Regarding prices.. overpriced or not, it's based on individual perspectives. As consumers, we can definitely take advantages of the competition between various vendors in getting a cheaper priced item. But you'd have to do your own price comparision between various vendors as there's no one who can tell you that "oh, this website or store offers the best price!".guangwei wrote:Today i went to science centre's astro scientific PTE LTD shop. I heard that the price there is overpriced? I wonder if it's true. It looks true as i can see a 25x100 bino selling for 1k? The cheapest telescope i saw was $300+ so i was wondering if the prices there are reasonable. And also, spotting scopes are use for astronomy also is it? I was wondering how far the distance can be seen from a spotting scope and a telescope. Example, a normal bino maximum distance to view is only 1km. I wonder if all bino can only see 1km? And how far can a spotting scope see and also a telescope. Cos i ask the person at astro scientific pte ltd he didnt tell me. He just ask me to look into it -.-
For the binoculars, the varying prices can be due to many reasons. A few of many could be due to coatings, or the glass used in the optical design itself. You should Google for more information, because there are binoculars which can cost over US$10k. I've once heard that there's an optical design for a bino that neutralises most of the shake due to the high magnification, so you can actually use it without a tripod. Such designs are considered an art by itself, and so the price can be go really high.
Spotting scopes are not intended for Astronomy (please click link for more information). They are more for daytime observing, such as birdwatching or more. And unlike telescopes, they usually have a fixed magnification or range. The magnification of a telescope varies as it's determined by the focal length of the scope divided by the focal length of the eyepiece. Different match-up between scopes and eyepieces can give you different magnifications. Most of the time when it comes to telescopes, we don't talk about far you can see or how magnified you can get, but rather, we are more concerned about the aperture/light gathering power of the scope. Answers to many of your questions can actually be found on SingastroWiki, so please spend some time reading by yourself. I picked up most of my knowledge on Astronomy off the internet too. You'd be surprised how far Googling can get you.
Oh yeah, please do read up on the FAQ regarding telescopes here: http://www.opticsplanet.net/how-to-buy-a-telescope.html
They have a comprehensive FAQ which will answer almost all your questions (even questions you're about to ask).
Regards,
Zane
"The universe is composed mainly of hydrogen and ignorance." 
