Stargazing can be enjoyed using any binocular.
It can be enjoyed even more with binoculars when fully dark-adapted and viewing from a moonless site far from any city lights.
The following is a collection of my thoughts on choosing and using binoculars for stargazing, some reviews, and 150 doublestars to enjoy. A wealth of deepsky targets suitable for binos can be found in the Astronomical League Observe Program lists.
First, an important warning:
DO NOT EVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN, EITHER WITH YOUR UNAIDED EYE OR THROUGH A TELESCOPE OR BINOCULARS, UNTIL YOU ARE THOROUGHLY FAMILIAR WITH THE SAFE METHODS OF OBSERVING THE SUN. DO NOT EVER LEAVE A TELESCOPE OR BINOCULAR UNATTENDED SO THAT A CHILD COULD POINT IT AT THE SUN. PERMANENT EYE DAMAGE OR BLINDNESS COULD RESULT.
Among other factors, choosing binoculars is about trade offs between magnification, aperture, weight, field of view, eye relief, coatings, and price.
Personal preferences are as individual as our eyesight. Go with the binos that satisfy the most important of your own preferences in these areas.
Choosing a size is literally a matter of desired perspective. Various powers and fields shed new light and aesthetics to our celestial treasures. Different instruments for different moods.
Several years ago I had the opportunity to view the night sky thru 2.5x opera glasses. IIRC, the FOV was 20-25°. Felt more like bionic-vision than bino-vision. Quite an interesting experience. Saturn and the lunar detail seen at 30x is always equally as compelling.
10x50s are a recommended first binocular for stargazing. It is the highest magnification that most can hold relatively steady without a tripod while still providing a comfortably large field of view and exit pupil. If buying for a child I would suggest a smaller, lighter 7Ă35 or 8Ă40.
Iâve had a good track record and would recommend ordering from major online dealers such as Orion, Garrett, and Oberwerks, but buying locally or driving to avoid shipping mishaps is always preferable. Good communication and a solid return policy are marks of a reputable online dealer.
Outdoors and hunting supply stores have been known to carry a decent variety of quality instruments. As with scopes, starparties are also a great place to try out and ask about a variety of binoculars. The local astroclub may even have some renters to audition.
SPEAKING OF AUDITIONING BINOCULARS:
SHAKE IT
Make sure nothing is loose or bouncing around inside.
LOOK AT IT
Make sure there are no scratches or cracks on the glass or body.
At armâs length, look for round, unobstructed circles of light thru the barrels and eyepieces.
Quality BAK4 glass is recommended.
Is there a center-focus adjustment?
Are they tripod-adaptable if needed?
MESS WITH IT
Make sure the caps are tight. Make sure the main hinge, focuser, and other adjustments all move smoothly, securely, and with no play.
NOW, LOOK THRU IT
If thereâs a right diopter dial, close your right eye. Use the center-focus dial for your left eye. Now close your left eye. Use the diopter to focus the right eye.
Can you move the hinge to create a nice, circular image?
Can you see the entire field comfortably?
Does the image bulge-out or bend-in excessively at the edges? A flat, focused image across most of the field is best.
Is there excessive false color in the field of view.
For handheld use, will you be able to hold the image fairly steady for minutes at a time?
Are the barrels properly aligned? Slowly alternate closing and opening each eye. The image should merge smoothly.
ASK ABOUT IT
Make sure there is a satisfactory guarantee and return policy.
Any binocular that passes these tests to your approval should provide an enjoyable ride under the stars.
CONGRATS ON THE NEW GLASS
Okay, Saber. Iâm dark-adapted in the middle of a moonless cornfield away from city lights with my new 10Ă50. Now what?
Fortunately you read this ahead of time and brought a red flashlight, S&Tâs Pocket Sky Atlas or a planisphere, Harringtonâs Touring the Universe through Binoculars or printouts from the AL bino target lists linked above, a blanket or recliner, bug spray or extra clothes, and maybe a sketchpad and pen.
Or forget all that and just randomly cruise the night sky at your leisure.
There is no wrong way to enjoy the stars.
Note: Itâs always a good idea to bring something else along thatâs unique to stargazing.
I once had a lengthy encounter (more lengthy than usual anyway) with the Illinois State Police while getting âback to basicsâ in the boonies armed with only an 8Ă40. On this occasion, without even a star atlas or red flashlight to lend credibility, they had a very hard time believing I was simply stargazing. That I look more like a convict than a cosmologist didnât help matters.
But they eventually decided there were no houses close enough for me to be planning any pillaging or plundering, and left me to my claimed business with the stars.
Receiving any collimated, mechanically-sound binocular with sufficient eye relief/ipd/diopter adjustment while showing minimal false color and pinpoint stars across 75% of the field rates as a very good purchase.
Thereâs no shame in returning an instrument that doesnât meet these basic requirements.
Even though some companies inspect and pack their products better than others, we always roll the dice when mail ordering precision optics. Fortunately the odds are on our side. Of my 25+ online bino purchases only 2 have been untweakable returns.
I should also mention that the world of binoculars, in actual use, is far from an exact science. Specification and mechanical variances are common, even among the same models. Bino experiences and assessments also vary with the individual and visual acuity. In short, try not to let the quest for a perfect binocular take precedence over your enjoyment of the night sky.
Keep this in mind as we dig a little deeper.
With binoculars, magnification has a much higher performance emphasis than aperture. The preferred AVI (Adler Visibility Index: Mag X Sq. Root of Aperture) yields the following values:
7Ă35 40
8Ă40 50
7Ă50 50
10Ă50 70
10Ă70 85
12Ă50 85
15Ă70 125
15Ă80 135
20Ă70 165
20Ă80 180
25Ă80 225
25Ă100 250
30Ă80 270
30Ă100 300
From this basic list of sizes we see that while a darker sky can easily compensate for 10-20mm of aperture, it barely competes with an instrument offering a 5x larger image scale.
More magnification = More stars, less field, less steady for handheld use.
Less magnification = Fewer stars, more field, more steady for handheld use.
Darker sky = Many more stars. This is also important to remember as we cannot take advantage of any binocularâs full aperture until our pupils dark adapt and open to at least match the binoâs exit pupil (aperture/mag).
A brick wall can tell us alot about our binoculars.
Preferably mounted and from at least the minimum focus distance, a binoâs magnification and degree of major aberrations can all be quickly field tested against this common building pattern.
To estimate an instrumentâs actual magnification, look through the left ocular with your right eye (or vice versa) while keeping both eyes open. The magnified view will be superimposed with the unaided view. Count the number of 1x bricks that traverse a single magnified brick. +/-0.5- 1.0x variances are not uncommon.
Spherical: Softness over entire field. None of the image will not come to a crisp focus.
Astigmatism: Horizontal lines will appear in focus and vertical lines out of focus, or vice versa.
Curvature: Periphery of field will appear in focus and center of field out of focus, or vice versa.
Coma: More noticable under the stars, the images show comet-like extensions increasing toward the periphery.
Distortion: Straight lines bend in toward the center of the image (positive/pincushion) or away from the center of the image (negative/barrel).
Note: Minimal positive distortion at the edges is a good thing, and usually intentionally introduced. It helps sharpen up the inner field.
Chromatic: Images are blurred with false color at the fringes. In general, the higher the magnification, the more noticable the chromatic aberration.
Any excessive daytime aberration will also take its toll on the even more stringent proving grounds of the night sky.
Eye relief and comfort at the eyepieces have always been the first dealmaker/breaker considerations with all of my bino purchases.
Iâve auditioned several binos that, while wonderful in all other aspects, only offer an inaccessible 6-9mms of ER.
Extraneous eye relief, OTOH, is a comparatively much easier issue to deal with. While eye placement can be more critical, extending the eyeguards or cups is usually all that is required.
Most would agree that extra ER is preferable to not having enough.
Without eyeglasses a minimum useable eye relief (ER minus lens recess) of 10mm is recommended. Those who wear glasses often require at least 16mm to take in the entire field. There are a few more caring dealers that go so far as to relate the actual useable eye relief.
