Better binos for stargazing?

[Froglord]

I've just been out for a quick stargazing session with my binoculars, which I bought years ago for general daytime use. They're Bushnell Powerviews, 10x42.

I was wondering if I could get a significantly better set of dedicated astro binoculars in the 10x50 format for, say, £100-200. Or should I save my cash and stick with what I've got? (I realise this might be a silly question - it's always fun spending other peoples' money!)

[Neil_104]

10x50s are certainly the most common size when it comes to astro binoculars and this is what I use. Anything too much larger is probably going to cause you to tire more quickly when observing if just hand-holding them.

In terms of whether you'll see a massive difference between 10x42 and 10x50, I'm not too sure. If you currently had 8x42s then I'd say yes since you're getting an increase in mag and aperture. But just an extra 8mm alone, well, it must make an improvement I guess since we all know aperture rules! Perhaps if your current binos have inferior coatings and the new 10x50s have better coatings then this could certainly make a difference.

Not sure if any of this helped much? 🙂

As for my next pair of binos, I'm keen to try the 3D SpaceWalker binos by Russ Lederman which are 8x42s and give a depth of field effect due to a special optical array in one of the eyepieces.

[Alex Mac]

My Pentax 10x50s are noticeably better than my Nikon 12x40s, but I think that's down to better optics than the extra light gathering.

[Froglord]

53 minutes ago, Neil_104 said:

Perhaps if your current binos have inferior coatings and the new 10x50s have better coatings then this could certainly make a difference.

Yes, I was wondering if astro binos might have coatings that better suit night-time use, or if there might be other factors besides aperture - such as gas purging or ED glass - that would make a significant difference.

[Stormbringer]

i have 2 sets of 10x50 bins 

Nikon action EX 10x50 and the Opticron I Magic 10x50

Both are good sets but i find i prefer the Nikons they just seem to me to have an edge over the opticrons

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/opticron-binoculars/opticron-imagic-tga-wp-50mm-binoculars.html

https://www.parkcameras.com/shop/nikon-action-ex-10x50-waterproof-binoculars_3770340

[Froglord]

Thanks for the input, guys. I went for the Nikon Action EX 10x50s. They're a definite step up from the Bushnells - sharper, brighter, wider field and better control of chromatic aberration.

[Stormbringer]

glad your enjoying them mate 👍

[Froglord]

5 minutes ago, Stormbringer said:

glad your enjoying them mate 👍

I'm glad they're such a marked improvement over my previous pair. My only criticism so far is how stiff the caps are for the eyepieces and objectives. Have yours loosened up a bit with use?

[Stormbringer]

they loosened up a wee bit but still tight but better tight than loose as they wont fall off 

[Froglord]

On 27/02/2023 at 12:07, Stormbringer said:

they loosened up a wee bit but still tight but better tight than loose as they wont fall off 

I'm finding it helps to screw the eyeguards all the way back down and widen the binoculars a tad.