Which Astro Bins For My Mom?

[crazyjedi]

Hi all.

My Mother has always had an interest in astronomy and she regularly calls me of an evening to ask "What's the big bright one called?"

I'd like to get her a decent pair of bins for her birthday (but not bankrupt myself at the same time). Any suggestions?

I know my way around scopes quite well but bins are something of a grey area for me. I'm assuming that the decent brand names in the scope and EP fields are also good for bins??

Cheers

[stargazerslivingroom]

A good starting point is with a pair of 10 x 50's. They give a good magnification but are not too heavy so can be hand-held. The bigger you go you will need a tripod and it just escalates.

In my experience binoculars are generally made by different manufacturers from the telescopes. Difficult to recommend one sort over another without knowing your budget...You can (but don't have to) spend an awful lot of money.

Check out this site....Lots of good advice. http://binocularsky.com/

ATB

Steve

[swag72]

I asked a similar question to you here http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/174618-first-10x50-binoculars-for-100-suggestions-please/

The advice was excellent, and eventually my Mum got a pair of 8x42 Opticron Aspherics. She is very pleased with them indeed.

[ollypenrice]

10x50 is pushing it for some people. I used to be OK with this size but, in getting a bit older, I prefer 8x42. The lower magnification gives a stiller image and the lighter weight is easier to hold. The drop in brightness is pretty trivial, I find.

Olly

[crazyjedi]

Weight will be an issue as I don't want her to find them uncomfortably heavy. I'm not totally fixed on budget as my brother may put in with me but I was thinking around the £150 mark.

Also... Having noted there are different designs, what are the pro's and cons of the Porroprism vs roof prism designs?

[ollypenrice]

Porros are cheaper to make so, at a given price and all being equal, you get better optics for your money. Roofs are more compact and may be a little easier to hold. FLO, the site sponsors, are very knowldgeable about binoculars and will give sound advice. Although you can pay thousands for binoculars a spend of £150 will, quite honestly, get you most of the way to the top.

I'd find these roof prism bins mighty tempting myself; http://www.firstlightoptics.com/hawke/hawke-frontier-pc-open-hinge.html

Or http://www.firstlightoptics.com/porroprism/opticron-imagic-tga-wp-porro-prism.html

Olly

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

For that price range you'd do well with a hawke naturetrek 8x42 or 10x50. Those things are crazy sharp. Personally, i prefer an 8x42, even though i'm young and strong, 10x50 is still a bit shakey handheld.

I also have the helios naturesport 10x50 wide angle, which as i say are a little more shakey, almost as sharp, but much more emersive. These are better for scanning around freely than actual observing.

[Doug]

Hi all.

My Mother has always had an interest in astronomy and she regularly calls me of an evening to ask "What's the big bright one called?"

I'd like to get her a decent pair of bins for her birthday (but not bankrupt myself at the same time). Any suggestions?

I know my way around scopes quite well but bins are something of a grey area for me. I'm assuming that the decent brand names in the scope and EP fields are also good for bins??

Cheers

Great advice you are getting here the 8x42 Opticron Aspherics are nice optics and not to heavy , and Olly Penrice our resident expert also has great knowledge and they have been reduced at the moment and come in to colours

let us all know what you decide

Doug

[Rich MedRev]

I myself have both 8 x 42 trinovid Leica's and a pair of 10 x 50 Optolyth Alpins and they are both excellent performers for Astro and for birding.

They are not cheap but similar sizes in decent porro's should work well and the recommended Opticrons will be fine.

[BinocularSky]

If it'll be her main observing instrument, you definitely want as much optical quality as you can get. I'm inclined to agree with those that suggest a 7x42 or 8x42. Easy to hold steadily and a doddle to carry around. In your price range, you'd struggle to beat the optical quality of this one (also, I note, suggested by Olly).

[nightvision]

Make sure you have a nice comfortable and adjustable sun-lounger available, it will make long sessions possible and prevent that crick-n-the-neck feeling.

[sologuitarist61]

I have a pair of 10x42 TS Nevada bins which are quite small but powerful (they also focus nice and close to for viewing birds etc). 10x50's are OK but bigger and heavy and unless she has young eyes it is unlikely that the 50mm aperture will be any brighter for her than 42's.

[Naemeth]

I'm with Steve (tetenterre) and the others that mentioned them, go for 8x42, as for brand I'm no good at that, but the Opticron Aspherics should be good for the money . I just feel they will probably be much easier to use at any elevation above the horizon.

[Stargazer_00]

The Legendary 8x42 opticron aspheric have been discontinued the last I checked

[crazyjedi]

I quite like the look of the opticron 8x42s. I wonder if I can afford to get myself a pair too