Help needed to chose binoculars

[Camkorn]

I am going to try and persuade my other half to buy me a pair of binos and came across this page:

Binoculars - Bresser,Vanguard, Meade, Adler binoculars

Can anyone advise me on which ones on this page would be a good starting pair.

Thanks in advance!

[themos]

My advice: whatever you settle on, try it at the shop before you buy, as quality varies considerably at low price points.

[ashenlight]

Are you learning the sky Camkorn, or do you want these binoculars for more hardcore observing?

If you are learning I'd go for 10x50s, a good all rounder. They shouldn't be too heavy either - key when you are holding them up all night!

If you are a more seasoned astronomer, perhaps some 15x70s? You may need a tripod with those.

How about get in touch with FLO? They are v helpful and will be able to give you expert advice

[Camkorn]

Thanks for your help - I will get the best pair of 10x50's he can afford LOL

x

[ron.s.g]

have a look in your local camera shop and try a few pairs before you buy so you can see the difference with weight etc.

regards ron.s.g

[beamer3.6m]

I like the Celestron Skymaster 15x70 and on ebay you will find that people sell them for around £30.00 new.

Thats where I got mine and they are great. Last night I managed to bag Albireo and M13.

[arctica]

Hello

With binoculars it is always a good idea to try them out in the shop and see which feels best for you in terms of weight and ergonomics.

10x50 bins are a good starting point, but for low light (astronomical work) also consider some good 7x50 (tend to be pricy for good ones). Remember that for general stargazing magnification is not important but light grasp is. With 10x50 bins the exit pupil will be 5mm, but with 7x50 it would be 7.1mm which is more than most people's pupils will open in average night conditions. One important point is to make sure the prisms used are the better quality BAK-4 and not the cheaper BK-7, and also make sure that all optical surfaces are at least multi-coated for improved light transmission. Also check to see the amount of eye-relief.

Lester

I am going to try and persuade my other half to buy me a pair of binos and came across this page:

Binoculars - Bresser,Vanguard, Meade, Adler binoculars

Can anyone advise me on which ones on this page would be a good starting pair.

Thanks in advance!

[Jayla]

I would certainly recommend the celestron 15x70s, I got them from FLO recently for 85£ delivered.

They are quite a bit bigger than the image makes out, but certainly good, I've seen quite a lot in the few nights I've used them so far!

[iamjulian]

As others have said, make sure you test them first to see how heavy they are. I know most people opt for 10x50 as a starting point, but I found them too heavy so I went for the much lighter 8x40. They have the BAK-4 Lester mentioned and while they have slightly less light grasp than the 10x50, you can still see a heck of a lot with them. I'm just saying don't write off anything lower than 10x50 as being no good

[JamesK]

I would certainly recommend the celestron 15x70s, I got them from FLO recently for 85£ delivered.

They are quite a bit bigger than the image makes out, but certainly good, I've seen quite a lot in the few nights I've used them so far!

I agree, they are good binos, especially if you want something with higher magnification than standard binos.

However, they really need to be tripod mounted unless your just using them for a quick sweep.

And with my previous bino experience being a pair of 12x32's used for hill walking, my jaw hit the floor when I saw the size of the ox they came packaged in...

[luxastronomy]

Hi,

I would recommend Barska 15x70 X-Trail binocular. Very good optics and not that heavy. Tripod would be a nice add on, but for starters binos are enough.

I have it and I am very satisfied.

Take care,

Zoran