What can I expect from good binoculars?

[eugenek]

I bought a pair of cheap (30 USD) binoculars last weekend and was able to use them once in moon lite suburban skies and was impressed by what I was able to see. They are 10x50s and the packaging states Porro prisms and coated optics. I bought these because the recommended ones don 't currently fit into the budget.

While checking out its capabilities by looking at Mars (a pinprick) I was surprised to encounter what turned out to be M44. This isn't something I can see with my unaided eyes and a few sources show some of these stars as mag 6.x or so. My wife and I spent at least 40 minutes looking through them at all kinds of stars we can't normally see. We then went inside to try to figure out what the heck we were looking at.

So, my question is, what can I expect from the more expensive recommended binoculars for astronomy? What do the better optics of the more expensive binoculars get me? Are the differences more pronounced in certain viewing situations. For example, I live in the suburbs and have very rare access to dark skies.

Thanks.

[redshifter]

In my experience, the better optics of 'recommended' binocs will be far sharper than 'budget' binocs. Also, recommended for astronomy binocs will be 'fully multicoated' for maximum light transmission. Budget 'coated' binocs likely only have the objective lenses coated, leaving the remaining surfaces (of which there are several) uncoated and reducing light transmission significantly. I've used budget 10X50's (Tasco's) and found their optics to be very foggy and hazy compared to a good pair of astro binocs. It's not as noticable for terrestrial, daytime observing (but is still noticable) but much more so for astronomical observing.

Here's another anecdote: My wife and I were at the coast (Oregon coast, Depot Bay to be exact) and our room was equipped with a pair of binocs (7X40 IIRC). Also, the local whale watching museum they have had several pairs of binocs for whale watching. I also had my pair of Orion Ultraview 8X42's and they so outperformed the budget binocs in sharpness, color, contrast, and field of view that the budget binocs were unusable IMO.

[turbo-1]

One suggestion: buy plain-vanilla binoculars from a respected maker. I bought Nikon 7x50s years ago for about $65 (on sale at LL Bean) and I still love them. The optical quality, good coatings, etc seems to penetrate down through the lines of the better makers, though you won't get rubber armoring, water-resistance, captive lens caps, and other bells and whistles. The quality optical surfacing and coatings is what really counts.

[Kaptain K]

You have already made the biggest step! No "premium" binocs are as much "better" than your budget binocs than the budget binocs are better than naked eye!

Nor, in my opinion, as much better as they are more expensive. By that I mean that $300 binocs are better, but they are not ten times better!

I have a pair of $30 10x50s and they are good enough for me. My next step up will be a budget pair of giant binocs, probably 25x100s! Aperture can make up for a lot of flaws! :)

[Mr Q]

An excellent, free, down loadable program for binocular astronomy is an atlas called Touring the Universe Through Binocular Atlas ("TUBA"). I use it not only for bino observing but some scope use as well. It's a "must see" program that I'm sure will get raves from anyone using binos for stargazing. Mr Q

[RickJ]

An excellent, free, down loadable program for binocular astronomy is an atlas called Touring the Universe Through Binocular Atlas ("TUBA"). I use it not only for bino observing but some scope use as well. It's a "must see" program that I'm sure will get raves from anyone using binos for stargazing. Mr Q

Thanks for the heads up on this atlas. With 1100 binocular objects its a good computer atlas for any beginning star gazer telescope or binoculars. You can't beat the price -- free.

http://www.philharrington.net/tuba.htm

Rick

[Trantor]

Over the last few years, I've been doing more and more binocular observing rather than using my 4" Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope. I currently own 4 binoculars from three different companies: a Steiner, an Orion, and two Oberwerks. My biggest pair is an Orion 20x80, that I've had for many years. Back when I bought the 20x80's, a binocular of this size retailed for around $500. Since the introduction of waves of binoculars made in China, the prices have really come down fast. The made in China Oberwerks are in my opinion, the best binoculars for the price. No, they are not as good as a good pair of German Steiners, but they do offer excellent multicoated optics and more bang for the buck, compared to Steiners.