Otherwise, the following rules of thumb tend to apply:
No ER spec mentioned: Embarrassingly and/or painfully short.
ER mentioned: Subtract 2-6mm for recess.
âLong eye reliefâ mentioned but not qualified: Roll the dice.
Few binoculars are completely unaffected by false color on Luna and the brighter celestial targets. Outside of using expensive apo glass, chromatic aberration in binoculars tends to come with the fast f/r territory. Increased magnification generally amplifies any apparent CA.
Full multi-coatings (FMC) decrease internal reflections and increase night sky contrast. IME, this contrast also increases the appearance of CA on the bright stuff. Standard fully-coated (FC) binos often show less false color at the expense of increased internal reflections.
As there are maybe a handful of celestial sources out of billions that might create offensive CA, most will opt for the reduced reflections and better contrast provided with FMC or MC (multi-coated) models.
While a binocularâs exit pupil is not unimportant, it is often overrated. Darker skies, higher magnification, and superior AR coatings can all more than compensate for any loss of image brightness due to a smaller exit pupil.
Larger exit pupils often have the advantage of more forgiving eye placement, but sufficient eye relief again plays an important role in the amount of vignette and attaining optimal eye position.
Smaller ExPs also stop down eye pupil aberrations which commonly increase toward the periphery.
Binos gulp in lots of skyglow along with the stars from the city which wreaks havoc on our pupilsâ dilation and dark adaptation. Smaller exit pupils will stop down the magnified peripheral skyglow which at least gives our cones a better signal to noise ratio for detecting detail, but any build up of rhodopsin is still largely inhibited. After scanning the bright city skies most have lowered their binocular to find a naked eye circular field of bleached rhodopsin waiting for them (or in one eye after viewing at the scope). Closing our eyes to get a semblance of decent DA back is futile as any rhodopsin build up will scatter soon after we raise the bino to start another round. That weâre not also fighting our own physiology is why dark skies provide us with a dramatic increase in detection above what might be academically expected.
3-5mm exit pupils are fine from any LVM. Try 5mms and up from very dark sites for better performance. Even if the nokâs ExP exceeds our own under rural skies, the unused incoming light is at least not detrimental- and even allows more room to maneuver behind the eyepieces.
One should expect a mechanically sound and collimated mail order binocular whether theyâve paid 500 dollars or 50 dollars.
Unless youâre an accomplished tinkerer, attempting a DIY prism alignment via the tiny adjustment screws also runs the risk of voiding any warranty by accidentally scratching or otherwise damaging the instrument. Thereâs also the possibility that the prisms are fine, but the barrels are poorly aligned.
Mail order and precision optics will never mix, but my advice is to return the binocular when possible and ask for overnight shipping on a properly inspected model.
Iâm not a big tripod fan, but it is a necessary evil for getting the steadiest views and detail from any binocular. Mounted binos also allow increased resolution and detection of targets as much as 2 magnitudes fainter than those seen in freehand views.
For handheld use one can create a human tripod by resting both elbows on a support (car, railing, etc.). Some find more braced stability when using heavier instruments. Observing prone or in a recliner is often recommended. Holding big binos closer to the objectives can also provide more comfortable ergonomics.
Itâs the grab nâ go freedom and wide fields.
Itâs the increase in depth perception and signal strength (on-axis and peripheral).
Itâs the effortless navigation, straight thru viewing, and more natural extension of our own eyes.
My first serious glass was a giant binocular.
One would still be hard pressed to find me basking under the stars without 80mm guns at my side.
what am I getting into with larger/hi-mag binoculars?
Youâre getting into more weight/tripod use, less steady freehand views, less field, and possibly more obvious CA (amplified by magnification).
Fortunately this all takes a back seat to the increase
in resolution, detail, and exponential bombardment of stars.
For stargazing purposes Iâd go so far as to say 15x70s are becoming the new 10x50s- especially in light polluted skies. Certainly a popular next step up. 15x can be a shaky ride, but not beyond some measure of adaptation.
The case could be made that 15s show so much more that we want/need to see it even steadier. Apparent shake at higher mags is also amplified by the smaller fov.
With practice freehanded stability with 15x70s is not beyond a good deal of improvement, but tripod-mounted (or image stabilized) noks will always offer the best views at any power.
Storing binoculars in a secure garage or vehicle has been my best dew prevention. The less change in temperature they have to endure, the better.
Or simply buy more binos. Maybe tool around with a different power/fov while the other bino defrosts.
Iâve seen the ring gaps thru 10s and 15s at favorable inclinations. Not what Iâd call a crisp image, though. At 25x I start looking (in vain) for Cassiniâs. Oohs and ahhs from the public thru 30s, plus Saturnâs four brightest moons on a good night.
Not recommended under the stars and not to be confused with anti-reflective (AR) coatings. This gimmick reduces daytime glare by filtering the red spectrum- which only provides darker, dull images at night.
Magnifications necessary to show the phases of Venus can change rapidly. While 30x will reveal the phase at most any aspect, the thin but large crescentâs orientation near inferior conjunction can be detected naked eye. Glare and bad seeing are minimized by catching our sister planet at its highest elevation in the daytime sky.
WA (wide angle) models are always desirable, provided the extra field is free from excessive aberration and sufficient ER allows access to the full field.
galaxies thru binocularsâŠ
Hunting most galaxies with binos is limited to being an exercise in detection and judge of sky conditions. Yet I still find the repeated mere validation of their continued presence through modest glass to be an amazing aphrodisiac.
At the other size extreme, dark site excursions through the thick arms of our Milky Way and across the Big and Little Magellanics are binocular nirvana.
Not recommended for those primarily interested viewing the night sky.
Fixed-power binoculars (up to ~20x) offer up to a 50% wider view than zoom binoculars set to the same magnification.
Decreased optical precision due to the difficulty of keeping the zoom elements of each eyepiece in perfect syncronization, and difficulty to handhold at higher magnification are other disadvantages.
Iâve detected the two main bands at 15x at larger oppositions.
Much more obvious at 20x.
At 25x, band asymmetries are often detected.
At 30x I have detected the SEB break occupied by the GRS (no detail).
Individual focus designs do not use a focuser bridge and are ideally less prone to defocus when we press against them. IFs also provide better waterproofing. A personal preference to stargazers aimed at infinity, but not a popular choice for various and repetitive distance refocusing during daytime use. A majority find center focus/diopter focusing to be adequate and most convenient.
binocular/bv summationâŠ
While no formula can cover the additional physiological gains of using both eyes, an effective aperture increase of 140% is a good place to start (e.g., 70mm noks rival 100mm scopes). Binoviewers, for all their wonder, cut the EA in half before a summation formula is applied, resulting in appreciable light loss thru apertures under 8âł.
spec vs effective apertureâŠ
Manufacturers love to skimp on prism size to cut production costs. This generally reduces effective apertures by 5-10% which also tweaks other specs like mag and fov. Lay your bino flat on a table or mount pointed several inches from a wall. Shine a flashlight thru an eyepiece and measure the projected circle of light to find the noks effective aperture. Iâve yet to meet an effective aperture that hasnât been ârounded upâ to the advertised diameter.
getting into the (handheld) zoneâŠ
The best way to steadily hold your binocular is another subjective preference, and may vary by size, weight, and ergonomics of the instrument. But more important is the time and experimentation one puts into reaching their own acceptable stability. Striving for handheld stability is also excellent precision exercise for the eyes.
Getting in the âheartbeat-limitedâ zone takes patience and practice, but many can eventually become capable of useable, detailed stability almost out of the gate.
Darker skies (more stars) are again recommended here for the increased reference points to accelerate coordination.
hi-mags for steadier viewsâŠ
Freehanding the stars with 20x (or higher) binoculars takes practice and patience to keep the views even marginally worthwhile. In the end, alot depends on how much stability weâre willing to sacrifice.
The point is that we can and do get better at it as the thousands of coordinating neurons and fast twitch muscles involved adapt.
