MnAstro Forums

Hi, at the B-Sig star party last week I noticed that a few people had 7x50 binoculars. What brand/model have people had good luck with in that configuration? I have a pair of 10x50 that I've found to have a bit too much image shake when looking at the sky and may return them.

Thank you in advance! -Aaron

I have 10x50 binoculars, and they work well as long as I have them on a tripod or other mount so I am not holding them. The 7x50 binoculars sound like they might be better because they'll give a larger field of view with lots of light gathering.

I have a pair of Oberwerk 8 x 40 Mariner binocs that I really like.
Compact and very rugged, and probably about the highest power I can hand hold.
Oberwerk also sell a monopod that is awesome - highly recommended.

Hand holding binoculars is a very tiresome and imprecise activity in my view and eventually will lead to a lot of frustration. Best to invest in a decent tripod or a dedicated binocular mount. I have 15x70 binoculars which provide amazing wide-field views, but there is no way I could hold them steady enough and on target beyond a minute at best, particularly if the target is high up. For the longest time they sat mostly unused because of these issues, until I finally invested in a dedicated mount which made for a world of difference, and now they are one of my most used pieces of equipment. The depth of field provided by binoculars is simply unmatched by most monocular telescopes...

The other approach is to invest in some image-stabilized binoculars. I have the Canon 15x50IS. They make a huge difference. However, the larger ones are heavy and tiresome to hold up for long. On the other hand, you can more easily see what you’re looking at/for, so you won’t be spending as much time searching or waiting for your hand to be steady. They are spendy, but I’ve never been sorry I bought them.

B&H seems to have a good selection, although the larger sizes seem to be out of stock right now.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?N ... yes&sts=ma

Hi, I have tried using 10x50 and only able to use them when braced or laying down, maybe a telescoping pole might help. I was also thinking some 7x50's would be nicer. One question... A midrange pair of 7x50's go for about the same price as this reflector telescope on Costco. As a new hobbyist, would I be better off just getting the 114mm aperture?

https://www.costco.com/national-geograp ... 28178.html

I have two Nikon binoculars, a set of 10x50 for me and a set of 10x42 for my wife. We both love them (although she almost exclusively uses hers for birding).

A quick and easy way to help stabilize them is to get a piece of thin nylon rope or cord, tie a loop in one end that can be slipped over the pivot cap at the front of the binoculars, let the other end drag on the ground a foot or so. With the binos at viewing height, step on the cord on the ground and pull it taut. The best thing is that you can roll it up and stuff it in your pocket.

But of course I do agree that a tripod or telescoping monopod pole would provide more stability.

The "Farpoint FAR-Sight Targeting System For Binoculars" bracket, I've heard is nice to attach the binos to a tripod. In addition to attaching to the tripod, it gives you a place to mount a red dot finder.

markfrascone wrote: ↑Fri Feb 03, 2023 10:00 am Hi, I have tried using 10x50 and only able to use them when braced or laying down, maybe a telescoping pole might help. I was also thinking some 7x50's would be nicer. One question... A midrange pair of 7x50's go for about the same price as this reflector telescope on Costco. As a new hobbyist, would I be better off just getting the 114mm aperture?

https://www.costco.com/national-geograp ... 28178.html

You would be better off getting decent binoculars than the Costco telescope. That 114 would be very frustrating for a new hobbyist. But a pair of 7x50s is a great starting point and you will likely still use them even after you eventually get a good telescope - they address different areas and needs in the hobby.
Of the five telescopes that come up when I searched the Costco web site, only the Explore Scientific 10” Dob looks like it might be decent, but I know nothing about that particular scope. For a good starter scope, we usually recommend one of the Orion 6” or 8” Dobs.

Also, your “telescoping pole” idea is another way of saying “monopod”, which is something you can easily buy.

markfrascone wrote: ↑Fri Feb 03, 2023 10:00 am ... One question... A midrange pair of 7x50's go for about the same price as this reflector telescope on Costco. As a new hobbyist, would I be better off just getting the 114mm aperture?

https://www.costco.com/national-geograp ... 28178.html

114 mm is not much aperture for a reflecting scope. Also, I scanned reviews of this scope on Amazon and it appears it's made pretty cheaply. I think you'd be better off with the binos. You can always use binos even after you've purchased a larger and more capable scope.

And if you go the good tripod route to hold the binos, you can always also use that for holding a small refractor scope.

