-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Ultra wide binoculars (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Mono
- Start date
Orion are the widest, though the sir eyepieces seem to hit my nose a bit. Binobandits work well to make the view more immersive. Just gives you more stars than you can normally see, useful for finding things under urban skies or make urban skies a bit more interesting.
Peter
Peter
There is quite a bit of discussion about these on Cloudy Nights, there is plenty for you to read there eg:
Finally the 2x54 ultimate sky roamer - Binoculars - Cloudy Nights
Page 1 of 15 - Finally the 2x54 ultimate sky roamer - posted in Binoculars: This is what I mentioned before. Basically its a factory made version of the popular 2x54 DIY, with focusing ability and standard threads which can easily accept 2 filter threads through connectors. And of course the...
Orion 2x54 Ultra Wide Angle Binoculars - Binoculars - Cloudy Nights
Page 1 of 6 - Orion 2x54 Ultra Wide Angle Binoculars - posted in Binoculars: Hey guys, I recently got the Orion 2x54 Ultra Wide Angle Binoculars. I found it on amazon but the seller was Orion. At first I was skeptical about whether it was worth it because I already have good 7x50 binoculars...
Orion 2x54 first light - Binoculars - Cloudy Nights
Page 1 of 2 - Orion 2x54 first light - posted in Binoculars: 6X50 doesnt exist, the 4x30 seems questionable, so I bought the 2x54. The first night I was looking at Lyra; and I could only see Vega with my eyes. Looking through the 2x54 I could see all the stars of Lyra. It was like going back a...
Ultra wide angle binos: wich to choose? - Binoculars - Cloudy Nights
Ultra wide angle binos: wich to choose? - posted in Binoculars: Hi! Ive been reading reviews on ultra wide angle binos and they seem pretty interesting. I like AP and my Dobs, but I also like to just lie on the ground and watch the sky, so I figure I might get a pair... I also like to scan my...
SVBony SV407 2x42's just arrived - Binoculars - Cloudy Nights
Page 1 of 2 - SVBony SV407 2x42's just arrived - posted in Binoculars: I ordered a pair of these (actually 2.1x42s) direct from the SVBony site, as they were considerably cheaper than Id seen them anywhere in the UK. They were £75 direct. I paid just over £9 for delivery, which I was then...
Orion 2x54 v. Vixen 2.1x42 - Binoculars - Cloudy Nights
Orion 2x54 v. Vixen 2.1x42 - posted in Binoculars: My favorite dark site is finally open again. The Milky Way extends direct vision out to Antares and the Pipe is also a direct eye object. Great place to match up the Orions with the Vixens. I did go for the thread adapters for the Orions...
Happy reading!
Binocollector
Well-known member
A bit late to the game but I recently bought a 2x54 (labeled "Omegon" which seems to be the store brand of the German "astroshop.de". I love them. Quality is excellent, views are incredibly wide. I can almost fit the whole constellation "swan" in it (minus one star at the wingtip). I'd highly recommend it.
Pepitogrillo
Well-known member
Bino colector, you have used the Omegon 2x54 in one black sky?
Cheers.
PG.
Cheers.
PG.
I do not have any experience with the binoculars on your list. My son and I use Leica Trinovids 10x42 and Zeiss Conquests 10x42 for both day and night. Please keep us posted on your choice and experiences.
I was quoting British Pounds. The c is circa, as in about. You can still get them for that...
Helios 2 x 40 Star Field Binoculars
Helios 2 x 40 Star Field Binoculars
www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk
I still haven't got any, I want to try some out and have yet to visit a store that has any and even then trying them at night would be problematic!
The 4x22 Libra/Dowling and Rowe roof prism binocular has a fairly flat 16.5 degree field.
Either central focus or independent focus.
The Soviet 4x16 has a fairly flat field of about 18 degrees plus.
It might be adapted to 3x12 with a 24 degree field?
I am not sure if the VisionKing 5x25 could be adapted to 4x20 with a 19.5 degree field.
With suitable eyepieces and mirrors a 3x20 20 degree flat field binocular could probably be made at home.
Regards,
B.
Either central focus or independent focus.
The Soviet 4x16 has a fairly flat field of about 18 degrees plus.
It might be adapted to 3x12 with a 24 degree field?
I am not sure if the VisionKing 5x25 could be adapted to 4x20 with a 19.5 degree field.
With suitable eyepieces and mirrors a 3x20 20 degree flat field binocular could probably be made at home.
