Over the last few months I’ve been field testing 3 larger binoculars for deep sky astronomy: The Celestron SkyMaster Pro 15 x 70, the Opticron Oregon 20 x 80, and the Helios Apollo 15×70.
Tune in soon to see why I settled on the Helios…..
A Work Commenced October 5 2024
For the past few years I’ve been using a very good 10 x 50 Opticron Porro prism binocular, which has served me well as a longer range terrestrial magnifier and also for conducting astronomical observations. I chose this instrument for its great build quality and bright and sharp optics. It’s small field of view(5.3 degrees), was enough to frame nearly all the celestial objects I visit throughout the observing year. This size of field also pretty much guaranteed a fairly flat field from edge to edge, keeping stellar images tight and sharp no matter where they’re placed within the field. Back in May however, I bought in an amazing new high-performance roof prism binocular: the Sky Rover Banner Cloud(SRBC) 10 x 50 for review, and its quality literally stunned me. This instrument sported an ultra-flat field, fully double the size of my old 10 x 50 and with excellent colour correction. And while I was able to demonstrate its daylight capabilities in Part I( see the preamble above), I was unable to evaluate its night sky performance owing to the encroach of summer twilight which graces the Scottish landscape between May and the end of July, during which time there is no proper darkness, with only the brightest stars visible in the heavens.
A Trip to Italy
During early July, our family took off on vacation to northern Italy, basing ourselves in a small commune called Revine Lago, Sottacroda, in the foothills of the great Dolomite Mountain Range, and right in the heart of the Prosecco wine cultivation region of northeastern Italy.
With a climate of hot summers and frequent rain, the area is lush with vegetation. I brought along the 10 x 50 as well as its smaller sibling, the 8 x 42 SRBC, to do some daytime birding and visual astronomy after dark. It was also an ideal environment to test the hardiness of these instruments as they were exposed to dust and intense summer heat, where daytime temperatures soared to well above 40C in direct sunlight. I can report that both instruments coped admirably in these hotter, dustier conditions.
While most of my birding was conducted with the smaller 8 x 42 glass, I also found myself using the larger 10 x 50 SRBC quite a bit at my local birding patch, overlooking Marine Lago, a small freshwater lake just a kilometre’s walk from our holiday home. For example, while the 8 x 42 frequently picked up some birds fishing the lake far from shore, it was difficult to make a reliable identification, as they remained small in the huge field of view of the 8 x 42, I was able to use the higher power of the 10 x 50 instrument to tease out more detail. And it paid off! These turned out to be Great Crested Grebes, a species I’ve never personally encountered before.
Both the 8 x 42 and 10 x 50 are extremely stable in my hands. I can hold the 8 x 42 almost rock steady owing to its long barrels and excellent inertia. The 10 x 50 is marginally less stable, of course, more due to the magnification than the weight. My own experiences with lower mass models has definitely shown me that they are less stable at any given power. And if it’s a windy day, I’ll always opt for a heavier glass. This is a very overlooked phenomenon in my opinion, as many folk mistakingly opt for smaller, lighter glasses that are easier to transport. But in my book, optimal inertia overrides such concerns under most conditions.
In early July in northern Italy, sundown occurs shortly after 9 PM local time, although full darkness doesn’t come until after 11 PM. Venturing out about 10:30PM to assess sky conditions, I was greeted by a truly amazing sight: fireflies! Apparently, this location provides the exact hot and humid micro environment for their thriving. I stood in sheer amazement as they flashed in front of my eyes, flying off to gather in nearby bushes. By 11:30 PM they had vanished!
Sky conditions were not as dark as I’d have liked though: a solid Bortle 4, a little bit brighter than my skies in rural central Scotland. Nonetheless, I made full use of the true darkness beginning with Sagittarius and Scorpius well placed in the south around local Midnight. These constellations are too low in the sky at my far northerly latitude of 56 degrees north, so I relished the opportunity to preferentially observe them, together with some selected targets in Ophiuchus. Sitting comfortably in a reclining chair I used the 10 x 50 hand-held to drink up the views. The instrument picked up the rich river of Milky Way starlight coursing through Sagittarius, looking ‘downtown’ as it were, into the centre of our galaxy. Sweeping northwest of the constellation’s brightest luminary, I moved the glass over the Teapot asterism and then on to the Spout, placing Lambda Sagittarii on the eastern edge of my binocular portal, where the 10 x 50 SRBC’s great field of view allowed me to make out the tidy globular cluster M28, and further west, the soft, ghostly light from both the Lagoon(M17) and Trifid Nebulae(M20), with the bright open cluster M21 above them to the north. A delightful view if ever I’ve experienced one!
Moving further west into Scorpius, I centred the bright ruddy star, Antares, and immediately picked up the faint glow of the magnificent globular cluster M4. Spanning an area roughly the size of the full Moon, it’s the closest cluster of its kind to the solar system – a mere 7,200 light years from the solar system. Most of them are situated far out in the halo of our galaxy. Just to the north of Antares, I could see the comely triple system Rho Ophiuchi, arranged in a neat little triangle. I forsook looking further south towards the celestial gems in the Scorpion’s tail owing to the encroach of a light dome from Vittorio Venito, about six miles to the south of our commune.
Positioning my binocular field between northern Sagittarius and northern Scorpius, I examined the region of sky around Theta Ophiuchi, when I quickly chanced on the pretty binocular double 36 Ophiuchi, with its golden primary and fainter white secondary. In the opulent 7.5 degree field of the 10 x 50 SRBC, I picked up the faint glow of yet another summer globular cluster – M19 off to its west. Ophiuchus has many resplendent globular clusters. Centring Marfik and panning slightly in a southeastward direction I was able to bag two more in the same field: M12 and M10 – both about 12 billion years old! Splendid!
The great river of stars of the summer Milky Way was plainly visible overhead and, sitting back in a recliner, I aimed the 10 x 50 SRBC at Sadr in the heart of Cygnus. The view was stunning! Myriad stars of various degrees of glory filled the field, remaining sharp pinpoints from edge to edge. The dust obscured region immediately around Sadr provided some gorgeous contrast surrounded by a blizzard of faint stars. I had to have a quick look at the fetching colours of O^1 and O^2 Cygni. Their beautiful hues stood out starkly against a coal black sky.
