For years I've used 7x50 and 10x50 binos. Just now ordered a pair of 15x70 binos. These will likely be placed on my favorite (sturdy and heavy) tripod. At least untill I can get a true Bino-stand. I've always enjoyed reclining in my dark back yard, bracing my elbows and getting a good look at some of my favorite DSO.
I've been an amateur astronomer for 50 years. IMO, the best all around binocular is a 10x50. Just get one that costs at least $100. I can find most of the Messier objects with these binoculars. 7x50 binos aren't bad but the lack of contrast makes finding faint fuzzy deep sky objects more difficult.
@@Hamzahzein25x is gonna give you a limited field of view. 10x covers more area. There's also option of buying a zoom binoculars in which you can adjust magnification between 10x and above.
Since 10x50.is 5mm exit pupil, both 8x40 and 7x35 are also options, since not everyone can hold 10x steady. I personally found 8x40 ideal and went with nikon action extreme as my main hand held pair. They got stolen and my budget level decreased drastically, so now I have some older 1970s japanese compass 7x35 ultra wides. They do the job.
I just bought a Nikon 10x50 Action Extreme, and it is awesome! Was lucky to get it on-sale new for $155 from B&H Photo. They even threw in a Nikon binocular harness and O-Light clip on light for free, and I had it in my hands 26 hours after I ordered. 😁👍🏻
Being an astronomy novice, I bought a pair of SVbony bak4 10X50 multi coated binoculars. Viewing is a little shaky for me so I built a little tripod for them. I actually prefer them to my 130mm reflector telescope because there is no setup or eyepiece fumbling. I am considering a pair of stabilized binoculars down the road because of my shaky hands. Love your reviews. Keep up the good work!
I am new to astronomy and have been watching your videos since this morning...I'd say, you are preparing the best reviews on astronomy. With those charts, tables, and figures your videos are at the level of those presentations given at academic conferences and remove pretty much all the question marks. Thank you for your good work, Bogdan!
Surprising recommendations given the relatively high the power. The higher the power, the harder it will be to keep them steady. I learned this lesson the hard way: I initially went and bought a pair of Celestron 20x80mm and a flimsy Amazon Basics tripod. While I had some really impressive views of the moon (and a lot of CA), it found it a pain to use, primarily because of the instability. They are impossible to use free-hand and back then I did not want to pay more for the mount than I did on my binoculars. Fast-forward 3 years, I now have a cheap pair of fully coated 7x50 and an 8" f/5.9 Dobsonian. Never looked back and my 20x80mm will go on sale.
I think this is really great to know! I've watched a lot of recommendations and I have come across the exact same thing for beginners 7x50. So that is what I will get. As a beginner... Idk what I'm doing. I just want to see stuff but I think the higher power will deter me. I can always buy that later!
I bought a pair of inexpensive 7x 50mm binoculars to help find objects in Bortle 6 sky at my apartment and found they work well for seeing dimmer targets I plan for the night. A big pair of binos above 10x and 80mm objective lens need a mount to hold steady.
Hi Bogdan. I enjoy your videos, thank you. I've been using binoculars and telescopes for decades and prefer porro prisms over roof prisms. Roof prisms seem to be a bit more sensitive to vibration than porro prisms. Also in general roof prisms seem to have a slightly smaller field of view.
I have just discovered the 15x70 mm. Great,.great,.great. A feeling of deep space. Quite large field. As if we were in Space. Pleiades, M44, M22,..Perseus double cluster and even galaxies... As I said, great !! Not too heavy, 1.2 kg. Very good handling. Up to about 1 million stars visible.
Hi Bogdan, I love your work! Have you any experience or view on the the Orion Linear bino-viewers for telescopes? I understand they use mirrors instead of lenses… I have a large dobsonian but love a “binocular” view!
@golftruth1395 Hi! I haven't tested the linear bino yet, so I don't know how it performs, but from what I've read on the internet it represents a decent alternative to traditional binos. The linear design employs lenses, a prism and mirrors to obtain a 0-light-path design making it very interesting for telescopes without enough back focus such as reflectors. Maybe I'll make a video in the future on binoviewers where I go over all these details.
Just to mention Bak 4 vs Bk 7. Also, I have been told that the Chinese have a knockoff of BAK 4 that is not all that good. If I understand correctly there is BAK 4, BaK 4 and Bak 4. If I remember correctly BaK 4 and Bak 4 are the same (and is the good one) and BAK 4 is the Chinese ripoff but you will need to check to see if my memory is correct.
