A Question About Low Magnification Wide-Angle Optics

[SaxonViolence]

Friends,

 

I came across this ad for some 2.1 x 42 Star-Gazing, Wide-Angle Binoculars recently.

 

The cost is $300 + shipping and handling.

 

I can't afford them. Even if I could, other things would take priority.

 

Nonetheless, I can't shake the conviction that looking through such special binoculars would reveal something exceptionally beautiful.

 

Do these optics truly open up a whole new viewing world? Or am I overthinking it?

 

Does anyone have anything similar?

 

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1102737-REG/vixen_optics_19172_2_1x42_sg_wide_angle_binocular.html/?ap=y

 

Thanks!

 

 

Saxon Violence

[GAHD]

Really they'd probably make a nice set of self-adjustable driving glasses for people with really bad vision, maybe for a birdwatching enthusiast too.

For the intended use of stargazing...I don't think that low a mag would be useful.

Celestron deals in some nice telescopes around the same price range if you're actually looking for something to stargaze with. The nexstar line is actually really nice according to my personal experience.

[OceanBreeze]

2.1 magnification is not going to serve you very well for star gazing. That sort of power is more suitable for opera glasses. While the wide field of view, FOV at 25 degrees may seem nice,  it might also make you dizzy!

 

 FOV is often defined by what the total horizontal view, in meters, is at 1000 meters distance. In general, the more magnification power, the less field of view you get. For star gazing you want higher magnification than 2.1, and you really do not need a 25 deg field of view. (and won't get it)

 

For just gazing, I think you want at least 6x magnification but less than 10. At 10x things can get shaky.

 

Incidentally, to get the FOV in degrees, take the arctan of [(FOV in meters @ 1000 meters distance) divided by 1000]

 

*Here is a site that has a lot of information about binocular optics and may help you to make a good choice. There may also be some good deals here if you are interested.

 

I use a pair of military issue Barska on my ship. But, when I want to actually see what I am looking at, I break out the high end Zeiss.

 

*(This isn’t spam! Just some information that may be useful!)

Edited April 10, 2019 by OceanBreeze

[Moronium]

2.1 magnification is not going to serve you very well for star gazing. That sort of power is more suitable for opera glasses. While the wide field of view, FOV at 25 degrees may seem nice,  it might also make you dizzy!

 

 

What would I need to look into the BABE's bedroom window who lives katty-korner from me, ya figure, eh,  Popeye?

 

I need to look from inside my crib.  She's already called the cops on me 3 times when I was standing right outside her window, ya know?

 

BTW, Popeye, I responded to a post or two of yours, and also made some additional comments, in that last thread where we were chatting.   Have you looked at that yet?  This one, I mean:   http://www.scienceforums.com/topic/35318-three-air-tight-reasons-why-no-object-can-ever-reach-an-event-horizon/page-10

Edited April 10, 2019 by Moronium