Tento/Kronos 20x60 Russian Binoculars

[starscy]

This brief review was made for the Tento 20x60 Russian Binoculars. These are no longer available, but should be identical with the newer Kronos that although available are difficult to find. The binoculars are made entirely of metal and have a rough surface that makes holding them more convenient than rubber armour. They seem to be using BAK4 prisms as the exit pupils are perfectly round although rather small. They are not too heavy to hold and optically they show a yellow tint that is more evident during the day. The binoculars are very sharp in the center of the field of view and show a lot of detail on the Moon, but also some faint ghost images. Stars show no obvious false colour and are pinpoints for most of the field of view. Targets such as the crescent phase of Venus, the moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn are not difficult even when hand holding them. Stargazing in a clear dark summer night through the Milky Way with these binoculars is simply breath-taking. They are probably a better choice than 20x60 or 15x70 binoculars coming from China and selling at a similar or even higher price.

[argonaut]

Thanks for the review,it was interesting reading. I've not looked through these binos. So I couldn't say if the Chinese imports are not as good.

There are some excellent optics coming out of China these days. It all depends how much you want to pay for quality and the control of it.

Please do a observing report on these.

Thanks,

Glen.

[GazOC]

I owned some Tento 20x60 a few years back and they were optically very good but I wasn't the first owner and they'd been "in the wars" (perhaps literally given their origin) so I sold them on to fund a pair of 15x70s.

The 15x70s wern't as good optically but I think the spec is better suited to astronomy esp. if you want to use the binos unmounted as I did. I find x15 managable but x20 was just too much for me.

[argonaut]

Hi Gaz,

I find anything over 10x difficult to hold steady. I do on occasion though lay down with my 15x70's and do some sweeping through the Milky Way.

Glen.

[GazOC]

I agree Glen, I think 15x70 are usuable rather than ideal but the extra apeture over my 10x50 is welcome on a lot of objects. The 20x60s were just too much mag for me altogether.

I used to have a pair of 30x80s that I'd use by lying flat on the floor and letting my eye sockets take the strain.

[argonaut]

My wife draws the line at picking slugs off my back in the Summer

I've always been tempted to have a look at the Canon IS. I think I'll stick to what I've got.

Glen.

[starscy]

I have seen the Kronos 20x60s on sale for $169 and I also had the opportunity to try some Chinese 15x70s with BAK4 prisms and broadband coatings selling at approximately the same price. The Chinese showed brighter images and more natural colours in daylight, but they also showed more false colour when viewing bright stars, more ghost images when viewing the Moon and bright objects and stars looked as points of light only near the center of the field of view. If someone pays twice or more the price he would probably find a better pair, but for the same amount of money it will be difficult.

[argonaut]

$169 is certainly hard to beat.

I must admit I don't like CA myself. I only have a ghost image in the left tube of my GT100's. No ghost's in anything else I own. Even Fujinon's show ghost images and they are way out of my price bracket.

Clear Skies.

Glen.

[starscy]

Last night the sky was far from perfect, but I went out anyway with the 20x60s to do some observing. I first pointed the binoculars to Arcturus only to remember one of the reasons I really like them. Using these I can actually see the real colour of stars! Last time I pointed some Chinese 15x70s to Sirius it looked like a small comet having the colours of the rainbow. In less than a minute of searching in Ursa Major I found M81 and M82. M81 appeared brighter and larger in size, but M82 was not difficult. My next target was somehow a disappointment as I could not see M101 although I am sure I was looking at the correct area. I will have to check this again on a better night. I then pointed the binoculars low above the east horizon in Hercules and spotted M13. I am sure I could see some individual stars in the outer regions of the cluster. I wanted to try some more nearby targets, but the sky was getting cloudy so I gave up for another night.