In addition, the more intense eye/brain/reflex âtrainingâ at higher magnifications can also pay off when gearing down to freehand views at lower power (IS binos excluded).
One of many reinforcing experiences with this happened just a few nights ago. After about an hour of casually picking off Messiers with a 20Ă80 I went back to my vehicle to warm up and wait for the sky to turn. A Marathon-virgin 11Ă56 was in armâs reach and I decided to revisit my accumulated treasures with the more modest but eager glass.
Excellent wider field views aside, the relative image steadiness now rated just this side of mounted (caffeine and below zero wind chill notwithstanding). The increased handheld stability was notably more than just that which might be expected. Whether this effect is initially only perceived or enhanced by experience and adapted skill, it seems IME an exercise worthy of merit for increasing stability with more commonly handheld magnifications. (Even 15x views become easier to steady after roadtripping with 25-30x noks for awhile.)
A loose analogy to this hi-mag training might be taking practice swings on deck with a ring-weighted baseball bat.
Spend 20 minutes or so with a hi-mag nok in a/your favored braced position on a big, busy target (Luna and Pleiades work well) before dropping down in power. The actual physical/coordinative gains are cumulative, but even the expected stability difference can be enhanced out of the gate.
Another good reason to buy that first hi-mag binocular as well.
Thereâs more to binocular alignment than prism
screws. The machining and matching grooves of the barrels must also be precise (and the objective itself for that matter). The angle tolerance of the barrels can be even more strict than those of the prisms.
I cite a recent example of a friend, fed up from tinkering with his binoâs prism screws, who gave me his non-refundable 20Ă80 stating, âIf you can fix em, you can have emâ.
The dizzying view was indeed so far out of alignment that it soon proved to be beyond the screwsâ adjustment capabilities.
I had another of my 80mm noks nearby and swapped barrels with the troublemaker. The image merged perfectly. Only one of the barrels was bad. The donor 80mm, however, was throwing a fit over its painful, unexpected handicap.
My solution?
Spinning both 70mm barrels from one of my more expendable 15x instruments onto the former 20x troublemaker. Again, the image merged perfectly, and I have a light-weight hybrid 20Ă70 for my efforts.
Of note, the three binos mentioned are all different brands yet compatible at the hip. Also, there are limits to barrel-swapping on a number of fronts
(which I plan on exploring) that in this case were not exceeded.
The moral of the story is simply that binocular misalignment is not always in the prisms. Another good justification for keeping a well-stocked arsenal of binoculars, too.
If cranking the prism screws more than half a rotation either way doesnât solve an alignment problem, Iâd start looking somewhere else.
Recently I found another related potential culprit in the crossbracing assembly of applicable models (ironically the feature intended to reinforce proper collimation).
A simple thing really. Itâs the braceâs bolt connecting the objectives. If itâs loose or not tightened at the barrelsâ optimal distance the binocular loses collimation.
In my case it was a fairly easy fix. When the bolt is loose/loosened it allows some play between the fat ends. Gently pushing them in or out while viewing will show whether the objectives (hopefully only laterally) need to be locked closer or farther apart. Note: check that the connector at
the barâs other end is also secure.
FWIW, this 80mm nok, purchased from one of the big 3 for $189, attained conditional alignment with the barrels locked 30mm apart. Itâs a good bet that the bargain priced counterparts are at least as susceptible.
Iâm not especially advocating this repair approach.
In fact, I recommend sending such an instrument back and asking for a properly inspected model to be mailed asap with free overnight shipping.
But in this case it was a quick fix, the bino remains aligned, the song remains the same, and we have another fun insight into the wonderful world of miscollimation.
one personâs miscollimation is anotherâs elationâŠ
I remember one starparty visitor who brought his own 7Ă50 binocular which he insisted was easily revealing the four separate main component stars of Orionâs Trapezium (a feat requiring the visual acuity of the Bionic Woman).
A suspicion was confirmed as I looked through the horribly misaligned barrels. Everything had separate components.
The kaleidescopic view made me nauseous, but the excited man was perfectly content to continue with his âbonusâ abundance of stars.
quickie field conversionsâŠ
example: 262 = 5.0° TFOV
(ft divided by 52.5)
example: 88 = 5.0° TFOV
(m divided by 17.5)
SELECTED BINOCULAR REVIEWS
Garrett Optical 20Ă80 UL
The Zach Attack 20Ă80 UL exudes both quality and elegance. One would also be hard pressed to find better packaging for their mail orders. High marks for smooth, secure mechanics and excellent field sharpness. Unbridled from its pedestal, these 80mm stallions also make for a sweet ride during casual freehand excursions.
[My fetish for freehanding big glass often gets the better of me. Mounting (or using image-stabilized) binoculars is always recommended for the steadiest image, especially at higher magnifications]
I did find two notable spec discrepancies that may or may not be specimen specific; The listed TFOV (3.2 deg) and ER (16mm) respectively measured closer to 3.0 deg and 14mm.
Neither variances were dealbreakers for me.
Fast shipping and GOâs personal service accentuated this satisfying $179 transaction.
Oberwerk 20Ă80 Standard (vs GO 20x80UL)
Dead heat with the GO 20x80UL for performance, mechanics, FOV/ER (both still shy of spec), and
coatings. I found this interesting as the two *look* very different. At 15âł/38cm, the Obie is some 3âł longer with a leaner appearance. The increased length changes the ergonomics noticably but not detrimentally. After adjusting my hand placement along the barrels I find the two equally comfortable for handheld use.
Also despite the longer focal length, both binoculars show comparable field sharpness (85-90%) and daytime/lunar chromatic aberration (not fatal, but present).
Both models are highly recommended.
Out of the box, as expected, the 30s are physically very similar to Orionâs 16Ă80 with a couple of exceptions. The slightly heavier weight (just under 6 lbs.) is a product of the center rod bracing the bino lengthwise, along with the adjustable captive weight-balancing pedestal that couples directly to a tripod. Another elegant and functional addition are the extendable thick rubber dewshields at the end of each barrel. Even when retracted they make for excellent bumpers to protect the objectives while bringing the total outside barrel diameters to 92mms. Deploying the dewshields also takes the full height of the formidable and solidly constructed instrument to 14 inches. The trademark leather-textured surface of the main body complements an efficient and attractive all black design.
The supplied hard case is nice, but the MegaView and I would feel more secure with a thick, foam-lined aluminum case to protect its crucial collimation during transport.
While the snug fit of all four eyecaps was a plus, I wouldnât trust the suprisingly thin neckstrap provided with supporting the binoâs substantial bulk. (These token neckstraps are thrown in for completenessâ sake. Very few people would enjoy being repeatedly jabbed in the chest with that pedestal.)
The fully-multicoated instrument reflects deep blues and greens at the business ends and
yields the perfect circles of an unobstructed light path at the lenses. The hinge, center-focus, and diopter all adjusted smoothly, securely, and with no play. Iâve actually come to expect this from Orion. I now own four of their binos and, if not top-of-the-line optically, their consistant mechanical quality has been very commendable. The good-sized 20mm eyepiece lenses also sport 14mms of eye relief. This is close to ideal for me, although probably a bit short for eyeglass wearers to take in the entire field.
Iâm a nitpicker for collimation, and 30x binos leave little room for error, especially after a 3-day FedEx journey. So I was immensely relieved to receive these MegaViews in fine alignment. Aberration tests did reveal slight but noticable pincushioning across an otherwise very sharp (to about 80%) field. There was an expected and substantial amount of false color on high-contrast daytime objects and our moon attributed to the high magnification (for 5 bills itâd be nice if theyâd spring for some apo lenses), but it was no more offensive than the inherent chromatic aberration found in some comparably fast 80mm short-tube scopes at lower powers. And for me the CA took a backseat to the increased resolution, wealth of additional stars, and depth of detail seen on Luna under the night sky.
