December 3, 2008
What binoculars would be good for wide field star watching and astronomy?
Can you answer Shaula Brandt's question about Binoculars?:
I want to study the stars along the Milky Way and also Messier objects, and general stargazing. I have been thinking along the lines of 30 x 80 or 25 x 100…definitely tripod mounted. I want to bring out as many stars as I can in the depth of field and observe objects such as M31. Any make or model that would be the better? Budget is $500 plus some for accessories.
Nikon Binoculars
I want to study the stars along the Milky Way and also Messier objects, and general stargazing. I have been thinking along the lines of 30 x 80 or 25 x 100…definitely tripod mounted. I want to bring out as many stars as I can in the depth of field and observe objects such as M31. Any make or model that would be the better? Budget is $500 plus some for accessories.
Nikon Binoculars
Filed under More Binoculars Answers by Binoculars Tips and Information
Comments on What binoculars would be good for wide field star watching and astronomy? »
Bushnell makes great quality binoculars.
I own two binoculars: Celestron Pro 10×50s (discontinued, but Orion UltraView is similar) and Orion Little Giant II 15×70. I find that I use the 10×50s a hundred times for each time I use the 15×70s. I strongly prefer hand holding my binoculars to using them on a tripod. The 10×50s are easy to just pick up and use; I can just barely handhold the 15×70s by sitting down and bracing my arms, and I find setting them up on a tripod very inconvenient. I tend to use one of my telescopes instead. One solution is a proper binocular mount, but I just have never gotten around to buying one…other priorities.
I've found the optical quality of Orion binoculars to be excellent, and they offer a wide range of models:
My Orion 15×70s are Japanese made and very sharp, as compared to the Chinese models widely available today which are less expensive but poorer quality. I've also tested Orion 25×100 binoculars. The views though these were really spectacular, but they were not as sharp as my 15×70s, and were even harder to mount.