Opticron Adventurer II WP 12x50 or 10x42 Binoculars?

[Krum40]

I have spend decades dreaming to see the stars with my own eyes. Then life took over. But my kid just kicked my dream awake and I am ready to buy a stargazing binoculars + tripod.

We live in the most light-polluted area of Europe, so we will probably use it on vacations on some beach or mountain slope. Meaning portability is important (so I skipped the 15x70 and alike), and our use will not be that regular so I am not sure if we would care much about resolving a double star somewhere.

I can't find the Opticron Adventurer T WP 10x50 that Mr. Tonkin so highly recommends.

I can get same series Opticron Adventurer T WP 12x50 (porro) or the roof prism Opticron Adventurer II WP 10x42. Price is about the same (€104 vs €112).  Mr. Tonkin rated 10x42 as a good starter bino, but the rave was not there - 4/5 stars.

I can't make my mind because I don't know:

1) Will the aperture x42(roof) vs x50(porro) make a difference? I think I want to see the planets, Andromeda, some Messier objects, maybe famous constellations., maybe more - haven't done that part of my homework.

2) Is the 10(roof) vs 12(porro) magnification of noticeable importance?

3) Mr. Tonkin's review is about the 10x50 porro so I am not sure if the 12x50 (porro) will be of the same quality, specifically if there will be any internal stop, so I buy a 50mm but actually have 42mm anyway. What do you think?

4) The advantage of the 12x50 (porro) is that its minimal IDP is really well fitting my kids eyes = 53mm, while the 10x42(roof) IDP is 57. Will these 4mm make a difference?

5) The 10x42(roof) is watertight and argon filled and the 12x50 (porro) is just splash-proof. Does it really matter for cold winter nights?

6) Is there a better prism for stargazing at this level - porro vs roof?

7) Or maybe I should skip both of these and go for BRESSER Spezial Jagd 11x56 Porro Binoculars (€116), but 50% heavier and bigger? Or go for cheaper Gosky 10x42 Roof Prism (€68), or? (Yes, I am in paralysis by analysis state ) 

I know the questions are very detailed but I would very much appreciate some wisdom from people that have experience - I have not held a binocular in my hands ever.

 

Edited November 25, 2020 by Krum40

[Stormbringer]

Flo has the 10x50 

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

[DaveL59]

Most find that 7x or 8x are easier to hand hold, 10x is workable but above that you really need to stabilise with a mono/tripod else the view can be hard to enjoy. The Opticron roof should be good and if you intend multi-use for hikes etc they are more compact in shape so easier to carry. Ideally aim to get a waterproof bino, either roof or porro as nights can result in dew forming on them.

Not sure how good the Bresser Jagd are, best to confirm in store that they are properly aligned (well in all cases do this) as if they are the ones that sometimes appear here in stores like Aldi/Lidl then a fair few are apparently not. Double vision you might be able to accommodate in daytime use but at night it really won't work. 

No experience of Gosky, similar to Gskyer I expect which I've seen that brand a lot on ebay for scopes and binos, I'd expect they are not the best but I could be wrong.

An alternative for you might be Olympus, the DPS range is pretty good. 

Edited November 24, 2020 by DaveL59

[Tiny Clanger]

I took the same advice you have read, and bought the Opticron Adventurer 10x50 T WP Binoculars (and a suitable bracket ) when they were in stock 3 months ago (from Tringastro, not FLO who had sold out) I like the binoculars a lot, but need to have them on a support to keep them steady .  For portability I use a monopod + ballhead, but I see you are intending to use a tripod. That's a good idea so you can set them up and lock the tripod head to let your child see what you found ... you may find you have to kneel or sit to get yourself low enough to match their eye level though ! Be aware that a ball head on the tripod will be less annoying than a pan/tilt one, as the ball head doesn't have  protruding handles to get in the way.

I have no experience of the other binoculars you mention, so I'm afraid I can't help you with those.

[BinocularSky]

12 hours ago, Krum40 said:

I can't find the Opticron Adventurer II WP 10x50 that Mr. Tonkin so highly recommends.

Ah, that could be because the binocular I so highly recommend is the Opticron Adventurer T WP 10x50, not the II WP 🙂. It's temporarily out of stock at FLO (link in the review to which you hyperlinked), but if you go to that page, they currently have an "open box" one at reduced price. Absolute snip!

Edited November 25, 2020 by BinocularSky

[Krum40]

58 minutes ago, BinocularSky said:

Ah, that could be because the binocular I so highly recommend is the Opticron Adventurer T WP 10x50, not the II WP 🙂. It's temporarily out of stock at FLO (link in the review to which you hyperlinked), but if you go to that page, they currently have an "open box" one at reduced price. Absolute snip!

Ah, yes - late night - I made a mistake I meant i can get  Opticron Adventurer T WP 12x50. I will check the open box

[BinocularSky]

1 minute ago, Krum40 said:

Ah, yes - late night - I made a mistake I meant i can get  Opticron Adventurer T WP 12x50. I will check the open box

12x50 is a bit too much to hand-hold, and also less bright than the 10x50.