The 50% jump in magnification from 20 to 30x seems even more significant than that noticed between 10 and 15x power binoculars. Catching our moon at the right illumination, Claviusâ arched quintet of inner craters are obvious and distinct. Orionâs Trapezium splits cleanly and effortlessly into its 4 major components and, while Cassiniâs seems just out of reach, a well-resolved Saturn presents a crisp disc and ring system. Jupiterâs main belts are prominent and on the verge of showing structure. Despite their relatively small 2.7mm exit pupil and Lunaâs gibbous interference, the MegaViews still gathered a respectable conglomeration of stars while previewing the Double Cluster, Pleiades, M46/47, the Auriga clusters, and M35. I eagerly anticipate watching them gobble up these treasures and more under a dark sky and plan on letting them run wild thru a moonless Messier Marathon this spring. Upon receiving their Solar filters, Iâm also looking forward to my enhanced views of our sunâs daily activity.
While the 30x80s are advertised as having a 2.3 degree field, I could almost- but not quite- squeeze Orionâs belt stars within the fieldstop yielding a more accurate and happily accepted 2.5 degree field. This yields an AFOV of 75° and is indeed one of the widest views Iâve experienced. The porthole effect reminds me of Naglervision (albeit without the superior field edge sharpness).
A tripod is, of course, required for unwavering views with this instrument. Any generic but heavy-duty model should work fine. My ProMaster 6600 bought at a local camera store provides more than sufficient support.
First Impressions verdict: Four out of five stars. While pricey, they are only $20 more than the 15x80MVs, solidly built, mechanically excellent, and ready to mount without an adapter. The beneficial and protective extendable dewshields are a welcome feature. It loses points for heavy CA on Luna, Jupiter and the brightest stars. But aside from the lack of color correction on those targets, the 30Ă80 MegaViews give rewarding and impressive binocular views of our moon, brighter planets, and the many Messier-class nightsky treasures.
Glass At A Glance: Pentax 20Ă60 PCF WPII
$169 from amazon.com
instrument arrived promptly, well-packaged,
mechanically sound, and in fine collimation
bak4/fmc/no light path interference
dimensions 9.0Ă7.75âł
weight 45oz/1275grams
ipd 57-72mm/ lens diameter 18mm
center focus/clickstop diopter
exit pupil 3.0mm
eye relief 18mm useable
min focus 8m
spiral clickstop eye relief adj
no eyeguards
nitrogen filled/weather resistant
very sturdy construction
sleek black rubber armored housing
tfov 2.4° (spec 2.2°)
field sharp to 95+% [comparable
to orion 15Ă63 mini-giants]
minimal positive distortion
afov 44° (spec)
afov 48° (adj) restricted but not necessarily a
dealbreaker. no serious tunnelvision, but more
than iâm used to.
false color: present but minimal
ergonomics: easily handheld for casual obs
(tripod is always recommended for steadiest views)
purchase motivations:
compulsive interest
comparison to 20x80s
notes: the obie 20Ă80 std trumps the pentax
in tfov/afov/depth of field and image brightness.
the pentax 20Ă60 has the edge in overall field
sharpness and color correction along with being
much smaller and lighter. the plentiful ER is overkill
to take in the smaller fieldstop perimeter but i doubt
any eyeglass wearers would complain.
tip of the day:
WP noks may be WP on the inside, but the outside
surfaces are still at the mercy of fog and condensation.
storage in a secure garage or vehicle is recommended
to keep all optics as close as possible to ambient temps
and humidity
bottom line:
five star transaction and instrument
highly recommended with caveat of
potentially restrictive tfov/afov
Cruising the net for a quality complementary wide field instrument led me to this $110 gem from the Minds of Minolta.
With BAK4 prisms and longer eye relief, the fully multicoated and weatherproof Activa series is an impressive upgrade from their venerable Deluxe (Classic) line of binoculars.
Out of the box, the all black rubber-armored Minolta is a class act, including a very nice soft-lined case and deluxe neckstrap.
Weighing in at a well-balanced 27oz., it first reminded me of a less bulky and more ergonomic version of the Orion UltraView.
The Activaâs hinge, focus, and diopter adjustment (which lightly clicks into place at small increments) is smooth and secure. The caps also all fit securely. A single cover takes the place of dual lens caps.
In lieu of roll-back eyeguards, the Activa is equipped with soft rubber twist-lock eyecups to customize eye relief. Rather than spiraling freely, the eyecups again securely click into place over four incremental positions. Very handy.
Iâm not a big fan of optics being shipped in a thin layer of styrofoam peanuts, but the Activa and its collimation managed to survive the UPS journey unscathed.
The very bright and vivid daytime, stellar, and Lunar images show negligable false color across nearly the entire 8.2° (spec and measured) field of view. Only the slightest pincushioning was detected over an otherwise very sharp (to 85%) field.
Noticable prism interference at the exit pupils is limited to a slight diagonal flattening at 1 oâclock (L) and 11 oâclock Âź.
While the eye relief is long (spec states 18.5mm), the moderate lens recess tweaks the usable ER closer to 16mm. Wearing thin sunglasses I could still comfortably take in the entire field stop with the twist-locks fully retracted.
A generous 22mm lens diameter, interpupilary range of 58-72mm, and plenty of room to gaze around the field contributes to the comfortable eygernomics. In addition, I find the 65° apparent FOV very acceptable and immune to any tunnelvision.
Those in the market for a full featured, well-constructed, and sharp looking binocular under $150 will not be disappointed.
I spent an enjoyable 2 Âœ hours breaking in the 8Ă40 under mag 5 skies, running the latter third of the marathon Messiers and brighter NGCs.
Early impressive observations of note included the Coma cluster, Messiers 3, 5, 13, 12, 10, 4, ic4665, ngc6633, and doublestars alphaLib, epsilonLyr, nuDra, and omicronCyg.
A very pleasing tour through the Summer Triangle was highlighted by Cr399, M27, and hints of the North American and Veil nebulae. A slow, climactic cruise down the Sagittarius Armâs main drag followed through Messiers 11, 26, 16, 17, 18, 24, 23, 25, 21, 20, 8, 7, and 6. All were easily identified, resolved to various degrees, and found flowing over the expanse of about 3 binocular fields.
The Messier cottonball globulars 22, 55, 15, and 2 also stood out beyond simple detection. Uranus and Neptune were also spotted about a degree from, respectively, 4th magnitude suns lambdaAqr and iotaCap. The gas giants soon ushered in our waning crescent moon in close conjunction with Mars.
A handful of satellites and a couple of stray meteors also joined this sessionâs festivities.
After a northeast sweep thru the rising stars of Cassiopeia and a low, early season preview of M31, the Minolta and I called it a night.
Generously rating the transparency 8/10, the Messier globs and OCs were all at least obvious while the dimmer galaxies and nebulae hid behind the early summer haze. As anticipated, the aesthetic context of a 8+° field and effortless starhopping was a fair compromise for the sacrificed brightness and resolution of my larger instruments.
As a former obsessed fuzzy hunter and long-time big bino enthusiast, this 8x session made me realize how little time I spend seeing more of the celestial forest through the trees. Always refreshing to throw a different perspective into the mix.
I would also recommend an 8Ă40 as an excellent first binocular for beginners learning their way around the night sky.
To sum it up: A small price for alot of field and alot of fun.
A Big Brown Truck arrived with my new toy earlier this week.
Coddled in bubble-wrap within its hard-case, the 30x Barska survived the trip without a scratch and in fine collimationâŠ
I could stop there as, for $139, my expectations had already been met.
But as the audition progressed, I became increasingly pleased with the performance of these bargain Giants.
So here we go.
Max Dimensions: 13âłx9âł
Weight: 4.3 lbs.
Min Focus: 49 ft.
All black, streamlined, soft and smooth rubber housing.
Extremely ergonomic and well-balanced.
Aroma: Confidential (Sorry, Kenny.)
Lifetime Limited Warranty
Mechanics: Hinge, focus, and diopter motion secure with no play. Caps all secure. Easy-to-adjust pedestal stays secure along center bar.
