Newbie advice on next purchase.

[Mr Moff]

Hiya guys, a few days ago I recieved my first binoculars from the FLO clearance thread. Helios fieldmaster 12x50's for £30. I figured at that price it was worth finding out if I would use a pair while using a telescope. Mainly for learning the constellations and I've had a couple of good nights using them.

Now I've got the feel of them I fancy getting a mid range pair and fancy some in the 10x50 range. So I've been looking at the Pentax 10x50's from FLO so I was wondering if these are a worthwhile purchase?

My budget is around £150.

[Capricorn]

If you have 12x50's why do you want 10x50's ?

There seems little difference, all you would get is a marginal increase in field and a very slightly brighter view.

[carlc]

Giving advice on the Forum is like being an estate agent - we always push your budget and suggest something you might stretch to.

Apparently the Williams Optics 10x50 Ed on FLO are very good (but they are £198).

Have a look here: http://binocularsky...._choosing.php#5

Tetenterre has some good advice on that site.

Many recommend Strathspey 10x50 Marine Bins as well (and they're cheaper).

ETA: see - all three models are in the recommended section of Binocular Sky (I claim no knowledge I just read it all on that website).

[Mr Moff]

Thanks for the link. Basically my thinking was that I thought I'd try a cheap pair to make sure I found them usefull before buying something better. I've found them usefull so I figured I'd get some decent ones that are maybe a little lighter,hence the 10x50's.

The Williams optics look great but the only thing that might be tricky is the weight of them. I plan on wearing them around my neck while using the scope.

Last night the clouds rolled in around 2 am. There was just gaps of sky after this so I just sat back with the binoculars scanning the gaps and really enjoyed it. They started getting heavy ish after every 5 mins or so but it was nice.

[carlc]

I don't use any bins hand held due to the shakes and using a tripod means I may as well drag the scope out on most occasions - one day I'll get a monopod and trigger grip ball head (as recommended by you know who).

[neilm]

Danny,

Carl's advice is well founded, Tentenerre's web site is very good, check out the links he provides to Albinos and have a trawl through Cloudy Nights, they have some good reviews of bins by size.

Cheers

Neil

[Mr Moff]

Thanks guys,I've trawled that link and cloudy nights and I'm definately leaning towards the Pentax.

[astronymonkey]

Id have to agree with Capricorn, I think buying a similar size wont bring that much of a better view. If you were using them for bird watching etc then Id look at ED optics etc and waterproof seals etc but for astronomy Id go for the bigger aperture models.

I use the Revelation 20x80 and they are excellent, the light grasp is a huge step up from my 10x50 pair and it means things like the orion nebula or andromeda galaxy are fantastic.

http://www.telescopehouse.com/acatalog/Revelation_Premium_20x80_Binoculars.html

Ive also noticed the 15x70s are cheap at the moment

http://www.telescopehouse.com/acatalog/Revelation_15x70_Binocular_Special_Offer.html

I know a lot of people on this forum use Celestron 15x70 which like the revalation 15x70 are lighter and have a slightly wider field of view than the 20x80.

All of these pairs can be had for under £90 which is a bargin.

Hope this helps,

Astronymonkey

[Mr Moff]

Thanks for the links.

Basically the things I'm after are,

10x50 because I'll be wearing them with a neckstrap and don't plan on using a tripod.

Preferably a little lighter than the ones I've got.

Decent build quality.

Waterproof preferred.

Good quality optics.

£150 is my budget.

Any thoughts?

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

10x50 hits a sweet spot in terms of power vs ability to use without tripod. Strathspey Marine is great. Individual focusing is way better than centre focusing for astro-work

[BinocularSky]

I think buying a similar size wont bring that much of a better view.

Depends on what you mean by "better". Observing through something that is very good both optically and mechanically is so much more pleasurable than observing through budget kit, that (to my perception, at least) it is significantly better (but in a different way to how observing through a bigger budget binocular is better). It's very much an individual thing; try both before you buy, and decide where you think the lucre is best spent. One caveat: once you have observed through decent optics, it is very difficult to be satisfied with the budget kit -- merely trying out good kit can be an expensive step to take!

I know a lot of people on this forum use Celestron 15x70 which like the revalation 15x70 are lighter and have a slightly wider field of view than the 20x80.

And are over-represented in "How do I fix....?" -type threads on astronomy forums. (It is remarkable that binoculars of that size can be made available at that price, but you do need to be aware of the potential pitfalls.)

[Mr Moff]

Thanks Steve, I was going to go for the Pentax but I decided on a pair of opticron imagic tga wp 10x50's. I found an open box pair for £99.

I have a feeling I'm going to want to start collecting bins now.Kind of like the eyepiece collecting addiction.

Great website by the way, I enjoyed reading it and for beginners like myself it was most helpfull.