Recommend me 10x50s

[DaveS]

Or possible alternatives.

I currently have a pair of Carl Zeiss 7x50 Jenoptem bins that I bought donkey's years ago when I was in my very early 20s and my pupils could accept a 7mm exit beam. Now I'm in my 60s I reckon 5mm might be more like it, meaning I'm only using the central 35mm or so of the lens.

Therefore I was thinking of raising the magnification to 10x to make use of the full aperture of the lenses. As I have astigmatism in both eyes, I need to wear glasses when observing, and my interpupillary distance looks to be about 68mm.

I have a £100 FLO voucher that needs using using fairly quickly so I thought of putting it toward a good, but not extravagant pair.

These will likely be used hand held for casual observing while imaging. I don't mind individual focusing of the eyepieces, and am not sure of the relative merits of Porro vs Roof Prisms.

My location rates SQI 21.66, so fairly dark but not exceptional.

[DaveL59]

I use a pair of Minolta 10x50 classic sport WP with 6.6 degree FoV and quite like them, esp at the bargain used price of £22 that I paid for them

I think generally porro, tho bulky by comparison, will give a brighter image vs roofs at a similar price point. For roof you want dielectric coating on the prisms if going above 8x and costs start to mount. That said the hensolt jagd's 6x42 and Nikon sportstar EX 8x25 do pretty well at night.

Best way would be to try a pair you like really that suit your personal needs and tastes, problem is getting a loaner pair to try at night. For sure try for a pair that are waterproof to avoid fogging issues.

[Jiggy 67]

I’ve just ordered these, they haven’t arrived yet but I did research them and they had good reviews

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/all-binoculars/opticron-adventurer-10x50-t-wp-binocular.html

 

[DaveS]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I've held off replying in case anyone else chimed in. I'd like to get them from @FLO as I have the voucher to use.

[AdeKing]

Check out @BinocularSky website and newsletter. Steve is a man who knows what he's talking about when it comes to Binocs and there are loads of reviews on there.

http://binocularsky.com/binoc_reviews.php

The Opticron Adventurer 10x50 got a good write up.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/classic-binoculars/opticron-adventurer-10x50-t-wp-binocular.html

[DaveS]

Thanks Ade

I've had a look at the Binocular Sky reviews, and I'm rather liking the Pentax 10x50 WP. It gets good marks for optical quality and is well within my budget. I had been looking at the Helios Lightquest HR 10x50, but am not sure how much (If anything) it has over the Pentax for £120 more.

[AdeKing]

2 hours ago, DaveS said:

Thanks Ade

I've had a look at the Binocular Sky reviews, and I'm rather liking the Pentax 10x50 WP. It gets good marks for optical quality and is well within my budget. I had been looking at the Helios Lightquest HR 10x50, but am not sure how much (If anything) it has over the Pentax for £120 more.

I have the Pentax 12x50 and 20x60 and really like them.  Recently did a comparison between the Opticron Oregon 15x70 and the Pentax 20x60 and the view was so much better through the Pentax, the stars through the Oregons were almost like they were defocused with a halo around them compared to pinpricks in the Pentax.

If you go for the Pentax 10x50s I'll be interested to hear how you get on with them as I'm tempted to trade in my Helios Naturesport 10x50s for a pair.

No complaints from me with the ones that I have.

I'm not sure about the Lightquest HR, they give you IF and by the sounds of the blurb, they sound like they might be better constructed.  No ED glass though.

 

[F15Rules]

I second Ade's very sound advice. For me, Pentax can do little wrong, and the 10x50 and 12x50s by them that I had were great, albeit with a fairly narrow fov (c.4.5 - 5.0 degrees as I recall, but pretty typical for 10x50 porros). Very sharp across most of the field, with great contrast.

I also owned the Opticron Adventurer MK1 and the later version (10x50s), and both were very good for the price.

I now have a pair of Opticron SR-GA 8.5x50s (made in Japan) which are excellent, though sadly now  discontinued.

Looking at the FLO site, I think the new version Pentax SP 10x50 WP with Nitrogen purging, waterproofing and the latest lens coatings would be great for you. With your voucher you could buy these for just £49 plus p&p, and these would give you wonderful views day and night.

Good luck with your final decision!😊

Dave

 

[Telescope40]

Hello. 
+1 for the Pentax 12x 50’s as bought from Dave @F15Rules

I still have them.  Nice binos !! 

John 

[F15Rules]

12 minutes ago, Telescope40 said:

Hello. 
+1 for the Pentax 12x 50’s as bought from Dave @F15Rules

I still have them.  Nice binos !! 

John 

Thanks John..👍

..and they have a nice 4.3mm exit pupil for us oldies (I'm 64 in 3 weeks !!😱)

Dave

[Telescope40]

50 minutes ago, F15Rules said:

Thanks John..👍

..and they have a nice 4.3mm exit pupil for us oldies (I'm 64 in 3 weeks !!😱)

Dave

Dave.  Not far behind you fella.  56 and the eyes sometimes don't have it    LOL 

[DaveS]

And I'm 64 in just over a month

[Frank the Troll]

Celestron Ultima DX 9*63 excellent in low light & useable handheld

[F15Rules]

1 hour ago, DaveS said:

And I'm 64 in just over a month

Vintage '56 twins!!👍

[BinocularSky]

18 hours ago, F15Rules said:

Thanks John..👍

..and they have a nice 4.3mm exit pupil for us oldies (I'm 64 in 3 weeks !!😱)

Dave

Just as a data point, I'm coming to the end of orbit #70, and my pupils are still just over 6mm 🙂

On the binos:

