Why, oh why do you monoview?

[The60mmKid]

I love binoviewing, and I need help rationalizing why monoviewing is a valid idea. I recently bought a unique telescope that performs amazingly and presents only one drawback: it isn't binoviewer friendly. Now, this isn't a "how do we get the telescope to work with a binoviewer" thread. This is a "why do you monoview" thread.

Tell me, please...

[knobby]

Cost and weight ?

[Littleguy80]

I’m yet to delve into the world of binoviewing. The main incentive to do so would be to reduce the impact of floaters for lunar and solar. Perhaps a more relaxed observing experience for those. However, I believe mono is regarded as being more effective for DSO’s and planetary, at least in terms of fine detail. There’s also the additional cost element which has stopped making the move so far. 

[jjohnson3803]

I occasionally have trouble merging images in my binos, usually when I'm tired, but not always.  At those times, I monoview through one barrel of my binos.  I don't see much value in me getting a BV for my scopes.  Plus I'd need to duplicate my EPs, etc.

 

[John]

I've tried binoviewing quite a few times over the years with my scopes. I just didn't get on with them. I got the images to merge OK but I'm just more comfortable observing with the one eye. Also, my eyepiece tastes are for hyper-wides and super-wides such as Ethos and Pentax XW's so it would get expensive to have to double up on those.

I'm not a huge user of binoculars for astronomy generally actually although I do have some nice 11x70's.

Shame really because I read quite a lot about how many folks do find binoviewing extremely rewarding. It's just not for me, alas 😔

This is the last time I tried it - my 130mm triplet with William Optics binoviewers which FLO loaned me with another scope:

 

 

[Mr Spock]

No matter which binoviewers I've looked through over the years they just don't work. I can never get the images to match and I just lose detail. I honestly don't know how others use them - but obviously they do.

Plus they aren't suitable for most Newts.

[globular]

I binoview when picking out fine details at high magnification.

Everything else looks better to my eye(s) when framed in a wide FOV EP - which just don't work in binoviewers.

So I do a bit of both.

[Franklin]

Watching a satellite shadow transit across the disk of Jupiter with binoviewers, when all set up correctly, is something else. I've done mono all my life and will continue to do so but have recently given binoviewers a go and when all set up right, they are a game changer, for planetary and luna/solar. But, getting them set up is a real royal pain in the proverbial, for me anyway. I suppose if I had a home observatory and my scope permanently set up I could just leave the binoviewers in place but having to set up and take down every time a gap in the cloud appears means I only get the bino's out for "special occasions". There are many pro's for binoviewing, whether it's worth the hassle is up to the individual.

[Richard N]

Mono was good enough for Galileo so I will stick with it. But seriously I use small telescopes and the light loss is not appealing. And the cost. 

[Alan White]

I do both, encouraged to give Binoviwers ago by some of the maestros here on SGL.

I find binoviweres harder to use than normal binoculars oddly, but not enough to cause an issue.
But as others have said if tired, then the Binoviewers stay in the box.

Lunar with a Binoviwer is very 3d and quite something.

If I had to give anything up, it would be the Binoviewer and BV eyepieces as its an addition rather than the main game for me.

Monoviews, well thats how I started and no doubt will end my Astro journey.

[JeremyS]

I’ve had success with binoviewers on planets but it’s yet another thing to fiddle when when setting up and breaking down.

Not had much success with DSOs.

[RobertI]

I pretty much exclusively binoview for moon, sun and planets, it’s been a game changer for me, at least with the scopes that can take it. It’s much easier to stay at the eyepiece(s) for long periods to reveal the detail. For deep sky? Yes and no, at least with my BVs. Brighter stars have a “speckled” quality, so doubles not so nice as cyclops, although the splitting power seems the same. Lower power views of galaxies and nebulae are fine, but I feel less contrast than cyclops, perhaps due to the light loss through all those prisms. Globulars and open clusters are great and probably the best DSOs for binoviewing in my opinion. Downsides for BV are I cannot get lower than around 70x mag due to long light path, restricted clear aperture, etc. I have looked at ways to achieve much lower power but it seems expensive. So for now it’s BVs for solar system and cyclops for DSOs. 
 

[omo]

Dangerous things these binoviewers, i haven't put a single eyepiece in the Tak or C9.25 for a bit over 2 years. Thats 4 XW's and a 3-6 zoom being neglected in favour of much cheaper glass.

For the Dob i like my wide fields though.