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine purchased the Oberwerk Deluxe II 20x80's with Triplet Objective Lens, and after doing a side by side comparison on a nice clear night, the Deluxe II's beat my Orions hands down. In every respect, the obejects observed, looked sharper and brighter. The field of view was obsolutely flat, all the way to the edges. Frankly, I was amazed that a binocular of this quality could sell for less than $300.

Now, I just have to start planting some early Christmas present seeds in my wife's mind. After using those Triplets - I got to have them!

[spud72]

I've got a 10x50 Bushnell I bought back in 96-97 for viewing Hale-Bopp.

I am very impressed by them. Of course, it isn't a like a big scope but they are so quick and easy to use, they get brought out a lot.

In addition to being great for observing "on the fringe" objects, I was pretty impressed that you can see the great moons of Jupiter with them too.

They make observing the moon a joy as well.

[Gob332]

I recently bought the Celestron Ultima DX 8x56. These are my first real binocs and I must they are amazing. They were listed at around $300 but I had to wait because the company was all out of them but by the time they finally shipped I only ended up having to pay about $110.

I personally enjoed looking at Orion through them. The moon is also fantastic. I still haven't got the best idea as to what these binoculars are capable of though because I have yet to view them from a dark location. That is going to change this weekend when I will be going to a very dark sky location.

You can expect cleaner, sharper images with higher end binoculars.

good luck!

[redshifter]

I recently bought the Celestron Ultima DX 8x56. These are my first real binocs and I must they are amazing. They were listed at around $300 but I had to wait because the company was all out of them but by the time they finally shipped I only ended up having to pay about $110.

I personally enjoed looking at Orion through them. The moon is also fantastic. I still haven't got the best idea as to what these binoculars are capable of though because I have yet to view them from a dark location. That is going to change this weekend when I will be going to a very dark sky location.

You can expect cleaner, sharper images with higher end binoculars.

good luck!

I hope you're young enough such that you can enjoy the 7mm exit pupil those 8X56's have.

[Gob332]

I hope you're young enough such that you can enjoy the 7mm exit pupil those 8X56's have.

yes indeed, 25 with 20/20 vision.

But that is a good point that you bring up. The dilation of one's pupil declines with age. So the older one is, the smaller the exit pupil should be (I think down to around 5mm). I may be wrong on that and if so, one of the more experienced binocular observers will be able to correct me.

[redshifter]

Yes, I think you are correct that exit pupil falls to about 5mm as we age, dunno if it gets much below that or not. I have 4 pairs of binocs, they all have 4 - 5 mm exit pupils.

[Trebuchet]

So does the reduction in pupil dilation with age (I'm almost 60) mean you just can't take advantage of optics with a large exit pupil, or do you actually need to get a smaller one?

[aurora]

You don't have to get binos with a smaller exit pupil, but if you are in the market for new binos anyway then you might as well take the exit pupil into consideration and get a size that your eye can fully utilize.

[man on the moon]

I bought these (http://www.rei.com/product/737817) with my REI dividend a couple months back. Aside from some sweet trees and birds, I've taken them skywatching.

Last night I went out for the first time with them (I've been working evenings until this week) and WOW. Even at 10x50 my breath was taken away. The moon? I couldn't look away. Mars was a red dot, I saw some double stars. And Saturn!

Saturn is near Leo right now (correct me if I'm wrong) and even with the half moon only a few degrees away, I got a pretty good view. I bumped the zoom paddle (yeah, they're sick binocs, they zoom!) up to 22x and I could see not only the "ears" of Galilean fame, but the resolution was good enough to pick out the gap between Saturn and the first ring! I watched for a long time. The image was small, but clear.

After Saturn and Mars and a few stars, I went back to the Moon. At 22x it nearly filled my field of view. I was blinded, but gosh, what a view! I was breathless. After that I lost my night vision so I closed my eyes to bring it back and search for other deep sky objects, but alas. When I awoke the Moon was gone, and it was midnight. I went home, but I'll be out tonight or tomorrow (or both) again!

REI has a number of good deals on Nikons (http://www.rei.com/search?query=nikon+binoculars&button.x=0&button.y=0). That was a search for just Nikon. Here is a search for "binocular" (http://www.rei.com/search?query=binoculars&button.x=0&button.y=0).

The wider the lens(es) the more light you'll gather and the more you'll see, but otherwise...:)