binoculars Vixen SG 2.1x42 Widefield Binoculars

[sammak127 68]

Having just had a baby (called Lyra) 1 month ago, the telescope is somewhat of a dusty memory at the moment. It was my birthday 2 weeks after the baby was born and my partner bought me a gift on the baby's behalf, of a pair of Vixen SG 2.1x42 Widefield Binoculars.

We live in London with all that entails astronomywise, but even so that is where they got their first test. They are really remarkable. I suppose where we live you can see about 50% of what you might call the main stars of each constellation, but I would say the Vixen's easily up that number by about 10 times. I read a review that described them less as binoculars and more like bionic eyes. That really gets it, because you can see large parts of the sky but in detail as never before.

The focusing takes a bit of getting used to and it is important to get them opened up to exactly the right width for your particular face, but once this is achieved Pleiades for example just pops right out and you can see maybe 10 stars which by the naked eye would have appeared as slightly more than a blur.

Being able to see the whole constellation is so nice and I think it will give me a much better understanding of the skies. Hopefully by the time the baby lets us get back onto the telescope we will have a much better feeling for the geography of it all thanks to these super binoculars.

[ghostdance 928]

They are good aren't they

I'm a Londoner too and was likewise really impressed by the sudden appearance of whole constellations! 

I don't get out of town much but the rare times I do, the Vixens are in my 'essentials' kit for those oh-so-goggleboxing star walks...

 

Edit/ Nice name btw (Lyra) - was it the constellation or His Dark Materials as inspiration?

 

Edited October 18, 2016 by ghostdance

[Paz 2,403]

I've not had a look through these in the field but I saw them at the stoneleigh astronomy show. They felt reassuring heavy - evidently there is a lot of glass!

[sammak127 68]

9 hours ago, ghostdance said:

They are good aren't they

I'm a Londoner too and was likewise really impressed by the sudden appearance of whole constellations! 

I don't get out of town much but the rare times I do, the Vixens are in my 'essentials' kit for those oh-so-goggleboxing star walks...

 

Edit/ Nice name btw (Lyra) - was it the constellation or His Dark Materials as inspiration?

 

Agreed, such a brilliant idea. amazing what 2.1x mag can do... and thanks, yes a bit of both - a cool character and a cool constellation

 

[Charic 2,730]

During my last shopping trip for binoculars in London, I too was introduced to the Vixens, but mid afternoon in a busy London street did not really give me the true astronomy feel that these optics may provide, however, they would probably blow my mind from darker sites up here in Scotland!