What binocular do you have?

[tecboy]

I recently bought a pair, an Oculus Pro Team HD. It seems very solid. I thought about getting a Nikon Prostaff, but I decided to go for Oculus instead. I still have a very old Vanguard 12x25 with ruby red lenses. I’m supprised it is still working.

 

[Jeff15]

I just use my telephoto lens.......

 

[KmH]

I have 2 binoculars, a cheap 20 x 50($25) from China (GearBest) that has surprisingly good optics and for astronomy an Orion GiantView ED 20x80.

 

[pixmedic]

i have a some empty toilet paper rolls for short range range viewing, and for longer distances i use empty paper towel rolls.

 

[weepete]

I got a very cheap monocular in the hope that it would actually provide the rated magnification for looking at targets. Turns out you cant match a £150 rifle scope with a £10 monocular magnification is more like x4. Better than nothing though!

I keep on thinking I'll get my mrs a decent spotting scope, she quite likes coming with me to nature reserves when I'm photographing birds

 

[Derrel]

I have a pretty good pair of Nikon E-series (Excellence series, from the 1980's) 7x35 traditional,porro-prism style binoculars. Very clear,crisp images, and pretty good eye relief with the rubber eyecups folded down. I have owned these since 1986...they came with a 25-year warranty, which I never thought I would need...and never have needed.

I also have a recently-acquired pair of 10 x 50 with the weird, red-colored objective lenses,the ones with the infrared cut (?) type lens coating. I payed $10 for these not too long ago at Deseret Industries.

 

[RowdyRay]

I have a cheap pair of Tasco 10X32. Picked them up in a thrift store for less than 10.00. Use them mostly while bow hunting. Needed something compact. They work well enough, but I wear glasses and they're all a pain. Lot of times I close an eye and look through one side or the other anyway.

 

[LostBoy1]

I have a pair of Nikon Monarch 12x42. I also have several cheap pairs of Bushnells but 5hey are just for people to borrow. My "go to" are the Nikons.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[pendennis]

I have two decent pair. First a pair of Pentax 16x50 Super View, and an old pair of Bushnell 7x50 Sportview. However, when I really need to step out, I use a Celestron 20-60x100 spotting scope.

 

[dxqcanada]

I recently bought a pair, an Oculus Pro Team HD.

Hmm, looks like the Bausch & Lomb Trophy 10x42 roof prism binocs that I have from the 90's.

 

[TCampbell]

I have two pairs of binoculars that I really love.

Of all the binoculars I’ve had... I finally got a pair of Canon 10x42L IS image stabilized binoculars (they’re also waterproof). I use them for astronomy (primarily) but when you kick on the IS button... everything that would normally be a bit shaky will smooth on out and it’s SOOO much easier to see things. While exceptionally high quality and really enjoyable to use... they will empty your wallet.

The other pair I picked up recently was after a friend in the astronomy club had me look through one particular pair of binocs he owned (this guy owns a LOT of different types of binoculars ... he’s a bit of a collector).

These were Vixen 2.1 x 42 (yes... 2.1x... that wasn’t a typo). These are super wide-angle binoculars that only slightly magnify your view.

The appeal to astronomers is that most binoculars are like looking through a tube... you have a limited angle of view on the sky. With these ultra-wide angle binoculars, you see a massive area of the night sky. But there is a crazy number of stars which is “just beyond” what your human vision can see. When you use these 2.1x binoculars with the 42mm objective entrance pupil size (significantly bigger than your eye entrance-pupils) you pull in a massive amount of extra light that allows you to see a crazy number of stars.

I never thought I’d enjoy using something so weak... I mean at 2.1x ... what’s the point? But after using them, I’ve completely changed my mind.

I’m not sure how they’d be for non-astronomy purposes... but for astronomy, I’d highly recommend them.

 

[KmH]

The 2.1 x 42 Vixen binos are Milky Way binos.

Having a wide FoV available is why I often set up my f/5, 80 mm (3.15") refractor - with a low magnification eyepiece - next to my f/4.9 12" reflector.

 

[Derrel]

Just a tip: using a 7 or 8 or 10x binocular on top of a tripod with a ball head makes the viewing experiences soooooooo much more enjoyable! For years, I used my 7x35 Nikons on top of a Bogen Heavy Duty, super-sized ball head. They happened to fit right on top of the Bogen mounting plate, and would simply rest in place, with no mounting screw or anything needed.

it is simply _amazing_ to see how much more information one can see and marvel at when the binoculars are held STEADY! it's a major,major difference.

Something to think about, especially at the sea shore or lake shore, or when glassing for game.