Looking 15X70/16X70 binoculars.

[tico]

Hello,
Right now I am looking for information on some binocular of the type 15X70 / 16x70, Helios Apollo, Orion Resolux.TS, Omegon Argus or Lunt ..., I imagine that all of them will be very similar.
My intention is to use them as an astronomical instrument for a wide field, to observe large celestial fields, big nebulas, star clusters, Milky Way, ..., with some tripod (because the image trembles even with 8X) or even with some monopod ...

I read in some posts that even it´s possible use nebular filters to observe nebulas .. !!! I love this type of object, although I imagine that this can only be possible under very dark skies.

The reality is that I usually observe under skies say "suburban" and I would really like to know if the 15X70 /16x70 model  would give good results under these skies ..

I do not observe with glasses ... in your opinion these binoculars have enough eye relief for a comfortable observation without kidney beam or blackout problems?

thanks for reading me
Tico

[Knighty2112]

I’ve just got a pair of Celestron Skymaster 25x70 binos in the UK at a steal of a price, and they work excellently too. Bring out plenty of fuzzies up there, even in my light polluted back garden.  

[BinocularSky]

Some of those reviewed on my website. Link in sig.

[Ben the Ignorant]

21 hours ago, tico said:

The reality is that I usually observe under skies say "suburban" and I would really like to know if the 15X70 /16x70 model  would give good results under these skies ..

Yes. Look for the regions of the sky where light pollution and haze are the strongest, avoid those and observe in the other regions. Try to be positioned so direct light from street lamps, windows and such are not in your peripheral vision because even lateral light is an annoyance when stargazing. My microvave oven's screen doesn't shine that bright but when I stargaze from the window (did that last night with a 16x70) close to it the glow bothers me and lessens my dark adaptation. So I cover it and that helps. Don't underestimate stray light, avoid it, and urban or suburban stargazing can be quite enjoyable.

[mark81]

Totally agree with @Ben the Ignorant about stray light. Even though I live in a rural area I do have a street lamp out front and simply standing behind a wall or even a tree can really block out the light.

As for the bins, they will all be great for what you want.  I have tried the Helios Stella ii at 10.5x70 which are fantastic and I found easy enough for handheld if you want a quick scan around. The Helios Apollos are much heavier and will demand a tripod at all times. The Stellas also cone in 15x70 I believe.  

I'd you are going to tripod mount, why not go for a pair of 80mm. This will open up so many objects and the boost in mag will bring many of them to life 

Mark

Edited September 5, 2019 by mark81

[tico]

Mark, 

You're really right, sometimes, I think about it, effectively if I'm always going to use a tripod because I don't go for more aperture, for example, an 80...or a 100..but maybe these already think too much, I mean, the difference in manageability is much greater than the advantage in resolution or luminosity ? I don't know, I'm not very clear..., on the other hand those 4 degrees in the visual field of the 16x70 would lose them with the larger models..
Tico

[mark81]

3 minutes ago, tico said:

Mark, 

You're really right, sometimes, I think about it, effectively if I'm always going to use a tripod because I don't go for more aperture, for example, an 80...or a 100..but maybe these already think too much, I mean, the difference in manageability is much greater than the advantage in resolution or luminosity ? I don't know, I'm not very clear..., on the other hand those 4 degrees in the visual field of the 16x70 would lose them with the larger models..
Tico

That's true. I think we can all find good points and bad points about any setup. The tricky part is deciding what's best for you ...

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I have used my former Helios Apollo 15x70s (which were a huge step up from my old Omegon 15x70 (of same type as Celestron Skymaster)), and now use a pair of Helios LightQuest 16x80s to great effect from my fairly good but still suburban skies. Great fun.

[tico]

Then, there is much difference between this two binoculars?

Tico.

[Mr niall]

I've got a pair of Celestron Skymaster 15x70s that I'm about to sell but I haven't got round to it yet. I've got the Opticron heavy duty tripod adapter too. I don't think I'd want much for them - probably about £35 (and a couple of quid for postage)? If they'd be of interest to you let me know. Just a thought, no probs if not I'll just stick them in the classifieds.

I love them but really wanted something hand held so bought a pair of 10x50s, definitely noticed the drop in aperture but they're a bit easier handheld. It was my intention to do the whole messier list from my back garden but when I realised I could only just about make it M51 and M101 with a 12" dob then... well it kind of put a stop to that though. Hoovered up at least 30 or 40 though even from light polluted skies. M81 and 82 were a nice surprise.

Edited September 7, 2019 by Mr niall

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

On 07/09/2019 at 16:15, tico said:

Then, there is much difference between this two binoculars?

Tico.

Sorry for a late response. The Helios LightQuest 16x80 is a real step up from the Helios Apollo 15x70. The latter was my workhorse for many years, and if you get one you will certainly not regret it. It give really good view over most of the field, and is built like a tank. Only at the edge of the field is there any (modest) deterioration of the image quality. The LightQuest 16x80 weighs essentially the same, but grabs 30% more light, and is better corrected at the edge of the FOV. Where the Apollo shows M36, M37, and M38 as slightly granular smudges (as did the Vixen ARK 16x80s I had briefly), the LightQuest 16x80 resolved the brighter stars within them quite easily. Despite being bigger but no heavier than the Apollo, they still feel very solid indeed, and handle just as easily as the Apollo 15x70.