In the following days, we hooked up with my family to attend my nephew’s wedding in the grounds of the beautiful medieval fortress of Castello San Salvatore on the afternoon of July 9.
A beautiful crescent Moon greeted us in the sky after sunset. Once we got home, I fetched the 10 x 50 for a quick peek. And I wasn’t disappointed: she was marble white with no colour fringing in the centre of the field, the vast southern highlands bristling with craters. It was a fine ending to a most beautiful day!
After a few days in Venice, we returned home to the cool of Scotland. It was a great experience but ultimately too hot for my liking.
Both SRBCs coped admirably though in the intense Italian heat, serving up delightful views by day and by night.
Astronomical Forays under Scottish Skies
While the 10 x 50 SRBC is good to go for short, hand-held astronomical viewing, it certainly benefits from stabilisation using either a tripod or monopod, neither of which were available to me on the Italy trip. For all of my observations here in Scotland, I opted to use the extremely robust and well designed Oberwerk Series 2000 monopod, with a trigger grip mechanism built into the ball & socket mount, which enables the user to alter both the altitude and azimuth movements very easily. At its full extension, it allows six footers like me to observe targets fairly comfortably, even when they are situated near the zenith. This kind of stabilisation rig greatly facilitates studying astronomical targets for longer periods, reducing fatigue and revealing fainter objects within its vast field of view.
Beginning my observations in mid-August, with the return to true dark skies to our latitude, the circumpolar constellations of Cassiopeia and Perseus are already well placed high in the eastern sky after midnight.
The Milky Way runs richly through Cassiopeia and the 10 x 50 revealed stunning panoramic views within its generous field. To put this somewhat in perspective, the SRBC field is much wider than the 6.6 degree field of the Swarovski EL 10 x 50 and it’s even a tad wider than the newly-launched NL Pure 10 x 52(7.4 degrees)! Couple this with an ultra-flat field and excellent control of chromatic aberration and you can begin to appreciate just how compelling the views are through this instrument.
My first sweep through Cassiopeia with the 10 x 50 really thrilled me. Starting at Ruchbah, sparkling in its striking blue-white light, revealed a few beautiful star clusters in the same field of view, most notably M103, with the Owl(or ET) cluster(NGC 457) off to its south southeast. Several other fainter clusters showed up in the same starfield. After admiring the prominent orange colour of Schedar, I followed a line through to Caph where I picked up the prominent misty patch of M52 about 6 degrees off to its northeast. About 3 degrees south of Caph, the same field easily picked up the open cluster NGC 7789 spanning the size of the full Moon. Some observers have remarked that it looks like the head of a tailless comet. I certainly can’t argue with that description! Scanning the area between Gamma Cassiopeiae and Caph easily picked up the smaller star clusters NGC 129 and 225 in a rich background of Milky Way stars.
Before leaving Cassiopeia, I noticed the bright star, Capella, had reached a decent altitude in the northeast. Then aiming the 10 x 50 at a spot roughly mid-way between Epsilon Cassiopeiae(the fainter star marking the tip of the Wonky W) and Capella, I was quickly able to bag Kemble’s Cascade in Camelopardalis- a remarkable line of about 15 faint stars extending over 2.5 degrees, with a single brighter star marking its centre(almost!). The cascade ends by bifurcating into two distinct starry patches, one of which is marked by a compact 6th magnitude open cluster, NGC 1502. Doubtless, the great light gathering power and huge field of view of the instrument greatly facilitates finding this showpiece object easily and quickly.
By October, Perseus is very well placed for observation high in the eastern sky. Pointing the 10 x 50 SRBC at Alpha Persei(Mirfak) serves up a view par excellence. The entire field is peppered with bright stars. Roughly half of the two dozen or so members lie within a mere 2 degrees of Alpha Persei, with the remaining members fanning out in stunning swirls and streams of starlight. Many of the members of this loose open cluster are youthful, hot white stars, yet the excellent colour correction of the SRBC picks up members with a different hues; orange, yellow and creamy white.
Moving up the sky to a spot roughly midway between Perseus and Cassiopeia the naked eye easily picks out a misty patch that is transformed into yet another visual treat in the 10 x 50: the famous Double Cluster. Steadied on the monopod, the instrument presents this cluster in all its glory but the eye is also drawn to a prominent curving chain of stars moving off northward ending in the enchanting Stock 2 open cluster. The Double Cluster and its rich Milly Way hinterland is arguably one of the most beautiful sights in all the heavens!
Placing Algol, the Demon star, on the eastern side of the field of view, you’ll see the bright open cluster, M34 off to the west. The SRBC resolves about a dozen of the brighter members of this condensed cluster well, with the remaining constituents creating a misty backdrop easily covering the size of the full Moon.
This time of year the constellation of Cepheus looms large high in the northwest and I couldn’t resist the temptation to have a look at one of the most fascinating and colourful stars in the heavens: Mu Cephei, or Herschel’s Garnet Star. By aiming at a patch of sky between Alpha and Zeta Cephei, the large field of view of the view of the 10 x 50 SRBC very quickly picked up its unmistakable deep red hue. It’s a stunning sight in this instrument – glowing across the light years, like the dying embers of coal fire. About one binocular field off to the northeast of Mu Cephei towards Cassiopeia, the binocular showed me the faint but exceedingly rich star cluster Trumpler 37, which spans an area roughly 3 full Moon diameters in area. It’is a lovely sight in the 10 x 50 on a dark, October night.
Moving round the autumn sky, the Andromeda Galaxy M31 and its satellites, M32 to its south and M110 further away to its north are fine sights in the SRBC. More challenging is M33 in Triangulum. But it proved easy pickings for this wide angle 10 x 50, simply by placing Alpha Trianguli towards the eastern end of the field when the ghostly glow of this face-on spiral galaxy appears to its west, and with plenty of room to spare.
