Visionary V1 8.5x42, first decent light, at long last!

[MahlerMoonMan]

Hi guys

Just wanted to share my little bit of excitement last night as I was actually able to do a wee bit of observing with the above pair of binocs that I've only had since May-time!  A combination of lots of cloudy nights and other commitments meant that my good opportunities to view through these 8.5x42s have been very limited ....  Until last night   

Granted, there was a 3/4 moon that certainly tonned-down the sky contrast but I still had a very clear sky to enjoy for half an hour before bed, and at long last get a better feel for the quality of my binocs.  At only around £250 (they didn't cost me that, I got a good deal in a camera shop in Stornoway whilst on holiday!) I know they are no Swarovski ELs, but I was very pleased never the less with the optical quality that I felt I was 'seeing' through these wee bins   

In daylight viewing I was bit concerned with some purple fringing that I was seeing occasionally, depending on how sunny the day was I think ....  But clarity and sharpness was very good, almost right across the 7.1 degree field.  Out under the stars last night I viewed the double cluster in Perseus very clearly and the star fields of Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Cygnus, etc were lovely to gaze at ....  As I become more familiar with binocular viewing I might be able to recognise the objects that I am seeing!  Whilst in Cepheus, around mu - delta, I distinctly noticed a couple of 'fuzzies', but when I checked my Sky & Telescope pocket guide for that area I really couldn't identify what I might have seen ....?    Fuzzy little patches they seemed to me ....  No doubting though that I spotted M13 in Hercules!  Been years since I last saw it (I've not done very much observing for a long time)    But the jewel-box view of the night was the Pleiades cluster in Taurus ...  I have gazed at this cluster many times, and viewed it telescopically but I have never seen it glitter so beautifully and sharply as I did last night!    It really was a stunningly beautiful sight ....  The Hyades 'cluster' below was very attractive too, and the vividness of the Bull's eye was very apparent ....  As I scanned the sky in general I was very pleased at the noticeable differences in colour that I was able to see   

My final viewing was of the moon.  I fully expected to see a noticeable fringe around the  bright edge of our glorious moon but I was very pleasantly surprised to NOT see any noticeable colour fringing, except when I purposely viewed the moon quite close to the edge of the field of view, then it was apparent.  Even the stars were pin-point sharp almost all the way to the edge, I would say a good 80-90% of the field of view appears acceptably sharp, but I'm prepared to revise that in the course of time and further observing experience. 

I should really have made clear very early doors that I am not an optical expert in any way whatsoever, so please, don't anyone rush out and part company with £200+ on a new pair of wee bins on the basis of my experience that I'm happily relating just now ....  Someone else with more expertise, and knowing what they SHOULD be seeing, might have a very different opinion on the optical quality of these 8.5x42s ....  But I am certainly looking forward to more views through my pair, particularly as the moon heads nearer to new and the Autumn night sky get darker, and the Pleiades get higher, and then there's Comet ISON ......     

Clear skies everyone!!!   

Donaldo

[Crebles]

Hi MoonMan, lovely to read your enthusiastic post. Don't worry about good enough / specs and so on - if they're working for you, then I reckon you have it sussed.

I'm working out that binoculars are a very personal thing. I've recently 'upgraded' from 10x50's to some ED glass 8x42's and it was a really good decision. Portable, enjoyable, and great pin-sharp non-wobbly views of starry stuff. Great for quick between-the-clouds viewing, or learning the constellations from a deckchair with an 'Astrobeer' in hand, or for starhopping and making plans when out with the scope and full kit.

I reserve the right to play with other bins and scopes to my hearts content in the future - but right now my bins of choice are giving me lots of pleasure.

Clear skies

Simon, Norfolk

[MahlerMoonMan]

Many thanks Simon,

Glad your enjoying your 8x42 EDs One day that's where I want to be .... I had a good wee session I think with my V1s, some views that have given me much needed confidence that I haven't in-fact bought a pair of low end Chinese duds .... They couldn't have given me the glittering view of the Pleiades that they did and be duds, surely?! Then again, had I viewed the Seven Sisters through your EDs how good would that have looked?!

Yes, I'm pretty pleased with my V1s after the one good viewing so far I've enjoyed .... But more experience required still I think ....

Clear skies

Donaldo