Best tripod mounted high power terrestrial Binocluars (3 Viewers)

[dannat]

Rathaus i have a vixen 20x80 -there are no exterior prism tilt screws , that being said the prisms are held much better than the cheap chinese bins so hold their alignment well.

 

[Holger Merlitz]

The Kowa Highlander Prominar is the No. 1 among the angled mounted binoculars:

http://www.optixxx.de/detail.php?sess=0dnli0n9fdvmd1fnvuslkah9s0&art_id=133&abt=4&itemgr=15

Its imaging is extremely vibrant and bright, and it has the unique correction of chromatic aberration that Kowa is famous for.

If you don't need an angled one, then the Docter Aspectem is the choice, in particular the one with those 40x ED-eyepieces of 84 degrees apparent field of view:

http://www.optixxx.de/detail.php?sess=0dnli0n9fdvmd1fnvuslkah9s0&art_id=125&abt=4&itemgr=9

There are many astro-based large binoculars, but few of them are optimized for daytime observations, and their level of straylight protection is usually insufficient.

Cheers,
Holger

 

[Binastro]

The Aspectum only weighs 4.9Kg against 6.2Kg for the Kowa. (Including eyepieces?).
But an angled scope can be used with a shorter tripod.
If 2 people made the 1km treck it should be fairly easy.

There are carbon fibre tube 80mm astro refractors, i.e. Explore Scientific.

 

[JerryLogan]

Jerry,

Doesn't surprise me that nobody here knows about them, most birders don't use large aperture bins like amateur astronomers. It seems that everybody is slapping their name on General Hi-T larger aperture binoculars, from Oberwerk to Orion Optics and even Astrophysics, which sells high-end APO telescopes.

AFAIK, Lunt Engineering or APM doesn't "engineer" these, they just slap their label on them like Obie, Oriion and Astrophysics (and others) do.

Brock

Brock,

Thanks for your thoughtful comments. My understanding of these APM/Lunt binoculars is that they are manufactured by KUO to specifications selected by A/L. So it's not quite the case that everyone is offering the same binoculars with a different name plate.

A/L doesn't have optical engineers designing lenses, but I do think that A/L has selected from the higher end options that KUO offers to anyone who can purchase a large enough production run. If you're buying a hundred units then you get the binoculars KUO has on the shelf; call them whatever you like. If you're ordering a thousand units then you get to pick your materials and lenses from the KUO universe.

So a Chevy is a Chevy, but some had 350 engines and others had 454s. A Camaro isn't just a Corvair with a different name plate. On the other hand, as you rightly point out, you were never able to get a Chevy with a 429 Boss unless you made it yourself. :>)

Best to you,
Jerry

PS. Thanks for the "bigeyes" references. For those who say that Kowa/Lunt aren't field suitable check here.

http://outdoorsmans.com/kowa-highlander-binoculars-in-the-field-2/

Although, I suspect the lodge patio may not be too far behind this guy or at least his SUV....:>)