Reflector Binoculars ?

[ticl2184]

Dear All

A question has been bothering me lately.
Would it be possible to produce a handheld pair of binoculars that use mirror's instead of lense elements.
As an astronomer I use a maksutov cassegrain and was wondering if it would possible too produce a 42mm version in binocular format or in a ritchey chreitein design.
It it were it would surely reduce weight and chromatic abberration and improve edge of field resolution using a ritchey chreitein design. They might also be cheaper.
I'm aware of a 6 inch dobsonian design which is available in a binocular version but nothing in the region of 50, 42 or 32mm designs.

If a pair has already been made in the past or is available now any info would be appreciated.

Regards

Tim

[chris lewis]

Yukon - a USA based optics company - produced a 30x50 'Newtonian' binocular. They have recently stopped making it.
The brief feedback on 'Cloudy Nights' forum indictated they were not a success - dim image, very narrow FOV and collimation problems. They were more of a gimmick really.

http://www.opticsplanet.net/yukon-30x50-nrb.html

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/1345554/page/3/view/collapsed/sb/1/o/all/fpart/1

[SG6]

If you have a Mak then you already know the the field of view is close to S.F.A. Also that from a choice of reflector or refractor then a refractor will give the shaper and better contrast image.

A low f number mirror (for a wider FOV) is more difficult and expensive to produce. Then comes the minor problem of maintaining collimation between the primary and secondary mirrors and you have 2 sets of these if the binoculars are Mak based. And add in collimation between the 2 halves of the binocular system. Don't forget the coma for the mirror edges.

An RC design of scope is not cheap, look round at what the retailers sell: SCT's, Newtonians, Maks and Refractors. Note the absence of RC's owing to the cost.

[falcondude]

hm.. without lens element? Why do you want to see birds upside down? ;)