Binoculars

[robbie65]

HI members,

Can anybody advice me on a good make of binoculars 10/50 also is it roof/or porro??

Thanks Robbie

[LukeSkywatcher]

Hi Robbie. You will get the advice you want here:

Observing - with Binoculars - Stargazers Lounge

[pbyrne]

Pentax PCF WPII porro prisms.

Fog proof, waterproof with really sharp bright views.

[Chris H]

The Pentax are good but are a little heavy have a read of Astro Baby's review of the Opticron's Imagic 10 x 50 Binocular Review - Opticron Imagic

[Jim M]

HI members,

Can anybody advice me on a good make of binoculars 10/50 also is it roof/or porro??

Thanks Robbie

A very good pair of binoculars for the price (about £150 depending on the shop) are the Nikon 10 and 12 by 50's action extremes (EX). Waterproof/nitrogen filled porro prisms. Got a pair myself and they are excellent. They are well rated by Edz of cloudynights. See: http://www.cloudynights.com/documents/nikon.pdf

[pbyrne]

The Pentax are good but are a little heavy

I don't understand what you mean.

My Pentax binos weight a tad more than the Meade 10x50s I owned, but the weight difference is barely noticable, and I put this down to the superior construction. They are easily hand held and tired arms is no more an issue than any other pair of 10x50s.

[Steve]

I think he means the Pentax are a bit large/heavy when compared to the more compact Opticron Imagic series. It is personal preference, the Pentax are more robust but the Imagic are more lightweight. Optically there is little, if anything, to separate them.

HTH

[Chris H]

Yes, that's what I mean (of course if your mounting them on a tripod weight is irrelevant). When looking at the night sky through binos I find that you need a really steady pair of hands to provide good views. Personally I prefer 8 x 42 good views, nice weight and a wide field of view.

[kniclander]

re the OP's first question, porro tends to be cheaper but bulkier. Not a problem for astro. tbh, 10x50s for astro are a bit limited - you are much better off with 15x70s or even 20x80s (if you are going to spend up to 100 or 150 pounds) but obviously you would need a tripod for those.

[robbie65]

Thanks for info

Robbie.