Secondhand Super Zenith 10x50

[Pixies]

Got some old bins off of fleabay last week. They were cheap and I had the option to return, so I thought it was worth a punt.

A pair of Super Zenith 10x50s, which I fancied the look of. I know they were pretty common and still a budget choice back then. The optics are very clear and they appear to be well collimated. They wipe the floor with my old bins and I was pretty happy they were a good find.

Tonight I was having a look at Albireo. I couldn't split them cleanly before with my old pair, but tonight with the new ones I could easily. However, what surprised me was how clean the split and how clear the colour difference was. Seeing wasn't great, but the transparency was good.

Never having thought about double-stars and bins, I had a quick read. Albireo at 34" is supposedly easy to split. So I saw that the orange doube 61 Cygni was a wee bit tighter at 30" and checked that out. Again - easily split. This is all with a tripod, by the way.

I then had a look at the Astro league binocular double star program and tried to find a pair with a tighter split that was visible from the back garden. Kappa Hercules (Marsic) as a split of 27" so I tried for that. I managed it too - although a little harder and I think probably at the top end of what I can split.

So I'm pretty chuffed with the new bins. But I have no reference apart from my old ones, which I now realise were pretty poor. Is the above good performance for a pair of 10x50s that are nearly as old as I am?

 

Edited September 13, 2020 by Pixies

[markse68]

They sound very decent if you can split doubles with them! I never tried tripod mounting and can’t handhold steady enough so can’t comment on comparisons but I think i’ll keep an eye out for a bargain pair of these- thanks 😉 Centre field sharpness is everything as far as i’m concerned

[BinocularSky]

Are those the "triple tested" ones? Great no-nonsense binos, and so much better than today's budget offerings.

[Pixies]

Just now, BinocularSky said:

Are those the "triple tested" ones? Great no-nonsense binos, and so much better than today's budget offerings.

Yes. I believe I am doing the third test!

[BinocularSky]

🙂