djpaul Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 Hi Not sure if this is posted in the correct place , im after a pair of Binoculars 10x50 pref Something in the £100 - £120 price bracket with a wide field of view. Any advise would be great Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 (edited) Hi Paul, Binoculars are just great for a quick scan of the sky or a longer session, I love them and they are just so easy and relaxing to take out and use. There are many different binoculars around and you can pay all sorts of prices even up to a couple thousand pounds for the top of the range Swarovski 10x50's or image stabilised ones. Try second hand on ABS or elsewhere and you could get a pretty good bargain for £100 or less. Several years ago I bought a second hand pair of Miranda wide angle 10x50s for just £25 and have been completely satisfied with the view, and of course the price, as I like the wider angles. Their FOV is 7 degrees which equals 122 metres at 1000 metres. That is about the widest you are going to get in a 10x50 and is as wide as most 8x42s. Your average 10x50 is about 6 degrees or less. I got the Celestron Skymaster 15x70s new for just £50, and they perform fine for a budget priced higher power, deeper view binocular. The 15x70s are substantially heavier than 10x50s and have a smaller FOV of just 4.4 degrees, which is fine for their purpose. You really can't go far wrong with binoculars, and unless you are a perfectionist wanting the ultimate in performance, you don't need to spend a lot. If you buy second hand you might get a real bargain that suits you like I did, and if they don't suit you can sell them on and probably not lose any money. Just steer clear of zoom binoculars and the cheap Chinese ones with silly numbers like 200x65 etc. Those types are almost certainly going to be rubbish and have a tiny FOV as well. Edited March 24, 2016 by Tweedledee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAZ Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 What Pete just said. They are by far the easiest and quickest way to get out and observe something. They are different to scopes in as much as you get a better view as you are using both eyes which gives the brain more info to work with and they have a way wider field of view. In fact some objects can only be fully appreciated in binoculars. As Pete mentioned, keep well away from zoom's, they are like looking down two bog rolls and have a very narrow field of view. For general mooching about a pair of 10X50's would do you fine, they give a good view and can be hand held for a good while. Use these lying back on a sun lounger, it's way more comfortable than getting a cricked neck with a tripod. I have a small pair of 8X20's, which are ideal for finding a target before moving even the scope finder into the area. These are ideal for sticking down the front of your coat to keep warm and can show a surprising amount of stuff you would expect them to be able to show. If you see some you think you might want to buy, just shout up on here and ask, so if anyone has a good or bad comment you can find out before spending your money. Brantuk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djpaul Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share Posted March 25, 2016 (edited) Hi When i got started i bought a pair of Hoya 10x50 ( with a FOV of 7 degrees and Fast Focus ) on ebay for £20 They are quite fuzzy at about 50% from centre ( But i do like the focus on them as its very easy to use ) I have been thinking about a pair of Helios Nature Sport Plus ( 6.5 FOV and fairly light ) £79 new Or Pentax 10x50 PCF WP II ( Not sure of FOV on these and sightly heavier ) £170 NewPaul Edited March 25, 2016 by djpaul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 (edited) The Pentax ones have good reviews and reports say they give good quality astro views. They are not particularly wide field at 5 degrees though. A quick search on the price suggests you can find them at least £20 cheaper. The Helios also look pretty good for the price, but are probably not quite up to Pentax standards but do have a nice wide field. Edited March 25, 2016 by Tweedledee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djpaul Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share Posted March 25, 2016 mmmmm ..... So its a trade off of FOV really on those 2 models 5 degress v 6.5 degrees Plus the Helios are slightly lighter and almost half the price new Unless i can find a pair secondhand Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 I have had a pair of those Pentax ones mentioned in the past. They felt heavier then a normal 10x50 and the FOV were pretty narrow. The Hawke bins are very good, a little more then you want to spend but the 10x42 are brilliant. I still have a pair of them and you can see all the major objects through them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djpaul Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share Posted March 25, 2016 I just called a local shop about those Hawke Nature Trek 10x50 and was quoted £130 Do you happen to know the FOV of them Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 55 minutes ago, djpaul said: I just called a local shop about those Hawke Nature Trek 10x50 and was quoted £130 Do you happen to know the FOV of them Paul 5.8 degrees Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djpaul Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share Posted March 25, 2016 So some where between the Pentax and Helios They might be the right choice i think Any others worth considering? Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 2 hours ago, djpaul said: So some where between the Pentax and Helios They might be the right choice i think Any others worth considering? Paul Swarovski catman161, BAZ and djpaul 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djpaul Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share Posted March 25, 2016 Errrrm Very nice , but bit out of my price range for bino's lol Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 They are brilliant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djpaul Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share Posted March 25, 2016 These look similar to the Hawke Nature Trek ( Opticron Discovery WP PC 50mm ) But £50 more... Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Bino-viewer Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 Paul : last year i purchased a second hand pair of Fujinon 7 x 50s Very impressed with them ; they have a 7.5 deg fov. Build quality is A1. Really solid and well made. They even smell good !! I'm very impressed with them optically too. Only issue is that they are fairly heavy to hold for extended periods of time. I miss the image stabilisation i get with my Canons too. https://www.fujifilm.eu/eu/products/optical-devices/binoculars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 A lot is down to personal preference. I am quite big (6ft 1in and 16-ish stone) and have steady hands. I use Helios 15x70s. These days most of my visual observing is done with binoculars, including checking for sunspots. I definitely recommend getting solar filters, which you can even hand make. Before I bought DSLRs, I'd even been known to photograph the Moon and brighter DSLRs through my bins. A common habit is when doing long exposures of 30 seconds with my DSLR, I often bin browse deep sky objects. I have spotted the phases of Venus and Mercury but in 2013 when we had the close opposition of Mars, I could not resolve any detail. I haven't seen any cloud belts on Jupiter either but, on a good night, can make out Saturn's rings. As for DSOs, I could pretty much write a book about what I've seen through my bins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catman161 Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 I have spotted the phases of Venus and Mercury but in 2013 when we had the close opposition of Mars, I could not resolve any detail. There wasn't a Mars opposition in 2013 Phil. The last one was April 2014 when it was at just over 0.6 AU from Earth. I remember it well as its The one and only time I managed to get a half decent image of Mars ever That image was actually taken on 14/04/2014. The next opposition is actually May 22nd this year where it will be only just over 0.5 AU from us. Even still you would be hard pushed to resolve any detail on the disc with even the largest aperture binoculars. Using whether you can resolve surface detail of planets as a measure for binocular quality is not the best metric in my opinion. Daz Type-R, Werisit and BAZ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Bino-viewer Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 (edited) I'm guessing he meant the 2003 Mars opposition Felix, not 2013. 2003 was the really close one. (Thats a lovely image of Mars btw ) Edited March 28, 2016 by Bino-viewer catman161 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 Yes, I meant 2003. The point is that I have been unable to see any detail on Mars with my bins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djpaul Posted April 6, 2016 Author Share Posted April 6, 2016 Hi I still haven't bought new binoculars yet and would like to know if any one has ever tried these Vixen SG 2.1x42 I actually have someone offering to sell me a pair in perfect condition Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 22 minutes ago, djpaul said: Hi I still haven't bought new binoculars yet and would like to know if any one has ever tried these Vixen SG 2.1x42 I actually have someone offering to sell me a pair in perfect condition Paul Hi Paul, If you don't already have some binoculars, the 2.1x42's probably aren't the ones for you. You'd be better with 10x50's or similar. The 2.1x42's are a very niche market binocular, better suited to someone who already has several different pairs and wants to try some really wide field viewing. I personally love these little binoculars, but they are a bit specialist. I certainly wouldn't want to only have the Vixens. If you've been offered the Vixens at a good price, then why not snap them up. You can always sell them or get other binoculars as well. Brantuk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djpaul Posted April 6, 2016 Author Share Posted April 6, 2016 Hi I do already have a cheap pair of 10x50 binos And was after a wide FOV but better quality than i already have Im waiting for the seller to tell me how much he wants for them They do look kind of funky lol Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brantuk Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 I tried them on the FLO stand at the Warwick Astro Fair last year and, whilst they looked good, the daytime view didn't really reflect what they're capable of by night. I intend to have another look at them sometime and highly likely get a pair. There's a really good review of them here for you in the meantime: http://alpha-lyrae.co.uk/2014/10/25/vixen-sg-2-1x42-binoculars-review/ Hth Tweedledee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djpaul Posted April 6, 2016 Author Share Posted April 6, 2016 Hi Theres not been any Vixen SG's for sale on the astronomy Buy and Sell site in the archives that i can find The seller is asking £160 so im guessing thats not a bad price They are boxed with the case and end caps From the pics they look as good as new Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 I suppose it is always the case that these things will go for as much as you are willing to pay. As you say, that offer seems to be the only one on the table, so the price may be a bit high, especially if he bought them discounted from a show. He may well have paid as low as £180 new as against the rrp of £229. But if as you say they are like new, then they are pretty good for the price. I'd try to barter the price down a bit. But then I try to do that even on new stuff You'll certainly get a wide field showing whole constellations in there entirety. The whole of Orion or Auriga would be nicely framed. You will gain at least 1.5 magnitudes over naked eye and pull out brighter Messiers that are just not seen with the naked eye, but at only 2.1 magnification they will mostly be tiny fuzz balls. I like the fact that the view is very easy on the eyes and from our light polluted skies, the view is like naked eye from a dark site. Just like naked eye viewing should be. Take a star map that goes down to magnitude 6.5 to 7 and the view you should get from your light polluted backyard will be like this in the Vixens. If you like Steampunk then these little goggles will suit you. I fancied rigging up an elastic strap to go round my head so I could wear them like glasses and didn't have to hold them. They are solid and well made but lightweight. Will get that done one day Brantuk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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