as well] I noticed some slightest discrepency between my model and the model that was suppose to be mine. I've then took a picture of my bino and e-mailed to the manufaturer in Russia with serial numbers, and other details, asking to clarify that it's genuine... to my fear, however, they've confirmed that unfortunately it was not "one of their product" and told me that it probably is a conterfeit bino produced elsewhere, from People's Republic presumably.. and I was really disappointed to know that my bino were probly made some thousands miles away from the original site somewhere in China, I almost was gonna get meself from the Baigish manufaturer the same, but original bino [my girlfriend strongly opposed saying it's waste of mone y not understanding the almost scholar-like curiousity of mine to know and compare the difference between the counterfeit and the original] and almost came this close to make the buy but in the end my GF proposed to me that I buy a telescope instead and she was willing to put some extra capital from her side as well as we live together and she was also interested in the astronomy a little so I agreed to her proposal and two weeks ago we got our first telescope. Anyways, as for my "Russian" binocular, I'm really happy with the performance those chinamen from the factory there done a real good job [long live them!], the only difference I believe is that, it doesn't have the leather used on bino holder and the case where original does, but that's no turn off for me. Below is the pic of this lovely bino of mine and the same pic I've sent to the manufacturer in Russia; handsome - isn't he? And I have no intention of getting another one as long as this one is functional, I'm very content with it, though I told me GF that if this bino ever goes bad, I will then get the original exact same model from Russia then!

[moffer]

10x50 Bresser, 10x50 Opticron Elite, 10x80 German ww2, 25x102 self built, 50x150 self built, 50x300 (reflecting) self built.

Peter,

I never knew that Opticron did a 10x50 Elite. I thought they only ever sold one size - the 9x35 Elite, which I own. I bought them for bird watching back in the mid eighties, presume your's are from that era? Like me they are looking their age now, but are still mechanically sound and the optics are excellent. Think I would have to pay a substantial amount of money for a pair of modern bins to better them.

[RT65CB-SWL]

I have two pairs of binoculars:-

Sony 7x50

Revalation Astro 20x80

At present I mount the binoculars on a Manfrotto tripod with a 'basic' up-down head (and occasionally a monopod).

[ollypenrice]

Leica 8x42s. Expensive even second hand but out of this world. Big hit with guests, a couple of whom have taken the plunge, I think. I bought these after being handed a pair in the dark once and not knowing what they were. I wanted to find out though, that's for sure!

Revelation 15x70. Good value but, for me, tripod only.

Liddle type 10x50s. Honestly all but unbearable after the Leicas! Damn, they seemed OK before...

Olly

[lardy]

Zeiss Victory's 8x42T*FL and 10x56T*FL

[part timer]

Just my vortex viper 10x42's

After using thse I just couldn't see the point in keeping all my old bins. They just blow them all away. and being so small there easy to hold as well!

First time I spent so much on binoculars and now I see why i should have done it before.

If i add up all i've spent on cheap bins it's not far off what I bought the vipers for!

The only other pair i kept were my original old soviet 8x30's which I kept for sentimenal reasons having used them since the very early eighty's.

[astrokoma]

celestron 15X70

Meade 10X50

Pair of Russian 8X40

Vixen zoom Ultima 9-22

(not binocular observer, just consumer )

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Leica 8x42s. Expensive even second hand but out of this world. Big hit with guests, a couple of whom have taken the plunge, I think. I bought these after being handed a pair in the dark once and not knowing what they were. I wanted to find out though, that's for sure!

Revelation 15x70. Good value but, for me, tripod only.

Liddle type 10x50s. Honestly all but unbearable after the Leicas! Damn, they seemed OK before...

Olly

"Better" (or Best) is the enemy of "Good."

I compared my 15x70 bins (Helios Apollo, no slouches) with a 20x80 Vixen, and my APM 80mm at 15.5x with Nagler the 31T5 this summer. The two bins were closely matched in terms of optical quality, but the 80mm with Nagler blew them out of the water completely in terms of image quality. I suppose the Leica is in the same league in terms of image quality as the APM 80mm at 15.5x.

[Andy_E]

Zeiss Victory's 8x42T*FL and 10x56T*FL

Yep, another Zeiss man over here (8*42s).... I notice they've brought out a new version of the Victory.

