My new binoculars are here! Not just any binos, but big, honking astromical binos. I give you: the Zhumell 25-100 Astronomical Binoculars. 20 pounds of night sky viewing dynamite at a reasonable price. ::does happy dance::
Don’t point those things in my direction before I sign a release form.
Or should I just say, “Look up, Chefguy! Up in the sky…!!”
Nice, Chefguy.
As a family we are looking at options for telescopes and/or binoculars at the moment.
Trying to balance up all sorts of factors but the real bench mark I personally have set is…can I see the moons of Jupiter and Saturn’s rings.
would your binoculars do that? would any?
Well, there are these, which would probably fill the bill for you. Swarovski makes some very expensive ones, as does Fujinon. I like the idea of angled eyepieces, but with a tall enough tripod, it’s not necessary.
I havent’ been able to try mine yet, as I’m waiting for the tripod and ball mount to arrive (together, they cost twice what the binos cost). The Zhumells are highly rated, which is surprising because of the low price. There are reviews and comments on line that you could take a look at. I seem to recall a comment about what was being seen, but don’t know where I saw it.
Unless you have some hella binocs, binocs are NOT a substitute for a telescope. Or visa versa for that matter.
Also, unless you have access to some reasonably dark skies, IMO binocs for astronomy are a flop. However, if you DO have such access, a low power binoc view of the Milky Way and some of the larger star clusters and the occasional bright comet are IMO some of the most spectacular things to see astronomy viewing wise.
Disagree, billfish. I think binocs are a good, inexpensive way (well, reasonably inexpensive anyway) to find out if you like astronomy before splashing out on a telescope that might become a simple dust catcher. Even your garden variety binocs will show you Jupiter’s moons and fantastic details on the moon and such. (You don’t need to get Chefguy’s monsters. Though you certainly can. Nice purchase, Chefguy!) I’d certainly use binocs here in The Cities, and we don’t have really dark skies.
I think binocs are a fantastic intro to backyard astronomy.
I’ve always wanted a telescope, but feared that it would end up as a very expensive dust collector. The price + reviews on these were irresistable. I can pack them easily into the car or RV and they’ll make those trips out of the city more enjoyable, although this area of Portland seems to get a decent night sky. I bought a Manfrotto tripod and a same-brand magnesium ball mount. The tripod will extend up to 89 inches, has a geared center column, and has foot spikes for loose soil stabilization. The ball mount is good for 22 pounds, so it should be a solid, mostly vibration free platform.
eeeeeek! those are biblical. Just the thing for that Crocodile Dundee moment
(“these are binoculars!”)
Perhaps too unwieldy for easy portability (we’d like to take it camping with us) so my search continues. The online forums are full of ideas so I’ll continue my trawl.
I’ll let you know how these are after we get a spate of clear weather.