[Stu]

Like others I struggled with binoviewers for ages before I got them to work for me. I tried numerous different pairs from entry level to high end Denks and still they didn’t click. I think the first pair that really did it for me was some old Baader Zeiss Mark IVs and from that point on I’ve been convinced by them for lunar and solar observing. I’ve also had success with the TS clones which have self centring eyepiece holders and thought they were excellent value for money. The latest Baader MaxBright IIs are the business though and I have two pairs of those now for Solar WL and Ha. My best success has always been with longer focal length eyepieces and using Barlows and/or GPCs; merging images has never been a problem for me like that. I find binoviewing on the Sun and Moon more relaxing and it also counters my floaters which are worsening with age.

I genuinely think there is an element of training your brain to see properly through them, as over time I went from finding them impossible to really getting value from the views.

Anyway, this thread was about why NOT binoview 🤪, so I’ve failed completely so far. My preferences definitely fall into two categories. Binoviewing for high power views of the Sun and Moon with refractors, and single eyepieces for anything else. I find double stars just have a degree more purity when viewed through a single eyepiece, and viewing DSOs through longer focal length widefield eyepieces is preferable for me as you can actually look around the view; with binoviewing you have to stay near to on axis otherwise one or other channel blacks out in my experience.

Floaters are a non issue for these types of observing so cyclops is fine even at higher powers. The one area where I am conflicted is planetary observing. I find I still see slightly more detail with cyclops viewing but my floaters are really annoying, so binoviewing helps with these. However, it tends to smooth out the fine detail a bit too much; like a noise reduction filter so I see a little less. The simple answer really is to use a larger aperture, which is where my 8” f8 comes in handy as the exit pupils are larger so floaters are less of an issue.

So, horses for courses. To the OP I would certainly give a nice widefield cyclops eyepiece a go for low power targets, and see what you think on doubles.

[The60mmKid]

The issue is that I know that I love binoviewers but want to be convinced otherwise. Thankfully, I'm quite acquiescent 😏 There have been some good points raised so far in favor of monoviewing, so it's helping. I'm hoping someone will say "binoviewing is an evil thing that evil people do" to make it even easier for me.

[MalcolmM]

I love binoviewing. It's so relaxing using binoviewers, particularly for long sessions and the 3Dish views are captivating. I use them for everything, including DSOs.

However for ease of use or quick grab and go, I use mono. Half the number of eyepieces and a tenth the weigh on the back end of the scope. 

I also feel I can see slightly more when using mono with a good eyepiece. I can't be definitive, I just think there is a little more fine detail.

Malcolm 

[John]

I suspect this will turn out to be more of a "why I love binoviewing" thread than in any way dissuade you from doing it 🙂

It may highlight where the technique has the most, and least, benefits so that might be useful 👍 

Edited July 31, 2023 by John

[Saganite]

Perhaps I have been fortunate,  but I found binoviewers quite easy to use from the very first time, ten years ago and use cyclops only for double stars.

Using them is just so relaxing and I definitely find that floaters are less troublesome.

 

 

[The60mmKid]

4 minutes ago, Saganite said:

Perhaps I have been fortunate,  but I found binoviewers quite easy to use from the very first time, ten years ago and use cyclops only for double stars.

Using them is just so relaxing and I definitely find that floaters are less troublesome.

 

 

Why do you switch to monoviewing for double stars?

[Craney]

3 hours ago, The60mmKid said:

This is a "why do you monoview" thread.

Tell me, please...

I only have one fully functioning eye.  So I'm mono all the time.

[Saganite]

For double stars, particularly very tight ones, the use of a zoom is the perfect tool IMHO, when you can increase/ decrease the power constantly and swiftly. It can make all  the difference .

[Sunshine]

I don't like using a barlow as it extends the eyepiece out too far and adds weight, I shudder at the thought of a massive unwieldy appendage with TWO eyepieces on the end of my scope. It stresses the focuser, causes havoc with

scope balance when moving from target to target and never mind the cost of double high end eyepieces, one day I may try someone elses 😁

[Stu]

42 minutes ago, John said:

It may highlight where the technique has the most, and least, benefits so that might be useful 👍 

I hope that’s what I’ve done John; shown where I think they are useful but also where I think cyclops works better.

[IB20]

Too much faff and fiddling, time wasted  setting up instead of observing.

[Stu]

37 minutes ago, The60mmKid said:

Why do you switch to monoviewing for double stars?

I find that doubles just look better, purer if you like through a single eyepiece. I guess because there is not the complexity of prisms within the light path.