Bino-viewers .. I'm just curious

[emadmoussa]

I see a lot of these on ABS mostly up for sale, which makes me wonder about their practicality and usefulness.

I never got along with binoculars 'cause they made me a bit vertiginous - I'm assuming I'll encounter the same with bino-viewers. Let alone you'll always need a double for your used eyepieces and hence double the cost?

I'm just curious what people think of these.

[LukeSkywatcher]

I was curious about a zoom EP,so i bought the Baader 8-24mm zoom. Its worked out brilliantly. I'd love to try a bino-viewer but not sure it would pay its way. Cant see myself investing in one.

[ian_bird]

I have the WO Bino viewer. It comes with two 20mm eyepieces.

Awesome!!!! And then some.

Cheers

Ian

[astrokoma]

I used to own a WO set also....

I sold it because i was boring to install it everytime i was at the right target, BUT... i really miss the view of those globular clusters, the moons "3D" like details, and

the "relief" of the bright DSO's.

[Stargazer_00]

The problem with bv that I had was they struggle to come to focus in reflectors without Barlow. They always showed very high magnifications only and therefore I couldn't view dso with them as the true field was too narrow.

[emadmoussa]

Humm..like I thought!

[John]

The problem with bv that I had was they struggle to come to focus in reflectors without Barlow. They always showed very high magnifications only and therefore I couldn't view dso with them as the true field was too narrow.

That was the problem I had with them too. The views were spectacular mind, when I did find focus.

I reckon they are better used in SCT's / Mak-Casses where you have loads of focuser travel. I can see the attraction but in different scopes than mine.

[emadmoussa]

So, basically if I use them with a C8, C.9.25 or C11 they'll achieve focus, but with other telescopes, be fracs or reflectors - they won't?

[Stargazer_00]

They will/should achieve focus, yes. But I also believe the BVs themselves act like a barlow by increasing the magnification and therefore reducing the field of view.

I put a 32mm plossl in my dad's 127 Mak and pointed at a distant roof top. I recall seeing 5 roof tiles edge to edge.

I then put in the WO BVs with 2x 32mm plossl eyepieces, found focus without barlow and looked at the same rooftop, 1 and a half tiles were in view only.

So that concludes to me the BVs themselves reduce the field of view by increasing magnficiation. As 32mm was the lowest magnification eyepiece I could get in 1.25" I felt the FOV was too narrow even if I went out and bought a short focal length Mak like a 127 or a 6" SCT.

I'd suspect with a long focal length like the SCTs you list the views would be very high magnification and narrow FOV.

[brantuk]

When they're set up correctly in the right scope the view becomes almost 3D and highly immersive. Awesome! - I love 'em - but it's a personal thing and, before buying any, it's best to find a friend with a set and try them out first - some folks don't get on with them. Hth

[Peter Drew]

It's "horses for courses", on lunar and planetary, binoviewers are outstanding, for DSO's they tend to be disappointing other than on the brighter examples.

[emadmoussa]

Mmm..I'm actually tempted now..mainly for planetary.

[Stargazer_00]

When I tried them on the moon in my old 10" dob the views were incredible, for sure. They were also very pleasing on Jupiter from what I remember.

If I ever see an affordable pair of Denkmeiers come up and I have an excess of cash I might be tempted again. Denks usually go for an awful lot of money though.

[emadmoussa]

I noticed that the William Optics bundle is the most popular..

[Stargazer_00]

on AB&S?

[emadmoussa]

I've seen it before on ABS, but not recently. But upon Googling it, it seems like the most desired out there. I stand corrected.

[emadmoussa]

How does it perform in the C11? I understand SCTs are best suited for this item?

[John]

I've seen it before on ABS, but not recently. But upon Googling it, it seems like the most desired out there. I stand corrected.

Like most things, there are clones of the WO's available for the same or less £'s. The Denkmeiers and a few other premium brands are a step up in performance and price. I had a pair of the WO's for a short while while I played around with them and they seemed quite well made. The prisms seemed limited in aperture so there was no point in using eyepieces with a field stop of more than around 18mm I reckon - something like a 25mm plossl. I guess the more expensive ones address this and have larger prisms ?

If you bought a used pair of the WO's for a decent price you could sell them on pretty easily with no or little loss if they are not for you. Thats what I did.

[Stargazer_00]

How does it perform in the C11? I understand SCTs are best suited for this item?

I really couldn't say. My advice would be buy from AB&S and if you don't like them resell them for little/no loss.

[Dude_with_the_tube]

i was tempted by bino viewers too at one stage as i managed to have a peak through them on my friends 6" refractor and the views where breath taking. spoke to the guys from the astro shop and basically they said that if you have a newt or dob dont buy them as you will struggle with the focusing issue as Graham mentioned above and as such you will loose the whole idea.If however you have SCT or refractor,go for them as the views are awesome.So at the end,i never bought them

[CSM]

I have the Williams Optics binoviewer and it comes with 20mm 66Afov eyepieces, so no problem with small field of view. I've really only used in on the Moon and with my 150mm Celestron NexStar the view is really spectacular compared with a single eyepiece. Great for showing friends, etc. Am more an imager now but when I get the chance I will be using them more. There is a loss of light with these and it is generally reckoned that you need at least an 8in before the extra 'brain compensation' that you get from using 2 eyes instead of one kicks in - except for the brighter objects like the Moon and planets. I would think that a C11 would perform very well.