Waiting until the wee small hours of a dark moonless night, Taurus, Orion and Gemini begin to dominate the eastern sky. Mighty Jupiter rises early with the stars of Taurus and shines like a bright, distant lantern with its steady, creamy white light. The stabilised 10 x 50 easily shows the ephemeral dance of its four large Galilean moons, constantly shifting their positions hour by hour, as they orbit the giant planet. Mars rises later, its dimmer but unmistakable ruddy hue seen just under Wasat in the midsection of the Twins.
Auriga, the celestial Charioteer, is also very well placed at these ungodly hours of an October night. The three Messier open clusters, M36, M37 and M38 show up beautifully in the SRBC, within the same field of view, with M36 being partially resolved into stars.
The Hyades and Pleiades are spectacular objects in the 10 x 50. The horns of the celestial Bull fit comfortably within its large field, and I was delighted to see the lovely open cluster, NGC 1674 to the eastern edge of the same field, something quite beyond the capability of my old 10 x 50 Porro.
Orion holds many treasures for the dedicated star gazer, but you’ll have to wait until about 4.00 AM this time of year before it approaches the meridian. The Belt Stars and its surrounding cluster, Collinder 70, is a spectacular sight on a night of good transparency, with the familiar Snake asterism showing up prominently.
Further south, the Sword Handle of Orion is a sight for sore eyes steadied on a monopod, but I also enjoyed studying the lovely group of stars in the north of the constellation- Meissa – a neat little Pythagorean triangle of brighter stars, with a delicate line of three fainter suns linking Lambda Orionis to Phi^1. Incidentally, Meissa lies just north of a line joining bright red Betelgeuse and Bellatrix, which are conveniently separated by 7.55 angular degrees of dark sky. This was a good test to measure the true field size of the 10 x 50 SRBC and, sure enough, they were just too far apart to fit inside the field.
Finally, at about 4:30 AM, looking east of Orion, Gemini loomed large, with Mars, a bright ‘nova’ decorating its mid-section. I took the opportunity to seek out the wonderful open cluster M35, clearly fan-shaped, with many of its stars resolved, framed by two beautiful orange stars, Mu & Eta Geminorum, pointing the way in the same field of view. Such an enchanting sight!
Conclusions
The above observations are but a small selection of celestial objects I visited over the last few months with the 10 x 50 SRBC. Incidentally, a new and thorough review of its 12 x 50 sibling has also been published and is well worth a look!
Starting too early in the evening shows up countless artificial satellites: many dozens seen on a typical evening, with sometimes two or three seen crossing through the same field! As the night progresses, those orbiting at lower altitudes disappear first, with those placed in higher orbits fading out last. Temperatures ranged from a balmy 25C on the warmest nights to a few degrees below zero on the coolest.
Throughout these vigils, the SRBC performed flawlessly, with no change in the kinematics of the focus wheel and no fogging up of the eyepieces and objective lenses due in part to the excellent hydrophobic coatings applied to the exterior lenses. It’s been a joyous experience looking through such high quality light cups, their enormous fields making it much easier to find the more elusive objects visited. Alas, I have as yet not been lucky enough to bag the new comet gracing our western skies after sunset, but I hope to finally glimpse this icy interloper from the Oort Cloud, before it disappears into the cold dark of interstellar space.
Wish me good luck won’t you!
Update December 6 2024: I did manage to see Comet Tsuchinshan on the evening of October 14 and again on October 17 using the 10 x 50 SRBC. Past its prime I know, but still well worth the effort! Mars moved from Gemini into Cancer on October 20, and in the wee small hours of a very blustery December 6, it was observed just over two degrees north of the celebrated Beehive Cluster. A glorious sight to see right now. It should inch a little closer to the Beehive in the hours to come!
Neil English has been observing the night sky from the tender age of eleven, and has written 8 books about these experiences.
ISBN: 978-3031447099
523 Pages
Foreword by Holger Merlitz, author of The Binocular Handbook
Price: £20.84(UK)/$32.99(US)
Available Now
Dear Reader,
My new book on binoculars is ready for purchase from Amazon and all good booksellers. Below is a list of the chapters presented in the book.
I hope that you will support me in my work.
Sincerely,
Neil English
Regarding the Obserwerk SE 8 x 32 ED
SN: 232161
Sunday September 10 2023
Dear Mr. Busarow,
After reviewing and continuing to use the 8 x 32 SE for a further seven months, I am more impressed than ever with this instrument. I’m not at all surprised that it has garnered more than 10,000 views on Birdforum alone, and an even greater number of visits on my website. As detailed in my original review, I showcased many terrific features of this instrument which I will summarise as follows:
I’ve already commented that its sharpness and colour correction are superior to the highly rated Nikon E II 8 x 30, but its optical and ergonomic excellence has also been noted by a number of other experienced observers including the Irish birder, ‘Sancho,’ who compared it to his Zeiss TFL 8 x 32 and, based on subsequent field testing, now uses it as his ‘favourite all-round’ birding instrument. I would like to remind you of his posts here:
My Oberwerk SE 8×32 arrived today. I haven’t had much chance to “test” it, and in any case a birding bino needs to be tested over a few weeks while actually birding. Also, I am non-technical, so anything I say is “amateur user” opinion only, applying only to my eyes. I agree wholeheartedly with everything Dipperdapper says in the excellent review. Total cost to my door (in Ireland) was 368 euro, inclusive of 68 euro customs charges, plus postage. Communication and tracking details from Kevin in Oberwerk was excellent. At first, I was dismayed when I lifted the box…it felt heavy. But when I removed the packaging, and held the binos in my hand, they didn’t actually feel that heavy because the ergos and balance are excellent. Not unlike my Nikon SE 10×42, but about 50g heavier. The Oberwerk certainly is a tough, tank-like bino, feels very solid and durable. I like the longer objective barrels because I can get two fingers around them, as with the SE 10×42, and I find this helps further with stability. The objectives are deeply recessed, another feature I like because I presume they are more protected from stray light or damage. The focus wheel is stiffer than I would like, but