Good tracking binoculars 7x35 wide angle

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They would seem like a good buy.

The 7x magnification isn't too bad. That is why they are "wide angle", they don't magnify much. The 35 is the diameter of the objective lens in millimeters. This gives you an idea of the light gathering ability. The bigger it is, the more light it pulls in an the brighter the image is. If you're only going to track rockets, that would work fine.

Personally, the best tracking binoculars I have is a 7-15 x 35 Bushnell zoom set. Using the 7x to 10x range to track the smoke and then zooming in to 15x works really well. If you loose track, zoom back out till you pick it up and zoom back in.

I have found that binoculars, telescopes too, follow the old adage even more, you get what you pay for. Go into a sporting goods store and try two different pairs of binoculars that are the same size (10x35 or 10x50 are the most common), one in the <$50 range, the other in the >$200 range. You will really see the difference.

FWIW Orion makes some pretty respectable optics, a lot better then Tasco, although they aren't top of the line.
 
The higher the magnification the more difficult to keep the image steady, so higher magnification isn't always a good thing.

Mike
 
Handeman said:
They would seem like a good buy.

The 7x magnification isn't too bad. That is why they are "wide angle", they don't magnify much. The 35 is the diameter of the objective lens in millimeters. This gives you an idea of the light gathering ability. The bigger it is, the more light it pulls in an the brighter the image is. If you're only going to track rockets, that would work fine.

Personally, the best tracking binoculars I have is a 7-15 x 35 Bushnell zoom set. Using the 7x to 10x range to track the smoke and then zooming in to 15x works really well. If you loose track, zoom back out till you pick it up and zoom back in.

I have found that binoculars, telescopes too, follow the old adage even more, you get what you pay for. Go into a sporting goods store and try two different pairs of binoculars that are the same size (10x35 or 10x50 are the most common), one in the <$50 range, the other in the >$200 range. You will really see the difference.

FWIW Orion makes some pretty respectable optics, a lot better then Tasco, although they aren't top of the line.
Click to expand...
Handeman, I have a pair of Celestron Ultima 7x42(no longer made) that I use at launches. They do not have as wide a field as the Orion, but seem to work OK. The Orions have BK7 prisms while my Ultimas have BAK-4. While I'm sure the Orions are not as good for critical use, the wide angle and light weight are very good for something like tracking rockets. I ordered a pair for my girl friend just to look at birds in her yard, so I should get a look at them Friday to see if they are in good collimation. I wouldn't go to a launch without mine.
 
Yes, they will probably work great. There aren't a lot of applications that really require "good" glasses. That's why they make and sell so many of the lower cost glasses. When I think about it, out boating on the Atlantic was the only time I've used binoculars in the daytime that I've had issues with quality.

I guess I'm more critical then most because I want to use any glasses I have for astonomy too. I have a decent telescope, but I always like to use the binoculars too. It just gets very frustrating when every star looks like a binary or fuzzy galaxy because the glasses are misaligned and can't focus.

Let us know how they work out. I just put up a fifth bird feeder for the wife so that set my make a good birthday present.
 
Handeman, one of my interests is astronomy, as well. I guess my dream binoculars for astronomy is the most recent 'image stabilized' model that Canon came out with. They are a bit pricey but I think they'd be hard to beat for hand held astronomy use.:)

My main concern is whether the Orion's will be properly collimated. I'll let you know.
 
Had a chance to take a look at these binoculars and I consider them a very good value for the money. They would be an excellent choice for tracking rockets. The 9° field would be very helpful.

The focusing is a little stiff, but since tracking the rockets you would focus at infinity this would not be a problem. You generally would not be changing focus.

There is a little play in the focus. Basically if you focus past an object, you may have to focus "in" a little more than you have focused "out". So basically, if you are in a situation where you have to change focus rapidly, these may not work so well.

The images are very clear, the binoculars have a close focus of around 8', and the collimation was excellent.:)
 
7 x 50's for $16 plus change at local Harbor Freight tools...

...then again, I am a cheapskate...
:p
 
roadkill said:
7 x 50's for $16 plus change at local Harbor Freight tools...

...then again, I am a cheapskate...
:p
Click to expand...

Just remember, you get what you pay for.

If they work for tracking rockets, they will be worth it.

BTW, I know about being a cheapskate, I've been told I can squeeze a nickle till the buffalo s**ts.
 
Handeman said:
Sounds good. If the collimation is good, the focus can be delt with. Have you tried them at night on the stars?
Click to expand...

I had them out last night abit from a fairly light polluted area. The view of the moon with earthshine was very pleasing, and in general the stars seemed to come to a nice focus. There were no obvious abberations. It would be interesting to set them on a tripod and see if they would resolve Alberio, which a good quality lense at 7x should do; at least my Meade 8x50 finder did, i.e. you could see two distinct colors.
 
Strangely enough, i noticed my pair of binoculars was broken (a lens) the day this thread was started. So i ordered the pair of Orions that the poster mentioned. Received the Orions yesterday. Work just as well (and a little better) than what i had bought from Dicks Sporting Goods 4-5 years ago. Plus they cost about 30% less than my old pair.
 
bguff said:
Strangely enough, i noticed my pair of binoculars was broken (a lens) the day this thread was started. So i ordered the pair of Orions that the poster mentioned. Received the Orions yesterday. Work just as well (and a little better) than what i had bought from Dicks Sporting Goods 4-5 years ago. Plus they cost about 30% less than my old pair.
Click to expand...
Glad to hear you are pleased with them. That 9° field should really help with tracking a rocket. I've found, throughout the years, that Orion is a very good company to deal with.
 
I just bought the Nikon ProStaff 8x25 and like them very much. I'm using it to track my streamer duration model so I didn't want to go much higher on the magnifcation and end up having too small of a field of view. On the other hand, I need to track something at least a mile down range. I chose a lightweight small pair (25) so that they'll not be uncomfortable to wear during competitions and will also not take a lot of space up in my suitcase when travelling.
 
Pat, the 8x25 looks like a nice quality binocular. I prefer a little wider field, but the small size and weight certainly have their advantages.
 

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