NIKON 12X50 SE BINOCULARS

Has anybody here ever tried the Nikon 12x50 Superior E binoculars for astronomy? I imagine that they work best on a monopod because of the 12x. Has anybody compared them to any 10x50 binoculars or to the Minolta Activa 12x50 binoculars?

--Glenn

Glenn, I've been using and comparing the Nikon SE 12x50's for a few months. I've compared them to the Pentax PCF 12x50's, Leupold 10x50's and some vintage Minolta 10x50 WA's as well as Steiner 7x50 Night Hunters and Swarovski Habicht 8x56 SLs.

Out of the dozens of various binos I've had, the Nikon 12x50 SEs are without a doubt my favorite binocular. That's saying a lot! They're the size of a smallish 10x50, very easy to hold. I don't find much difference in holding these steady as compared to 10x50's but the slight increase in power does tend to pull in slightly fainter stars from my suburban location. Mostly, I like them for their superb resolution. They are crisp almost to the edge of the FOV, (something which can't be said of most 10x50's that I've tried.) Their resolution is simply fantastic. I like these so much I use them for birding. The FOV is a little narrow for that, but I the extra power really helps resolve details much better than any 7x or 8x glass.

The other thing that's worth mentioning in this thread, is that the Pentax PCF 12x50's, while no where near the eye candy performance of the Nikon SE's, are a worthy consideration for those who balk at the high price of the non-waterproof Nikons. They are now what I'm recommending to those wanting to start off in bino astronomy.

Mike Swaim