i need to know what the best bang for my buck is with $200 binoc-wise. Ya see,my binocs just recently got ran over by my sister. They currently have no eyepiece on the left side. They are mangled and fractured. So i firgured i kinda needed a new pair. Whaddya think? I need to know the best binocs for $200.

It really depends. Do you live in high light polluted skies or no? Are you willing to use a tripod or some sort of stand if the magnification is high? What do you wish to see?

Almost no light pollution,willing to use tripods. I want to see as far into space as possible.

Take a look at Celestron's SkyMaster series binocs, they have a 25x100 pair, the 100mm objectives would be great but it is over your budget, maybe you could save up $150 more to get them. For $100 you could get Celestron's 10x50 OptiViews, they come with light pollution filters which would increase contrast in objects better in your skies than they would a lp'ed sky.

O.K. Thanks SvenDiesel.

Try going to this site:

www.bigbinoculars.com

L2U

Take $80 and buy the Celestron Sky master 15x70s...use the rest of the money to get a stable tripod.

There are MANY Sky master 15x70 fans on this forum.

NovaBlaze_X,

Are the objective lenses of your old binoculars undamaged? If they are you can use them to make a wide angle telescope. I did this with some 80mm binocular objectives. Mine is very basic, but you can get fancier if you wish. I just used some PVC pipe and fittings to hold the objective cell from the binoculars and to provide a place for a 1.25" eyepiece. I focus by sliding the eyepiece in and out. It works pretty good considering how little it cost me to make it.

Rick

QUOTE: Originally posted by Starchaser

NovaBlaze_X,

Are the objective lenses of your old binoculars undamaged? If they are you can use them to make a wide angle telescope. I did this with some 80mm binocular objectives. Mine is very basic, but you can get fancier if you wish. I just used some PVC pipe and fittings to hold the objective cell from the binoculars and to provide a place for a 1.25" eyepiece. I focus by sliding the eyepiece in and out. It works pretty good considering how little it cost me to make it.

Rick

$2 and a pair of binocs! Wow!

...........except that mine are in pieces hanging off of each other.......

If the $200 includes the binoculars and the tripod and mount, then you're really restricted in your choices. If the $200 is for the binoculars only, you might want to consider Oberwerk 20x80LW (light weight):

http://www.bigbinoculars.com/2080lw.htm

While you're considering 15x70, Oberwerk 15x70 are in your budget range also and are fully multicoated (which the Barskas and Celestron Skymasters are not, I'm pretty sure):

http://www.bigbinoculars.com/1570.htm

I don't have any connection to Oberwerk and don't even have any of their binoculars, but I've read many good reports on their binoculars and their customer service also.

If you plan to wear eyeglasses when using the binoculars, be sure you get enough eye relief, at least 17mm or more, or else your field of view will be significantly less than nominal for the model you get.

Ed Cannon - Austin, Texas, USA

edcannon,fellow Texan,
the $200 is strictly for binocs. I have money set aside for tripods,etc. I don't care how much the thing ways,as long as it is the best quality,mag,etc. And i don't wear glasses. Though i am going to get contacts soon.

All right.

How do these look?

Those are very large binoculars.

No sh#%,Shurlock! They're out of my price range,though. I'm gettin' the ones Trash suggested.

Yep. And a slice of honey heaven pie out of your wallet! You can just see the money be lifted off and carried to a better place.........

If you know your way around the sky and are handy with star charts and have a reasonably good observing site, you might really like the 25x100, although they are quite heavy and require heavy duty tripod and mount, and you should read up on that. Check the Cloudynights.com binoculars forum.

Oberwerk makes a 20x80 LW that's under four pounds I believe, although they're more expensive.

There are at least three brands of 15x70, under four pounds, under $200. I've read that the Oberwerks are the best. But if you only spend $70 or so on Barska or Celestron Skymaster 15x70, then you could spend the rest of the $200 on some smaller handheld ones, e.g., 10x50.

Happy shopping!

Ed Cannon - Austin, Texas, USA