BAK4 Prisms (round exit pupils, no light path interference).
Coatings: MC. Despite various specs and speculation, the objectives do indeed present healthy bluish-green reflections thru its black-baffled barrels. Lens and prism paler blue reflections, however, indicate single-coatings on some surfaces.
Optics (daytime): Very bright images. Moderate pincushioning. Very well color-corrected. Minimal off-focus purple fringing.
FOV: 2.1° (spec) 2.2° (measured)
AFOV: 63° (per spec) 66° (adj)
F/FSR (Field to Field-Stop Ratio): Average. No tunnelvision, but not a spacewalk either. Field-stop is well-defined.
Eye Relief: 10mm (spec) 9mm (useable. recess is slightly less than 2mm, and Iâm feeling generous)
Lens diameter: 20mm
Exit Pupil: 2.7mm
IPD: 58-72mm
Comfort: Very good. Long, soft roll-back rubber eye cups.
Vignette: Minimal. Eye positioning is more forgiving than expected.
My favored useable eye relief is in the 12-14mm range, so the Barska is tighter than I prefer (any less would be painfully tight). Not recommended for eyeglass wearers, I would estimate at least a 50% loss of field.
Pinpoint star images out to 75% of field.
Minimal violet fringing on Jupiter and Vega (substantially less CA than my $500 MegaView).
Main Jovian bands are distinct, showing both color and hints of texture.
Negligable false color at Lunaâs limb; our waning gibbous moon is splendidly detailed.
Versus Orion 30x80MegaView
For another $350, the MV provides 4mm more eye relief and a significantly larger AFOV (fieldstop is nearly peripheral). These are two important qualities for me and worth the extra cost. YMMV.
The MV also provides an additional .3° TFOV, and includes extendable dewshields.
Except for the above, the sleek and lightweight Barska 30s not only challenge the heavier MVâs optics, mechanics, and quality build, but do so with better color correction (the trade-off, as expected, is increased internal reflections around the bright stuff).
I spent ten straight minutes standing and another 30 on my back enjoying a relaxed freehand crawl across the available constellations. Very liberating. At just over 4 lbs, they simply do not feel like Giants.
Bino Forum edicts require me to reiterate that a tripod or IS is always recommended for more serious bino-target study.
Following that, the Barskaâs mounting requirements are minimal; any tripod rated for even 5 lbs will suffice.
Aside from an incurable giant bino fetish, I also wanted to occasionally share 30x binocular views with the public without putting my more valuable MV in harmâs way. The Barska X-Trail 30Ă80 will serve this purpose with flying colors. More bang for 139 bucks than I expected.
If the MegaView drives like a Cadillac, then the Barska handles more like a sports car.
Recommended with the caveat of potentially restrictive eye relief.
Glass At A Glance: Oberwerk 11Ă56
$99 from bigbinoculars.com
instrument arrived promptly, well-packaged,
mechanically sound, and in fine collimation
bak4/ fmc/no light path interference
height 7.75Ă8.0âł/19.7Ă20.3cm
weight 36oz/965grams
ipd 56-72mm/ lens diameter 20mm
center focus/diopter
exit pupil 5.1mm
eye relief 17mm useable
min focus ~10m
soft rollback eyeguards
tfov 6.1° (spec 6.0)
field sharp to 85%
coma free field 5.5°
nominal positive distortion
afov (spec) 66°
afov (subj) v good. not a spacewalk but no
tunnelvision. fieldstop is well-defined
false color: present but minimal
ergonomics: no complaints; itâs 11x at just
over two lbs. easily handheld for casual obs.
perhaps a bit large for children.
as fortune would have it, the image scale and
tfov fall about halfway between my 8s and 15s.
purchase motivations:
compulsive interest
additional outreach noks to pass around
it was kevinâs turn to get my money
tip of the day:
this bino only rates a soft case. with these cases
i habitually cut and pop enough bubblewrap to
surround the bino lengthwise before sliding it in
the case for storage and transport (protection
and keeps the caps on when taking it out)
bottom line:
five star transaction and instrument
highly recommended
Barska 15Ă70 X-Trail: Big Bang For The Buck
I really didnât need another binocular.
I have plenty of binoculars, actually.
Among them is a perfectly wonderful 30Ă80 Barska X-Trail.
But I was ready to take one for the Forum team after reading a few recent Barska horror stories, and was fully prepared to pull a broken string of parts out of the box when my 15x70XT arrived.
I found the Barska 15s on sale at Amazon for $49 and haphazardly pulled the trigger. If this negligent, impulsive purchase wouldnât get me a lemon then nothing would. *professional stuntman. do not try this at home*
Three days later a big brown truck delivered another perfectly wonderful specimen.
Well-packaged, collimated, and mechanically sound. Includes soft case, neckstrap, table tripod, adapter, and cleaning cloth.
Looks great next to its 30x big brother, too.
Max Dimensions: 11âłx8.5âł
Weight: 2.8 lbs
Min Focus: ~50 ft
Design: All black, streamlined, soft and smooth rubber housing.
Ergonomic and well-balanced for its size. No center pedestal. Center focus.
Prisms: BAK4 (round exit pupils, no light path interference).
Coatings: Fully coated/light blue reflections at both ends
Optics (daytime): Very bright images. Very good color-correction across a flat, relatively wide FOV. Minimal pincushioning; it could actually use a little more. Thereâs a subtle center field softness compared to my instruments with higher positive distortion.
FOV: 4.4°
AFOV: 66°
F/FSR (Field to Field-Stop Ratio): Very Good. No tunnelvision, but not a spacewalk either. Field-stop is well-defined.
Lens diameter: 20mm
Exit Pupil: 4.7mm
IPD: 56-72mm
Comfort: Very Good. Long, soft roll-back rubber eye cups.
Eye Relief: 18.5mm (useable).
Vignette: Minimal. However, without eyeglasses the eyeguards must be extended to achieve the proper viewing distance. I always leave the eyeguards extended anyway and take this in stride, but it may be more important to others.
Pinpoint star images out to 80% of field.
Negligable false color at Lunaâs limb. Our waning gibbous moon is splendidly detailed and star colors are vivid. The Pleiades, Double Cluster, and Orion Nebula are beautifully framed.
Iâm not quite comparing apples to apples here.
Both have comparably long eye relief and pleasing eygernomics.
Both also provide comparable brightness; the Barskaâs extra aperture
helps compensate for the Orionâs better coatings/contrast (the XTâs exit pupil is also a half-millimeter larger).
The Orion is much lighter, more compact, and has the edge in ergonomics, while the larger and heavier Barska provides an extra .5° FOV.
The Orion shows almost no internal reflections (FMC) but an increase in chromatic aberration on Luna and the brightest stars/planets.
These trade-offs all come down to personal preference.
Weighing-in at less than 3 lbs, I manually swept the night sky standing for a half-hour before even realizing that Iâd manually swept the night sky standing for a half-hour. A very liberating and enjoyable ride.
The Barskaâs mounting requirements are minimal; any tripod rated for even 5 lbs will suffice.
My best mid-power bino investment for the price.
For those that can handle occasional internal reflections better than false color, I would easily consider the Barska 15x70XT as one of the best mid-power instruments available under $100.
And a steal at $49.
Highly recommended with the standing caveat to buy from a reputable dealer that will personally check the mechanics and collimation prior to shipping. Buy and test locally if possible.
[as good of place as any to put this. enjoy.]
Observing Under the Influence: The Apogee 18Ă50 Beer Bottle Telescope
I got the sweetest lilâ early stocking-stuffer for this Christmas.
Apogeeâs famed, novelty 18Ă50 BBT.
Iâm having a blast with it.
The following may or may not be considered my review.
Primary Mirror: 50mm
Magnification: 18x (fixed)
Focal Length, Ratio: 235mm, f/4.7
Max Dimensions: 8.5âł x 2.5âł
Weight: 10 oz.
Min Focus: 8 ft.
Price: $21.95
Apogee Transaction Rating: 4/5. Prompt delivery and good communication.
