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Which binoculars for a newbie & small budget?


MrsR

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Here's a different angle on the whole thing.

To get started pop down to Liddls and get the special offer Rocktrail 10x50 binocs for £15 (when they're in store). Excellent value and very capable being crisp and clear and can see Jupiter and moons, M42, Plieades, M31, etc. Great for star hopping.

Save a little more money and for £130-£140 you can get a Skywatcher 130P EQ telescope - a great starter scope and probably the most recommended here.

I have both of the above and still use them both regularly - very grab and go :(

(The binocs have a 30 day no quibble money back guarantee too so you can't really loose)

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If they arrive by Friday would you be bringing them on Friday? If they do and you are I would love to have a look through them.

I was told they will arrive within 2 to 3 days so if I have them and it looks like it might be a clear night then yes I will bring them.

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Brantuk thanks for that, may just try out Lidl on Saturday.

Meteoriot great, I'd like it if you brough them even if no clear skies as I will bring mine and compare them - would be really interesting to see. BTW I looked today at the Met Office cloud report and fingers crossed for tomorrow - although that was this morning so things could have changed.

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OK sounds good - here is hoping for clear skies. If I am a little late its because I am putting my twins down to sleep but shouldnt be a problem. I am so looking forward to tomorrows lecture.

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The Revelations were there before the Celestrons on the UK market and I'm sure they are the same. I love ours. And what a bargain.

However, with a tripod, essential for these, you can't get too high before breaking things in your neck, which is a useful anatomical contraption and worth preserving for daytime use... By lying on a lounger and using smaller handheld bins you can get to the zenith, which is further from the light pollution. I was okay with 10x hand held but as I approach 60 I find 8X better.

Olly

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Has anyone compared the Revelation with the Celestron 15x70?

FLO have offered the Revelation as the Celestron is out of stock. I am thinking of holding off until the Celestron become available again.

They are exactly the same optics wise. The Celestrons just have a different rubber coating where your fingers go. Bumps whereas Revalations have finger grooves.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello to all :)

Rather than start a new thread, i'd thought it be best to ask for advice in this one.

Read a lot of posts in the Binocular section and am keen to get 10 x 50 binoculars for some star gazing.

As this will be first set i will not be splashing out big but i hope for a decent enough pair and if i get the bug i will then upgrade to 15 x 70 and so on.

So right now, i'm thinking one of these pair..

Nipon 10 x 50

NIPON 10x50 Binoculars with Large Eyepieces NIPON 10x50 binoculars with large eyepieces [NIPON 10x50 Binoculars] - £49.99 : Nipon UK online store with spotting scopes, telescopes, binoculars and monoculars, Spotting scopes, telescopes, binoculars & m

or

as scooby said in last post...

Meade 10 x 50

Meade binoculars

The Nipon seem to be good specs, Bak -4, multi -coated and long eye relief.

Meade are better known make and well known in this forum it seems.

So for a noob star gazer, who just wants to look up at M42 etc with the convenience of hand held binos, which are better?

Thanks.

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Hello to all :)

Rather than start a new thread, i'd thought it be best to ask for advice in this one.

Read a lot of posts in the Binocular section and am keen to get 10 x 50 binoculars for some star gazing.

As this will be first set i will not be splashing out big but i hope for a decent enough pair and if i get the bug i will then upgrade to 15 x 70 and so on.

So right now, i'm thinking one of these pair..

Nipon 10 x 50

NIPON 10x50 Binoculars with Large Eyepieces NIPON 10x50 binoculars with large eyepieces [NIPON 10x50 Binoculars] - £49.99 : Nipon UK online store with spotting scopes, telescopes, binoculars and monoculars, Spotting scopes, telescopes, binoculars & m

or

as scooby said in last post...

Meade 10 x 50

Meade binoculars

The Nipon seem to be good specs, Bak -4, multi -coated and long eye relief.

Meade are better known make and well known in this forum it seems.

So for a noob star gazer, who just wants to look up at M42 etc with the convenience of hand held binos, which are better?

Thanks.

Personally I like my celestron 15x70 but that's not one of your choices. As for m42 don't expect to see much detail of m42. Itll more or less look like a hazy group of stars.

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You would do well to go along to a half decent shop and try them, use TV aerials to test - watch out for purple fringing and the usual optical defects. Make sure that they fit in your hands nicely and don't weigh too much (or you'll leave them at home)...

Good luck!

