Orion 10x50, your opinion

[Ishidori]

Hello everybody! Recently i just ordered the Orion stargazing kit, it comes with the planisphere, the red light, one software and of course the binoculars (10x50).

I want to know your opinion about this aspects:

Best for viewing Brighter deep sky

Magnification

10x

Optical diameter

50mm

Field of view - angular

6.5°

Field of view - linear 342.0 ft./1000 yd

Apparent field of view

6.5°

Eye relief

14.5mm

Exit pupil

5.0mm

Near focus

23 ft.

Coatings

Fully coated

Prism

BK-7 Porro

Interpupillary distance range

58mm - 72mm

Focus style Center focus

And in particular how crucial is the diference between BK-4 and the BK -7?

[Nexus 6]

Hi Ishidori, welcome to SGL.

you may find this website useful...BinocularSky - Home I am sure you will have seen the sub forum on binoculars here already.

A set of 10x50's or similar are a must when observing the night sky so I hope you have some great views with your new set. Like anything you can spend more money for increasing the quality of the sights they will give but that's really up to you.

Clear Skies

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Agreed. 10x50 is an ideal starter pair of bins. Even though my 15x70s are used more now, I still use my 10x50 bins, and they are WAY easier to use freehand, rather than on a tripod. They are also very good daytime bins, unlike the slightly unwieldy (but great) 15x70s.

[Ishidori]

Hi Ishidori, welcome to SGL.

you may find this website useful...BinocularSky - Home I am sure you will have seen the sub forum on binoculars here already.

A set of 10x50's or similar are a must when observing the night sky so I hope you have some great views with your new set. Like anything you can spend more money for increasing the quality of the sights they will give but that's really up to you.

Clear Skies

Thanks!! That site is very useful. Looks like the Orion's wasn't a bad deal at all. I can't wait for the delivery!

[Ishidori]

Well, after a few days of rain and cloudy skies; finally i was able to get my first stargazing night with my Orion Explorer 10x50 WA. Though the planisphere is useless for my latitude (is not the seller fault) and the flashlight is kind of crappy (now you can blame the seller), the binoculars are great.

I was able to spot Io and Calixto, Venus was too bright. Then i pointed to the Orion Nebula (what a view!!), the Pleiades, the Beehive Cluster, Mars and Saturn.

I was trying to get a glimpse on M1, M78 and M35 but i wasn't successful... And i just want to know two things: First, is possible see that objects with a pair of 10x50 or i need a really dark sky too see them? And second, when i can say that i have a "good sky for stargazing", any tips to figure out that?

Or maybe it was the atmosphere, because it was raining since 5 to 7 ó clock (but around 8 or 8.30 pm it was clear again, like 98%).

[Per167]

M1 and M78 will probably require somewhat darker skies, maybe limiting mag 5.5-6, to be seen in 10x50 binoculars. M35 should definitely be visible from the average suburban location.

A "good sky for stargazing" can certainly mean very different things depending on how picky you are. You can make a printout of a start chart for a piece of the sky (search for a program called Cartes du Ciel) and compare that with what you see outside at night. You can then determine the limiting magnitude. To see anything except the plantes and double stars it should probably not be much worse than 4.5.