Skywatcher Binoviewer?

[mightymonoped]

Anyone had a chance to check out the Skywatcher binoviewer yet? Looks like a winner if the reality matches the specification! Aunty FLO got any on the horizon?

Tony

[GazOC]

Got a link Tony?

[FLO]

Should have one to play with soon.

Details here: http://tinyurl.com/2am2tr

[GazOC]

The eyecups (is that the word?) look interesting...

[tom.yates]

I have already looked through a pr very good 2

[GazOC]

Better than standard Chinese clone ones Tom? I've got a pair, they are great for the Moon, planets and a couple of bright DSOs but lose too much light for anything else.

[tom.yates]

To be honest Gaz i got them for Mike baccain a member of stargazers the optics i tested in day time viewing and they are very good they have self centering diopters and the locking system for the eyepieces are just like my denks no set screw marks they seem to retail around £ 115 ish I'm sure mike will give a review when he gets a chance they probable come out of the same factory as the rest mate

[GordonCopestake]

They do LOOK like the standard chinese (revelation et al) binoviewers, but you can never tell by look alone

[FLO]

I think the prism block is the same as the others. For me it will rest on how well it centres the eyepieces. The early models had a regular thumbscrew which was appalling but these new ones appear to have self-centring collets - which is good. I really hope they deliver as I have hankered after a binoviewer for some time but had resigned myself to having to wait until I can afford a Denkmeier.

[Stormwatch]

Can someone tell me what the point is in binoviewers? I'd think you need a pretty heft scope to take the weight of those babies hanging off it! Double the cost of eyepieces too.

[GordonCopestake]

Your brain tries to take the 2 images and turn them into a 3d image and the effect (for some people) is a much enhanced view that is "3d like". For the people that binoviewers work for they give better views at the expense of eyepieces costing twice as much. The weight isn't usually such an issue.

[FLO]

Technically, we should see less thru a binoviewer because the prism block reduces light. But, being a million+ year old species, we have evolved to use both eyes and if our brain is allowed to process info from both eyes - we see more.

Strangely, having noticed something extra thru a binoviewer, we can then see it thru a single eyepiece.

Also, using both eyes the way nature intended means less eye-strain and so more time at the eyepiece(s).

[Stormwatch]

Hmm, interesting! If I make a good few bob selling some stuff on eBay I might look into this more.