I reckon this is the price you pay for a waterproof porro, like the Habicht 8×30. Although it is a wide wheel (see OPs photos), I find it a little difficult to get my fingers to it, and prefer the position of the FW on the Nikon 10×42. (OTOH, the diopter adjuster is on the right ocular, where the Binocular God intended….easy to adjust, but also firm enough to stay put). In any case the focusser has no play and turns smoothly. Eyecups twist in and out and have four positions. The bino came with a strap for the case, plus two straps for the bino…a lighter “stretchy” neoprene one for comfort, or a tougher fabric-type one. Try as I might, I could induce no CA, even looking against bare tree branches against a bright, high-cloud Irish February sky. In this it was the equal of my Zeiss TFL 8×32, which is excellent. The FOV (8.2 degrees) is similar, and to be honest it was sharp across most of the field, to the extent that to find any softness at all, I almost have to stick my eyeball into the bino and search sideways! In other words, the field-flattener question is a non-issue. I tried to induce flare/glare, and couldn’t manage that either, even while looking as close to the lightly-clouded sun as was possible without endangering my eyesight. I have no idea how to “measure” light transmission, but it seems plenty bright, not quite as bright as my TFL 8×32 but that’s unsurprising. I’m going to stick my neck out a bit here and say that I think the sharpness/constrast/pop (I don’t know how to separate these “concepts”) might be a little ahead of the TFL. However, this may be just because of today’s conditions, or I may be suffering from “new-bino enthusiasm”….it needs a bit more study out in the field, in different lighting conditions. The warranty is two years, but it feels like a bino that will be used by my as yet non-existent grandchildren. An interesting feature is that in the plain black box (thank you Oberwerk, no expensive fancy boxes!), there is a card headed “Quality Checklist”, with Date, Sale, SN etc., and all the features ticked off (under the headings Appearance, Mechanical, Alignment/Collimation, Resolution) and initialled “KGB” (whom I presume is Kevin rather than the defunct Soviet body). I’ll take these out and about over the next few weeks, and play with them a bit more, but I think they are a pretty stunning binocular at any price, and for 368 euro delivered a no-brainer, unless you favour roofs and very light binos.
Source: Birdforum link post #17
Furthermore, Sancho followed up with this post some months later:
Hi just reporting back on the Oberwerk SE 8×32, after four months of use. You know how it is, you never “really” know until you’ve used binos in the field in various conditions. I have to say these have become my favourite “all-rounder, grab n’go” binoculars, and my closet contains original SEs and some big European badges. I thought early on there was a bit of “play” in the focus, but there isn’t, it just focusses at different speeds as you turn the dial (if that makes sense). It is the best bino I have at suppressing CA and stray light, and the image has the punch and contrast that reminds me of my old (sadly sold) Nikon EDG 8×42. I love the stereopsis (3D?) effect of porros, so that’s a plus for me. I’m sorry I don’t have the technical vocabulary for talking about optics; I just love these and am thinking of buying the Oberwerk SE 10×42 to complement them.
Source: Birdforum link post #117
Another experienced observer, ‘Paultricounty,’ also offered his opinion on the 8 x 32 SE:
“These are bright and sharp binoculars. I’m going to get in trouble here with some Nikon guys, but they are brighter and at least as sharp as the Nikon SE’s. They’re more neutral in color than the Nikons and has a much wider field of view. There is no field flattener like the Nikons , so they’re not sharp to the edge. It’s a very usable FOV with fall off starting at around 75% , but no mushy edges like the Kowa BDII 6.5 and 8x and some other MIC bins. Contrast is as good as the Nikon and I couldn’t see the slightest amount of CA, clearly superior to the Nikon in that area.”
Source: Birdforum link post #83
Swiss binocular enthusiast Pinac, had this to say about the same instrument on the Oberwerk website:
I ordered one online at Oberwerk in Dayton OH on a Thu midday, Oberwerk dispatched the same day, and I got the SE at my home in Switzerland after 3 business days – not bad (for Oberwerk customer service and UPS)! I had been forewarned by the various reviewers that the SE is quite big and heavy for a 8×32 – it is indeed, but build quality and finish are excellent, and ergonomics are superb, the bino fits snugly into my hands, a joy to use. The immediate impression is that for a 250 $ bino, the optics are really good.
My sample actually magnifies 8.2 x. The measured RFOV and AFOV values are a bit narrower than specified by Oberwerk, but still very nice.
Plenty of eye relief; spectacle wearers should be fine.
Nice extra travel of the focus wheel of ca. 5 dpt beyond the infinity position.
Given that the number of available good 8×30 / 8×32 porro binos is continually shrinking, this is a very welcome additon to the binoculars market, not only for porro enthusiasts.
Source: Oberwerk Website Review# 2
And yet another review from a gentleman named Noah Lawes, who compared it to his Leica BN 8 x 42:
I’m extremely impressed with the 8×32 SE. It provides a beautiful, sharp, sparkling view. It compares favorably with my Leica BN 8×42, and it’s even better in some ways, including CA control, ergonomics, and handheld stability (especially when using the “hat trick” resting the bill of a cap on the prism housings. I’m working on a longer review which I plan to post on one of the forums, but for now, suffice it to say that I think this is a great binocular in absolute terms, and it’s just amazing that you can get it for $250.
Source: Oberwerk Website Review#4
It was also very favourably reviewed by the experienced Italian binocular enthusiast, Piergiovanni Salimbeni, who stated that its performance was similar to roof prism models costing €1K. Be sure also to check out the extensive video footage he captured through the instrument on his accompanying YouTube presentation.
Having said all that, I must report one additional observation regarding the instrument’s field of view. It was after comparing it to the Oberwerk Sport ED 8 x 42 that I noted its smaller field of view in comparison. Indeed, I conducted a star drift measurement and found its field of view to be 7.48 angular degrees, which is actually the same as the Nikon SE 8 x 32. Curiously, this was also noted by CNer Rustler 46 in this link.
I fixed the problem I had with the wandering dioptre, simply by securing my preferred position with a drop of Loctite superglue – problem solved!
