Sakura brand of Binoculars

botok · Post by **botok** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 4:27 pm

Did anyone here in Singastro knows anything about Sakura Binoculars (made in Japan) or better yet have any experience using it, in terms of quality for astronomy purposes?

NGC 5139 · Post by **NGC 5139** » Fri Sep 09, 2005 11:30 am

Hello Botok,

I used to have a pair of Sakura binoculars; 7X50 with zoom lens (up to 10X). It is good, but the optical quality is in the range of sub-standard to above average. Fujinon is definitely a much better brand though it is expensive. It yields brighter, clearer images with better contrast, I feel.

I get a headache when using the Sakura for extended periods of time; you sometimes have to squint because the image is dim and of low contrast no matter how much you try to focus.

Have a nice day!
Omega

botok · Post by **botok** » Fri Sep 09, 2005 4:34 pm

I'm considering buying from a friend a 20-180x100 sakura bino, but never heard about sakura brand name before. Is it wise to have that kinda big bino with zoom features? In terms of mounting yes i have a good tripod to spare.

kayheem · Post by **kayheem** » Fri Sep 09, 2005 5:05 pm

Hi,

I have personally not seen a 100mm bino with such a high zoom. Most zoom binos suffer from some inconvenience e.g. narrow FOV or short eye relief. If you are buying from a friend, perhaps you can try it before you buy.

How much is your friend charging you anyway? It may be more worth it to get a scope e.g. 5" or 8" SCT with binoviewer.

kayheem · Post by **kayheem** » Fri Sep 09, 2005 5:13 pm

Hi again,

I did a quick google search and came up with this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 7545242244

I think the ruby red coating is common among the lower end binos. At USD50, I would not expect much in terms of performance.