Leicas...

[FLO]

Fair enough, I'll be more careful when choosing nomenclature

Apologies for any confusion caused.

Steve

[FLO]

I want 8x because I'm getting less good at holding 10x still enough and I felt the exit pupil of 8x50 was not going to get into my eye anyway, so why pay more and hold more?

One more thought before I get out of your hair

Don't be too hung up on the 'exit pupils larger than 7 mm waste light' thing. At these low magnifications the wasted light is negligible but a larger exit pupil is easier to place over your eye pupil, making the binocular easier to setup and more comfortable to use. At star parties I use a 7x50 because I can hand it to pretty-much anyone knowing they will enjoy the view. Even those who claim they "don't get on with binoculars" usually find 7x50 comfortable. When choosing a binocular that will be shared amongst your guests Olly that is something worth considering.

'Exit pupil' is a term familiar to both astronomers and birdwatchers

HTH,

Steve

[BinocularSky]

How could anyone possibly think such a thing

Beyond me....

It's interesting to learn when birders talks about field curvature, they don't mean the same thing as the astronomer or photographer. I will remember that the next time I read a binocular review.

Same here! I'm very grateful to have learned that.

[FLO]

Don't worry chaps, I'm done now

[BinocularSky]

Don't worry chaps, I'm done now

Not worried, but grateful for the lesson! Now wondering how much more I have misunderstood over teh years...

[ollypenrice]

One more thought before I get out of your hair

Don't be too hung up on the 'exit pupils larger than 7 mm waste light' thing. At these low magnifications the wasted light is negligible but a larger exit pupil is easier to place over your eye pupil, making the binocular easier to setup and more comfortable to use. At star parties I use a 7x50 because I can hand it to pretty-much anyone knowing they will enjoy the view. Even those who claim they "don't get on with binoculars" usually find 7x50 comfortable. When choosing a binocular that will be shared amongst your guests Olly that is something worth considering.

'Exit pupil' is a term familiar to both astronomers and birdwatchers

HTH,

Steve

To get in my hair, Steve, you'd need a time machine!! (Set for about 1978...) Your comments are very welcome indeed. I think I need to read a book about binoculars...

Olly

[Alastair Rae]

All this talk of curvature etc seems a bit OTT. Just like birdwatching, won't you mostly be looking at the centre of the field? I think any high quality bins would be fine for casual star gazing with a total absence of CA and a rich image. S/H Leicas would be great. (I have Zeiss 8x42FL and I couldn't tell you what shape the outer edges are).

[BinocularSky]

All this talk of curvature etc seems a bit OTT. Just like birdwatching, won't you mostly be looking at the centre of the field?

You may, but I don't. Firstly, when I am star-hopping, I use the whole field, so I want a flat field so as much as possible of it is in focus when doing the "now place that faint star at 5 o'clock and look for the little fuzzy patch at 11 o'clock" type of stuff. Secondly, some of my favourite objects e.g. (Pleiades, Kemble's Cascade) nearly fill the field of my favourite binocular, and it's nice to be able to see the whole thing without having to refocus. Where distortion is concerned, I have only once used an optic (it was a finderscope made from a camera lens) with no rectilinear distortion -- the effect was most unpleasant, slightly nausea-making. I like to pan around the sky with a binocular; it's like looking at the outside of a ball, but one that does not move normally when you start panning (the nearest bit of the ball is always in the middle of the FoV, instead of, say, moving to the left when you pan to the right). A small amount of rectilinear (pincushion) distortionprevents that.

But, as wise people keep repeating, a lot with binoculars is a matter of taste, so don't worry if it doesn't bother you!

[ollypenrice]

I dare say that a distinction between scope and binocular is that you move your head with the bins but with a widefield EP (which I like) in a scope you move your head to peer into the EP towards the field stop. (The Spacewalk effect which not everyone enjoys, though I love it.)

A tripod mounted bin would probably have you wanting a flatter field than a hand held?

All new to me.

Olly

[ismangil]

To get in my hair, Steve, you'd need a time machine!! (Set for about 1978...) Your comments are very welcome indeed. I think I need to read a book about binoculars...

Olly

I did read a book, by Stephen Tonkin! Recommended.

[BinocularSky]

Thanks, Perry! (I couldn't find a :preen: emoticon, so that will have to do )

[ollypenrice]

Well, after all this I confirmed the order for the Leicas. Somewhere I heard a claim that on CN they came out badly but all I could find on CN was favourable and I liked the ones I tried so here's hoping.

We need some decent bins here. I'll report back when they've settled in! Many thanks for all the well informed advice.

Olly

[Coco]

Good luck with the bins Olly, if you ever do a review blag some 8x42 Opticron Verano BGA HD of Steve, at £430 they seem reasonable and from some of the bino forums Ive read are very highly regarded.