New package just arrived yesterday, after three weeks of waiting... APM 100-90 ED APO BINO
Properly packed with double-cardboard box, and protected by thick cut-foam as shown below.
At one time APM posted an ad offering a hardcase for additional USD100, but my bino was already shipped out.
Package just arrived...APM 100-90 ED APO BINO
Package just arrived...APM 100-90 ED APO BINO
Richard Low
Re: Package just arrived...APM 100-90 ED APO BINO
Side view with Pentax XW 20mm eyepieces and mounted on an old Velbon PH-185 panhead and Velbon WX-851 tripod.
So far, the panhead and tripod seems to work well even when the bino is pointing almost at the zenith.
Good for a grab-and-go setup, as I can easily carry the bino in one hand and the panhead on tripod in the other hand.
So far, the panhead and tripod seems to work well even when the bino is pointing almost at the zenith.
Good for a grab-and-go setup, as I can easily carry the bino in one hand and the panhead on tripod in the other hand.
Richard Low
Re: Package just arrived...APM 100-90 ED APO BINO
The APM bino bought direct from APM (Germany) comes with the Wellenform "alignment certificate" below. Bino is tested and aligned up to 110x magnification at Wellenform using Nagler Zoom 3-6mm at 5mm.
Note that the exact same bino from other vendors may not have this certificate, which is additional service that APM (Germany) paid to ensure proper alignment of the bino. Markus said APM gets them from China in "not best collimation", because the people there don’t know how to do collimation perfect.
My APM 100-90 ED APO bino may probably be the 77th piece for the 90-degree version in 2015.
Note that the exact same bino from other vendors may not have this certificate, which is additional service that APM (Germany) paid to ensure proper alignment of the bino. Markus said APM gets them from China in "not best collimation", because the people there don’t know how to do collimation perfect.
My APM 100-90 ED APO bino may probably be the 77th piece for the 90-degree version in 2015.
Richard Low
Re: Package just arrived...APM 100-90 ED APO BINO
Front view. Collimation is done by turning the eccentric rings around the objective lens, and can be further adjusted by the user following instructions available on the web. Should not be required now since this bino is already tested by Wellenform.
Richard Low
Re: Package just arrived...APM 100-90 ED APO BINO
My APM 100-90 ED APO Bino setup downstairs from my apartment.
The Velbon Panhead and Tripod weighs about 5.1kg, quite lightweight as I can carry it down my apartment in one hand, with the bino in the other hand. Tripod comes with the adjustable centre-post.
The Velbon Panhead and Tripod weighs about 5.1kg, quite lightweight as I can carry it down my apartment in one hand, with the bino in the other hand. Tripod comes with the adjustable centre-post.
Richard Low
Re: Package just arrived...APM 100-90 ED APO BINO
Unfortunately I don't have many pairs of widefield eyepieces to test and try out on this bino, apart from the Pentax XW20mm which isn't good to the edge on this bino. I hope some Singastro members here can step up and offer to try their pairs of eyepiece on the APM 100-90 ED APO bino. We also plan to try out this bino under dark skies at Sedili this weekend.
Richard Low
Re: Package just arrived...APM 100-90 ED APO BINO
Congrats on the purchase of your impressive big toy!
Re: Package just arrived...APM 100-90 ED APO BINO
I love the look of the APM 100-90 ED APO Bino. The bino is quite compact in size, the overall dimensions are about 22" length by 10.5" width by 8" height. I am considering to bring this as airline cabin baggage. The weight is about 7.4kg, manageable to carry with one hand. The powder-coated (I presume) paint finish on the magnesium alloy body is well done, with a matt grey finish and light fine speckles.
The APM 100-90 ED APO bino seems to be well built. The helical focusers are very smooth in movement, without any play or backlash. My previous Vixen BT80MA has eyepiece holders that can move slightly under eye-socket pressure, thus losing focus. There is no such problem here as it is so well-built and mechanically sound. The only trade-off is that the IPD adjustment by the "levers", just below the helical focusers, are a bit stiff, but this is fine for me. The eyepiece-locking collets are just above the helical focusers; both are metal finish and of the same diameter. One require two hands to lock or unlock the collet since you need to hold onto the helical portion at the same time.