[Stargazer_00]

I've got a few actually, don't really use any of them often though.

8x21 Pentax Jupiter 3 - utter rubbish, surprised Pentax produced something this rubbish - gave to the wife who has no interest in anything that needs binoculars

10x50 Celestron UpClose - cheapo rubbish, heavy, poor views. focus only good in the centre 40-50% and goes off rapidly outside of that. Shows heavy CA

10x50 Barr & Stroud sprite monocular - cheapo and surprisngly good! No CA noticable during the daytime on tree banches against sky background which usually shows CA heavily. This is my go to binocular (even though its a mono). Based on this quality I'd be tempted by a set of bins by these guys.

20x80 Celestron Sykmaster - Beast sized bins. Must be mounted for prolonged use. Pretty average views, shows CA during the day. Not great but for some reason I can't find myself parting with them either. I used them to spot PANSTARRS.

[pgwenlan]

Here I am, 25 x 100's. + Manfrotto tripod and ball head, and they need it, lol.

Chris.

Me too! (TS bins on a TS tripod) Plus 10x50.

[Mr Bond]

My first post on here (2 yrs ago!), is now out of date (page2).

Gone are the heavy 10x70 Fujis, in are (is?) a Denkmeier Binoviewer. Good choice but not asimple grab and go. Still, it needs no cool down time, just an altaz mount.

Also I've bought into some small Porros, Swarovski 8x30 and the gorgeous Nikon 8x30EII porros, with 70 degree afov and yards of eye relief.

And I couldn't resist the Nikon EDG 8x32 I got from the States as a "factory refurb" (Read-brand new and very cheap). Wonderful.

That good I sold the Swaro EL 8x32s that I thought I'd be buried with!

Alot happens in two years. :-D

[RME1]

Helios Naturesport-Plus 8x40

Barr and Stroud Savannah ED 10x56

Helios Quantum 4 15x70 (on monopod/trigger grip)

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

My first post on here (2 yrs ago!), is now out of date (page2).

Gone are the heavy 10x70 Fujis, in are (is?) a Denkmeier Binoviewer. Good choice but not asimple grab and go. Still, it needs no cool down time, just an altaz mount.

Also I've bought into some small Porros, Swarovski 8x30 and the gorgeous Nikon 8x30EII porros, with 70 degree afov and yards of eye relief.

And I couldn't resist the Nikon EDG 8x32 I got from the States as a "factory refurb" (Read-brand new and very cheap). Wonderful.

That good I sold the Swaro EL 8x32s that I thought I'd be buried with!

Alot happens in two years. :-D

Wow. Selling Swarovskis in favour of Nikons. Not something you hear often.

[JonF]

Just come across this. I'm hoping this is cathartic:

Helios 25X100

Revelation 15x70

Some US made 30x80

Olympus DPS1 10x50

L & G 20x50

Russian 12x50

Some 1970s Japanese 10x50

Jessops 10x30 compacts

L & G 8 x 30

Also got a Binoviewer and a half built pair of monster bins made from a pair of Celestron C70 Mak scopes.

I use the Revelation 15x70, Olympus 10x50 and Jessops compact ones (when out and about with the wife and kids) a lot, the others less so. The 25x100s caused a few 'wow' moments when I let some of my eldest daughters friends look through them last year. Daughter herself finds the Heritage 130 Dob easier to use and gives a better view.

[cosmosboy]

well i do have a 10x50 low end bino ( which was misaligned , since i ordered them online , i did not return them ) but recently i purchased a celestron skymaster 15x70 . i find it way better than previous . it is optically well aligned . it is bit heavy but could be hand held for some time . but the main thing is it shows u a lot more . if u can hold it steadier by some way ( as i do not own a tripod ) , it is a treat . when u are used to see stars up to magnitude uo to 6 or 6.5 ( which my precious faulty one showed ) , and now u see up to 9.5 or so , u really get excited . it also shows more DSO . i still think , optically my new one is not perfect . but one thing ,a close to optically perfect 15x70 is obviously better than its 10x50 counterparts as far as stargazing is concerned .

[toadshade]

Celestron Skymaster 15x70.

James

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[SteveNickolls]

Just got me a pair of Pentax 20x60 PCF WP II's-bring on that Moon. Cheers, Steve