Despite arriving undamaged, the inner packing did not surround the product.
Out-Of-Box: Very nice heavy-nylon black case. Includes shoulder strap
and cleaning cloth. The scope is green (I havenât decided which shade yet),
more rugged than expected, and, coincidentally, shaped like a beer bottle- including the eyelens cap which pops on and off. A dribble-hole along the main tube doubles as a quarter-inch adaptee for possible tripod mounting.
Coatings: Fully Coated optics (decent blue tint from each end).
Eygernomics: In this specimen, the field of view is a pleasantly-flat, correct-image 3.5°, and coma-free out to 75%. No on-axis astigmatism detected. Negligable false color. Nominal pincushioning. Exit pupil is 2.7mm. Apparent field is an adequate 63°; Fieldstop is sharp. No tunnelvision, but not a spacewalk either.
But you have to get *to* the FOV first.
I found the 5mm lens recess to yield a useable eye relief of about 5mm. In addition, the eyelens diameter is a mere 12mm. This inconvenience is only offset by the lack of an eyeguard and ability to shove the tapered neck right into your eyeball.
Ergonomics: About what youâd expect. Itâs about as comfortable as holding an empty beer bottle up to your eye can be. Using both hands and adopting a Master and Commander pose is almost irresistable.
Will I Look Silly Using It: Not if youâre alone. At night.
But seriously, most folks would probably just pity what would appear to be a pathetic drinking problem. Add an eyepatch (to view comfortably with both eyes open) and passersby might start charitably tossing coins at you as well.
Will I Feel Silly Using It: Thereâs a good possibility (âBut I donât wanna be a pirateâŠâ). Using the BBT is kinda like owning a moped; fun to ride, but you donât want your friends to see you with one.
Mechanics: The secure caps are made of hard plastic. The smooth and secure focusing is attained by rotating the top half of the bottleneck.
Thatâs about it for mechanics.
Nothing rattling around inside.
The velcro on the cool, black case also performs admirably.
Mounted on an EQ2, my only complaint was having to listen as my nearby StarMax was laughing its aperture off.
Storage: In its cool, black case. The mini-scope doesnât match anything in the house. Did I mention the weird shade of green?
Viewing from a dark, transparent sky is, of course, recommended- and does alot to compensate for the lack of aperture and relatively small exit pupil.
The BBT also tests ones true starhopping mettle. At 18x, itâs a shaky handheld ride until you put in some practice. I happen to love the challenge, and even plan on competing in next springâs Marathon with it. Alone. Stay tuned.
For a $20 novelty astro-gift, the Apogee Beer Bottle Telescope actually has
alot to offer as a practical stargazing instrument.
I can only hope the already-suspicious Illinois State Police that frequent my favorite rural site show the same appreciation (after Iâm forced to take a breathalyzer test).
Happy hunting, and Cheers.
Kronos 26Ă70: Requiem for Eye Relief
An ongoing quest to discover more relatively lightweight and inexpensive high power binoculars led me to audition the Kronos 26Ă70. At $199, they will not break the bank. At 3.7 lbs (1.7 kg), they are certainly lightweight.
Unfortunately, insufficient eye relief spoils an otherwise favorable test drive.
All black and all business, the Kronosâ leather-textured surface and design is very attractive. The enclosed certificate of authenticity and specs were written in Russian as well as English. Along with the Russian font on the casing, I imagined feeling quite comfortable using these on the deck of the Red October.
I was mildly surprised that the 26Ă70 only rated a basic nylon case. Included was a somewhat undersized single-stem adapter that could be screwed onto a tripod at one end and clamped around the hinge at the other. But for mounted use I would probably opt for a standard steel L-adapter. On the plus side, all four protective lens caps kept a tight fit despite my semi-violent attempts to shake them loose.
Mechanically, I gave this unit a split-decision. The hinge was quite rigid and reluctant to flex, while the individual focus on both eyepieces was somewhat slippery and unsecure.
The binoâs objectives are multicoated, and gazing down the barrels reveal a pinkish-purple tint. Tight circles of an unobstructed light path greeted me at the lenses, but then, any prism interference would be an unforgivable design flaw with the already limited exit pupil.
Perfectly merged terrestrial and stellar images showed the barrels to be in solid alignment. While I could make out the smallest cracks in neighboring chimneys, there was a substantial but not fatal degree of pincushioning.
Chromatic aberration was very tolerable, with only minimal green and red boundaries seen around high-contrast objects and the available lunar crescent.
The Kronosâ specs cite a 2.5 degree tfov, but I managed to squeeze Orionâs belt within the fieldstop, yielding a more accurate 2.7 degrees. Stars remain pinpoints across 85% of the field. Apparent field- by no means narrow- is still somewhat optimistic for the adjusted 70 deg quotient. A lack of full multcoatings is evident in the overall brighter background, but with the abundance of additional stars pulled in at 26x this is more easily forgiven.
In the minority and/or acclimated from cutting my teeth on 6 lb. Orion Giants, I found the comparably lightweight Kronosâ to be an ergonomic handheld ride despite the high magnification (translation: 99% of the population will need a tripod).
Luna is wonderfully large, sharp, and intricately detailed. Jove reveals two distinct and structured bands, while Saturn shows a tiny but crisp disc and ring system.
I also did not find the relatively small 2.7mm ExP to be a hinderance. Astronomically, the forte of these noks is not to track down diffuse fuzzies, but rather to enhance resolution and detail on Luna, the planets, clusters, and globs. The Kronos does this well.
Although I donât wear glasses, I still prefer a generous amount of eye relief. Listed at 9mm, I was more wary of the actual usable ER. It was a bad gamble. First, the lenses are recessed about 2 millimeters. In addition, the stubby eyeguards extend 6mms and cannot be rolled back. In other words, they were too short to be very useful at blocking peripheral light but long enough to decrease the already short ER. By masochistically wedging the eyepieces into my sockets I could take in the entire field stop. Comfortably and without brushing my eyelashes on the lens I could see maybe a third of the total field. I had thoughts of removing the eyeguards and replacing them with winged models, but ultimately felt the lack of ER would be a constant source of frustration.
This was unfortunate as I was otherwise pleased with the Kronosâ performance, weight, and price. With even 10-12mms of eye relief, however, the Russian Giants wouldâve been keepers. But as they say, ĐŃ ĐœĐ” ĐŒĐŸĐ¶Đ”ŃĐ” ĐČŃОгŃĐ°ŃŃ ĐČŃĐ” ĐžŃ
(you canât win âem all).
Glass At A Glance: Orion Giant View 25Ă100
$349 from telescopes.com
instrument arrived promptly, well-packaged,
mechanically sound, and in fine collimation
aluminum case for transport
bak4/ fmc. orion does not skimp on coatings-
there is barely any reflection at the business ends.
height 17.1 in
weight 10.1 lbs
individual focus/integral mounting post
exit pupil 4 mm
ipd 61-72mm
eye relief 17 luxurious useable mms.
iâm happiest with 12-14mms of UER plus a few more to take
advantage of leaving the eyeguards out to block
peripheral light. the orion does not disappoint.
the large 20mm eyelens diameters contribute to the
excellent viewing experience.
editorial:
i pay to see the field stop, even if the outer fov is
just for context. those designing noks with 9 or less mms
of ER should be subjected to viewing the fieldstop
regardless of ocular bone damage or disfigurement.
i keep imagining a think-tank of designers intentionally ignoring
every new modelsâ ER specs and, for entertainment purposes,
creating a betting pool as to the final distance outcomes (âokay
boys! who had 11mms?â).
close focus 100 ft
soft rollback eyeguards
tfov 2.5° (spec )
field sharp to 80%
coma free field 2.0°
nominal positive distortion
afov (spec) 63°
afov (subj) v good. not a spacewalk but a substantial view
relative to the limited tfov. fieldstop is well-defined
false color: present but minimal
ergonomics:
braced on my elbows-tripod or reclined, the increased
weight actually serves to help stability when held near
the objectives.
