Which binoviewers

[adamw]

I am looking to buy some binoviewers to use with my equinox 120 ed refractor and a skymax 180 mak which I will soon be buying. Can anyone recommend any? I have noticed that some come with a Barlow and some have a 1.25" nosepiece and some a 2", which is best?

[Space Dragon]

Best to go for the WO to start with, the best value for money. Easy to sell on if you want to upgrade or don't get on with binos. You get a barlow and 2 decent 20mm eps as well.

The WO comes with a 1.25 nosepiece, no difference in light but a 2" is more secure in a focuser. You should come to focus in your ED with the barlow.

For the 2 scopes you mention you won't be looking at a wide FOV anyway, so the clear aperture is not as important. The WO and most other entry level binos are around 20mm, the Denks and TVs are around 26/27mm and the Baader MkVs are 28mm but the costs go up considerably.

Another good option is the Baader Maxbright, it uses a T2 Prism Diagonal system which keeps the light path as short as possible. All the bits and pieces do add up though but it is a well thought out and flexible system.

Just keep in mind with the ED and the Mak you'll have a tight FOV but great fro planets and doubles and white light solar.

I managed to get a 2º FOV out of my 152mm refractor with a larger aperture bino, short light path so no barlow and 24mm pans. 

And it rocks.

[adamw]

Thanks for that. I am going to go for the maxbrights. I have had a look and I can get the baaders with a 2” nosepiece for £219 from green witch.

[Space Dragon]

Which scope are you thinking of using it with the most ?

If it's the ED you may need a barlow/ocs depending on which diagonal you are planning to use.

The Baader T2 prism diagonal has a light path of only 38mm whereas the typical path through a 2" diagonal is nearer 80mm.

A 1.25" diagonal would be better than a 2" for reaching focus but the ideal is the T2 Prism diagonal as the Binos screw directly on and the 2" nosepiece goes in the focuser.

If you buy the 2" nosepiece for use with a normal diagonal, it would have to be a 2" diagonal, with a long light path.

I have no experience of binos in a Mak though, so this maybe different.

I can get complicated but the Maxbrights are a good starting point.

[AstroJOE]

I have the WO bino viewers which I use in a C11 nowadays but when I first bought them I used them in a 127 Mak. I wasn't hugely blown away by the DSO's (more to do with the Mak than the bino's) but Saturn and Jupiter looked awesome through them. Almost 3D. So I'd happily recommend the WO ones. Sorry but I have no experience of the Baader's.

[teleskopjo]

WO as well and find them excellent but having said that I have never tried out any other brand so cannot really comment.

But I have to say that you cannot imagine how much more comfortable viewing is when looking with both eyes! I have to try them out on the full Moon sometime!