Finally, I suggest a few improvements to the instrument:
Please don’t be discouraged concerning the undeserved attacks Oberwerk has endured regarding its Chinese manufacture. Is not China a sovereign nation, just like all the other nations under the sun? Does it not have people? I note that most of the negativity came from folk who never experienced the instrument first-hand. Indeed, I suspect from the sheer volume of views that many of these dissenters actually ended up secretly purchasing the instrument lol!
In summary, it’s no exaggeration that the Oberwerk SE 8 x 32 is destined to become one of the great 32mm binoculars of our time. It’s all the more remarkable that you were able to bring it to market at such an attractive price point, which resonates well with my key objective to provide the reader with genuine bargains in today’s market in order to grow this wonderful hobby worldwide.
I wish you continued success with this amazing product!
Sincerely,
Neil English PhD.
Author of the new book, Choosing & Using Binoculars: A Guide for Stargazers, Birders & Outdoor Enthusiasts, which will soon be published by Springer Nature.
Binoculars of any size benefit from stabilisation.
Could the Oberwerk Series 2000 heavy duty Monopod with trigger-grip head be the ultimate in stabilised viewing comfort?
Tune in soon for full details……..
The GPO Passion ED 10 x 32 package.
A Work Commenced December 18 2021
Instrument: German Precision Optics(GPO) Passion ED 10 x 32
Country of Manufacture: China
Field of View: 105m@1000m(6.0 angular degrees)
Exit Pupil: 3.2mm
Eye Relief: 15mm
Chassis: Rubber armoured magnesium alloy, machined aluminium eyecups
Close Focus: 2.5m advertised, 1.92m measured
Dioptre Compensation: +/- 2.5
Nitrogen Purged: Yes
Waterproof: Yes(1m un-stated time)
Coatings: Fully broadband multi-coated, phase and dielectric coatings applied to Schmidt Pechan roof prisms
ED Glass: Yes
Light Transmission: 90%
Tripod Mountable: Yes
Weight: 500g advertised, 509g measured
Dimensions: L/W 11.8/11.8cm
Accessories: cleaning cloth, hard case, neoprene neck strap, hard case strap, objective covers, ocular covers
Warranty: 10 years
Price: £352.99(UK)
In a previous blog, I reviewed the magnificent GPO Passion HD 10 x 42, one of the flagship models from the relatively new firm, German Precision Optics. For the money, I felt it was an excellent bargain, especially when compared to significantly more expensive models from Zeiss, Leica and Swarovski. Gone are the days when you have to shell out several grand to get a world class binocular, and in my opinion, GPO are definitely leading the way in this regard.
But having enjoyed the instrument for a couple of weeks, reality began to bite. As I’ve remarked before, the 42mm format is not my favourite. It has nothing to do with optics or ergonomics. It’s about weight. You see, I’ve come to strongly favour smaller formats. I already own and frequently use a world-class pocket binocular, the Leica Ultravid BR 8 x 20, but my experiences with larger binoculars convinced me that an optimum size for me would come from the compact class of binoculars, with apertures in the 30-35mm size class. Such instruments are easier to hold, easier to view through, and have more light gathering power. But I was also on the look out for a 10x instrument, to afford greater reach for my glassing targets, especially birds. While I’ve enjoyed some really high quality 10 x 25 pocket glasses in the past, their smaller objectives let in less light – an important parameter when glassing in shady areas during daylight hours, and especially for discerning subtle colour tones.
Unfortunately, GPO did not offer a smaller model in their flagship HD range, but they did have a 10 x 32 model from their more economical Passion ED line. After doing some research on this model(see the Preamble link above), I decided to pull the trigger and ordered one up for testing; enter the GPO Passion ED 10 x 32.
The GPO Passion ED 10 x 32 and its high quality carry case.
First Impressions
Costing less than half the price of the larger 10 x 42 HD model, the GPO Passion ED 10 x 32 package arrived with all of the same great quality accessories that delighted me in the larger HD binocular: I received the same neck strap, a smaller clamshell case, snugly fitting rain guard and objective lens covers, GPO-branded microfibre lens cleaning cloth, instruction manual and warranty card. It arrived in the same high quality presentation box as the larger HD model, with its unique serial number etched into the underside of the binocular and on the outside of the box. Very neat!
The GPO Passion ED 10x 32 has the same excellent build quality as the larger HD models.
Picking up the binocular and holding it, I was chuffed to see how well it fitted my hands. The narrow, single bridge allowed me to wrap my fingers round the barrels better than any other 30-32mm model I’ve previously handled. And while the instrument has a lovely, solid feel about it, with its sturdy magnesium alloy chassis, I was very reassured by its considerably lower weight; just 500g as opposed to ~ 850g for the larger, HD instrument.
The GPO Passion ED 10 x 32 fits perfectly in my hands!
The central hinge is nice and stiff, making it difficult to change the IPD on the fly. I like that. The binocular has a rather oversized central focus wheel, just like the heavier HD model, and I was relieved to see that it moved very easily and smoothly, with just one finger. The professionally machined aluminium eyecups are, in my opinion, even more impressive on the Passion ED model than the HD, rigidly locking into place with one intermediate click stop. The immaculately applied rubber armouring has two textures, just like the HD, a roughly textured side armouring and a silky smooth substrate covering the inside of the barrels.
All in all, very impressive!
Ergonomics
The GPO Passion ED shares many of the high quality ergonomic features built into the more expensive HD models. The ocular and objective antireflection coatings are immaculately applied and have a fetching magenta hue when observed in broad daylight. Unlike the HD models however, they do not have the hydrophobic coatings – an acceptable sacrifice, and then some.
Ocular lens end of the GPO Passion ED 10 x 32.
The objective lenses are recessed to an extent I’ve not seen before on any other compact model I’ve had the pleasure of using. I measured it at about 9mm! Why so deep? Well, it could be to protect those objectives from the vagaries of the weather; rain, wind, and stray light etc, or maybe partially compensating for the lack of hydrophobic coatings on the glass? Whatever the precise reason, I liked it!
