Stargazer's Guide to Big Binoculars under $500
Stargazer's Guide to 100mm Binoculars under $500.00
Author: Michael Gilmer
This article details the selection of binoculars in the less than $500.00 price point. I outline the pros, cons, and I analyze the body of reviews on these big binos.
My conclusions :
The vast majority, if not the totality, of the binoculars in this price point share many common features and specifications.
The same majority of binoculars also perform within a common boundary of optical quality that I have determined using edge-performance in the FOV as a major criteria.
Nearly all of the binoculars in this price point are imported from the People's Republic of China.
While most of the members of this price point suffer from inherent optical shortcomings, a significant majority of owners still consider them to be a "bargain" in comparison to the high-end binoculars on the market.
Ok, now before I share my more specific conclusions, which some will consider to be rash generalizations, let me say a few words about my sources of information. First and foremost is the community of Cloudy Nights, which possesses a body reviews and data that is quite considerable in scope. It took me many hours, on many "cloudy nights", to read all the reviews and posts relevant to my 100mm binocular search. I found these reviews and articles to be the most extensive, knowledgable and helpful. Also useful was the large archive of reviews in the Yahoo Binocular-Astronomy group. Barry Simon's binocular forum is another good source of informed, first-hand reviews. Using Google as a primary tool, I discovered numerous message-boards that are also dedicated to stargazing and equipment discussions. The online forums of Astronomy Magazine has proved useful, as have the standard internet clearinghouses of reviews like Epinions and Excelsis. Amazon.com also has a large body of reviews and general information that is useful, if not always accurate. And finally, there is the seeminging-endless volume of posts and discussions available through USENET and syndication. All of this, and my own firsthand experience, has finally helped me make a decision about my binocular dilemma.
Having stated all of that in an attempt to shore up my credibility a little bit, let us get to the meat of the matter.
A list of the giant binoculars in the ~$500.00 price point and my specific comments on them.
a) Brands with no import brand name, and lesser known small brands like "Fotar", are considered (IMO) to be "generic" cheap binoculars. According to the reviews, most owners of these brands are not terribly happy with their purchases. While none can complain about the rock-bottom prices, many of these binos utilize shortcuts in quality to achieve such low retail prices. None of these kind of binos are "Fully multi-coated" in the proper and desirable sense. Some claim to be "Multi-coated" or "Fully coated", but such statements are merely exercises in dubious semantics. Owners seem to complain frequently about the quality of the coatings, or the clarity of the optics. Build quality is usually an issue as well, with many reporting that their particular binos have loose parts or a generally "loose feel". Most of these binos come with a minimum of documentation, specifications, or accessories. Service and support ranges from non-existent to hit-and-miss. I have concluded that ANY 100mm binocular that costs less than $250.00 is not going to satisfy a serious observer who is conscious of optical performance as a make-or-break criteria. Some of these binoculars might serve as a good, low cost introduction to the hobby, but as one's interest and knowledge of the craft increases, so will one's expectations and demands when it comes to a primary observing instrument. A binocular of this type will not satisfy for long.
b) Next up are the "bargain" giant binoculars. Brands like Celestron and Orion are well-known outside the binocular field for producing a wide variety of mostly quality telescopes and other optical gear. Both of these companies import binoculars from China and Japan. Their respective "Deluxe" and "Megaview" designs are higher-quality giant binos that have a respectable and positive body of owner reviews. Most owners of these Japanese made models are pleased with their purchase and report above-average edge performance and build quality. However, this is not true for the Chinese made models from these same companies. Celestron's Skymaster line and Orion's "Explorer" line both offer giant binos in the 70, 80, and 100mm sizes. Reviews are mixed on these models. While I have read few negative reviews of the 70 and 80mm Skymasters, I have read an overwhelming amount of negative reviews regarding the 100mm model. Since I personally own both the 70 and 100mm Skymaster, I feel particularly qualified to render an opinion on these particular binos. My opinion of the 70mm is that is it a very good bino for the price and I would recommend it to others. In contrast, I am very unsatisified with the 100mm model, and simply put, I regret purchasing it, as it does not meet my needs. I have read several other reviews of the 100mm Skymaster that may differ on specifics, but agree in principal - the 100mm Skymaster has inconsistent optical quality that is most often on the inferior end of the spectrum. Furthermore, the build quality in the 100mm model leaves much to be desired. The binocular is marketed as being "waterproof", but based on my own personal experience, I would be hesitant to trust this assertion. It should be stated that my pair of 100mm Skymasters arrived from the dealer with obvious defects, both in build and optics. Normally, one would not assume that such a defective product is representative of the model line, but I have read a large proportion of reviews which claim that the 100mm Skymaster arrived defective and needed to be repaired or replaced under warranty. These recurring episodes of repair and replacement could be indicative of poor quality control in the production process, or some kind of deficiency in the inventory/shipment process. Having said all of that about Celestron, much of the same can be said about the 100mm Orion Explorers. The overwhelming body of reviews is peppered with negative reviews that center on build quality, optical performance, and service/support issues. WHile the proportion of negative-to-positive Orion 100mm reviews is not as bad or telling as Celestron's, it is still enough to raise a red flag in my opinion. When I read a single or first negative review of a particular bino, I do not jump to conclusions, but when one read the the third or fourth or more negative review, then one should indeed raise a red flag. This is balanced by a not-insignificant body of positive reviews for both the Skymaster and the Explorer, but in Celestron's case the negative outweigh the positive, and in Orion I would hazard to guess the ratio is 3-to-1 positive over negative. If one was operating under a very restrictive budget, then it might be worth settling on such an instrument (as I once did), but if one can afford to shop around a bit more, then I would suggest passing on these 100mm models. It is also worth mentioning that the Celestrons have a lifetime "no fault" replacement warranty (with a $25.00 fee) while the Orions feature a standard one year warranty.
