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Show Us Your Binoculars.


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OK enough about scopes already!!!!!!!!.

I know most of us have at least one set of bins which we keep by our side while out observing (usually 10x50). Binocular astronomy is and always has been my 1st love. I always end each scope observing session with a bin session.

Here are my main bins: Strathspey 20x90 and Strathspey 10x50:

post-5361-0-46415200-1433262399.jpgpost-5361-0-39842500-1433262408.jpg

To be honest i cant remember why i started buying Strathspey bins (maybe someone online said have a look, and i liked the price). I do know why i still buy Strathspey bins (bought my 10x50 a couple of months back) and its because John who owns the company is such a great guy to deal with. Each time i bought from him, he sent me an email a few weeks later asking me how i am getting on with the bins, and he even shipped out the 20x90 to me when i bought them even though i owed him an extra 20 quid for P&P (which i did send him). That to me is top quality service and after sales customer care. TH did the same when i bought my 8115 tripod.

FLO are just as great. Most of my gear is from FLO.

I digress..................

Show us your bins.

Edited by LukeSkywatcher
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Binoculars refreshed my interest in astronomy after a long pause. They are great for learning and appreciating the sky! 

@moringlboy: nice bins! I have been thinking about buying an 8x42 like yours myself.  :rolleyes:

Edited by pdp10
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Introducing the Bin Family in formation...excepting Cousin Revelation Astro 15x70 who is going to market, where he'll shortly be joined by the Strath 7x50s :)

Steve

Back row L-R, The Elders: Helios Aquila 10x50, Tento 20x60, Helios Quantum4 15x70, Strathspey Marine 7x50, Tento 7x35

Centre stage, The Babbies: Vixen 2.1 SG and Rand Royal View 3x (near useless for stargazing, but dead cute nonetheless and pretty good optics).

Somewhere in the house is also a pair of Canon 8x23's but they've gone temporarily awol...

(eek, they all need a good clean!)

post-37702-0-42585800-1433343702_thumb.j

Edited by ghostdance
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I seem to use my binoculars for virtually all my observing nowadays (a case of two poor eyes propping each other up). Here is a photo of my Helios Apollo 15x70's, I use them with a one piece bracket and red led finder and a Vanguard Tracker 4 heavy duty tripod. They are my mainstay and despite the heavy tripod are quite movable.

post-23098-0-00233400-1433524243_thumb.j

And my two Pentax binoculars the 10x50 and 20x60-

post-23098-0-93575900-1433524409_thumb.j

For my 60th my dear wife bought me some Vixen 81mm binoculars (BT81S-A) that stand on the Vixen SXG-HAL 130 tripod, fork mount and plate which can have their eyepieces swapped to give magnifications of between x19 and x48 and varying FOV's. M45 looks magnificent through them at x19. I must get to take a photograph of these binoculars next time I use them.

Cheers,

Steve

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Hi ghostdance, I don't think I could properly use the binoculars without the finder. I use my bins on a tripod and the combined bracket and finder make everything so much easier to locate. Some of the combined brackets/finders on the Internet do not have a variable intensity red led like mine do so they can be too bright in use also right now some vendors don't have any in stock. I've found that mounted on the Tracker 4 tripod I can view up to the zenith.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Steve

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Not much of collection to speak of really:

Some Williams Optics 10x50 (nice views but military build quality means they are rather heavy 1.6KG!!)

WO7x50Binocular.jpg

Swift 20x80 (again rather heavy & better used on a tripod)

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and a group of cheap 10x50's from Prinz, Bresser, Boots etc. These to be honest get more use because they are lightweight.

Edited by laser_jock99
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Is it wrong to be in lust with those Vixens?. How much for the whole rig in the image?.

He he no it's not wrong to lust after them but I had to wait until I was 60 and a certain lady in my life bought them for my birthday. Certainly an arm and a leg (or two) cost-wise but I have poorly eyes and I find binoculars are better for me than telescopes for viewing so not the excess it may appear.

Cheers,

Steve

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The Vixens are indeed little sweeties, Damian! Beautifully made to boot. Just wish I had darker home skies so they could work their full magicke :)

SteveN - your Vixens and mine must be the mother and baby of the range! I too had lustful thoughts seeing yours...

Steve

Edited by ghostdance
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Those Vixens look absolutely superb Steve. Ive considered on more than one occasion selling up some gear and plumping for something like that. To date I've resisted, but must admit your setup has reignited my interest!

I've only two instruments at the minute, the 10x50 Fuji, and the 20x110 Helios Apollo. I had to offload some kit recently (including my 15x70 Helios Apollo) when two large kitchen appliances gave up the ghost within weeks of each other! This one I will be replacing at the earliest opportunity.

post-11833-0-50364600-1433842205_thumb.j

post-11833-0-30822800-1433842173_thumb.j

post-11833-0-91158900-1433842397_thumb.j

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post-358-0-22636000-1433851250_thumb.jpg

1. Miyauchi Bj-100 20/37x100

2. Helios Apollo 15x70

3. Oberwerk Ultra 10x50

4. Opticron BGA 10x42

5. Vortex Raptor 6.5x32

6. VixenSG 2.1x42

post-358-0-59709600-1433851225_thumb.jpg

7. Strathspey 15x70 (actually 15x62.5)

8. Strathspey Marine 10x50 (actually 10x41)

9. Frank Nipole 10x50 (yes that is a hinge-mount tripod adaptor fixed to it)

10. Zenith 10x50 (belonged to my late father-in-law -sentimental value only)

11. No-name (well, would you admit to it?) 12-60x70 (actually ?-??x49) zoom - with "the latest ruby coatings" possibly the worst binocular I've ever had the misfortune to look through. Kept for when I give talks, as an example of everything to avoid. No, I didn't buy it; it was donated.

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I seem to use my binoculars for virtually all my observing nowadays (a case of two poor eyes propping each other up). Here is a photo of my Helios Apollo 15x70's, I use them with a one piece bracket and red led finder and a Vanguard Tracker 4 heavy duty tripod. They are my mainstay and despite the heavy tripod are quite movable.

attachicon.gifIMG_1876.JPG

And my two Pentax binoculars the 10x50 and 20x60-

attachicon.gifIMG_2073.JPG

For my 60th my dear wife bought me some Vixen 81mm binoculars (BT81S-A) that stand on the Vixen SXG-HAL 130 tripod, fork mount and plate which can have their eyepieces swapped to give magnifications of between x19 and x48 and varying FOV's. M45 looks magnificent through them at x19. I must get to take a photograph of these binoculars next time I use them.

Cheers,

Steve

Hi Steve,

Love your set-up! I haven't thought of using an LED finder with my bins - yours sounds great! Which make/model is it?

Cheers,

Wayne.

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