The beautiful magenta coloured antireflection coatings on the Passion ED are immaculately applied, and note the exceptionally deeply recessed objective lenses!
The eyecups are beautifully designed; absolutely world class! They extend upwards with one intermediate position between fully retracted and fully extended, and lock into place rigidly with a reassuring ‘click.’ This is one binocular you can safely store inside its case with the eyecups fully extended for quicker deployment. They ain’t gonna budge!
Eye relief proved perfect for me, as I don’t use eye glasses, but I think the stated value of 15mm might be a bit optimistic, as I was not easily able to observe the full field of view keeping the eyecups down and wearing my varifocals.
The beautifully machined aluminium eyecups are world class, clicking into place with absolute rigidity.
Unlike the more expensive HD models which have a centre-locking dioptre adjustment, the Passion ED presents a more cost-effective solution by returning it to under the right ocular lens. While adjusting it, I noted its excellent rigidity, rendering it very resistant to accidentally moving while in the field. I felt it was a very acceptable compromise. Furthermore, the + and – settings are clearly marked, and so it’s very easy to memorise its optimal positioning should the instrument be used by others.
The oversized focus wheel is very easy to access and manoeuvre using one finger. It has a very grippy, texturized rubber overcoat, identical in fact to the more expensive HD models. Taking just over one complete turn to go from one extreme of its travel to the other, I would rate its speed as very fast; a good thing in my opinion, as it will be used primarily for birding, where big changes in focus position are often required following a mobile avian target. Motions are very smooth though, but I did notice a very small bit of play with it; similar in fact to focus wheel on the Leica Trinovid HD 8 x 32 I used and enjoyed a while back. Here the HD model came out better in my opinion, as I was unable to detect any play whatsoever with the 10 x 42.
I was most highly impressed with the way the binocular felt in my hands though. In truth, I don’t recall enjoying wrapping my medium sized hands around the barrels as much as on any other compact binocular I’ve tested. I reckon that this is attributed to the narrow bridge, which exposes those long, slender barrels. It’s simply a joy to hold, perfectly stable and always a thrill to bring to my eyes!
All in all, the build quality and handling of the Passion ED 10 x 32 are absolutely unrivalled in this moderate price class. GPO has clearly gone well beyond the call of duty in the design and execution of these new, highly-advanced compact binoculars!
Optics
The GPO Passion ED 10 x 32 came perfectly collimated. I was able to ascertain this by carefully focusing the binocular on the bright star Capella and then moving the right eye dioptre to the end of its natural travel. The perfectly focused star from the left barrel was found right in the centre of the defocused star diffraction pattern.
The lady reviewing the 10 x 32 in the Preamble to this review stated that the binocular had no issues with internal reflections and stray light and I was able to affirm this in the 10 x 32 I received. The image of an intensely bright beam of light from my IPhone torch was clean and devoid of diffraction spikes.
The exit pupils are nice and round and have little in the way of light leaks immediately around the pupil; a very good result but not quite in the same league as those found on the more expensive Passion HD 10 x 42.
Left eye pupil.
Right eye pupil.
In broad daylight, the images served up by the GPO Passion ED are very impressive! It is bright and very sharp across the entire field, with very little in the way of distortion even at the field stops. Like the Passion HD model, it enjoys a very decisive snap to focus on whatever target I turn it on. The small exit pupil ensures that the best part of your eye does all the imaging. Colours are vivid and natural but to my eye it has a slightly warm tone, with greens and browns coming through very strongly. Contrast is very good but not quite in the same class as the GPO Passion HD 10x 42 I tested it against. Glare suppression was also impressive. Comparing it to my control binocular – a Barr & Stroud Series 5 8x 42 ED – which exhibits excellent control of all types of glare, including veiling glare, the little Passion ED proved to be slightly superior to it. However, it was not quite as good in this capacity as the GPO 10 x 42 HD model, which exhibits the best control of glare that I have personally witnessed in any binocular.
Close focus is considerably better than I had expected. The accompanying user manual claimed 2.5m for this model, but I measured it at only 1.92m!
Colour correction in the GPO Passion ED 10 x 32 is very impressive! Pointing the binocular into the branches of a leafless tree against a bright overcast sky, the centre of the image is completely devoid of it, and even off axis, I could only coax the merest trace and only near the field stops. Returning to testing the binocular under the stars, I was able to verify just how well corrected the field of view is. Stars remain nice pinpoints nearly all the way to the edges. I attribute this excellent result to GPO’s optical engineers’ choice of field size. 6 degrees is not large by modern standards so it’s easier to achieve optical excellence using standard eyepiece designs. More on this a little later.
Venturing out on a freezing, misty December night to observe the full Moon, the GPO Passion ED 10 x 32 threw up a beautiful image. It was clean and sharp and contrasty. Secondary spectrum was non existent over the vast majority of the field, with only the extreme edges showing some weak lateral colour. Field illumination was also excellent, as with the 10 x 42 HD, with very little in the way of brightness drop off as the bright silvery orb was moved from the centre to the edge of the field. I also judged field distortion to be excellent in these tests too. The Moon remains razor sharp across most of the field, and only shows slight defocus at the field stops. Indeed, it was very comparable to the results I got with my optically excellent Leica Ultravid 8 x 20 in this regard.
Complementary instruments.
These are excellent results, and quite in keeping with the comments made by the lady from Optics Trade, as revealed in the Preamble video linked to at the beginning of the review. Indeed, these results place the GPO Passion ED in the top tier optically. Its colour correction was notably better than the Leica Trinovid HD 8 x 32, and I felt its sharpness and contrast were perhaps a shade better too. I’m confident that this 10 x 32 ED could hold its own against top-rated compact binoculars up to twice its retail value or more.