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I have a pair of Nipon 10x50's & I am very pleased with them. For daytime use they are very clear & for nighttime use they cut thro the LP off 'my' streetlamp which is just 30+ feet away. (I have been considering their 20X80's - later on)

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Thanks for replies folks.

I eneded up buying the Nipon 10 x 50 which i have just received and whilst the view through them looks fine their construction seem alot to be desired.

There is noticeable gaps in them, is that same in yours Astromart, above the Nipon writing and above where they say 10 x 50?

To be honest i have never had so much problems buying an item online.

One company i went through the process of buying binoculars but i pulled out before making payment so i assume order cancelled, but NO, they sent them anyway !

So stuck with a bill to return them ,now these Nipons would probably have to be returned at my expense and postage paid by me back again i would assume.

I give up !

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Re the unwanted binoculars you received: a Citizens' Advice Bureau could give you better information, but I think it works like this. You didn't complete the order, so they are "unsolicited goods." You send a letter to the vendors (recorded delivery, so you can prove they got it) saying that it is their responsibility to get the binoculars back. They either arrange a courier to pick them up, or send you a postage-paid label. Tell them that if they don't sort it out within 4 weeks, you'll start charging them storage.

Mary

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Have you tried (First Light Optics) FLO? They have plenty of bins, check each for collimation before sending and if they are no good, not liked or out of collimation by the time you get them they will arrange a courier to collect from you. There is no substitute for using a good supplier.

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Thanks for replies folks.

I eneded up buying the Nipon 10 x 50 which i have just received and whilst the view through them looks fine their construction seem alot to be desired.

There is noticeable gaps in them, is that same in yours Astromart, above the Nipon writing and above where they say 10 x 50?

There are one or two minor gaps on the body work fitment , but nothing too drastic & it doesnt effect there operation. I'll have a closer look when I get home from work & let you know.

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Re the unwanted binoculars you received: a Citizens' Advice Bureau could give you better information, but I think it works like this. You didn't complete the order, so they are "unsolicited goods." You send a letter to the vendors (recorded delivery, so you can prove they got it) saying that it is their responsibility to get the binoculars back. They either arrange a courier to pick them up, or send you a postage-paid label. Tell them that if they don't sort it out within 4 weeks, you'll start charging them storage.

Mary

Thanks Mary, i am contacting the relevant consumer bureau to see if all above board, funny when i mentioned that i would be,i received no more correspondence from the company in question. Just a '' Try them out and if ya like them,ring and pay for them,if not post them back please'' was the last reply.

They said there is payment issues on their site when paying for goods, so really all ya have to do is tick the item ,give details for delivery ,not pay online and receive the item ! And they mentioned there is a problem with their eBay payment process too when i suggested in future operate through eBay.:(

I did receive two automated e-mails mentioning order received,item being sent but i ignored them as i never paid for them and would not expect to receive them. I got similar before from other sites but of course not actually received the item.

At same time, i'm thinking i received an item, it's not mine and should return it but don't like the way this happened.

Won't mention the company name and there is alot of companies that sell binoculars in the UK, but disappointed after reading good things before about them.

Serious flaw there in their business.

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There are one or two minor gaps on the body work fitment , but nothing too drastic & it doesnt effect there operation. I'll have a closer look when I get home from work & let you know.

Thanks Astromart, yes a couple of gaps in the body work fitment but does'nt seem to affect the view through them.

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Thanks for replies folks.

I eneded up buying the Nipon 10 x 50 which i have just received and whilst the view through them looks fine their construction seem alot to be desired.

There is noticeable gaps in them, is that same in yours Astromart, above the Nipon writing and above where they say 10 x 50?

Actually my memory wasnt very good, because the 'gaps' where simply the rubber coating butment fits, which seem to be okay IMO

post-24299-133877543726_thumb.jpg

post-24299-133877543731_thumb.jpg

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I would simply get a set of 8x42 birding binoculars.

You have found that 10x's show shake so 15x will be worse handheld.

If you want a scope then keep the money for a scope. Binoculars are not a substitute for a scope. I like my binoculars but the scope's are for observing, binoculars are for looking.

The smallest scope I have is 70mm dia and I can see Jupiter and Saturn, Orion is good as are the Plaides, lots of other clusters and double stars are easily seen, basically with sense a lot of the Messiers. The whole thing is as easy to use as a set of binoculars. If you get the 15x70 binoculars you will see Jupiter as a dot and a smaller dot for Saturn. I get bands and rings. Both 70mm.

To use binoculars you will need to spend money on a decent set of binoculars and a decent tripod. Add the cost up and you have a scope on a mount.

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