Re: wide angle binoculars

"brucegooglegroups" <brucegooglegroups@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1159639334.429553.247940@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Is a wide angle important in astronomy binoculars? I am thinking of
buying a 10X50 wide angle Orion Ultraview or a higher priced Orion
10X50 without a wide angle. The difference in field is 6.5 degrees
compared to the higher quality binoculars with a field of 5.3 degrees.

Bruce,

One of the strengths of binoculars is the ability to provide wide fields of
view that are simply not available in telescopes. One problem with
binoculars is that the image quality falls off, often significantly, as you
approach the edge of the field. This shows up rather harshly on bright
stars. Without actually trying the two binoculars, it is difficult to say
how good the star images near the field edge would compare. In general,
better images near the field edge require more sophisticated eyepieces,
which cost more money, so price might a rough guide to how well they will
perform. I suspect you would be happier with the higher quality binocular,
but it might be nice if you could turn up some folks who have actually used
these.

Clear skies, Alan

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