Notes from the Field & Concluding Comments
The view through the GPO Passion ED 10 x 32 is very stable and immersive. On paper a field of view of 105m@1000m might seem restrictive but in practice you never get that impression. There are no blackouts, rolling ball effects or any other issues common to compact models sporting wider fields of view with field flatteners. This makes panning observations particularly pleasurable with this instrument. To be honest, I suspected that this would have been the case after I had put the Passion HD 10 x 42 through its paces. Indeed I would hazard a guess that both binocular lines – the HD and ED – have substantially similar optical designs. As an experienced glasser, I have no abiding interest in very large fields of view. Indeed, I tend to think of those wide angle binoculars as rather distracting and more suited to beginners than more seasoned observers. I’m interested in vignettes not vistas.
Goldilocks Binocular.
So there you have it! The GPO Passion ED 10 x 32 is, for me, a Goldilocks binocular, serving my purposes perfectly and fitting my hands like a tailor-made glove. It pays to mention that GPO also market a 8 x 32 with a wider field of view, and two 42mm models with powers of 8x and 10x; so something for everyone! Check them out as soon as you can. You’ll not be disappointed!
Dr Neil English has some exciting news to reveal early in the new year. For now, he’d like to wish all his readers a Very Happy Christmas!
Plotina: the author’s modified 130mm f/5 Newtonian reflector, with a Vixen Erecting Adaptor and two simple Plossl eyepieces used in the investigation.
A Work Commenced October 3 2021
In this blog, I’ll be demonstrating the potential of a small Newtonian reflector operating in spotting ‘scope mode. This follows on from a previous blog I conducted to find a suitable optical device that would give fully erected and correct left-right orientation, just like a conventional spotting scope.
First, a few words of introduction about the telescope. It’s a 130mm f/5 SkyWatcher Newtonian reflector, so has a focal length of 650mm. Because of its open-tube design, the instrument is surprisingly light; just 3.8 kilos(8.4 pounds) and 4.1 kg (9 pounds) with the mounting bracket attached. It acclimates fully in 30-40 minutes, even when taken from a warm indoors environment to the cold of a Winter’s day. But such thorough cooling is only necessary to coax the highest powers out of the instrument.
The instrument has mirrors treated with state-of-the-art Hilux coatings(applied by Orion Optics, UK), increasing its overall reflectivity to 97 per cent. The primary mirror is the original one supplied by SkyWatcher, while the secondary flat mirror was upgraded with an Orion Optics UK secondary, having a flatter surface and smaller semi-major diameter of 35mm. This provides a small 26.9 per cent central obstruction. This size of central obstruction is significantly smaller than a Maksutov or Schmidt Cassegrain (SCT) of the same aperture. Unlike the popular Maksutov, the 130mm Newtonian(aka Plotina), can deliver a significantly lower magnification. For example, using a 32mm Skywatcher Plossl, it delivers a power of just 20x and using another Plossl of focal length 10mm, the telescope provides an amplification of 65x. I used these two eyepieces to demonstrate the spotting scope potential of the Newtonian, as many conventional spotters provide magnifications in this range(20-65x), corresponding to exit pupils of 4.7 and 2mm, respectively.
The contrast transfer is provided by subtracting the aperture of the secondary from the primary(130-35 = 95mm), thus one can expect a degree of contrast equivalent to a 95mm apochromatic refractor. Its light gathering power and resolution(0.89″) are significantly higher than a 95mm refractor, however. This has been borne out in several years of observations of lunar, planetary, double star and deep sky observing. The reader will find several other blogs I have published on this instrument in the past by clicking on the ‘Telescopes’ link on the home page.
The Erecting Adapter: Purchased for £80, the Vixen erecting adapter is a rather long appendage but delivers an upright image with the correct left-right orientation, just like a conventional spotting ‘scope. The lenses in the adapter are fully multi-coated and truncates the field a little when employing longer focal length eyepieces. You simply insert the desired eyepiece into the adapter, focus the ‘scope, and you’re off to the races!
Plotina, with the erecting adapter attached.
The instrument was used in broad daylight outside on a cool, breezy autumnal day, between heavy rain showers. It was mounted on a simple non motorised alt-azimuth(Vixen Porta II). The instrument is equipped with Bob’s Knobs screws for quick and easy collimation using a Hotech laser collimator. Alignment of the optics takes just a few seconds to get precise alignment of the secondary and primary mirrors. All of the images were taken simply by pointing my Iphone 7 into the eyepiece and taking single images. The pictures presented here are the highest resolution I can load onto this website( ~200-750KB), so are not the highest quality that I can potentially show. All the images are completely unmodified, apart from cropping. All distances quoted were measured with a laser range finder, and all the images were taken on the same breezy afternoon of October 3 2021.
Results:
Image 1: Shows a TV satellite dish at a power of 20x located at distance of 27 yards:
Image 2 shows some autumn leaves at 20x and located at a distance of 18.9 yards
Image 3 shows the branches of a tree at 20x located 43.1 yards from the scope:
Image 4 shows a hill top located at about 2 km distance at 65x
Discussion:
I am very encouraged by the results I obtained this afternoon. Irrespective of the scepticism of arm chair theorists, the images speak for themselves! The instrument provides very nice, high contrast and colour pure renditions of a variety of targets. Chromatic aberration is particularly well controlled, as expected, given that the Newtonian is a truly apochromatic optical system, though some secondary spectrum is introduced by the eyepieces chosen. In addition, higher quality eyepieces will give better off-axis performance, and because those oculars are inter-changeable, a greater range of magnifications can be explored. Visually, the images are considerably better when examined with the naked eye. The reader will note that these magnifications are somewhat pedestrian for such a large telescope. Visually, much higher magnifications can be utilised profitably. And although the formidable resolving power of the instrument is clearly in evidence, the images could be improved further by employing a higher quality phone camera. What’s more, the images could also be processed lightly to bring out even more details.
The set up, though admittedly bulky by conventional spotting scope standards, could quite easily be erected in the field or, better still, in a hide, where it could be used to gather video footage or still images with the right equipment. Observing from indoors, through a clean window is also a distinct possibility, especially at lower powers. The instrument is not weatherproof however, owing to its open-tube design, so may be prone to dewing up but a small, battery-operated fan would extend its longevity in field use.
