Advice on buying Binoculars

[andromedia]

Hello Astronomers,
I am new to Singapore as well as astronomy. With the cloudy nights and lighting pollution, I decided to purchase a binocular to start off with rather than a full fledged telescope outright. I am considering to purchase one of the following:
1. Pentax 12x50 PCF WP II Binocular
2. Nikon 8x40 Action EX Extreme ATB Binocular

Though I am very keen on DSO, but my option would be something handy that I can carry while I travel or a night walk on east coast park.

Besides the aperture, does anybody have a good reference on using any one or the other? Any recommendations?

Thanks for the time.

[VinSnr]

Hello Astronomers,
I am new to Singapore as well as astronomy. With the cloudy nights and lighting pollution, I decided to purchase a binocular to start off with rather than a full fledged telescope outright. I am considering to purchase one of the following:
1. Pentax 12x50 PCF WP II Binocular
2. Nikon 8x40 Action EX Extreme ATB Binocular

Though I am very keen on DSO, but my option would be something handy that I can carry while I travel or a night walk on east coast park.

Besides the aperture, does anybody have a good reference on using any one or the other? Any recommendations?

Thanks for the time.

Go with the pentax. You won't be wrong.

[Gary]

Hello Astronomers,
I am new to Singapore as well as astronomy. With the cloudy nights and lighting pollution, I decided to purchase a binocular to start off with rather than a full fledged telescope outright. I am considering to purchase one of the following:
1. Pentax 12x50 PCF WP II Binocular
2. Nikon 8x40 Action EX Extreme ATB Binocular

Though I am very keen on DSO, but my option would be something handy that I can carry while I travel or a night walk on east coast park.

Besides the aperture, does anybody have a good reference on using any one or the other? Any recommendations?

Thanks for the time.

Hi Andromedia. Welcome to Singapore, astronomy and the forum!

It is good to buy a good binocular to enjoy the hobby. Even when you buy a telescope in the future, you will still continue to enjoy 2-eyes-opened super-wide-field binocular astronomy.

Ultimately for DSO, you need bigger aperture offered by telescopes, unless you want to use big binoculars. Get your binocular and start to enjoy binocular astronomy while you continue to research for a good telescope for DSO.

For binocular, other than aperture, you may also want to consider:

- Weight. How strong are your arms to hold them stable without shaking especially at high magnification.
- True field of view - the wider the better.
- Quality of optics - e.g. the coating, lens element and type.
- How well does it suppress chromatic aberations (false colour, purple fringing for bright objects)
- Smoothness of focusing
- How sharp the stars are within the field of view, especially at the edges.
- Collimation - how well it is collimated, does it hold collimation well, can it be user collimated easily if out of collimation
- Eye relief - long eye relief is good for those who like/need to observe with spectacles.
- Fog proof. Water proof
- Warranty period against manufacturing defects.

Good luck and hope to you soon in future public stargazing sessions.

[VeeJay]

Once you have your binos, I strongly suggest that you get a binocular adaptor and a tripod. It totally transforms the experience.

[cloud_cover]

Unless, of course, you have the moohlahs for an image stabilizing binos
Seriously though, I think if you're going to use a tripod, then a small refractor, even an Orion ST 80 will outperform a bino

[andromedia]

Once you have your binos, I strongly suggest that you get a binocular adaptor and a tripod. It totally transforms the experience.

VeeJay...I got my binos yesterday and fun watching the moon and a shaky image of saturn next to the moon....

what adaptors are good? I was planning to get
http://www.amazon.com/Oberwerk-OBL-Heav ... ter+tripod

and a sturdy tripod? does it matter which one i get ?

[Hardwarezone]

try ebay ? direct shipping to SG and cheaper than amazon
http://www.ebay.com.sg/sch/i.html?LH_Pr ... op=2&_sc=1

[hazelwong]

Once you have your binos, I strongly suggest that you get a binocular adaptor and a tripod. It totally transforms the experience.

VeeJay...I got my binos yesterday and fun watching the moon and a shaky image of saturn next to the moon....

what adaptors are good? I was planning to get
http://www.amazon.com/Oberwerk-OBL-Heav ... ter+tripod

and a sturdy tripod? does it matter which one i get ?

Hi, I'm also looking for a beginner's bino.
So did u get the Pentax?
Where from and how much?
thanks v much.

[VeeJay]

So which binos did you get? For the smaller ones (upto 50 mm) you don't need a very sturdy tripod.
Any adapter is ok, as long as it fits the bino and tripod

[zymon]

Has anyone used the larger Binos, 15-70 or 20 - 80??