Best low-mid price 10x50 roofs ?

[solentbirder]

I'm planning to buy a pair roofs in the 10x50 class and wondered what experience people have had. I definitely want 10x50 or 10x52 as they'll be used for astronomy as well as bird watching over long distances (mud-flats and sea shore) and I really like this configuration. I don't want to go to the expense of Leica etc. So far I'm considering:

Pentax 10x52 DCF SP
Minox 10x52 BD Aspherical
Opticron BGA Classic 10x50
Avian F 10x50 (Ace Cameras own brand)

Any thoughts or alternatives ?
Many thanks.
John

[Lewie]

I have the Pentax DCF SP 10X50. I am very happy with it. Very sharp. Long eye relief. Very reasonable weight. The FOV is comparable to like-priced binos, though less than a Leica 10X50. Never seen the others.

[FrankD]

I was left with relatively favorable impressions of the Wind River Olympic 10x50s. A brighter image than any of the 10x42 models I was also looking through at the time but with a narrower field of view. Ergonomics were very good in my hands though they felt a bit front heavy. I have seen the price listed anywhere from $325 to $375 some places on the web.

[cab1024]

Pentax 10x52 DCF SP
Minox 10x52 BD Aspherical
Opticron BGA Classic 10x50
Avian F 10x50 (Ace Cameras own brand)

Any thoughts or alternatives ?
Many thanks.
John

Cornell labs seems to like the Celestron Noble 10x50. And Celestron has a good reputation with astronomy-minded folk. I've never seen them myself though.
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Publications/LivingBird/winter2005/Age_Binos.html

[Suffolk Steve]

I'm planning to buy a pair roofs in the 10x50 class and wondered what experience people have had. I definitely want 10x50 or 10x52 as they'll be used for astronomy as well as bird watching over long distances (mud-flats and sea shore) and I really like this configuration. I don't want to go to the expense of Leica etc. So far I'm considering:

Pentax 10x52 DCF SP
Minox 10x52 BD Aspherical
Opticron BGA Classic 10x50
Avian F 10x50 (Ace Cameras own brand)

Any thoughts or alternatives ?
Many thanks.
John

There were a 2nd hand pair of Avians advertised on the forum a few weeks back, not sure if they are still up for grabs

[Swissboy]

There were a 2nd hand pair of Avians advertised on the forum a few weeks back, not sure if they are still up for grabs

How would those nice looking EO Platinum Ranger 10x50s compare? And how do they compare to the top group? Anybody with experience in this field?

[Atomic Chicken]

Greetings!

Another vote for the Pentax DCF-SP 10x50 - those are what I ended up buying when I wanted a pair of 10x50 for low-light and long-distance observation. They don't have as wide a field of view as many competitors options... but they truly EXCEL under low-light conditions. The build quality is pretty good too... I recently dropped my pair onto a dirt road getting out of my car, and they survived with nothing more than a few scuffs that wiped off easily.

Best wishes,
Bawko

[denco@comcast.n]

I'm planning to buy a pair roofs in the 10x50 class and wondered what experience people have had. I definitely want 10x50 or 10x52 as they'll be used for astronomy as well as bird watching over long distances (mud-flats and sea shore) and I really like this configuration. I don't want to go to the expense of Leica etc. So far I'm considering:

Pentax 10x52 DCF SP
Minox 10x52 BD Aspherical
Opticron BGA Classic 10x50
Avian F 10x50 (Ace Cameras own brand)

Any thoughts or alternatives ?
Many thanks.
John


Don't even bother with the cheap roofs. Most are a waste of money. Save your money until you can get a pair of Zeiss FL's or Leica or Swarovski. It costs some money to make a good quality roof. Get cheap porros if you have don't have the bucks right now.

Dennis

[Robert Ellis]

Wow he said OR Leica Or Swaro!

[ceasar]

If you are serious about using them for Astronomy then you have to get Porro's. They are much better for astronomy than roof's. Brighter and lighter. Make sure there is a place to attach a tripod. It's usually under a cap at the front end of the focusing wheel or hub. And finally, get a light weight model with a 7 degree field (if you can find one) for use when you decide to use them for birding. I'd check out Swift first.

[normjackson]

Just one to add to your list of 10x50 roofs, John : the Helios AM-6.
Scroll down this page to find it :
http://www.actionoptics.co.uk/New%20Binoculars.htm
Kay Optical sell 'em (but won't say how much they charge on website) and encouragingly they seem to be stocked by a few astro optics retailers.

Happy hunting.

[xenophobe]

Wow he said OR Leica Or Swaro!

It must have been late or something! lol