I believe this provides a very cost effective way(the entire apparatus set me back just a few hundred pounds) of obtaining high quality images compared with a high-end apochromatic spotter.
Food for thought!
Thanks for reading!
Dr Neil English spent most of his adult life testing and observing through telescopes of all varieties and genres. He now enjoys a new lease of life exploring the terrestrial realm during daylight hours.
De Fideli.
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
Psalm 139:14
In this series of lectures, world-leading synthetic organic chemist, Professor James Tour, takes on an internet troll who claims that scientists have discovered how life got started from simple chemicals on the primordial Earth. In this series of presentations, Dr. Tour explains, in exquisite technical detail, why scientists are really clueless about how life got started.
Indeed, abiogenesis is actually impossible!
So buckle up and enjoy the ride!
An Introduction to Abiogenesis
The Building Blocks of Building Blocks
Chiral-Induced Spin Selectivity
Cell Construction & Assembly Problem Part 1
Cell Construction & Assembly Problem Part 2
“Escaping the Beginning? Confronting Challenges to the Universe’s Origin.
Did the universe have a beginning—or has it existed forever?
If the universe began to exist, then the implications are profound. Perhaps that’s why some insist it has existed forever.
In Escaping the Beginning?, astrophysicist and Christian apologist Jeff Zweerink thoughtfully examines the most prevalent eternal-universe theories—quantum gravity, the steady state model, the oscillating universe, and the increasingly popular multiverse. Using a clear and concise approach informed by the latest discoveries, Zweerink investigates the scientific viability of each theory, addresses common questions about them, and then focuses on perhaps the most pressing question for believers and skeptics alike: If the evidence continues to affirm the beginning, what does that imply about the existence of a Beginner?
About the Author: Jeff Zweerink (PhD, Iowa State University) is an astrophysicist specializing in gamma-ray astrophysics. He serves as a senior research scholar at Reasons to Believe and as a part-time project scientist at UCLA. He has coauthored more than 30 papers in peer-reviewed journals and numerous conference proceedings.
Some Reviews Thus Far Garnered:
“In Escaping the Beginning? Jeff Zweerink leads the reader through a fascinating tour of the scientific development of the big bang theory as well as the theological and philosophical implications of the beginning of our universe. More importantly, he addresses some of the recent speculations by scientists that attempt to circumvent both a beginning and a Beginner and shows that the best current scientific evidence continues to point to an actual beginning of our universe. The hypothesis that the universe came into existence through the actions of a transcendent intelligent Creator is still arguably the explanation that best fits the scientific data.”
—Michael G. Strauss, PhD
David Ross Boyd Professor of Physics
University of Oklahoma
“As an atheist detective investigating the existence of God, I hoped the evidence would reveal an eternal universe without a beginning because I knew the alternative would be hard to explain from my atheistic worldview. . . . Escaping the Beginning? examines the evidence for the universe’s beginning and the many ways scientists have tried to understand and explain the data. I wish I had his important book when I first examined the evidence. If I had, I would probably have become a believer much sooner.”
—J. Warner Wallace
Dateline-featured Cold-Case Detective
Author of God’s Crime Scene
“There are few books I read twice. but this is one of them. Although understanding this book will take effort for anyone untrained in the sceinces, the effort is well worth it. Dr. Zweerink answered many of my questions about the existence of the multiverse, evidence for the beginning of the universe, and problems for common challenges to divine creation. . . . Escaping the Beginning? deserves wide readership by believers and skeptics alike.”
–Sean McDowell, PhD, Author of Evidence that Demands a Verdict
“Jeff Zweerink has done something I might have thought to be impossible. He has made cosmology accessible to scientific laypersons like me. Whether it’s quantum fluctuations, inflation theory, or the various models of the multiverse, Zweerink explains things clearly and with good humor. Even more importantly, he shows that the findings of modern cosmology give Christians even more reason to worship and adore our great God who created all things.”
-Kenneth Keathley
Senior Professor of Theology, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
“Does the universe have a beginning, or has the physical realm existed forever? This is an ancient question and still hotly debated today. The interest in the subject is not just from its obvious scientific significance, but also from its religious implications. Since the first cosmological and theoretical evidence for a universe with a distinct beginning was discovered a century ago, some of the most intense opposition among scientists to the notion of a beginning has been primarily on religious grounds. In this engaging book, Jeff Zweerink reviews the state of the theory and experiment, and argues that far from having been escaped, a bginning to the universe is the likely outcome of the current lines of research.”
-Bijan Nemati
Principal Research Scientist, University of Alabama in Huntsville.
“Did the universe have a beginning? If so, what would that imply? Does the origin require an Originator? Does a creation imply a Creator? What would that mean for our lives?
Paul Valery once said, “What is simple is wrong, and what is complex cannot be understood.” Dr. Zweerink splits the horns of this dilemma by raising many of the issues surrounding a cosmological beginning in an enjoyable and accessible format for a general audience. yet this is done without sacrificing the critical details that attend the state-of-the-art.
He draws on his training and expereince as an astrophysicist to unpack the history of the big bang, its blossoming into the universe around us, and otther topics of fascination, interest, and wonder. Dr. Zweerink then goes to the heart of contemporary cosmology to find out what today’s cosmologists – our secular priests -are saying about cosmic origins.
While I might believe the scientific case for a beginning and a Creator is a bit stronger than Jeff does, his grasp of the issues and presentation style will serve his audience well.”
-James Sinclair
Senior Physicist, United States Navy.
“I had the privilege of debating Jeff Zweerink on two occasions. As an atheist, I was surprised to see how much common ground there was between us. And that is because Jeff is an incredibly honest and thoughtful person and his writing reflects that. Escaping the Beginning? is a well-written and carefully researched work that doesn’t shy away from challenges to cherished belief and deserves to be widely read by the community. It does what a good book should do—educate and (I hope) stimulate thoughtful debate.”
—Skydivephil
Popular YouTuber and Producer of the Before the Big Bang Series
Featuring Exclusive Interviews with Stephen Hawking, Sir Roger Penrose,
Alan Guth, and Other Leading Cosmologists
