Oberwerk 100mm Binoculars

Im really thinking about getting the oberwerk 100mm binocular telescope with interchangable eyepieces.
has anyone out there had any good or bad experiences with this particular binocular? any beneficial info i can use?thanks david l

David:

If you are talking about the modified Chinese Military giants I can sum up my impression with a single word: BIG!

I did quite a bit of comparsion shopping about a year ago when I decided to upgrade from 20X80s. Back then the selection of 100mm binos under $2,000 was extemely limited. It came down to two: The $900 ProOptics 25X100 and some variation of the Chinese boder guards starting around $1,400. I read evey reivew I could find, including the S &T article, excelsis.com, binocular astronomy forumm, ITE web site, and several reviews on cloudynihgts.

I really wanted the 25/40X version because I like the idea having dual power without the drawback of zoom eps. $500 more seems quite reasonable. I also explored various mounting options when I visited Larry P of Universal Astronomics at a NJ scope show. In the end, I decided to go with the ProOptics instead. SIZE was the key. For the same 100mm objective size the military giants are more than twice the length and thrice the weight.(26lb+) Also every reviewer stated that the nice looking wooden tripod can not be used above 60 deg. I already have a Bogen 3246 tripod rated for 26lbs, but I don't like to mount optics right at the limit of tripod capacity. Getting the bigger Bogen 3058 and the Oberwerk 15 deg offset tripod adaptor meant a lot more $$$ and more lbs!!

My current 100mm bino ensemble includes the ProOptics 25X100, the Bogen 501 fluid head(with quick-release plate)and the 3246 tripod. Total weight: 20.5 lbs. If I want to go to a dark sky location it takes about 90 secs to detach the bino, collapse the tripod and I am out the door. I also have addtional QR plate to switch binos quickly on the same tripod.

Kevin B announced on this forum(2/19/03) that Oberwerk will be shipping a new 100mm bino with 45 deg interchangeable eyepieces in about 30 days. This is a copy of the Miyauchii 100, weight about 16 lbs and price is $995. I think Anacortes is taking pre orders for the Burgess version alreay. I have been very satisfied with the QC standards of both Burgess and Oberwerk. You may want to wait and see if the new ones meet your requirement. Just my $.03.

Erik D

Hi David. I have the 25/40 binoculars so cannot comment on the interchangable eyepiece model, but I can still offer a few suggestions. They are big and they are heavy but like all things, that compromise gives you a better image than the the pro optics. At least according to the June 2000 S & T review of both binoculars. Another plus is they have longer eye relief at 25x than the pro optics (14 mm vs 10). You also get the mount with the binoculars and have the option as I did of making your own tripod buying the adapter and saving 100 bucks. As far as being straight through once again we have a compromise. Yes it can get uncomfortable way up high but everytime you aim the binoculars you are looking at your aiming point. I never need a seperate finder of any kind with these binoculars as it is quite easy to still find your target when you are looking straight through. Also if you get yourself or make a variable height chair you can observe quite high comfortably. The only caution I would suggest is the higher power involved with the model you are considering. I feel 40x is about as high as you would want to go with the factory mount of course you can still substitute other oculars and get a lower power with the model you are thinking about. I can't say enough how much I enjoy these binoculars. I guess we all have different needs but I really enjoy my pair even though it keeps the muscles working to set it up. The views and comfortable eye relief are worth it (for me). Regards, Gary