Binocular choice... Pentax or Olympus?

[Kropster]

I am thinking of getting a decent pair of binoculars for casual stargazing whilst my scope is imaging.

So far I am thinking of...

Pentax 10x50 PCF WP II

or

Olympus 12 x 50 EXPS I

They seems very similar.

Does anyone have any experience of either or both?

Thanks

[Charic]

.......10x50 Bins from the charity shop.......?

kropster........They will give the same exit pupil size as the Pentax  5mm (Aperture/Magnification)  with the Olympus  slightly less  at 4.1mm exit pupil.  Same as your scopes, bigger apperture greater light capture, but as maginification increases, the field of view reduces and you cant change the eyepieces on the Binoculars. The advice I received Years ago was to buy a pair of 7x50s for general observation of the constellations,  they give  a decent wide  and bright view and Ive always been happy with my old Bresser Hunter 7x50`s. Ive also owned a pair of Helios `Stella`r 20x80`s. they were good, but heavy, so stability/tracking was a problem ( can be tripod mounted with adaptor) but you could read NATO-OTAN on an AWAC at 24,000 feet handheld just? They were mispriced on purchase , a true bargain, and  I sold them at a profit, but my only reason to sell was the weight and the narrow field of view.

[rowan46]

I have problems holding anything over 10x steady for long periods and in fact prefer 8x for just that reason. nethertheless both sets have a good reputation  The pentax has the waterproof bit which means the inside of your bins will not fog up in the cold

[Kropster]

Thanks for the advice.

I was thinking lower magnification was better, but hadn't seen any 7x50 until I came across the Nikon 7x50 Action EX...similar price point.

I want a decent make that will last and notice the Olympus come with a 25 year (!) guarantee.

Tried charity shop bins and found collimation was all over the place.

[Crebles]

Hi Kropster. I've recently upgraded from Barr & Stroud Sahara 10x50's to a pair of Helios Nirvana ED 8x42's - they're fantastic. Easy to hold steady for long periods (without a tripod), pin-sharp stars, and no chromatic aberration. A joy to use. Well worth a try if you can get your hands on some.

I've started to realise binoculars are a very personal thing, and bucking the trend, rather than go 'bigger' (10x56, 15x70, 20x80 etc), going wider (8x), lighter (Magnesium chassis) and higher optical quality (ED glass) worked for me: I see more because there's less wobble and great optics, and I've a good field of view to orientate myself. If I'm going to bother with a tripod, I may as well get the scope out.

In case you've not discovered it yet, Steve Tonkin's site is well worth a butchers: http://binocularsky.com/

Good luck whatever you decide on.

Simon, Norfolk

[astrofox]

Hi,

I have a pair of Nikon 7x50 Action EX I got before I started astronomy. Fine for terrestial use but when  tried them at night stares where only sharp in the middle 75% of the field. A tad dissapointing considering Nikons generlal optical excelence in photographic field.

Frederick

[Okeydokey]

I'm with Crebles on this, 8 x 42,  mine are Opticrom Sequoiah which may well be a budget offering but they certainly do a good job.  Had a go at a friends 10 x 50's and I had a white spot dancing all over the place in the EP's when trying to look at Vega last night.

[Kropster]

Okeydokey, was it the magnification that was the problem or the weight?