Which binoculars?

[wakaleo]

Gidday all

I'm looking to get myself a good pair of binoculars, primarily for night sky observation but also for terrestrial use. I would like a pair that mount to a tripod (or other mount) for ease of use and for the stability.

I'd planned on spending around $500 but may go higher for better quality. Any recommendations?

[Radar]

G'day Jim,

Some binoculars are designed for daytime and some night time use.

Go for the night time binos, they have a much better capability for gathering light, and can still be used during the day.

I have this pair and they are amazing for looking at the night sky.

http://www.nextag.co.uk/Pentax-10X50-PIF-Waterproof-529940283/uk/prices-html?nxtg=56c0a240505-FCC1DAA5A56AAE18

I'm glad I spent my hard earned cash on a good pair rather than a cheap pair.

When I'm out in the middle of nowhere, I can point these binoculars at trees and bushes a few hundred metres away, and instead of just seeing silhouettes of the trees, I can see everything.

I'd say for $500 upwards you are going to get a good pair no matter what you get, but try and lean toward ones designed for night time use.

Hope that helps.

Ray

[wakaleo]

Gidday Ray

Thanks for the info mate. Those Pentax binos look very nice, but while I am aware of the saying that the poor man always pays twice, I can't justify spending $1500 when I know a $500 pair will do what I want. This pair of Orion Little Giant II 15x70 binoculars seem to me to be able to do what I'd want, and they come supplied with the tripod L-adapter. (https://www.bintelshop.com.au/Product.aspx?ID=6771) What do you think fellas?

[Mick]

Hi Jim,

With a 4.5mm exit pupil and not a lot of magnification they would make a good choice. I have two binoculars, 7x50 Pentax and 20x80 Lw they are both very nice to use. Though if I had to pick again I'd go for 10x50. One thing you must do is keep them in a dry spot with some moisture absorbing satchel's, you probably know that though. The humidity up here is a killer on binos.

[phoenix]

Hey Jim

Here's another link http://www.andrewscom.com.au/site-section-11.htm
Hope it helps with your decision.




Cheers Jason :pipethinker:

[Noel Carboni]

I have a pair of 15 x 50 image stabilized Canon binoculars. I think I paid a little under US $800 for them.

The Canon optics are simply EXCELLENT. The aperture could be larger, but boy, does the Image Stabilizer make scanning around for things handheld at 15x MUCH more comfortable.

If you were to tripod mount these binocs, you wouldn't need/want to use the stabilizer, and the image quality will go up a bit, as the operation of the image stabilizer slightly motion-blurs the image, depending on how much your hands shake. This is really splitting hairs, though.

I'd buy 'em again.

-Noel

[Radar]

Jim I saw a set of pentax pifs for half price at a camera store here in Perth on Friday. They are usually $1500 but are selling for $750.

I can't find the bino's on their website, but they are in store.

http://www.cameraelectronic.com.au/index.html

[wakaleo]

Gidday fellas

Sorry for the delay in responding. I've been away bush (poor fella me had to go to Kakadu for a tour guide conference!!!) and I've been unable to log in.

I am very grateful for all the helpful information and will be checking out your suggestions over the next week or so. I'll let you know how I go.

I have one other question. I plan to mount the binos on my camera tripod and expect for my immediate us that this will be ok. However, I have seen some fancy articulated and counter-weighted mounts that allow the observer to lay back in a 'banana chair' or similar. Does anyone have any experience with these mounts and can they be recommended? I like this idea of taking the weight of my tricky back.

Cheers
Jim

[beren]

Gday Jim if you haven't already please check the Cloudy nights site/forum (http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/Cat/0) for a wealth of info either in the binoclar thread or report/review page. It helped me a while back while researching in the aim of purchasing a pair of 20x80s binos . I ended up getting a pair of 20x80s triplets through Aquila Optical and Electronics {AOE} , very nice people to deal with. To support the pair of 20x80s i brought a mount from the US store Scopestuff which works well :thumbsupmate:

[wakaleo]

Gday Jim if you haven't already please check the Cloudy nights site/forum (http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/Cat/0) for a wealth of info either in the binoclar thread or report/review page. It helped me a while back while researching in the aim of purchasing a pair of 20x80s binos . I ended up getting a pair of 20x80s triplets through Aquila Optical and Electronics {AOE} , very nice people to deal with. To support the pair of 20x80s i brought a mount from the US store Scopestuff which works well :thumbsupmate:

Wow! That's a righteous-looking pair of binoculars mate! And the price is right too. I'll certainly be considering them. Thanks for the information.

I had a look at the cloudynights site - and my head hurts with an overload of information. I think I'd better just take it slowly.

What tripod do you have the mount set up on Beren? Did you have to buy the extender too?

