quality binos

[redgiantjohn]

hi all been doing astronomy for about 18 months now and really enjoying it had some fantastic nights observing but last week was the first time i used a pair of binos for astronomy and was very suprised at what i could see with them,not sure what the dimensions or optics were but was really pleased with them for ease of use. ive never thought of getting a pair before as i own a 6" dob and get some really spectacular views with it but some nights i just cant be bothered to lug it out in the garden just for it to cloud over in an hour,and even when i have the scope out i think the binos would compliment the scope nicely for locating objects(i used the binos to locate M31 which im ashamed to say i wasnt able to do with my scope) so im after some advice on binos ive been told 10x50's are ideal i dont want a pair that are so big that i need a tripod for them but id like the highest (practicle)magnification with as good optics as possible my limit is probably in the region of £100 pound but would quite happily pay slightly more or less for the right pair,some examples would be highly appreciated thanks in advance. john

[garethmob]

My fav bins are my optricon aspheric 8x42. In most of the S@N budget bin reviews the opticians usually come first and they fit your budget. FLO sell some too and they were kind enough to let me try and if I didn't get on return them. They are cracking optics though. And very clear too

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[Carbon Brush]

The general opinion seems to be...

40/50 objectives to get enough light. Anything bigger is too heavy.

7/10 magnification. Anything more and you can't hold steady enough.

So a pair of 7x50 or 10x50 are the choice of many.

Going to a 40mm objective saves a few ££ and a bit of weight.

Next comes price. Well you get what you pay for from a proper astro retailer.

You may not get what pay for from certain auction sites and department stores. You get the hint?

There are a lot of bits of glass to get right and surfaces to coat in binos. Doing this properly costs money.

Take a look at what the proper shops are offering. If you wear glasses, then long eye relief is a consideration.

This year I recklessly spent on 10x50 Opticrons at around £160, but don't regret it.

I don't remember the exact cost, only the views.

The clarity surpasses various lower cost binos I tried.

You should be able to get decent kit for half this price.

There are various excellent bino threads on SGL and elsewhere.

I'm sure someone who can locate these quickly will reply before too long.

[Matt Scunthorpe]

I recently found my dads old 10x50s, to paint a picture, these were bought for terrastrial use and probably even out-date me. But when i pointed them towards a patch of sky where i couldn't see any stars, i was amazed how loads of stars just popped out. The view around Vega through them was just brilliant. I often bring them out with me now and hang them around the tripod accessary tray (which ive never used) thread.

[redgiantjohn]

thanks for the replies ive started reading phillips stargazing with binoculars by robin scagell and david frydman i think this is going to be helpful with my final choice