@Iormaz1975 Thanks for your input on this one. I'll have to do a bit more research myself to see what exactly is the performance difference between these types.
Bogdan. I've enjoyed your videos for a year or two. I don't remember this effect of the camera jumping (zooming) in and out quickly? It is very distracting. But that aside, great video.
My update on astronomy is that I have temporarily abandoned it. Although my 10" Apertura Dobsonian telescope came with a standard 9mm lens, I am unable to observe any significant details on planets even with the 9mm lens. Before investing another $500 in a 2/3/4/5mm lens upgrade, I need assurance from someone that the increased level of detail would allow me to discern realistic features. If the planets have no detail then for me, the stars are worthless to look at. I became so discouraged with Astronomy because of this. A 10" should give me "some details"? I have everything set properly, in regards to Collimation. If I need to get a better lens and a Barlows too then I am good with that. But, what are noobs like me to do? I experienced the same issues with digital cameras. All that money and never getting decent pictures. I gave that hobby up too. Why can't these vendors K.I.S.S? Sorry for the bummer post. My bad. I gave up on it.
Probably the main issue here is expectations meeting reality, and yeah; retailers & manufacturers also have a part to play in this, not just users. Firstly, what do we mean by "some detail"? In planetary & lunar terms, I would say colour & texture differences. But then, it depends on what object in the solar system you're looking at. Venus is so bright it is one of the easiest planets to see, but it's very difficult to see any surface detail for the very reason it's easy to see. You have to remember that you're looking at something a distance away that is difficult to fully comprehend. The average distance to Venus is 26 million miles, Mars 140 million. Saturn *792 million*. You may be thinking "yeah, but planets are big". Relatively speaking, yes. But you're wanting planetary features, which are smaller. In some cases, much smaller. A 9mm eyepiece in a 1250mm focal length optical tube is a magnification of about 138 times. The highest useful magnification of a telescope is usually calculated at about 2 times aperture in mm, so about 500x on a 254mm reflector. That's a 2.5mm eyepiece at 1250mm focal length. But this assumes near-perfect seeing. But ultimately you need to realise you're using a relatively small, relatively cheap device to look incredibly, unfathomably far away.
Thank you, Andy, for your excellent response! I truly appreciate it. I'm still relatively new to the world of astronomy, so I wanted to ask if using a high-quality 2.5mm lens, like the Tele Vue 3.5mm Delos 1.25" (which seems to be the smallest "very good" lens available on High Point Scientific's website), would give me the best chance of observing planetary details. I had several nights dedicated to observing the planets, and they were clear during the winter months, so clarity wasn't an issue. However, I do experience light distortion in my area, which I believe is classified as a class 4. This might have affected my viewing experience. Apart from that, when I looked through the lens, the planets appeared very small and lacked any discernible details. I couldn't see any rings on Jupiter; it was just a small, slightly tan blur. I could barely make out five moons. This is why I felt discouraged. Once again, thank you for your comprehensive response. Your ability to provide those specifications quickly shows that you truly know what you're talking about!
@@RobertHopkinsArti can get a better image than that on a very substandard telescope. So this could be due to some technical problems you’re having. Definitely try a Barlow lens. Also do you use glasses or have astigmatism?
I use glasses for driving (Nearsightedness -Myopia) and have trouble seeing at night too. I really can't drive at night if I don't have my glasses on. But, I can see up close just fine and when looking through the scope I don't wear glasses. I was expecting to see some detail, or at least the size of the planets would be larger in the lens than it was. My telescope has been sitting in a corner ever since I posted this comment. What a waste. I was so disappointed.
For years I've used 7x50 and 10x50 binos. Just now ordered a pair of 15x70 binos. These will likely be placed on my favorite (sturdy and heavy) tripod. At least untill I can get a true Bino-stand.
I've always enjoyed reclining in my dark back yard, bracing my elbows and getting a good look at some of my favorite DSO.
I've been an amateur astronomer for 50 years. IMO, the best all around binocular is a 10x50. Just get one that costs at least $100. I can find most of the Messier objects with these binoculars. 7x50 binos aren't bad but the lack of contrast makes finding faint fuzzy deep sky objects more difficult.
Interesting, How good is 10x50 compared to 25x70 ?
@@Hamzahzein25x is gonna give you a limited field of view. 10x covers more area. There's also option of buying a zoom binoculars in which you can adjust magnification between 10x and above.