Jim

[AstroTasmania]

Hi,

Over the years I have bought different bino's for various uses and one important fact emerged. If at all possible, try before you buy - and at night if they are for that main stellar purpose. Stars are always a marvelous test of good and poor optics!

I once (1983) tried a pair of Leitz bino's that were just superb, but at night a bright object had an annoying X reflection across the field. I settled for a pair of Zeiss 10 x 25 at $995, fractionally cheaper but no ghosts.

An older (30 odd years) of 10 x 50 are also very good but heavy by to-days standards.

A much recent pair of 25 x 90 triplets from a local source (Lee Andrews) have proved to be pretty good but you need a pack mule and a very good support to use them effectively, Great value for the price.

Clear skies...

[wakaleo]

... try before you buy - and at night if they are for that main stellar purpose.

Ah, if only I could find a dealer who would fly them in on the mail plane and let me use them for the week before sending them back on the following week's mail plane. Remote is nice for many things, including dark skies, but it can be a pain in other areas.


I once tried a pair of Leitz bino's that were just superb, but at night a bright object had an annoying X reflection across the field. I settled for a pair of Zeiss 10 x 25 at $995, fractionally cheaper but no ghosts.

An older (30 odd years) of 10 x 50 are also very good but heavy by to-days standards.

A much recent pair of 25 x 90 triplets from a local source (Lee Andrews) have proved to be pretty good but you need a pack mule and a very good support to use them effectively, Great value for the price.

Clear skies...[/QUOTE]

I had a quick look at Andrews site and was pleasantly surprised by the price of a pair of Giant 20 X 80 TRIPLET binoculars (just over $200), and weighing just 2Kg. Not bad for a pair of that size.

Once again Shevill, thanks for your assistance. It is much valued.

Jim

[beren]

Wow! That's a righteous-looking pair of binoculars mate! And the price is right too. I'll certainly be considering them. Thanks for the information.

I had a look at the cloudynights site - and my head hurts with an overload of information. I think I'd better just take it slowly.

What tripod do you have the mount set up on Beren? Did you have to buy the extender too?

Jim

Hi Jim, the tripod is a monfrotto camera tripod, its the base/lightest model in their range. While I find it alright I suspect for some the 20x80s might be to heavy on this tripod so getting this size binocular like Shevill has mentioned requires some consideration on mounting them right.One option that I would have taken if it was around when I brought the binos {saw this pictured on another forum} would be matching up one of those Vixen Porta mounts or the cheaper Bintel clone { https://www.bintelshop.com.au/welcome.htm} with the binoculars using a mounting plate that comes as an accessory. The 20x80s themselves I find very good, first light was spent looking at the Crux/Carina region and Ill admit I was blown away with the view :eartoear:

[AstroTasmania]

Hi,

No matter how good the bino's are, unless you can hold them in some way rock solid, they will be used less & less. My 25 x 90 are on a BIG Manfrotto fluid head and still not perfect, so consider how you will mount them!

I have a feeling that the purpose built counterweight units style are maybe a good way to go for the biggies!

Clear skies...

[Radar]

No matter how good the bino's are, unless you can hold them in some way rock solid, they will be used less & less. My 25 x 90 are on a BIG Manfrotto fluid head and still not perfect, so consider how you will mount them!


What is a fluid head Shev?

[wakaleo]

Hi,

No matter how good the bino's are, unless you can hold them in some way rock solid, they will be used less & less. My 25 x 90 are on a BIG Manfrotto fluid head and still not perfect, so consider how you will mount them!

I have a feeling that the purpose built counterweight units style are maybe a good way to go for the biggies!

Have you ever used those trapezium mounts Shev? (e.g. here http://home.wanadoo.nl/jhm.vangastel/Astronomy/binocs/binocs.htm) Wouldn't there be some inherent instability with such a device since the binos are so far from the solid footing?


What is a fluid head Shev?

My guess is the fluid head uses a fluid (surprise!) as a clutch and/or dampner to make movement more er, fluid, and to take out some of the wobbles.

[AstroTasmania]

Hi,

No, I have not used the trapezium mounts, however, the fact that one is not holding them makes a huge difference, and they can be moved with such ease. I have almost finished a fork mount to try mine with.


A "Fluid" head is a term used to describe the big video pan & tilt heads you see the TV camera guys using. They can pan and tilt very smoothly with an adjustable silky smooth friction clutch on each axis, so, unlike a still camera tripod, the head is not clamped down after each adjustment. So, with my big bino's on the fluid tripod head, I can sweep very the sky smoothly. There is a downside - cost, $900 (medium price range) so maybe more than the expensive optics they are holding.

The ones the TV guys use are heaps more $$$$

Clear skies...