Several recent monoculars

Started by Doug Peterson, 12/07/2011 06:05AM
Posted 12/07/2011 06:05AM | Edited 12/07/2011 06:09AM Opening Post
Perhaps it's because I am legally blind in one eye that I have always had a special interest in monoculars:

The Orion 10x42 at 50 bucks on sale turned out to be excellent. Multicoatings, comfortable to hold, and razor sharp, both in use and star tested with an auxillary scope (use a finder or another monocular to look thru the scope or bino under test, multiply the mags). About a 60 degree apparent field.

The Celestron Oceana 8x42 was a disapointment. While sharp, the compass takes up too much field of view so unless you're a sailor it doesn't work well for astronomy. Incredibly it is advertised as having a 10.5 degree field or 84 apparent. I wasn't expecting a Nagler, but theoretically it could have moved the compass further to the edge opening up the field. The box and the scope itself say 7 degree which it what it looks like. Optics planet didn't know what I was talking about and referred me to Celestron who hasn't answered my email so its going back.

Coming up the 16x40 Tasco roof at 20 bucks and the 15x32 with a naked porro cluster at 10 bucks, ebay denizens with shipping included direct from Taiwan. How bad can they be? Stay tuned.

"--Granted, that's a worse case scenario. The destruction might in fact be ... limited to our own galaxy."
Posted 12/20/2011 01:02AM | Edited 12/20/2011 01:23AM #1
Why am I discussing tiny monoculars in the astro binoculars section? Because I don't look at birds, and I like to have quick look magnification around, especially in my car, a convertible--a mobile observatory--that isn't so expensive it will bust the bank if stolen.

The entry level is the 2.5x17.5mm "kgb" galilean monocular that is so small it is the only scope I know of that will fit in its entirety inside an auto ash tray. 7 bucks shipped.

The best buy by far is the Kenko 15x32 silver-bodied half a bino with naked porro prism cluster. Will fit in a shirt pocket, incredibly light. Yeah ruby coated front surface, and I now know why ruby coatings are so popular with manufacturers: its colorful presence obscures the fact that everything else is uncoated! Actually there are a few other mag fluoride coatings in the optics train but not the prisms. Even so it is quite sharp. 9 bucks shipped.

The Tasco 16x40 at 23 bucks shipped is the equal of those 60$ pricey monos. Sharp, wide field, rubber body.

The Zeiss miniquick 5x10mm looks like a pen and clips to your shirt pocket the same way. Pricey but sharp and unique. Typically about $130 bucks. This one I won't leave in my car. I once lost it, bought a replacement, but then found the original ... in my car. Anyone want a miniquick?

Except for the Zeiss these cheap optical entertainments can be found in the bargain basement sort method at eboring. They ship straight from Taiwan using your very own USPS in like a week. I haven't had as much cheap fun since viagra at 7 bucks a pop.

"--Granted, that's a worse case scenario. The destruction might in fact be ... limited to our own galaxy."
Posted 12/21/2011 09:37AM #2
How bad can they be?


First, let me say I enjoyed reading about these half-binos. Do any of them have provisions for tripod mounting?

Second, How bad can they be?

The other day I was at Ace Hardware and saw some 7x50 sharper image binos for $8.95. How bad can they be?

The answer is amazingly bad. The ruby coatings are so thick that I can't see down the objectives. Of course they are miscollimated and I can't really seem to focus them. The focuser works hut focus is so soft... It does have glass prisms I think but the objectives might be plastic. The ruby coatings give everything a heavy deathly blue cast.

I did measure the exit pupil, it should be 7mm, it wad less than 4mm. (Did you try to determine the effective aperture of any of the monoculars?). These are probably 7x25s at best.

Bottom line is, How bad? Worse than I could have imagined.. there are going to be some sad faces come Christmas day. sad

Jon