I'm looking for a bino with the widest FOV. I just want to sweep the sky and see small constellations and asterism such as Lyra, Corona Borealis, Corvus, Equuleus, The False Cross in Carina and Vela, The Keystone, etc. I've owned 8x42 William Optics with 7° FOV, the lens is good, but I'm not satisfied with its field of view which I think it's not wide enough for me. Sure I can see Crux, Delphinus, and Corona Australis with it but that's not enough. With my 8x42 WO I can't encompass the whole stars of Lyra and Corona Borealis for instance. I can't see Vega and Sulaphat (Gamma Lyrae) simultaneously. And for Corona Borealis, I can only see 4 or 5 stars (out of 7) at a time. I've searched on internet, and as far as i know, binoculars with widest angle are Nikon Action 7x35 (9.3°), and Russian-made EWA 7x35 (11°) and EWA 6x30 (12.5°). (Did I miss anything?)

My questions are:

1. Can I encompass the whole stars of Lyra; Corona Borealis; Corvus; and the False Cross; with Nikon Action 7x35 (9.3° angular FOV)

2. Are Russian-made bino EWA (Newcon) any good?

3. Are these binocualars sharp to the edge?

4. Which one do you think better, Nikon or Newcon?

You missed one: (Just click on the links)

http://www.bigbinoculars.com/m532w.htm

 http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php/Cat/0/Number/1861980/page/8/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1

In the USA the Nikon would be easier to locate, and warranty service would be more readily available, than Russian binos.

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php/Cat/0/Number/2159472/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1

I have Blue Planet 2.3x40mm opera glass binoculars which have a quoted 28 deg TFOV; however eye relief is right in your eyeball sockets as close as you can get.  Individual eye focus and very light weight.  Great for theater, concerts, sporting, and kid events.  Hyades and Pleadies in same view Milky way looks great!  Andromeda and Orion looks just like the sky charts.  Hyades and Pleadies in same view!

Next I have 7x32 UW 14.0 deg TFOV binoculars, and these are heavy (outer 1 deg only useful to know something is there like planet but distorted).  Able to see Hyades and Pleadies in two fields of view.  Also great for theater, concerts, sporting, and kid events. 

My last wide field binocular is my favorite 8x40UW 9.4 deg TFOV and I use this to help find stars that are naked eye visible (Brent Watson Sky Spot Telrad Finder Charts) for alligning my non-go-to 17.5" scope with Telrad finder.  Once you find them in binoculars you can often still see them naked eye, and just allign the Telrad to them and the Messier or Overlooked objects are often in the field of view (or minor hunt and search is required if not).

My next favorite is 25x100 4.5 deg TFOV but this is not considered wide field, except that it is travel capable and I did take it to the top of Mauna Kea where I had the most spectacular view of M31 filling 80% of one field of view and expanding a full two field widths!  I have never seen Andromeda look so good. 

I have many others but I don't cosider these wide angles.

kanders2 

 Thank you so much for sharing, Mr kanders. I have several questions:

faackanders2:

I have Blue Planet 2.3x40mm opera glass binoculars which have a quoted 28 deg TFOV;

faackanders2:

Next I have 7x32 UW 14.0 deg TFOV binoculars, and these are heavy (outer 1 deg only useful to know something is there like planet but distorted).  Able to see Hyades and Pleadies in two fields of view. 

faackanders2:

My last wide field binocular is my favorite 8x40UW 9.4 deg TFOV and I use this to help find stars that are naked eye visible (Brent Watson Sky Spot Telrad Finder Charts) for alligning my non-go-to 17.5" scope with Telrad finder.  Once you find them in binoculars you can often still see them naked eye, and just allign the Telrad to them and the Messier or Overlooked objects are often in the field of view (or minor hunt and search is required if not).

kanders2 

My next favorite is 25x100 4.5 deg TFOV but this is not considered wide field, except that it is travel capable and I did take it to the top of Mauna Kea where I had the most spectacular view of M31 filling 80% of one field of view and expanding a full two field widths!  I have never seen Andromeda look so good. 

The 2.3x40mm is great for the Milky Way, and constellations.  I can see the guide stars in Andromeda to find M31 all in the same view; just like the star charts.  Either this one or the 7x32mm, can see the bottom half of Orion with the nebula visible.  I believe Hyades to Pleadies is just 2 fields of view; so it is nice if a planet traverses between.  Although the 2.3x40mm has a wide field, it  is not as good for Meteor showers as I would have thought, because it is difficult to get your eye in place before the naked eye meteor disapears (and if you only look through the binos you miss many naked eye observers call out).  The 7x32 is easier to see meteors from naked eye to binos in time.  Fireworks look great in both especially the 2.3x40mm if you are close.

The real big constellations do not fit in 26-28 deg afov.  Cassiopia does.

Lyra is visible in the 7x32mm, but the ring nebula is not.  eVEN HAVE DIFFICULTY SEEING THE RING IN 15X63MM.

I have not see the LMC nor SMC.  mUST BE IN Hawaii the right time of year for that and Omega Centauri.  most times we go in summer, and jewel box is up.

My latest bino toys are 9x63 and 15x63 mini giants.  aT 2.3 lbs they are hand holdable for lying down and looking at the zenith.  Globular clusters definitely look better in the 15x63, but the 9x63 are less fatiguing and easier/quicker to locate objects.