Anyone would be interested in high mags binos? (1 Viewer)

[Cosme]

The joy of high mags with two eyes, despite weight and all, is the desire of many birders and naturalistic observer. But the only binos in the market are, or way too expensive, or limited to 40x with very expensive ep's, individual focusers, and all that truly whales that make them really not a thing to carry out of the house garden. Lets imagine those three binos in the market

30x60

40x80

50x100

For example, the 40x80 1/3 of a price of the docters, not the same superb quality but not a kid toy at all, something respectable. A 50x100 almost twice lighter than the interchangeable ep binos out there. Only thing that come to my mind are a few 30x80 binos.

Honestly i think market miss something like that.

Kunning Optics, through any dealer could made it possible.

At least some like a 35x70 that weight no more than 2 kgs!

As the title says, do you think any of that models with some kind of ed glass will be interesting?

 

[Binastro]

Vixen make such binoculars.

I like the Yukon 30x50 a lot. Mirrors, no prisms, but poor transmission.

Generally telescopes are much better, maybe with binoviewers.

The cheap high mag. binoculars are usually poor.

If you have wide IPD, 2 Zeiss 30x60 mirror scopes, or two 60mm spotters mounted together would work.

P.S.
I did not like the 30x80 Japanese binocular that I had. Almost zero eye relief.

 

[OPTIC_NUT]

You don't see many binoculars, even huge ones, over 25x.
I think this is because the tripod stability demands makes the whole rig enormous.
Also, you lose angular field of vision without even more size....huge prisms
and eyepieces, for example.

Here are a few monsters:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/898867-REG/Nikon_8713_20x120_III_Binocular_Telescope.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...ptik_big_eye_28x100_ed_28x100_big_eye_ed.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/206815-USA/Fujinon_7125152_25x150_MT_SX_Binocular_without.html

The Fujinon has a 2.5 degree fov: impressive.
It also weighs 43 pounds.

Those types are popular for tense international borders and desert prisons, etc.
On a mountain they do extremely well, though...you are cutting through the
air at an angle and the air gets steady over ~1000M.

It's been mentioned that terrestrial telescope use (looking sideways) of the atmosphere is
counter-productive past ~50-60x. Some days, much less.
The advantages of binoculars break down at even lower powers.

The weight of objectives goes up as the cube of the aperture, approximately.
You can see the consequences in those 100mm models.
At your low end, 30x60, you are getting fairly dim, and they need a very beefy tripod
compared to, say, 20x60s. Ed could effectively give you more fov, though.
not without a lot of glass weight, though.

Mirrors and bino-viewers become interesting, to save weight and because
the stereo path doesn't matter over a half mile.

 

[Binastro]

The 25x150 Fujinon seems cheap to me. Didn't think they were still made.

I frequently used my 150mm Maksutov at 95x terrestrially over many miles. No problem.
It depends on location and temperature etc.

 

[Cosme]

Like i said, there's no bino in the market over 30x wich doesnt cost a lot or weights less than 4 kgs, that be small enough to carry on your neck, straight view, and that have central focus.

Docter 40x80= 4 kgs, 4000$

Kowa Highlanders= 6kgs, 5000$

Apm 100 APO= 6 KGS, 3000 $

APM 100 Semi APO= 1000 $ ... .... 7 kgs!


The less expensive and lighter bino is the Vixen BT 81. Cost 900 $ and wheights 4 kgs ... compared with the others is bargain and light, but 4 kgs is still too much and its huge. Then you got the Opticron Vixen 30x80, weight its maybe ok, but performance as i read in many forums is poor for the price.

I do really belive, a ED 35x70 binocular, with 2mm exit pupil is no dim, two eyes makes all better, even brightness. Fixed 70 mm binos on market weights around 2 kgs. Sturdy tripod? you dont need it for your scope when you look at 60x?

 

[OPTIC_NUT]

The 25x150 Fujinon seems cheap to me. Didn't think they were still made.

I frequently used my 150mm Maksutov at 95x terrestrially over many miles. No problem.
It depends on location and temperature etc.

I've seen a lot of very long range photos taken with Maks...
very impressive. The resolution and contrast aren't what you would
expect over 100 yds though...

I think the aperture helps with the atmosphere, but I'm not sure..
is that true?

If I wanted high power and OK weight, I might go for a Mak with a binoviewer.
Signal processing in the cortex can lower the noise.
Some complain the Mak has lower contrast. I say: it doesn't matter, compared
to miles of air! You'll never see the difference, long-range.



If someone is pondering high power terrestrial, they
need to look through a telescope first at the intended power and
consider what they are targeting.. an airplane at 15 miles? Sure.
An owl? It disappears, usually. Eagles and hawks are not bad,
when they are high off the ground.