The integrated dew shields slide smoothly forward and serves its purpose well, though I wish it was slightly longer. Inside of the dew shields are properly darkened with a matt black finish. The plastic lens caps are slightly convex-shaped, and threaded to screwed onto the front of the objective lens cell, so lens caps must be unscrewed before the dew shields can be extended. Lens cap I would have preferred are thread-on machined aluminium lens with flat surface (not convex) so that, when required, I can also store the bino vertically resting on the lens cap.
The bino handle comes with an integrated foresight tip and rear "V" slot for rough aiming of the bino. I tried to aim at a star and this work quite alright once you get the fore-aft alignment in the right position; the star did appear within the field of the Pentax XW 20mm when I align the fore-tip with the rear "V" slot. The handle is quite wide enough to fit most width of hands, I believe. In terms of anthropormetry, the handle design is a good fit for the hand. For smaller hands, I think the underside edge of handle can be further improved to be more rounded to reduce hand fatigue if you carry for a longer distance. This handle can be unbolted and swap with your own custom-built alternative, but otherwise I am quite happy to leave that alone. There are two threaded holes for attaching a red dot finder, but I am likely to mount my aiming device angled on one side to avoid the visual obstruction caused by the 90-degree focusers and eyepieces.
The APM 100-90 ED APO bino seems to be well built. The helical focusers are very smooth in movement, without any play or backlash. My previous Vixen BT80MA has eyepiece holders that can move slightly under eye-socket pressure, thus losing focus. There is no such problem here as it is so well-built and mechanically sound. The only trade-off is that the IPD adjustment by the "levers", just below the helical focusers, are a bit stiff, but this is fine for me. The eyepiece-locking collets are just above the helical focusers; both are metal finish and of the same diameter. One require two hands to lock or unlock the collet since you need to hold onto the helical portion at the same time.
The integrated dew shields slide smoothly forward and serves its purpose well, though I wish it was slightly longer. Inside of the dew shields are properly darkened with a matt black finish. The plastic lens caps are slightly convex-shaped, and threaded to screwed onto the front of the objective lens cell, so lens caps must be unscrewed before the dew shields can be extended. Lens cap I would have preferred are thread-on machined aluminium lens with flat surface (not convex) so that, when required, I can also store the bino vertically resting on the lens cap.
The bino handle comes with an integrated foresight tip and rear "V" slot for rough aiming of the bino. I tried to aim at a star and this work quite alright once you get the fore-aft alignment in the right position; the star did appear within the field of the Pentax XW 20mm when I align the fore-tip with the rear "V" slot. The handle is quite wide enough to fit most width of hands, I believe. In terms of anthropormetry, the handle design is a good fit for the hand. For smaller hands, I think the underside edge of handle can be further improved to be more rounded to reduce hand fatigue if you carry for a longer distance. This handle can be unbolted and swap with your own custom-built alternative, but otherwise I am quite happy to leave that alone. There are two threaded holes for attaching a red dot finder, but I am likely to mount my aiming device angled on one side to avoid the visual obstruction caused by the 90-degree focusers and eyepieces.
Last edited by rlow on Thu Jan 28, 2016 11:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Richard Low
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Re: Package just arrived...APM 100-90 ED APO BINO
Congrats Richard for your new Bino ! Looks like you are giving Gavin a run for his money! I wonder how the Omega Centauri would look like with this
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United Federation of the Planets
Re: Package just arrived...APM 100-90 ED APO BINO
About the "False Pupils"
One of the reason I hold off buying the APM 100 ED APO bino for some time was due to the "False Pupil" or "Fingernail" issue raised on this forum when the APM 100-45 ED APO bino was launched. The other reason was because I am waiting for the 90-degrees version, which I find more comfortable for my neck after my last experience with the Vixen BT80MA which utilised 45-degrees.
So one of the first thing I did when I took out the bino from the shipping box was to check the exit pupil from the rear port without eyepieces:
Here is how it looks, magnified as seen from the objective lens side:
One of the reason I hold off buying the APM 100 ED APO bino for some time was due to the "False Pupil" or "Fingernail" issue raised on this forum when the APM 100-45 ED APO bino was launched. The other reason was because I am waiting for the 90-degrees version, which I find more comfortable for my neck after my last experience with the Vixen BT80MA which utilised 45-degrees.
So one of the first thing I did when I took out the bino from the shipping box was to check the exit pupil from the rear port without eyepieces:
Here is how it looks, magnified as seen from the objective lens side:
Richard Low