They’re cheaper, too, than the Trailseekers and feel better made, with a smoother focus dial and longer 22mm eye relief, so they’re better for glasses wearers, although we’re not too keen on the cheap-feeling lens caps. In autumn, don't miss the Great Andromeda Galaxy, which looks like a dimly glowing little oval cloud. Contrast its smoothness with the delicate sparkle of the Double Cluster in Perseus. Winter's crisp skies are great for scanning the Hyades and Pleiades star clusters, then sweeping down to gaze at the Great Orion Nebula in Orion's Sword. Spring brings the unique Beehive star cluster in the constellation Cancer. Buying Binoculars for Astronomy The ErgoTube is designed to provide maximum comfort for all users, especially during long hours of working with a microscope. The built-in photo port offers the possibility to integrate any of the MC, DMC or DFC series digital microscope cameras. Despite this, and a comparatively reasonable price, the Trailseekers are well-designed and well-built and they come with a generous selection of extras. The tough-feeling green rubber housing is fully waterproof and the eyecups are adjustable in three stages, with eye-relief stretching all the way out to 17mm.

Roof-prism units are smaller and lighter-weight but have a more complicated, touchy optical design, which makes them more difficult and expensive to manufacture well. As a result, roof-prism binoculars tend to cluster at the high end of the market and, inexplicably, at the bottom end too — but not so often in between. A saying around my local astronomy club is that if your roof-prism binoculars don't seem to be performing well, you didn't spend enough money! Giant Binoculars The second number refers to lens size. A larger lens will make the image brighter and clearer, especially in low light, but will also make the binoculars bigger and heavier (and probably more expensive) The Steiner Ultrasharp binoculars also come with 3D features which are designed to help bring far away object to life. Focus With the lightweight construction of the CL Companion binoculars and the impeccable build quality, you can be sure your investment will withstand the test of time, which is what you would expect as these are far from cheap. But I say you get what you pay for and the optical quality of these binoculars is possibly the best on the market. The sweet spot for birdwatching and nature-spotting binoculars is 8x. This gives you a reasonably broad field of view (usually around seven to eight degrees) and a good level of magnification, and you’ll be able to hold them easily without getting too much distracting shake.

Overall, our test fleet of binoculars was subjected to numerous testing procedures to rate their performance. We put the most weight on the clarity score, corresponding to 45% of each binocular's overall score. This was tested using an ISO 12233 chart (a standardized chart used to test digital still-imagery cameras) and by placing model birds on a tree to compare the same bird side-by-side in identical lighting scenarios. Brightness was another metric of great importance. By taking photos through each binocular and comparing them side by side, we can compare these metrics objectively. Beginning stargazers often overlook binoculars for astronomy, but experienced observers keep them close at hand. Compared to a telescope, binoculars for astronomy actually have certain advantages. Granted, they're smaller and give lower magnification. But they're lighter, much easier to take outside, use, and put away, and less expensive. They also give a much wider view than a telescope does, making celestial objects easier to find. They let you use both eyes, providing surer, more natural views. Moreover, in binoculars for astronomy everything is right-side up and presented correctly, not upside down and/or mirror-reversed. Great question! So much attention is placed on resolution that we often overlook the importance of ergonomics (and other things, like field of view). For me focusing is really important, partly because I have a repetitive strain injury that make it difficult for me to deal with focusing problems. But focusing is also an aesthetic issue for me. It is a great pleasure to use a binocular or spotting scope with a silky smooth focusing mechanism. I've always been curious about why it seems so hard for manufacturers so get the focusing right. I use microscopes for my work, and have never had a problem with rough focusing or too much play in the mechanism, yet these are common problems with binoculars and spotting scopes. Why is that? What is it about binocular and scope design that makes it hard to get good focusing mechanisms? My old Zeiss 10x40 BGAT have at least 5mm of play in the focus knob. I've used Leica trinovids that have had even more. I tried 3 pairs of Leica Ultravids and would have bought a pair on the spot if it wasn't for the rough and stuttering focus mechanism. Interestingly, most of the inexpensive binoculars I have used have very smooth focusing mechanisms, so I suspect it has something to do with roof prism binocular design and waterproofing, but I don't know enough to sort it all out. I'd love to hear an explanation of the difficulties from an engineering standpoint. I think Leica and Swarovski have come the closest to perfecting the other aspects of ergonomics for me, but focusing mechanisms are still an issue that needs work. Since 2013, we've researched hundreds of pairs of binoculars and selected dozens of the best to run through our rigorous, side-by-side testing process. With these binoculars, we've spent hundreds if not thousands of hours (and counting) in the field. The conditions ranged from sunny plains to dark, shady forests. We also took painstaking side-by-side photos through most of our binoculars so our readers could better understand how the optics compare.

The Laborlux K models - all original with a trinocular head are now quite a rare item For its age this is in very good condition with inevitable scuff marks on the stage and some small paint chips to the base. Optically it is excellent with EF x4 (0.01), x10 (0.25), x40 (0.65) and an NPL fluotar x50 oil immersion (1.0) and an EF x100 oil immersion (1.25). The presence of a x50 oil immersion strongly suggests that it was used in a pathology haematology laboratory where this lens would have been used for examining blood smears. Flip top focusing condenser and large mechanical stage with drop down coaxial controls. 6V 20 watt quartz halogen Kohler illumination system The lamp is housed externally. The trinocular head has GF periplan eyepieces with the usual controls to divert images to a camera. We have fitted the trinocular tube with an adapter which will enable virtually all cameras to be fitted via the appropriate adapter for the camera make. I suppose if the diopter setting is plus-something in normal use, it can be set to minus-something in upside-down use, or vice-versa.The best binoculars for kids let them see the world around them in a new and magnified way. With binoculars for children, intrepid explorers can spot birds nesting in towering trees and even see bugs finely detailedly. Hence, these handheld optical devices let kids explore nature up close. Close focus: Great for spotting insects and inspecting flowers from close range. The best binoculars let you focus from as close as 1.5m away. The Nikon Monarch M5 performed well above its price point in our brightness testing. These impressed during early mornings when light transmission is difficult. They are the least expensive option that still offers exceptional low-light performance that our team tested. My only complaint is that the focus adjust wheel is a little stiff and needs a fair bit of effort to shift. Oddly, the diopter adjustment wheel, which is handily located just behind it, is far easier to tweak. If you're looking for the best optical quality binoculars that are also lightweight for carrying long distances, and that let you see your observations from a far distance, these are possibly the best compact binoculars you can buy, and I've tested a few!