Binoculars vs Tabletop Telescopes

Are you a new astronomer trying to decide between a Dobsonian telescope, binoculars, or a tabletop telescope? In this video, I'll explore the pros and cons of binoculars and tabletop telescopes, helping you make an informed decision. Tune in to find out which stargazing tool is right for you!
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[@sohaibsinan3369]

Hi Chris! Good day. I'm using Opticron Oregon Observation 20x80 binocular and very impressed with the visual experience. Previously I used Sky-watcher 150P. But with this binocular except high power targets, DSO and star clusters are very bright and vivid. Andromeda, Triangulum galaxy, Orion, Dumbbell, Ring nebula, M6, M7, M13 is very clear and contrast from the bortle sky 3-4. Ilso I had the flexibility now to bright the binocular anywhere, unlike telescope which is very difficult to mobile.

[@rldaniel514]

Totally agree. Ive got the celestron skymaster 20x80 pro and skywatcher heritage 130p but its the same idea i love them

[@A0111.]

It's great to have binoculars when you go camping - to lay on the ground looking up in the dark skies. Otherwise it's a pain in the neck.

[@astronome66]

Thanks for this. I must try out your bino holding technique next time I'm out. Another way I like using them is seated in a reclining lawn chair. Awesome fun with the family and binoculars are inexpensive enough for each of us to hold our own pair 😊

[@ms70072]

Great video. I would also recommend a spotting/birding scope on a photo tripod for entry level visual astronomy, especially for the moon and planets.

[@pepeimc]

I have a skywatcher heritage 100p, and despite having much bigger telescopes it remains as one of my favorites. I have binoculars as well, and love them too. They are just not comparable, buy both!!

[@Mr123tallpaul]

I’ve bought loads of stuff on Chris’s recommendations. He’s never let me down (yet!). You can trust what he says 👍👍

[@Astrolavista]

Thanks for saying that Paul, cheers! :)

[@astronome66]

😂 Yep, I've parted with a small fortune on his advice, and I have yet to be disappointed. Many thanks, Chris, for all the solid advice 👍

[@KevinRudd-w8s]

I'm mainly into imaging but I do like spending a bit of time outside just looking at the sky through a pair of binoculars. I always keep a pair in the car so if I find myself in a suitable location at night I can always have an impromptu observing session. I was in the merchant navy for twenty years and would often borrow a pair of binoculars from the Bridge and spend some time just looking at the sky which in the middle of the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian Ocean etc is truly dark and looks absolutely magnificent. I always tell people who are thinking about taking up astronomy not the rush into bying a scope and think about what the really want to use it for before buying one and explain that many DSOs in particular will not look anything like the pictures that have got them interested when viewed through a telescope no matter what type or size although they can still look spectacular in their own way. My own personal view is to buy something that gives reasonable views out of the box but can be upgraded as time goes on. I always recommend people consider binoculars, not as a standalone but an as well as piece of kit.

[@Tony-Elliott]

Great information Chris

[@Astrolavista]

Thanks Tony :-)

[@3dfxvoodoocards6]

Do zoom monoculars also loose collimation more easely than the ones with fixed magnification ?

[@Astrolavista]

With a monocular you just need to keep the internal elements aligned, but with a binocular you also need to keep two barrels aligned with each other. A zoom monocular would be less problematic than a zoom bino, but more problematic than a monocular with a fixed magnification owing to the extra complexity.

[@astrostufftomtrubridge7915]

Great vid, I thought for a moment you were laying on floor of your old observatory 😂😂.. Atb Tom..

[@Astrolavista]

Haha! I can't unsee that now :D I put the same foam on the garage wall to help reduce the echo in the garage when recording. The things I do for KZbin hehe

[@astrostufftomtrubridge7915]

@@Astrolavista Hi Chris, just a quick question, I've ordered a clip filter adapter from FLO and thought would it fit into a filter drawer ? The adapter looks great as I was going to try making something for my Astronomik 7nm Ha clip, being on a budget, it made perfect sense.. thanking you atb, Tom..

[@ronm6585]

Thanks Chris.

[@Sergey_Sergeev]

Now, I like the name of your channel so much!😀👍

[@vanrajsindha9918]

Does anyone have an opinion on PENTEX 10X50 BINOCULAR ON it's performance for watching moon🌙 craters❓

[@Astrolavista]

Well I own a pair and they provide sharp views of the Moon, however, I rarely do so because I don't feel like 10x magnification is enough to do the Moon justice. It starts to get a bit more interesting at 15-20x but those really need tripod mounting.

[@vanrajsindha9918]

@Astrolavista thank you for your reply... Just one more question can i see other things with 10x50 when sky totally dark with very little light pollution ❓thank you🙏

[@mountainhobo]

You can also get Canon stabilized binoculars for maximum portability, albeit with a slight increase in price.

[@Astrolavista]

Fantastic but pricey! They start at around £700-800 for the 36mm aperture model. I think I'd want the 15x50mm model so they hold up for astronomy but those are £1200 ish.

[@marcorajala6024]

i just bought my skywatcher explorer 130 im so happy

[@Astrolavista]

Awesome!

[@wildyorkieoutdoors7271]

Interesting vid 👍

[@anata5127]

Oberwerk binocular to go.

[@AnotherAmateurAstronomer]

Interesting.

[@artyombeilis9075]

While binos are fantastic under dark skies, most of us live in urban area with high light pollution. In that setup binos are basically useless and would show less than even $60 60/400 "hobby killer" refractor simply because it allow better magnification and even with horrible tripod it more stable than hands. You can observe much more with telescope IMHO binos are secondary tool...

[@misaelescobarruiz1193]

Buenos equipos astronomicos amigo