Binoculars 7x 8x or 10x?

[IB20]

I’d like to upgrade my naff 10x50 Celestrons I bought yonks ago with a pair with better optics. I have found 10x OK but there is a bit of wobble so thinking maybe reduce the weight and mag would help this? 
 

I was looking at these https://www.firstlightoptics.com/all-binoculars/helios-mistral-wp6-42mm-binoculars.html, probably the ED version if a decent improvement? I want them primarily for quick, wide field views of asterisms, easy doubles, constellations, meteor showers, coat hanger etc. Does anyone own a pair of these or should I try any other recommended pairs (similar budget +10%)?
 

Thanks!

[mark81]

I haven't used those particular binoculars before but I have enjoyed the wider field that the 42mm gives... But when using 42's I do find that I miss that little extra light gathering power the 50s offer... But if it's just for quick views of stars and wide field sweeping they should be fine..

But saying that, You might find that the 7x50s would reduce the wobble enough to provide a more stable image..

Mark

[Alien 13]

A popular choice for hand held binoculars are the 8x42 models but for me I stick the the Patrick Moore recommendation of 7x50s..

Alan

[Paz]

I used 10x50 handheld for a long time (but a monocular in my case), and I "upgraded" to 8x42. This has been an improvement for me in comparison to 10x50 when handheld... wider field of view, lighter, smaller, and less vibes.

[DaveL59]

I use my 10x50's on a monopod which helps stability a lot, easier than a tripod and the legs getting in the way. 8x (and lower) is much easier to keep stable and generally may have a wider FoV for scanning the sky. There's always the electronic stabilised Binos but they are pretty pricey and bulky by comparison tho seem to get good reports.

[Ruud]

If you're around  or over 60 or have a light polluted sky, an exit pupil of about 5 mm is preferable over one of 7 mm.

My 8x42's are better than my 7x50 porros: smaller and lighter, optically as good, ergonomically better: easier to pack and  easier to hold still (though for looking up I prefer some form of support).

I have the 8x42 Bresser Everest ED with roof prisms, phase coating and ED glass (€325 when I got them). Should you go for roof prisms, make sure that have phase coating and  ED glass. Over 42 mm roof prism binoculars can have poor edge performance. If you go for large, porro is a better idea.

Identical to the Bresser Everest ED are the Celestron Granite binoculars. Both have gone up in price, making Nikon Monarch 7 8x42s a better deal (starting at €450). I looked through them once and as far as I can tell, the Monarch 7 also have a well corrected wide field, crisp views and equally good edge performance as the Granite and Everest.

There are also a few 8x42 porro prism models. Check what bird sites have to say about what's available these days. Since porross don't need phase coating and have simpler construction, they should be less expensive than roofs of the same quality.

[NGC 1502]

I have 10x50 and 7x50.  The 10x give a “better” view but are tough to adequately hand hold now I’m older, so I prefer using the 7x for a noticeably steadier view.   The large exit pupil is easier to keep my eyes lined up so overall my 7x50s get my vote.   Of course, what suits me may not suit someone else.

If I was buying again then 8x40 would be a strong consideration.

Ed.

[John]

I use 10x50's and also a pair of 8x56's which are rather nice for astronomy. I use porro prism binoculars rather than the roof prism design because I prefer the ergonomics. Is a roof prism as good for astronomy purposes ? - not sure that I know the answer to that one

 

 

[DaveL59]

A good roof works fine but cheaper ones can show a line across the image (the roof edge) when pointed at a bright night-sky object I found. That said my collection is older bins and I'd expect modern ones esp with phase coating would be largely ok but is perhaps something to bear in mind. Having said that I found the Henzoldt Wetzlar Jagd 6x42 and Foton 7x35 give very good views, also the swift 7x35 and Nikon Sportstar 8x25. Can't recall which gave the line in the view now, likely it was DCF's in the Tasco/Practica range that were in a job-lot I bought.

Porro don't give that effect, being a different design with no edge across the image field that roof's have, and generally a brighter image I find as well as being much more affordable compared to a good roof. Like John I tend to prefer the ergonomics of the porro too and perhaps easier to tripod mount than some roof models.

[PeterW]

Get a cheap monopod and trigger ball head so you the hand-holdi NV question goes away: http://binocularsky.com/binoc_mount.php

I find wide 7x are easier to find stuff as it’s less of a jump from naked eye, then 10x and then bigger ones. I got some 10x50ED APM and they are wide and very sharp... but heavy so they need a mount for best stability. If you want to use them in the day as well then a roof might be easier. If you have big pupils and dark skies then an 8x56 or 7x50 might be better, though i prefer wide apparent fields of view and 7x50!tend to be narrow.

 

peter

[Merlin]

•   I  have several specs of bins collected over the years. l solved the shakes problem in two ways. Firstly, I made a triangular frame in aluminium  from someone's discarded Zimmer frame ( I've since made a second one ) and pushed bicycle handlebar grips on the bottom. As  we know, binoculars register every heartbeat, unless we have a cardiac arrest  ( chuckle ), but a holding frame greatly reduces this.  To remove the shakes completely, I constructed a binocular mirror-mount that takes a range of binoculars up to 70mm .

 

[IB20]

Thanks to all the replies, none seem to think it’s a bad idea. I’ve decided to take a punt on them as they get good reviews for terrestrial viewing. Hopefully arrive for some good comet viewing later this week! 

[Rusted]

8x42s are so light you may soon take them everywhere with you. A revelation after heavy 10x50 Porros!
I take my 8x42s on my morning walks and never notice the weight.
8x42s are bright, compact, sharp and easy to handle when spotting birds or wild animals.
Use a short, wide strap to keep them high on your chest and not swinging around as you walk.
8x is like having image stabilization compared to 10x. In my own experience.
The car roof and [damp] elbows provide all the IS I need when looking upwards through binos.

[IB20]

Absolutely delighted with my new bins (Helios Mistral WP6 8x42 ED). Lovely crystal clear colours and wonderfully light. They’ve already been worth every penny with some great views of neowise, Andromeda, Antares and lots of other areas of the sky that I’ve not been able to get at with my dob. Chuffed to bits. 

[IB20]

Just a quick update, the Pleiades and Hyades were absolutely sensational through these last night and genuinely couldn’t count the number of stars in the Pleiades. I also used them to locate Uranus which is 2.87 billion km away. Lovely stuff. 

[gurneyfan67]

I had an old pair of Japanese 7x50s  before purchasing my Pentax 10x50s. The 7x50 gave fine views and had very nice color correction but because of their age were quite heavy. The Pentax do  require a bit more steadying but the extra magnification shows more detail. I gave the 7x50s to friends who live in an area where they have much less light pollution so they work well for them.  I keep my Bushnell 8x42s in the car for terrestrial use but are just fine for quick astro use.