Regards,
B.
Absolutely, but alas near to impossible.
To avoid vignetting with a 20° TFoV the prism stop would have to be relatively large and the prisms correspondingly so.
Prism cross sections are significantly larger than the prism stop and, according to Holger Merlitz, the glass path in a a Schmdt-Pechan prism is 4,6 times the prism stop diameter, so that would necessitate a somewhat "slower" focal ratio and long focal length 60° eyepieces much bigger than the objectives!
Most devices with low magnification have very small AFoVs, only about 38° on my 3x12 Zeiss monocular.
Despite their shortcomings, Galilean binoculars are probably the better solution.
John
Beechers Mirage 4x20 15 degree field.
Libra/Dowling and Rowe 4x22 16.5 degrees.
Soviet 4x16 18 degree field.
Bushnell 4x21 (Actually 3.5x21) 18.5 degrees.
Bushnell Xtrawide 5x25 (Actually 4.4x25). Large field but cannot remember size.
1.65x Minolta afocal adapter very flat field of more than 30 degrees.
There are even bigger afocal adapters, Ricoh etc. but too wide for a binocular.
Minolta scope adapter plus 28mm photo lens. 22 degree field. Good image but some false colour near edge.
Because the scope adapter has a wide range dioptre and the lens focuses the magnification seems to be 3x, but maybe varies to 2.8x.
This combination focuses to 9 inches from the front element to well past 'infinity'.
At night rather dim, and I am not sure of the equivalent aperture.
Will see in daytime.
This easily hand held and rather small size.
A bit too wide to make a binocular, but there may be other photo lenses around 30mm focus that could be made into a binocular with two scope adapters.
May try a 35mm lens.
Galilean binoculars are usually small AFOV.
But the optics listed above go up to 65 degrees or more AFOV.
Regards,
B.
Libra/Dowling and Rowe 4x22 16.5 degrees.
Soviet 4x16 18 degree field.
Bushnell 4x21 (Actually 3.5x21) 18.5 degrees.
Bushnell Xtrawide 5x25 (Actually 4.4x25). Large field but cannot remember size.
1.65x Minolta afocal adapter very flat field of more than 30 degrees.
There are even bigger afocal adapters, Ricoh etc. but too wide for a binocular.
Minolta scope adapter plus 28mm photo lens. 22 degree field. Good image but some false colour near edge.
Because the scope adapter has a wide range dioptre and the lens focuses the magnification seems to be 3x, but maybe varies to 2.8x.
This combination focuses to 9 inches from the front element to well past 'infinity'.
At night rather dim, and I am not sure of the equivalent aperture.
Will see in daytime.
This easily hand held and rather small size.
A bit too wide to make a binocular, but there may be other photo lenses around 30mm focus that could be made into a binocular with two scope adapters.
May try a 35mm lens.
Galilean binoculars are usually small AFOV.
But the optics listed above go up to 65 degrees or more AFOV.
Regards,
B.
The Vivitar 28mm lens plus Minolta scope adapter/monocular converter is 97mm long and 62mm wide.
So for someone with an IPD of 64mm or more two could make a binocular.
Although the field is 22 degrees or slightly more, the edge performance is poor.
The image is O.K. to 60% from centre.
The central magnification is 3x and the full Moon in a clear sky was good.
There is weird internal vignetting but the monocular is about 3x10 with just over 3mm exit pupil.
A Minolta 28mm lens might do better.
Although this demonstrates wide fields are possible at 3x, there is too much glass for a sensible binocular.
The Vivitar lens was made in November 1980 from the Japan oval sticker code and is multicoated.
A good 3x20 flat field binocular could, I think, be made with two flat field eyepieces and mirrors.
The problem is at 20mm aperture the focal length of the objectives is about 70mm, needing 23mm fl eyepieces.
I am not sure how large such a flat field eyepiece would be.
60 degree eyepieces should give about a 20 degree field.
Somehow 3x binoculars are not generally produced, although there was a tiny prismatic Leitz 3x binocular with probably a small field.
3x opera or field glasses exist with small fields.
Regards,
B.
So for someone with an IPD of 64mm or more two could make a binocular.
Although the field is 22 degrees or slightly more, the edge performance is poor.
The image is O.K. to 60% from centre.
The central magnification is 3x and the full Moon in a clear sky was good.
There is weird internal vignetting but the monocular is about 3x10 with just over 3mm exit pupil.
A Minolta 28mm lens might do better.