"Sturdy tripod? you dont need it for your scope when you look at 60x? "
You need a sturdy tripod for a 70mm/700mm scope, but it only has to carry
1/5th the weight of 35x70 binoculars. Much lighter. Lighter than a 70mm
spotter, as well.
You are right about brightness...it's not too bad, in the mid-day.

 

[Cosme]

I dont what anyone want to see, all i know is, if they sold the Docter 40x80 at 4000 $ i dont see why a 35x70 or even another 40x80 lighter and cheaper alternatives are not in the market!

 

[Binastro]

I have a 25 to 125×80 binocular, that is actually in alignment for me, and also for the repairer who has a quite different IPD to me, at the highest magnification, which in fact is about 135 times. But at the higher powers the image is dim and not pleasant. I think it weighs about 2.5 kg, maybe a bit less.

However, at 35 times or 40 times it is pretty good. It was professionally overhauled and aligned. It didn't cost much, possibly under £100, I can't remember.

So it is under 4 kg and works well at 35 times or 40 times. However, you would need a tripod. Or at least a monopod. The total weight would be just under 4 kg, maybe 3.5 kg.
So yes they do exist.

I have a Celestron 25×70 binocular, which is really awful. They could have made a much better job.
An old Japanese 20×70 and an old 20×65 are both good. There is also I think an old Japanese 25×70 and possibly even a Leitz 30×60?

. But as you say, a 35×70 ED binocular would be good.

You could put 2 two times boosters on a Canon 18×50 IS binocular, but I don't think it is particularly good handheld. I have tried it on one side and it is okay. You need to brace it to get a steady view.

 

[Foss]

The 25x150 Fujinon seems cheap to me. Didn't think they were still made.

I frequently used my 150mm Maksutov at 95x terrestrially over many miles. No problem.
It depends on location and temperature etc.

I agree. Just scanned an extremely popular auction web site under "completed listings" and saw one with a mount that sold for < $5500.
I'm afraid if I had a set of Fujinon 25x150s I'd spend so much time with them my wife would get jealous! (I had a pair of Fujinon 25x120s a long time ago. They were tough to let go of, but family medical emergency trumps bino obsession, unfortunately).
That being said, I have a pair of Chinese border guard 25/40 (turret) x 100s now that are pretty sweet!

 

[OPTIC_NUT]

You can get a 6-inch Explore Scientific Mak for $700, f/5
binoveiwer and nice EPs for maybe $400 more,
a $200-300 tripod, and be done with it.

If you go to f/8 (not unreasonable at 30x+), a Dobbie with mount is just $300.
You are not using it at 200x, after all, though you could.
A nice low field table might help. I would make one in the garage.
That's what I would do, with binoviewer.

 

[Binastro]

.There is the Russian 26×70 binocular that might be quite good.

Also if you cherry picked the 12 to 36×70 binoculars that are available very cheaply, you may find one good enough to use at 36 times.

There are some old Japanese 32×50 and also 35×50 binoculars that might be reasonably good, although the eye relief will be very small These are available second hand very cheaply, although you have to check carefully for fungus, collimation etc.

 

[Cosme]

Now that the btx swa binoviewer is released makes think again about the lack of +30× binos.
Let me take this bump to say there are new interchangeable ep's binos line by apm/lunt, ed and no ed, 70mm and 82mm ... 100 and 120 also but those are really heavy.

 

[WJC]

Now that the btx swa binoviewer is released makes think again about the lack of +30× binos.
Let me take this bump to say there are new interchangeable ep's binos line by apm/lunt, ed and no ed, 70mm and 82mm ... 100 and 120 also but those are really heavy.

The additional light grasp of a large aperture binocular is often over-shadowed by the tiny exit pupil of higher magnifications. :cat:

 

[Ducksanddogs]

Any reviews on the Vortex Kaibab 20x56? Not quite in that magnification category but I've heard good things from several guys who have put them on a tripod...

 

[edwincjones]

As the owner of miyauchi 20/26/37 x 100 binoculars
and former owner of fujinon 25x150s,
I can say these are wonderful for astronomy,
good for birding---if the birds come to you;
but I have to admit that hand held binoculars ,
spotting scopes, telescopes with binoviewers
are much more practical-and cheaper.

some of us are just a little crazy when it comes to optics
edj

 

[Beendare]

Fwiw, i've used the old 30 power Swarovski Bino's and they were amazing, excellent lenses and a decent field of view. The downside is they were like a big shoe box and they were very heavy. You need to have a very heavy duty tripod to keep them steady in the wind.

Swaro discontinued them approximately 20-25 years ago and I had the chance to buy a set for $1200 at the shot show that year I regret not picking them up.

I bet you could find them on eBay

 

[edwincjones]

big binoculars come with big weight

my fuji 150s with mount weighed 120#
not very portable for birding

SW ATX 95mm scope with SW travel tripod 9-10#
Doctor 40x80 10# without mount

edj