@@pastiche9zoom Binoculars bad
Since 10x50.is 5mm exit pupil, both 8x40 and 7x35 are also options, since not everyone can hold 10x steady. I personally found 8x40 ideal and went with nikon action extreme as my main hand held pair. They got stolen and my budget level decreased drastically, so now I have some older 1970s japanese compass 7x35 ultra wides. They do the job.
I just bought a Nikon 10x50 Action Extreme, and it is awesome! Was lucky to get it on-sale new for $155 from B&H Photo. They even threw in a Nikon binocular harness and O-Light clip on light for free, and I had it in my hands 26 hours after I ordered. 😁👍🏻
Being an astronomy novice, I bought a pair of SVbony bak4 10X50 multi coated binoculars. Viewing is a little shaky for me so I built a little tripod for them. I actually prefer them to my 130mm reflector telescope because there is no setup or eyepiece fumbling. I am considering a pair of stabilized binoculars down the road because of my shaky hands. Love your reviews. Keep up the good work!
I am new to astronomy and have been watching your videos since this morning...I'd say, you are preparing the best reviews on astronomy. With those charts, tables, and figures your videos are at the level of those presentations given at academic conferences and remove pretty much all the question marks. Thank you for your good work, Bogdan!
Very good discussion on binoculars for astronomy. Hadn’t seen you for a while Bogdan. Good to see you back here. Keep up the good work.
Surprising recommendations given the relatively high the power. The higher the power, the harder it will be to keep them steady. I learned this lesson the hard way: I initially went and bought a pair of Celestron 20x80mm and a flimsy Amazon Basics tripod. While I had some really impressive views of the moon (and a lot of CA), it found it a pain to use, primarily because of the instability. They are impossible to use free-hand and back then I did not want to pay more for the mount than I did on my binoculars. Fast-forward 3 years, I now have a cheap pair of fully coated 7x50 and an 8" f/5.9 Dobsonian. Never looked back and my 20x80mm will go on sale.
I think this is really great to know! I've watched a lot of recommendations and I have come across the exact same thing for beginners 7x50. So that is what I will get. As a beginner... Idk what I'm doing. I just want to see stuff but I think the higher power will deter me. I can always buy that later!
I bought a pair of inexpensive 7x 50mm binoculars to help find objects in Bortle 6 sky at my apartment and found they work well for seeing dimmer targets I plan for the night.
A big pair of binos above 10x and 80mm objective lens need a mount to hold steady.
Hi Bogdan. I enjoy your videos, thank you. I've been using binoculars and telescopes for decades and prefer porro prisms over roof prisms. Roof prisms seem to be a bit more sensitive to vibration than porro prisms. Also in general roof prisms seem to have a slightly smaller field of view.
I have just discovered the 15x70 mm.
Great,.great,.great.
A feeling of deep space. Quite large field. As if we were in Space.
Pleiades, M44, M22,..Perseus double cluster and even galaxies...
As I said, great !!
Not too heavy, 1.2 kg.
Very good handling.
Up to about 1 million stars visible.
Bro how much 15x70 binoculars.... Bro please tell me it's able to see saturns ring... Please tell mee bro
@user-pi6yp9pg4w You won't be able to see Saturn rings with it. 15x is much too low for that. The planet will look like a bigger oval shaped star.
@@BogdanDamian yes, I checked and réalised it
What's your opinion on PENTEX 10X50 ❓
The best reviews I've ever seen 🎉
Hi Bogdan, I love your work! Have you any experience or view on the the Orion Linear bino-viewers for telescopes? I understand they use mirrors instead of lenses… I have a large dobsonian but love a “binocular” view!
@golftruth1395 Hi! I haven't tested the linear bino yet, so I don't know how it performs, but from what I've read on the internet it represents a decent alternative to traditional binos. The linear design employs lenses, a prism and mirrors to obtain a 0-light-path design making it very interesting for telescopes without enough back focus such as reflectors. Maybe I'll make a video in the future on binoviewers where I go over all these details.
Just to mention Bak 4 vs Bk 7. Also, I have been told that the Chinese have a knockoff of BAK 4 that is not all that good. If I understand correctly there is BAK 4, BaK 4 and Bak 4. If I remember correctly BaK 4 and Bak 4 are the same (and is the good one) and BAK 4 is the Chinese ripoff but you will need to check to see if my memory is correct.
@Iormaz1975 Thanks for your input on this one. I'll have to do a bit more research myself to see what exactly is the performance difference between these types.
@@BogdanDamian I heard about it from a youtube vid from a binocular astronomer by the name of Stephen Tonkin. Quite a knowledgeable guy.