(a heavy-duty tripod is required for best detection and detail)
purchase motivations:
giant bino addicts must have at least one 100 mm horse
in their stable. itâs the law.
high mag handheld training, especially as a warm-up
session before powering down to lower mag noks.
after spending 15-20 minutes with the 25Ă100-
regardless of the actual physiological stability
increase- views thru my 15s and 20s certainly feel
lighter and seem steadier. often reaching
âheartbeat-limitedâ stability.
bottom line:
10 lbs of heaven
five star transaction and instrument
highly recommended
*as always, ymmv*
Glass At A Glance: Zhumell 20Ă80
$99 from binoculars.com
instrument arrived promptly, well-packaged,
mechanically sound, and in fine collimation
hard liner in leather case
bak4/fmc (spec). this specimen is a
tongue-in-cheek fmc; multicoated obj/fully
coated prisms and lens
no light path interference
height 13âłx9âł/33cmx23cm
weight 4.4lbs/2.0kg
ipd 56-72mm/ lens diameter 20mm
exit pupil 4.0mm
eye relief 16mm useable
min focus ~20m
center focus/pedestal/center brace
soft rollback eyeguards
tfov 3.2° (spec 3.2°)
field sharp to 75%
coma free field 2.5°
negligible positive distortion (just this side of neutral)
afov (spec) 64°
afov (subj) no tunnelvision but not as panoramic
as spec might suggest. fieldstop is well-defined
false color: present but minimal
ergonomics: handholdable for casual use and hotdogging at star parties, but tripod is recommended (any standard camera/video tripod will suffice).
purchase motivations:
see what all the fuss is about
second Z20x80 subsequently purchased as
donation to local astroclubâs rental program
tip of the day:
along with ideally helping preserve collimation, the
lengthwise bar on crossbraced models can be held as a vertical support for freehand viewing (sliding the pedestal all the way forward). the opposite hand steadies the horizontal and controls focus. the bar also makes a convenient carrying handle for out-of-case transport
bottom line:
five star transaction/four star instrument
recommended bang for the buck purchase
weak afov and outer field sharpness compared to
the obie and garrett counterparts but still qualifies
as an adequate instrument for general stargazing.
[note: the barska 20x80xt auditioned rates a nearly identical review.
also see âa tale of four 20sâ]
Orion 15Ă63: A Mini-(Giant) Revelation
Iâd lugged my 16x80s around for over 10 years.
Freehand or mounted, Iâd never given a second thought to their 5+ lb. mass. In fact, Iâd always related the healthy bulk of these giants as a sign of their powerful optics and construction.
So my first thought upon hefting the mere 41 ounces of the Mini-Giants from their hardcase was, âAre they serious?â
They are.
The relatively light weight is nicely balanced along an 8 3/8âł sleek and streamlined body. (Actually, the Mini-Giant series appears to be the revamped FMC big brothers to the popular Orion Scenix line of binoculars.)
As advertised, they are easily hand-holdable for several minutes at a time. Although tripod-adaptable, I doubt I would ever have to use them mounted.
Still suspicious, I thought there must be some trade-off (specifically, prism interference) to this contoured design. But there was none. Full circles of light greeted me at the lenses and not a millimeter of obstruction was present while gazing down the black-baffled barrels.
The hinge, focuser, and diopter adjustments all moved smoothly and securely with no play, and, although Iâm very sensitive to collimation, I still slowly alternated closing and opening each eye to find the merged image in perfect alignment.
Aberration tests also showed no excessive pincushion or barrel-effect across the 3.9° (measured) field, and color-correction is confined to minimal slivers of green and red on high-contrast daytime objects and Luna.
Iâve never put too much faith in AFOV specs, and the MG is a good example why. A pleasantly wide apparent field belies the modest 58° (adj) quotient. Serious field distortion/coma is limited to the outer 5% of the field, and only really noticable if you go looking for it.
There is no lunar ghosting, and our moonâs entire terminator is sharp with detail. The Orion Nebula, Pleiades, and Double Cluster are all amply framed with pinpoint star images. All very impressive.
I just kept waiting for âthe trade offâ and, aside from losing 17mm of aperture and half the weight of my 16x80s, found none.
Also, as advertised, the Mini-Giants have plenty of eye relief (18mm useable). Highly recommended for eyeglass wearers. However, without glasses, the eyeguards must be extended to achieve the proper viewing distance without vignette. I always leave the eyeguards extended anyway, and can live with this, but it may be more important to others.
Again, Iâd lugged my 16x80s around for over 10 years.
Theyâve been with me through 30 states, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Theyâve witnessed many comets, occultations, and eclipses over their lifetime. Mounted, theyâve impressed hundreds of starparty guests and friends with their size, power, and optics.
They rock.
And I would never let them go.
And they will always remain mounted near my scope for public viewing.
And Iâm not just saying this because theyâre giving me the evil-eye while Iâm writing this.
Nevertheless, in summary, I recommend the excellent optics and lightweight ergonomics of the Orion 15x63s (at around $200) as a competitively-priced alternative to many of the much heavier and tripod-dependent giant binoculars in this magnification range.
150 Doublestars For Binoculars
Stephen Saber
Given a magnified visual acuity of 150âł a 10x binocular will potentially split doublestars with separations as close as 15âł (150/10), and 5âł at 30x.
Doubles with equal or near equal mags are easier to blackline than those with a significantly brighter glare from the primary.
Color interpretations are often subjective for several reasons including sky conditions, color sensitivity, contrast effects, and aperture.
Equally impressive in low power scopefields, this collection of brighter targets for northern observers is arranged by constellation and decreasing separation.
Pocket Sky Atlas chart references are included.
