I find it difficult to hand hold binoculars at 10x and higher. But then, i can only do about 25 pushups. Perhaps you have lighter binoculars or stronger, steadier arms.

In my experience any binoculars are fine. But cheap binoculars are typically fragile. But if you treat them like fragile glass artwork, they’ll last a long time. Don’t toss them into the floor of the canoe. Don’t leave them in your car where heat/cold cycles will get at them. Expensive binoculars will take more abuse, but remember that you have more to lose. Go to a sporting goods store and get a pair for $25. Keep your receipt. At your earliest opportunity, check them out by looking at stars. If you see double stars, return them.

Good tripods are expensive. My Bogen tripod was $250, and worth it.

good binoculars will give sharp images, and the images will fuse to a single image without effort or strain.

this really isn’t that major an issue. good binoculars are easy to come by. ppl have recommended lots of good ones. my old ones are a pair of bushnell 7×50s i bought from a camera store. they work fine. my new ones are a pair of zeiss 8×42s. they are absolutely bloody amazing.

quit dithering, go buy some binoculars and go look at some stars. that’s the point of the exercise.