Which astronomical binoculars should I buy?
Monday, February 1st, 2010 at
3:59 pm
I'm planning on purchasing a telescope a little bit later (an Orion SkyQuest XT4.5, 6, or possible 
but I've heard that for beginners binoculars are a good resource to have along with your telescope. Most people say to use 7x50 or 10x50 and I've found 2 but I don't know if they're worth it (because they're cheap, I really don't want to pay too much for binos) and if they're really astronomical worthy. What tells you the difference between regular binos and astronomical ones? Is it just the #x#? Here are the two I'm looking at:
7x50
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=11018866
10x50
http://www.binocularsworldwide.com/asp/superbrowse.asp?clid=2042&caid=&sku=GAL1004&refid=AC361-GA...#1
Thank you!
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US $155.00
What ever you chose ,,,chose wisely.
The Galileo 10 x 50 would be the better buy.
10×50
It’s what I started with. They’re not bad.
They will be fine, but take a look at these. The “Galileo” brand is NOT known for quality!
http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=binocular_astronomy/~pcategory=binoculars/~product_id=09333
Making binoculars is actually more complicated than making the optical tube of a small telescope because Binoculars are a pair of small telescopes that are connected to each other.
If they aren’t carefully aligned (collimated) so they point in exactly the same direction you’ll strain your eyes trying to get a decent view through them. (It can be like having crossed eyes)
Build quality is important – so you get binoculars that work well when they’re new, and so they’re sturdy enough to stay collimated even with some normal day to day jostling around like what might happen if they fell from the car seat to the floor in a sudden stop.
The Galileo brand scopes people have brought to my astronomical society have been toy grade instruments that do more harm than good because they are frustrating to use. The only thing they don’t seem to go cheap on is the fancy box that entices people who don’t know any better to buy them.
This does not inspire my confidence in the build quality of their binoculars.
In any case, even in China, there’s a limit to how inexpensively they can make something of decent quality. Neither of your choices seem to pass that test.
From the sources you’ve listed, this is the binocular I’d suggest you start with:
< http://www.binocularsworldwide.com/Oberwerk-Corp-OB8×56-WRK1010.html >
Oberwerk is known for making “bang for the buck” binoculars. Build quality is OK, and it’s reasonable to expect them to give a decent view.
Other things I like about them – It’s easier to hand hold 8x binoculars steady than 10x ones.
And they gather 25% more light than 50mm binoculars.
As for what makes “astronomical binoculars”, it’s mostly a case of the objectives are at least 50mm
But frankly the very best initial investment you could make in astronomy is joining your local astronomical society or club.
There you’ll find friendly people who can help you get started, and they’ll be happy to share the views through their equipment. This will help you make better decisions when it is time to buy your own equipment.
Good luck. Take your time, research things, and get yourself to your nearest astronomy club.
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hei veb nice video !, yeah maybe whit a 9mm eyepice is better, however that view is awesome, see you later.
have a look at
http://www.carlstormanns.co.za/apparel/binoculars.htm
$150 isn't much. Telescopes come in refractive (light is bent and magnification is done by lenses) and reflective (light goes through a series of mirrors). The best telescopes are reflective.
Astronomical binoculars don't have much magnification at all. Generally, what you'll want is a binocular that gathers a lot of light and gets it to your eye, plus it should have a tripod mount. Look for a 10×50 binocular (10x magnification and 50mm objective lens). A 7×50 binocular works too, as it's brighter for fainter objects, but it has less magnification. The lesser magnification makes it easier to handhold without the need for a tripod.
If you need a lot of magnification power, forget the binoculars and go with a good, cheap reflective telescope.
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