(Looks like we’re posting on top of each other Steve )

Deane Clark wrote: ↑Fri Feb 03, 2023 10:52 am (Looks like we’re posting on top of each other Steve )

At least we didn't entirely disagree

markfrascone wrote: ↑Fri Feb 03, 2023 10:00 am Hi, I have tried using 10x50 and only able to use them when braced or laying down, maybe a telescoping pole might help. I was also thinking some 7x50's would be nicer. One question... A midrange pair of 7x50's go for about the same price as this reflector telescope on Costco. As a new hobbyist, would I be better off just getting the 114mm aperture?

https://www.costco.com/national-geograp ... 28178.html

Unlike other commenters, I happen to like my 114 mm, but it's a Dob, so likely a better experience than that flimsy looking tripod. It's also able to use an array of finding devices, while that one looks to be limited to the app and not much else.

But I agree completely that the binoculars serve a different purpose than the telescope. Binoculars are your widefield tool. Certain targets are better viewed with a wide field, and others are better with the narrower field of a telescope.

The 10" Dobson at Costco was my fav too... Maybe next? My 7x50 doesn't have a mount so camera tripods or monopods wont really work. Based on your comments (and some internet searching) I have been looking into a decent pair of binoculars specifically for astronomy that do have a mount. Lot's to learn about prisms etc. Any suggestions there would be welcome.

markfrascone wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 10:22 am The 10" Dobson at Costco was my fav too... Maybe next? My 7x50 doesn't have a mount so camera tripods or monopods wont really work. Based on your comments (and some internet searching) I have been looking into a decent pair of binoculars specifically for astronomy that do have a mount. Lot's to learn about prisms etc. Any suggestions there would be welcome.

My old Swift 8x42s have a 1/4-20 (I think) screw socket right in front that can be used with an adapter like this one from Orion:
https://www.telescope.com/Orion-Versati ... 101877.uts

I'm going to give this universal mount a try:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B5L ... UTF8&psc=1

Interesting! Definitely universal, and you don't need to take the hinge cap off the front like the one Deane linked to, or this one I had mentioned earlier: https://www.amazon.com/Farpoint-FP100-F ... 099&sr=8-2

I've accumulated 3 pair of inexpensive 10x50's over the years, one from Sears and two identical insta focus models from Bushnell. I wasn't able to find any discussion of those having the 1/4' screw hole under the hinge cap, and I didn't want to wreck the cap prying it off to find out. Is it typical for that screw mount to exist?

markfrascone wrote: ↑Sun Feb 05, 2023 4:11 pm I've accumulated 3 pair of inexpensive 10x50's over the years, one from Sears and two identical insta focus models from Bushnell. I wasn't able to find any discussion of those having the 1/4' screw hole under the hinge cap, and I didn't want to wreck the cap prying it off to find out. Is it typical for that screw mount to exist?

It may or may not exist. Usually, it'll have a picture of a tripod head on it, but not always. It might actually screw off rather than pry off.

markfrascone wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 10:22 am Based on your comments (and some internet searching) I have been looking into a decent pair of binoculars specifically for astronomy that do have a mount. Lot's to learn about prisms etc. Any suggestions there would be welcome.

My favorite is this pair from Orion. The longest eye relief that Orion has for 50mm objectives, plus fully multi coated optics, but the narrowest field of the 50mm objective line. Their sole 7x50 is next in eye relief and is the widest field of the group by 0.1°. I'm considering getting one to add to my collection. Its 10x50 counterpart has significantly reduced eye relief, but is otherwise just as solid as the 7X50. I'd skip their low end 10x50 entry, unless the price is the primary consideration.

FF2Rydia wrote: ↑Sun Feb 05, 2023 9:45 pm

markfrascone wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 10:22 am Based on your comments (and some internet searching) I have been looking into a decent pair of binoculars specifically for astronomy that do have a mount. Lot's to learn about prisms etc. Any suggestions there would be welcome.

My favorite is this pair from Orion. The longest eye relief that Orion has for 50mm objectives, plus fully multi coated optics, but the narrowest field of the 50mm objective line. Their sole 7x50 is next in eye relief and is the widest field of the group by 0.1°. I'm considering getting one to add to my collection. Its 10x50 counterpart has significantly reduced eye relief, but is otherwise just as solid as the 7X50. I'd skip their low end 10x50 entry, unless the price is the primary consideration.

Under the specs tab, all those Orion binocs also say they are tripod adaptable.

The Orion Scenix 7x50 Binoculars look like a good choice, I'll see how the cheap mount from Amazon works. I did get the cap off both of my models. They actually just unscrewed, I should have checked that first . The Bushnell just had a larger screw with a standard slot, the Sears model had a smaller screw hole, less than 1/4, more like 1/8' and machine threaded.

Deane Clark wrote: ↑Mon Feb 06, 2023 12:41 am
Under the specs tab, all those Orion binocs also say they are tripod adaptable.

Yes, I forgot to mention that the entire line is tripod adaptable.