To Zoom or not to Zoom?

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

ARGH! That is really bad for the wallet!! $28,595 for 155mm ED binoscopes.

Seriously, for that kind of money I would much rather have an ODK 16" on a Mesu mount. I would still have change for one of these http://www.apm-telescopes.de/de/product.html?info=1380

[pete_gamby]

I've heard similar praise from another source, so maybe not a cherry-picked example . What's the FoV like at the 8x end?

As you'd expect based on the specification it is quite confined but not ridiculously so. What impressed me was that the zoom action was smooth and at the top end didn't shut out so much light that the instrument was rendered useless. And both barrels kept the same focus - another notorious trait of some zoom mechanisms.

[Peter Drew]

I've had experience with the 20x-40x Zeiss binocular telescopes and very nice they are too. However, rotating a collar on the eyepiece somehow produced either 20x or 40x, there was no apparent in betweeb magnification so I'm not sure if it is a normal zoom. I have tried zoom eyepices on much larger binocular telescopes and they can be useful for higher magnification lunar and planetary observation. The maintenance of collimation is nigh on impossible without a tweaking system which is pretty much obligatory anyway. It's surprisingly easy to judge equal magnifications by eye if the zooms are non clickstop. The Achilles Heel for zoom only eyepieces is the traditional small apparent field at the low power end.

[Scopemaster]

Sigh...around Christmas 2012 I read copiously on the virtues of 10x50, 15x70, 25x70 binoculars for astronomy and was overwhelmed by the choice on amazon. I knew Celestron were a top astro brand so I got their 10-30 x 50 zoom binoculars over the 10x50 as I thought the zoom would only help...I quite like using those but have I made a catastrophic blunder and should I replace them? Gah I didn't even rush when buying them :'(

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Sigh...around Christmas 2012 I read copiously on the virtues of 10x50, 15x70, 25x70 binoculars for astronomy and was overwhelmed by the choice on amazon. I knew Celestron were a top astro brand so I got their 10-30 x 50 zoom binoculars over the 10x50 as I thought the zoom would only help...I quite like using those but have I made a catastrophic blunder and should I replace them? Gah I didn't even rush when buying them :'(

If they work for you don't worry. Binoculars are highly personal things. Bins that might not be perfect, but in your hands now beat bins that are perfect (no such thing) but are still at the shop. I wonder whether you find you are using them at the lower end of the magnification scale, or whether you actually use the full zoom range.

My dad got my mum a pair of zoom bins without consulting me. They are actually not that bad in terms of sharpness, but the field of view is very restricted to those who have become used to 68deg FOV and up. Still, my mum is enjoying them and therefore it was certainly not a waste of money.

[E621Keith]

I agree with Michael. If you think your zoom binocular is good enough then you should keep using it.

You may get better results with fixed focal length binoculars, but upgrading it will cost money. If you have spare cash, go for it, if you don't just keep using your existing one

[Scopemaster]

Thanks Michael and Keith, just like the Celestron skymaster range, my Celestron UpClose ones have central focusing and the zoom lets me see the craters of the moon. They are ofc porro prism design but not sure if the glass is coated. Im assuming and backed by amazon that they are fully coated BK7 though so this makes for a formidable binocular which can also be used for wildlife observation.

[E621Keith]

I think the Celestron Upclose is marketed for wildlife observation rather than astronomy.

Just in case you are considering the Skymaster as a potential upgrade, you should avoid it. Celestron binoculars are not that great in general. They have one to two good ones, but most are poor. When you buy low cost binocular, consider ones from a big camera brand. They have a reputation to protect, so they often have a better minimum level of quality. Olympus DPS-1 10x50 is a popular choice for budget binocular under £60.

[Scopemaster]

I think the Celestron Upclose is marketed for wildlife observation rather than astronomy.

Just in case you are considering the Skymaster as a potential upgrade, you should avoid it. Celestron binoculars are not that great in general. They have one to two good ones, but most are poor. When you buy low cost binocular, consider ones from a big camera brand. They have a reputation to protect, so they often have a better minimum level of quality. Olympus DPS-1 10x50 is a popular choice for budget binocular under £60.

Thanks again for the heads up, am always happy to learn from other user's experience.

I will bear that in mind if I do but I do think the ones I have are more than functional for astro use...please correct me if I'm wrong.

[E621Keith]

You should keep using yours if you think they are ok.

I was just saying, if you want to upgrade, you should not consider the Celestron Skymaster.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I think the Skymaster is not outright bad, if you understand what you are buying, i.e. an entry level big binocular, with less than the rated aperture (this holds true for many cheap binoculars, in this case they are about 65mm). For myself, I wanted to know whether such a big pair of bins would be a type of instrument I would enjoy using, but I did not want to spend too much finding out. I ordered a Skymaster 15x70, and returned it due to severe miscollimation and a blotch of some black yuck in the left optical path. Quality control is apparently performed by the user (crowd-sourcing in a fancy phrase ). I got a clone (Omegon-branded) in return. Whichever type of cheap (BA-1 type) 15x70 you get (Revelation, Celestron, Omegon, TS) always check it out on arrival. There are good ones, and then there are dud ones.

The Omegons served me well enough for years, and bagged me loads of stuff in South Africa and Australia, and elsewhere. The key point is you can take these anywhere in the world with ease. Having had so much fun for several years, I then got myself a par of Helios Apollo 15x70 HDs, and these are much, much better in all respects, but also a lot more expensive. I bought these because the shortcomings of the Omegon were becoming first apparent, and then annoying. The Omegon is now being used for optical components (the EP bridge broke) and the kids now have a slightly better TS-branded pair, which they love.

[E621Keith]

I think the Skymaster is not outright bad, if you understand what you are buying, i.e. an entry level big binocular, with less than the rated aperture (this holds true for many cheap binoculars, in this case they are about 65mm). For myself, I wanted to know whether such a big pair of bins would be a type of instrument I would enjoy using, but I did not want to spend too much finding out. I ordered a Skymaster 15x70, and returned it due to severe miscollimation and a blotch of some black yuck in the left optical path. Quality control is apparently performed by the user (crowd-sourcing in a fancy phrase ). I got a clone (Omegon-branded) in return. Whichever type of cheap (BA-1 type) 15x70 you get (Revelation, Celestron, Omegon, TS) always check it out on arrival. There are good ones, and then there are dud ones.

...

That pretty much sums up the reason why a beginner should not consider a Skymaster. A 15x70 Skymaster cost £60 on Amazon while an Olympus DPS-1 10x50 cost £50. The chances are the Skymaster will arrive mis-collimated, while the Olympus will work fine. Re-collimating the Skymaster requires stripping down the binocular, which can be too much for a beginner.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

That pretty much sums up the reason why a beginner should not consider a Skymaster. A 15x70 Skymaster cost £60 on Amazon while an Olympus DPS-1 10x50 cost £50. The chances are the Skymaster will arrive mis-collimated, while the Olympus will work fine. Re-collimating the Skymaster requires stripping down the binocular, which can be too much for a beginner.

If I only had the cash for a single pair of bins, the Olympus is much the better deal, I would say; 10x50 is the better bet for a beginner anyway. Regarding collimating bins, you only have to remove the outer rubber cladding of the 15x70s, but it is scary for a beginner. If you do consider cheap 15x70s, it is best to get them from a store where you can test them, or from an online store with a good returns policy.