Are these good binoculars for astronomy?
April 27, 2010 by
Filed under Nikon Binoculars
I’d like to get started in astronomy, and read that I should buy some cheap binos before a telescope. It seems like 10×50 is the size I want. Do these look good for backyard viewing?
http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-7218-Action-50mm-Binoculars/dp/B0001A3N58/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1233702558&sr=1-4
yes, these are a good choice. have fun!
buy some star charts and a copy of gary seronik’s binocular book while you’re at it. it’s really cool.
I have 10×50 binocs that i got from a sporting goods store for $25. They’re fine. However…
I find that 10x binoculars are very difficult to hand hold. You really need a decent tripod, with an adapter. That’s not a problem for me, as i have a really good $250 tripod (and worth every cent), and picked up an adapter for $8.
For hand held binoculars, i use 8x. I have two pair. 8×21 and 8×42. Now, everyone says you have to have tons of aperture to do astronomy. So, you’d expect that I use the 8×42’s all the time. And, you’d be wrong. The 8×21’s fit in my pocket, so there’s no reason not to have them on me. I use them to scan the sky to find things quickly. Once i’ve found something and want to look at it in detail, i have a 240×254 monocular. You might call it a Newtonian reflector telescope.
I recommend 8×50 binoculars, generally.
And cheap binoculars, like by $25 pair are just like expensive binoculars, like my 8×42’s. Except for two things. First, they have poor close focus. With my 10×50’s, i can focus on the wall on the opposite side of the house. With my 8×42’s, i can focus on my own knees. Handy if you want to look for butterflies. The other thing that expensive binoculars do is hold up to more abuse. But eventually, they’ll go the way of all good things. But if you treat your $25 binoculars like fragile glass artwork (which is what they are), they’ll last decades. And if they break, they’re only $25.