c) Another entry in the 100mm bino market is the Apogee. Apogee makes a full line of large aperture binoculars that feature built-in and proprietary "nebula filters". These effectiveness of these filters can be debated, but the body of reviews agrees that they are a useful feature when viewing from areas with heavy light pollution. The filters work by virtue of increasing contrast for diffuse objects (like nebulae) at the expense of darkening the background sky - which is of decreasing value in naturally dark skies. Apogee also makes a right-angle 88mm binocular that has gotten many positive reviews, but I will omit it from further mention because it exceeds the ~$500.00 price point by nearly $200.00. The verdict on the Apogee 100mm's optical quality is mixed, but mostly positive. From all indications, it appears that the quality of the optics is better than the Celestron and roughly equal to the Orion. The only negative experiences I have read is in regard to communications in the support process. While the integral filters is a tempting feature for me, given my light-polluted area, I still have enough reservations to pass on the Apogees. For those who are interested in a sub-100mm "giant" bino in this price point, Apogee has recently announced the production of a 70mm triplet semi-apo, right angle binocular for around $400.00 US. I mention it only in passing, because it lacks the giant-class aperture I require.
d) Yet another entry into the market is the Zhumell brand, which also makes a wide variety of scopes, eyepieces, and other accessories. In particular, their 100mm binocular has the enticingly high-tech name of "Tachyon". These binoculars use Bak-7 prisms rather than the more commonly-used Bak-4 prisms. Depending one interpetation of optical theory and depending on the implementation of the prisms, this could be a good or bad thing. The reviews seem positive, giving acceptable marks to the image quality and build. It also comes with a nice aluminum case. Also comforting is the 25 year warranty. My only misgiving is that they are made, like all the binos mentioned so far, in China. The commonly held stereotype that Chinese binos in this price point have a bargain price at the expense of quality, although there are some recent exceptions to this rule. Given the limited body of reviews, which reflects Zhumell's limited market share in the 100mm arena, it remains to be seen whether this bino is one of the exceptions to the China-quality rule.
e) The last, and certainly not the least, member of the class is Oberwerk. Oberwerk is the rising star within the binocular astronomy field. Oberwerk has built a solid reputation, based on an overwhelmingly positive body of reviews, of having solved the elusive performance-price issue. Oberwerk's other entries in the giant bino class, including 70, 80, and 90mm models have likewise received good marks for optical quality and build quality. Oberwerk has two models in the 100mm aperture - a 22x100 and a 25x100. I will focus on the 25x. At just over $400.00, the Obie 25x100IF has amassed a respectable body of positive reviews. All owners seem to agree that optical quality is the best in the price point. The point of image degradation in the Obie FOV is ~80%, with the degree of degradation being not-excessive. This is in comparison to the competitors like Celestron, Orion and Apogee who seem to garner marks of 60-75% useful FOV before the contrast/clarity declines. This difference may not seem overwhelming, but it is considerable and worthy of note. What's more, Oberwerk has a solid reputation for support and communication. In the instances where a subpar or defective Obie was detected, the Oberwerk company went to all lengths to make the matter right in a timely manner. And while the warranty is stated at one-year, it appears to be a solid warranty with some leeway. What else does one get for ~$400 with the Obie 25x100 : a fully-muli-coated optical system, tight build quality, and a fitted aluminum case. In my opinion, based on the available data, is that the Oberwerk 25x100 binocular is quite likely the best entry in the price point, hands down.
Now that I have settled on Oberwerk as my next (and hopefully final) purchase in the 25x100 class, I can sit back and wait a couple of weeks for everything to come together before I pull the trigger on a deal. In the meantime, I will be watching the websites of manufacturers and vendors, waiting for a late qualified entry in the field. But in all likelihood, my next lengthy diatribe regarding giant binoculars will be a glowing review of the Obie 25x100IF.
Original photo by Michael Gilmer.