56 0156+3715 5.7, 6.0 @ 190âł
59 0211+3902 6.5, 7.0 @ 16.6âł
gamma 0204+4220 2.3, 5.5 @ 9.8âł
stf79 0100+4443 6.0, 7.0 @ 7.8âł
94 2319-1327 5.3, 7.3 @ 13âł
107 2346-1840 5.5, 6.5 @ 6.6âł
15 1905-0402 5.5, 7.2 @ 38âł
57 1955-0814 5.8, 6.5 @ 36âł
stf2654 2015-0330 6.0, 7.5 @ 14.2âł
5 1847-0057 5.5, 7.5 @ 13âł
30 0237+2439 6.6, 7.4 @ 38.6âł
lambda 0158+2336 4.9, 7.7 @ 37âł
gamma 0154+1918 4.8, 4.8 @ 7.8âł
stf698 0525+3451 6.5, 7.5 @ 31.2âł
stf764 0541+2929 6.5, 7.0 @ 26âł
14 0515+3231 5.1, 7.4 @ 14.6âł
stf872 0616+3609 6.9, 7.9 @ 11.3âł
41 0612+4843 5.0, 7.0 @ 7.7âł
stf918 0634+5227 6.5, 7.5 @ 4.7âł
mu 1525+3723 4.3, 6.5 @ 108âł
s656 1350+2117 6.8, 7.3 @ 86âł
iota 1416+5122 4.9, 7.5 @ 38âł
stf1850 1429+2817 6.0, 7.0 @ 25.6âł
kappa 1414+5147 4.6, 6.6 @ 13.4âł
xi 1451+1906 4.7, 7.0 @ 6.9âł
stf1835 1423+0827 5.1, 7.6 @ 6.2âł
pi 1441+1625 4.9, 5.8 @ 5.6âł
Camelopardalis psa 11/12/31
11/12 0506+5858 5.4, 6.5 @ 180âł
s436 0349+5707 6.5, 7.3 @ 58âł
32 1249+8325 5.3, 5.8 @ 21.6âł
1 0432+5355 5.7, 6.8 @ 10.3âł
b584 0840+1933 6.9, 7.2 @ 45âł
iota 0847+2846 4.2, 6.6 @ 30âł
stf1245 0836+0637 6.0, 7.2 @ 10.3âł
zeta 0812+1739 5.6, 6.0 @ 5.9âł
phi2 0827+2656 6.3, 6.3 @ 5.1âł
17 1310+3830 6.0, 6.2 @ 84âł
alpha 1256+3819 2.9, 5.5 @ 19.4âł
h3945 0717-2320 5.0, 5.8 @ 26.8âł
beta1/2 2021-1447 3.4, 6.2 @ 205âł
omicron 2030-1834 6.0, 6.5 @ 21.9âł
oss26 0220+6002 6.9, 7.4 @ 63âł
stf3053 0003+6605 6.0, 7.7 @ 15.2âł
eta 0049+5749 3.4, 7.5 @ 12âł
delta 2229+5825 3.9, 6.3 @ 41âł
stf2840 2152+5547 5.5, 7.3 @ 18.3âł
beta 2129+7034 3.2, 7.9 @ 13.3âł
xi 2204+6438 4.4, 6.5 @ 7.7âł
stf2816 2139+5729 5.6, 7.7, 7.8 @ 11.7âł, 121âł
66 0213-0224 5.7, 7.5 @ 16.5âł
17 1229+2555 5.3, 6.6 @ 145âł
32/33 1252+1704 6.3, 6.7 @ 95âł
24 1235+1823 5.2, 6.7 @ 20.3âł
zeta 1539+3638 5.1, 6.0 @ 6.3âł
sigma 1615+3352 5.6, 6.6 @ 6.2âł
stf 1669 1241-1300 6.0, 6.1 @ 5.4âł
31 2014+4644 3.8, 7.0, 4.8 @ 107âł, 338âł
16 1942+5031 6.0, 6.2 @ 40.0âł
beta 1931+2758 3.1, 5.1 @ 34.4âł
61 2107+3845 5.2, 6.0 @ 28âł
stf2486 1912+4951 6.6, 6.8 @ 7.9âł
s752 2030+1925 6.6, 7.0 @ 106âł
gamma 2047+1607 4.4, 5.0 @ 9.1âł
16/17 1636+5255 5.4, 5.5 @ 108âł
39 1824+5848 5.0, 7.4 @ 89âł
oss123 1327+6444 6.7, 7.0 @ 69âł
nu 1732+5511 4.9, 4.9 @ 62âł
omicron 1851+5923 4.8, 7.8 @ 34.2âł
psi 1742+7209 4.9, 6.1 @ 30.3âł
40/41 1800+8000 5.7, 6.1 @ 19.3âł
stf2452 1854+7546 6.6, 7.4 @ 5.6âł
epsilon 2059+0418 6.0, 7.1 @ 11âł
55 0444-0848 6.7, 6.8 @ 9.2âł
32 0354-0257 4.7, 6.2 @ 6.8âł
20 0632+1747 6.3, 6.9 @ 20.0âł
38 0655+1311 4.7, 7.7 @ 7.1âł
37 1641+0413 5.8, 7.0 @ 70âł
kappa 1608+1703 5.3, 6.5 @ 28âł
100 1808+2606 5.9, 6.0 @ 14.2âł
95 1802+2136 5.0, 5.1 @ 6.3âł
alpha 1715+1423 3.5, 5.4 @ 4.7âł
rho 1724+3709 4.6, 5.6 @ 4.1âł
8 2236+3938 5.7, 6.5 22.4âł
alpha 1008+1158 1.4, 7.7 @ 177âł
tau 1128+0251 5.0, 7.4 @ 91âł
83 1127+0300 6.2, 7.8 @ 28.5âł
54 1056+2445 4.5, 6.3 @ 6.5âł
gamma 1020+1951 2.2, 3.5 @ 4.4âł
gamma 0545-2227 3.7, 6.3 @ 96âł
h3780 0539-1751 6, 9, 8, 8 @ 89âł, 76âł, 129âł
s476 0519-1831 6.2, 6.4 @ 39âł
alpha 1451-1602 3.0, 5.0 @ 231âł
shj179 1426-1958 6.6, 6.6 @ 16âł
stf1962 1539-0847 6.5, 6.6 @ 11.9âł
5 0627+5825 5.3, 7.9 @ 96âł
19 0723+5517 5.6, 6.5 @ 14.8âł
stf958 0648+5542 6.3, 6.3 @ 4.8âł
epsilon1/2 1844+3940 5.0, 5.2 @ 208âł
beta 1850+2948 3.5, 7.0 @ 46.6âł
oss525 1855+3358 6.0, 7.7 @ 45âł
zeta 1845+3736 4.3, 5.9 @ 44âł
zeta 0809-0259 4.3, 7.8 @ 67âł
epsilon 0624+0436 4.5, 6.5 @ 27âł
beta 0629-0702 4.7, 5.2 @ 7.3âł
rho 1626-2327 5, 8, 7 @ 151âł, 156âł
s694 1752+0107 6.9, 7.1 @ 82âł
53 1735+0935 5.5, 7.5 @ 41.3âł
61 1745+0235 6.2, 6.6 @ 20.6âł
delta 0532-0018 2.5, 6.5 @ 52.6âł
theta2 0535-0525 5.0, 6.5 @ 52âł
shj49 0459+1432 6.0, 7.5 @ 39.4âł
stf747 0535-0600 4.8, 5.7 @ 35.7âł
23 0523+0333 5.0, 7.1 @ 32âł
stf855 0609-0230 6.0, 7.0 @ 29.5âł
sigma 0539-0236 4.0, 8.8, 6.5, 6.6 @ 11âł, 13âł, 42âł
iota 0536-0555 2.8, 6.9 @ 11.3âł
theta1 0535-0523 6.7, 7.9, 5.1, 6.7 @ 8.8âł, 13.0âł, 21.5âł
lambda 0535+0956 3.6, 5.5 @ 4.4âł
stf2841 2154+1943 6.4, 7.9 @ 22.3âł
stf2978 2308+3249 6.3, 7.5 @ 8.4âł
57 0433+4304 6.1, 6.8 @ 116âł
stf331 0301+5221 5.3, 6.7 @ 12.1âł
77 0106+0455 6.8, 7.6 @ 33âł
psi1 0106+2128 5.6, 5.8 @ 30âł
zeta 0114+0735 5.6, 6.5 @ 23âł
35 0015+0849 6.0, 7.6 @ 11.6âł
65 0050+2743 6.3, 6.3 @ 4.4âł
bu139 1913+1651 6.5, 7.5 @ 113âł
theta 2010+2055 6.5, 7.4 @ 84âł
nu 1612-1928 4.3, 6.4 @ 41âł
beta 1605-1948 2.5, 5.0 @ 13.7âł
xi 1604-1122 4.8, 7.3 @ 7.6âł
stf1919 1513+1918 6.7, 7.6 @ 23.9âł
theta 1856+0412 4.6, 4.9 @ 22.1âł
35 1043+0445 6.3, 7.4 @ 6.8âł
21/22 0346+2432 5.6, 6.4 @ 168âł
eta 0348+2406 2.9, 6.3 @ 117âł
hvi98 0416+0611 6.3, 7.0 @ 66âł
chi 0423+2538 5.5, 7.6 @ 19.4âł
stf401 0331+2734 6.4, 6.9 @ 11.3âł
118 0529+2509 5.8, 6.6 @ 4.8âł
stf1831 1416+5643 6.6, 7.1 @ 108âł
65 1155+4629 6.5, 6.7 @ 63âł
stf1415 1018+7104 6.7, 7.3 @ 16.7âł
zeta 1324+5456 2.3, 4.0 @ 14.4âł
alpha 0231+8915 2.0, 9.0 @ 18.4âł
pi1 1529+8027 6.6, 7.3 @ 31âł
stf1627 1218-0357 6.6, 6.9 @ 20.1âł
54 1314-1849 6.5, 7.2 @ 5.3âł
stf2769 2111+2409 6.5, 7.5 @ 17.9âł
*image credit: space.com*
saber does the stars at http://saberdoesthestars.wordpress.com
c14 is awesome! (saber does the stars vol. 2: the index catalog) at http://c14isawesome.blogspot.com
