by Stephen Saber
$349 from telescopes.com
instrument arrived promptly, well-packaged, mechanically sound, and in fine collimation.
aluminum case for transport.
bak4/fmc. orion does not skimp on AR coatings- there is barely any reflection at the business ends.
height 17.1 in
weight 10.1 lbs
individual focus
integral mounting post
exit pupil 4 mm
ipd 61-72mm
effective aperture 95mm
eye relief 17 luxurious (as advertised) useable mms
i'm happiest with 12-14mms of UER plus a few more to take advantage of leaving the eyeguards out to block peripheral light. the orion does not disappoint.
large 21mm eyelens diameters also contribute to a comfortable and rewarding viewing experience.
bak4/fmc. orion does not skimp on AR coatings- there is barely any reflection at the business ends.
height 17.1 in
weight 10.1 lbs
individual focus
integral mounting post
exit pupil 4 mm
ipd 61-72mm
effective aperture 95mm
eye relief 17 luxurious (as advertised) useable mms
i'm happiest with 12-14mms of UER plus a few more to take advantage of leaving the eyeguards out to block peripheral light. the orion does not disappoint.
large 21mm eyelens diameters also contribute to a comfortable and rewarding viewing experience.
editorial:
i pay to see out to the field stop, even if the outer fov is just for context. anything less is considered a design flaw
and/or a rip-off. those designing noks with 9 or less mms of ER should be subjected to forcibly viewing the fieldstop regardless of ocular bone damage or disfigurement.
i keep imagining a think-tank of designers intentionally ignoring every new models' ER specs and, for kicks and giggles, creating a betting pool as to the final distance outcomes. ("okay boys! who had 11 mms?")
close focus 100 ft
soft rollback eyeguards
tfov 2.5° (spec )
field sharp to 80%
coma free field 2.0°
nominal positive distortion
afov (spec) 63°
afov (subj) v good. not a spacewalk but a substantial view relative to the limited tfov. fieldstop is well-defined.
false color: present but minimal
ergonomics: braced on my elbows-tripod or reclined, the increased weight actually serves to help stability when held near
the objectives. a heavy-duty tripod is required for best detection and detail.
purchase motivations:
giant bino addicts must have at least one 100 mm or larger horse in their stable. it's the law. and yes, that's my collective noun for them, as in 'a stable of thoroughbred binoculars'. an 'arsenal' works, too.
again, i also use and recommend giants for high mag handheld training, usually as a warm-up session before powering down to lower mag noks. after spending 15-20 minutes with the 25x100, regardless of the actual physiological stability increase, views thru my 15s and 20s certainly feel lighter and seem steadier- often reaching 'heartbeat-limited' stability.
bottom line:
10 lbs of heaven
five star transaction and instrument
highly recommended
*as always, ymmv*
tip of the day: afov direct (star) measurement.
view the left eyelens with your right eye. keeping both eyes open place two superimposed 1x stars at the left and right fieldstop borders, afov is the angular distance between the two stars. divide by tfov for magnification.
More binocular reviews at Saber Does The Stars
Home
*photo courtesy of telescope.com*
bottom line:
10 lbs of heaven
five star transaction and instrument
highly recommended
*as always, ymmv*
tip of the day: afov direct (star) measurement.
view the left eyelens with your right eye. keeping both eyes open place two superimposed 1x stars at the left and right fieldstop borders, afov is the angular distance between the two stars. divide by tfov for magnification.
More binocular reviews at Saber Does The Stars
Home
*photo courtesy of telescope.com*