Although this demonstrates wide fields are possible at 3x, there is too much glass for a sensible binocular.
The Vivitar lens was made in November 1980 from the Japan oval sticker code and is multicoated.
A good 3x20 flat field binocular could, I think, be made with two flat field eyepieces and mirrors.
The problem is at 20mm aperture the focal length of the objectives is about 70mm, needing 23mm fl eyepieces.
I am not sure how large such a flat field eyepiece would be.
60 degree eyepieces should give about a 20 degree field.
Somehow 3x binoculars are not generally produced, although there was a tiny prismatic Leitz 3x binocular with probably a small field.
3x opera or field glasses exist with small fields.
Regards,
B.
Using a high quality Minolta 35mm f/2.8 lens made about 1968 and the Minolta monocular converter, I got much better results than using the Vivitar 28mm lens.
The Minolta lens has 8 elements in 7 groups and seems to have Minolta achromat two layer coatings. It looks new and has the two caps, hood and case. The focus is a bit too sensitive so it is a bit difficult to maintain focus when used visually.
It is nearly all metal and glass.
The magnification is 3.5x and very near the edge there is angular magnification distortion, It behaves as a 3.5x12.5 monocular.
The exit pupil is about 3.5mm.
The real field is 18 degrees.
The image is good, and the magnification high enough to see quite good detail on the almost full Moon.
It is a genuinely useful monocular.
The length is 91mm and the width 58mm. So someone with a 60mm or larger IPD could make a binocular using two.
A 3x30 modern coated Galilean or Dutch binocular has a field of 7 degrees without glasses and 5 degrees with glasses.
I know this is a good binocular as I saw a Mercury transit with it using a safe solar filter.
Mercury was 12 arcseconds across and the tiny black dot was followed periodically over the long time of the transit.
A Mercury transit is much blacker than sunspots, which have a grey penumbral edge.
The AFOV of this 3x30 is about 21 degrees at best.
There are shorter Galilean binoculars with wider fields, but much smaller than the Minolta monocular set up.
Regards,
B.
The Minolta lens has 8 elements in 7 groups and seems to have Minolta achromat two layer coatings. It looks new and has the two caps, hood and case. The focus is a bit too sensitive so it is a bit difficult to maintain focus when used visually.
It is nearly all metal and glass.
The magnification is 3.5x and very near the edge there is angular magnification distortion, It behaves as a 3.5x12.5 monocular.
The exit pupil is about 3.5mm.
The real field is 18 degrees.
The image is good, and the magnification high enough to see quite good detail on the almost full Moon.
It is a genuinely useful monocular.
The length is 91mm and the width 58mm. So someone with a 60mm or larger IPD could make a binocular using two.
A 3x30 modern coated Galilean or Dutch binocular has a field of 7 degrees without glasses and 5 degrees with glasses.
I know this is a good binocular as I saw a Mercury transit with it using a safe solar filter.
Mercury was 12 arcseconds across and the tiny black dot was followed periodically over the long time of the transit.
A Mercury transit is much blacker than sunspots, which have a grey penumbral edge.
The AFOV of this 3x30 is about 21 degrees at best.
There are shorter Galilean binoculars with wider fields, but much smaller than the Minolta monocular set up.
Regards,
B.
I have the RIP Orion 2x54 Ultra Wide binocular and find it useful in light-polluted skies to find where the brighter stars are to begin a star hop. i don't like the flat focusing rings around the occular but since I only use them for stars once I get them set I don't need to change them until it is time to get new eyeglasses. You practically have to mash the occular against your eyeballs to use the full field of view. I use them as a pre finder scope optic rather than an observing optic.
I found this thread while trying to see if their value has appreciated now that Orion is no more.
I found this thread while trying to see if their value has appreciated now that Orion is no more.
I'd like to see a duovid 3x-9x, with the 3x offering a wide field on which the 9x would be centered.
That would allow a much more effective area scan, while still giving instant access to a properly magnified view of the area of interest.
It seems a logical design goal, yet there has not even been a prototype of such a glass afaik.
Is it just impossible with normal optics?
Zooms are a compromise, most lose apparent field of view at one end of the range. Getting optical quality across the field is also tricky and then you’ve got a more complex mechanism than just focussing. There are 6-7x binos with 10+ degree fields if you feel you need a greater field of view for scanning. Otherwise I find a wide 8x and a spotter a good combination for finding and then observing stuff
Peter
Peter