• 12x50 is "iffy" to hand hold, IMO - 10x50 is significantly easier.
• The Pentax has a locking focuser, and internal focusing, which lessens the advantage of IF in the Helios LQ
• The Pentax lens caps are, frankly, not fit for purpose. (Why? for a few pence more you could have decent ones.
• The Helios is, to my mind, brighter.
• The Helios has a larger FoV (but the pinpoint sharp field is pretty much the same in both)
• The Helios eyepieces have bigger barrels - less room for your nose.
• Helios has fold-down rubber eyecups ; conform to your nose contours. The Pentax has rigid twist-up.
• Also consider the Nikon Action EX 10x50. If I was starting again, that's probably the one I'd choose (I compared the Nikon and the Pentax in a S@N comparison: https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/reviews/binoculars/6-of-the-best-10x50-binoculars-100-200/ )

HTH

 

[DaveS]

Thanks Steve @BinocularSky. Another possibility that I'm seeing is the Vortex Crossfire 10x50, which you reviewed for S@N. A bit more than the Pentax, but less than the Helios. Argh! More options, and trying to come to some kind of rational decision.

[Nakedgun]

On 23/01/2020 at 13:40, F15Rules said:

Vintage '56 twins!!👍

 

Another 56er, here (August).

Too bad, Dave, these are no longer available:

 

 

OK, so there not waterproof, optically very nice, indeed.

 

 

[pez_espada]

My Fujinon 10x50 together with my Carton 100 F13 are my  two most valuable and loved  pieces of astrogear.

Edited January 25, 2020 by pez_espada

[AdeKing]

On 24/01/2020 at 13:35, BinocularSky said:

Just as a data point, I'm coming to the end of orbit #70, and my pupils are still just over 6mm 🙂

On the binos:

• 12x50 is "iffy" to hand hold, IMO - 10x50 is significantly easier.
• The Pentax has a locking focuser, and internal focusing, which lessens the advantage of IF in the Helios LQ
• The Pentax lens caps are, frankly, not fit for purpose. (Why? for a few pence more you could have decent ones.
• The Helios is, to my mind, brighter.
• The Helios has a larger FoV (but the pinpoint sharp field is pretty much the same in both)
• The Helios eyepieces have bigger barrels - less room for your nose.
• Helios has fold-down rubber eyecups ; conform to your nose contours. The Pentax has rigid twist-up.
• Also consider the Nikon Action EX 10x50. If I was starting again, that's probably the one I'd choose (I compared the Nikon and the Pentax in a S@N comparison: https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/reviews/binoculars/6-of-the-best-10x50-binoculars-100-200/ )

HTH

 

Forgot to add that both or my Pentax pairs, including the 12x50 are normally used on a Monopod or Tripod, but yes the 12x50 are a bit iffy handheld for astro purposes, though I don't find them so bad for general daytime use, probably because I'm not focusing on pinpoints of light. 

The locking focus wheel on the Pentax is very useful, though I do find that quite often it won't lock at exactly the point that I want it to and I have to rotate the focus wheel very slightly in or out to engage the lock.

As Steve says, the Pentax FOV is small compared to other manufacturers, this is also true of the 12x50 and the 20x60 pairs that I have, but I've just got used to it.

I'm looking at stepping up from the Naturesport 10x50s, so may give the Nikon ones a look.

[Telescope40]

49 minutes ago, AdeKing said:

The Pentax lens caps are, frankly, not fit for purpose. (Why? for a few pence more you could have decent ones.

Hello.  Dust caps on the Pentax are poor TBH. Sourced some myself but I do love the binos. 
John 

[DaveS]

I should have added that I'll be using them hand held for grab 'n' go during imaging, so x10 is about as high as I want to go. If my pupils could still accept the full exit pupil of my 7x50 Zeiss Jenoptem bins I wouldn't be looking for anything else.

[andyrawlins]

On 24/01/2020 at 13:35, BinocularSky said:

Just as a data point, I'm coming to the end of orbit #70, and my pupils are still just over 6mm 🙂

On the binos:

• 12x50 is "iffy" to hand hold, IMO - 10x50 is significantly easier.
• The Pentax has a locking focuser, and internal focusing, which lessens the advantage of IF in the Helios LQ
• The Pentax lens caps are, frankly, not fit for purpose. (Why? for a few pence more you could have decent ones.
• The Helios is, to my mind, brighter.
• The Helios has a larger FoV (but the pinpoint sharp field is pretty much the same in both)
• The Helios eyepieces have bigger barrels - less room for your nose.
• Helios has fold-down rubber eyecups ; conform to your nose contours. The Pentax has rigid twist-up.
• Also consider the Nikon Action EX 10x50. If I was starting again, that's probably the one I'd choose (I compared the Nikon and the Pentax in a S@N comparison: https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/reviews/binoculars/6-of-the-best-10x50-binoculars-100-200/ )

HTH

 

Hi Steve - I've just bought the Pentax SP on the basis of your review (excellent site thanks!).  They seem very good but I wonder on the basis of the above whether I  should have got the Nikons.  That S@N link doesn't work any more.  Do you have a copy of the review or could you comment please?

[Stormbringer]

the Nikon actions are excellent binoculars and the 10x50 were the best in 6 of the best review that Steve did

i use the 12x50 and are my go to  bins for quick grab n go 🍻

[Beulah]

Another Pentax fan here.

[SMF]

12 minutes ago, Beulah said:

Another Pentax fan here.

And here. Big fan. Frankly I don’t try and understand much of the technical stuff. Just go with what I like after trying the kit, gut instinct, and I like the Pentax. Had others but something didn’t quite gel. Then I got the Pentax SP 10x50s and just love them, something I can’t describe just slots into place. I too had a pair of Zeiss since childhood. Shame about the Pentax lens caps though, but not a big deal at the end of the day but, yes, for a few quid more I’d have paid for better ones.