The Zeiss Schott Standards are BaK5 (Barium Krown 4) and BK7. The chinese created BAK4. . Falls between the two german standards.
@@ricardosoto5770 BaK5 or BaK4? I am not familiar with BaK5 so please enlighten me.
Bogdan. I've enjoyed your videos for a year or two. I don't remember this effect of the camera jumping (zooming) in and out quickly? It is very distracting. But that aside, great video.
My update on astronomy is that I have temporarily abandoned it. Although my 10" Apertura Dobsonian telescope came with a standard 9mm lens, I am unable to observe any significant details on planets even with the 9mm lens. Before investing another $500 in a 2/3/4/5mm lens upgrade, I need assurance from someone that the increased level of detail would allow me to discern realistic features. If the planets have no detail then for me, the stars are worthless to look at. I became so discouraged with Astronomy because of this. A 10" should give me "some details"? I have everything set properly, in regards to Collimation.
If I need to get a better lens and a Barlows too then I am good with that. But, what are noobs like me to do?
I experienced the same issues with digital cameras. All that money and never getting decent pictures. I gave that hobby up too. Why can't these vendors K.I.S.S?
Sorry for the bummer post. My bad. I gave up on it.
Probably the main issue here is expectations meeting reality, and yeah; retailers & manufacturers also have a part to play in this, not just users.
Firstly, what do we mean by "some detail"? In planetary & lunar terms, I would say colour & texture differences. But then, it depends on what object in the solar system you're looking at. Venus is so bright it is one of the easiest planets to see, but it's very difficult to see any surface detail for the very reason it's easy to see.
You have to remember that you're looking at something a distance away that is difficult to fully comprehend. The average distance to Venus is 26 million miles, Mars 140 million. Saturn *792 million*. You may be thinking "yeah, but planets are big". Relatively speaking, yes. But you're wanting planetary features, which are smaller. In some cases, much smaller.
A 9mm eyepiece in a 1250mm focal length optical tube is a magnification of about 138 times. The highest useful magnification of a telescope is usually calculated at about 2 times aperture in mm, so about 500x on a 254mm reflector. That's a 2.5mm eyepiece at 1250mm focal length. But this assumes near-perfect seeing.
But ultimately you need to realise you're using a relatively small, relatively cheap device to look incredibly, unfathomably far away.
Thank you, Andy, for your excellent response! I truly appreciate it.
I'm still relatively new to the world of astronomy, so I wanted to ask if using a high-quality 2.5mm lens, like the Tele Vue 3.5mm Delos 1.25" (which seems to be the smallest "very good" lens available on High Point Scientific's website), would give me the best chance of observing planetary details.
I had several nights dedicated to observing the planets, and they were clear during the winter months, so clarity wasn't an issue. However, I do experience light distortion in my area, which I believe is classified as a class 4. This might have affected my viewing experience.
Apart from that, when I looked through the lens, the planets appeared very small and lacked any discernible details. I couldn't see any rings on Jupiter; it was just a small, slightly tan blur. I could barely make out five moons.
This is why I felt discouraged. Once again, thank you for your comprehensive response. Your ability to provide those specifications quickly shows that you truly know what you're talking about!
@@RobertHopkinsArti can get a better image than that on a very substandard telescope. So this could be due to some technical problems you’re having. Definitely try a Barlow lens. Also do you use glasses or have astigmatism?
I use glasses for driving (Nearsightedness -Myopia) and have trouble seeing at night too. I really can't drive at night if I don't have my glasses on. But, I can see up close just fine and when looking through the scope I don't wear glasses.
I was expecting to see some detail, or at least the size of the planets would be larger in the lens than it was. My telescope has been sitting in a corner ever since I posted this comment. What a waste. I was so disappointed.
With your Dob. Get 32mm lenses....9mm is to high powered!
Thank you.
Celestron 25-70 are very good without breaking the bank 🏦
Binoclurile sunt cele mai bune pentru astronomie. Puterea 7 si obiectiv mare. Cred ca celestron 7x50 sunt cele mai bune
A bit too long half way and still no clue what to buy
Get a economic quality porro binocular first...a 10X50. Then get a 15/16X70.
I had the celestron skymaster 15x70 and they were fantastic binos until they broke beyond repair..very bad quality binos but with great image..
How about celestron 25-70
@@Joker-yb6ks Never tried but check them before buying it...
Those celestrons are Chinese BA1 are intended for econimic entry level astronomy. Not for long term use. In the end you should to something better.
👏👏👏