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what binoculars do you own


jango fett

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I have a Helios Naturesport-plus 8x40, bought for their wide field (8.2dg) and the mag is not too high when hand holding. I also have a pair of Strathspey 100mm bino's with the 45dg angled eyepieces, they take telescope lenses. I use them with 32mm TV plossl's (18.5x, 2.5dg field) and Baader Neodymium filters. They are mounted on a yoke mount.

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I have a pair of Visionary 12x60HDs (5.7 degrees claimed) bought about 10 years ago.  Good bright sharpish image across most of fov - I can hand hold these for a while if I prop myself against something solid (like a wall) - but considerably better on my heavyish tripod with the trigger grip ball head mount - and still easily portable.

I also have a pair of Vivitar 7x42 roof prism (6.4 degrees claimed) binos, bought 20+ years ago for bird watching. Find these really good for astro work - easily hand held and very sharp.

A new pair of 15x70s  somewhere in the pipeline I think.   

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Nikon 12x50 Action EX Porro (in the post!!!)

Bresser 10x50 Porro (discounter)

Prinz 7x50 Porro(ancient)

Bauer 10x42 Roof (discontinued)

Opticron Oregan 8x42 Roof (bought at Wex Niorfolk)

Uvex 7x42 Roof (20 years old)

Kowa 6x30 Porro (recent purchase)

Just love the tiny Kowa bins, so sharp, light and bright and an absolute pleasure to use.

The Optricons are a good solid reasonable size instrument, nice to use.

The Uvex is used by my wife for bird spotting in the garden)

The Nikons (when they arrive!) will hopefully become my main astronomy bins.

Kind regards

Roger

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Zeiss Dialyt B/GAT* 7x42, which are my numero uno birding pair - a bit low on power, but very good bins. I'm looking at getting some 10x50s for astronomy, although I'm tempted by the idea of 15x70. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Lidl 10X50 which I rarely use even though collimation and mechanics are fine. It's left way behind by my 50-year-old Wray Nine (9X60) despite basic coatings and little eye relief. Just light enough to be hand-held, but those extra millimetres in the objectives make a big difference - Hugh 

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Lidl 10X50 which I rarely use even though collimation and mechanics are fine. It's left way behind by my 50-year-old Wray Nine (9X60) despite basic coatings and little eye relief. Just light enough to be hand-held, but those extra millimetres in the objectives make a big difference - Hugh 

Probably a bigger difference than most would imagine. The Lidl binoclars are internally stopped to around 42mm, which means that the Wray will have over twice the light-gathering!

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2 pairs of Halina 8x30 Discovery. Kept in the car for those odd times you see something on the way home at night, and don't want something decent to be knocked about by the potholes our roads are made up of these days!

Recently, been out four times in the last month testing out my 25year+ Carl Zeiss Jena Jenoptem 10x50W's on the DynaSun WT011H 3/8 Professional variant of the Trigger Grip Ballhead recommended by Steve Tonkin. As I said elsewhere. a very nice piece of kit. This goes well with my Manfrotto 679B Monopod that I got second hand for about 25GBP. I'm still getting used to this new way of using the Jenoptems, but I must say, it's a nice treat to not be quite as twisted using them as I had been in the past with my Vanguard photo tripod! Thanks again Steve!

Considering that this means I've been out nearly a dozen times this year, after starting following Comet PanSTARRS in March 2013, means I'm doing astronomy again for the first time in a LONG while!

What next? Well I'm considering 15x70's. Now if I could just decide what expense I should go for in case I lapse again! But those Helios Apollos 15x70's are mighty tempting!

Mark

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I currently own Prinz (Dixons) 10 x 50s- about 40 years old(!),replaced by Olympus DPS1's.Also, Celestron 15x70's, an Optus 20-60 x 60 spotter scope,via Aldi,as recently discussed on this forum,and a Helios branded 8 x30 monocular.This last instrument is stamped 'made in the USSR'. Still crave those Helios Apollo 15 x 70's though!

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I recently bought a pair of Visionary V1 8.5 x 42s, FOV 7.1 degrees, fully weather-proofed ....  Lovely light pair of glasses that I've so far had very little opportunity to enjoy the clear night sky with ....  But when I have had the chance I have very much enjoyed the views :laugh:

My other half has a pair of Orion 10 x 50s that I occasionally pinch a shot of, and they are a very decent pair of bins ...  But I certainly prefer my 8.5 x 42s! 

My big pair of bins are my Celestron SkyWatcher 20 x 80s ....  3.3 degree FOV ...  Great bins for the price that I paid for them over 7 years ago! :grin:   They have shown me some wonderful views of the night sky :laugh:

If I could buy another pair of bins and money was not an obstacle ....  I'm not sure exactly but they would be ED glasses and probably 10 x 50s ....  But maybe bigger!!! :grin:  

Clear skies :grin:  

Donaldo

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