SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

I'm taking a giant step.... backwards.

I've been longing to do some visual. Especially during times of long exposure runs.
So I ordered a pair...

A pair of big binoculars.
I have a parallelogram in mind, but haven't settled.
The big binocs should also work for looking across the river at night... (about 1/2 a mile)

I'm not worthy...

Ballard Loc: Grass Valley, California

Sounds fun. Are you planning to build or buy a parallelogram mount for the binoculars?

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

You know some binocs have been made with a digital camera (phone quality I believe) built in.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Sigh!
Another dilemma. I'm sure I could build one. Especially in light of the prices they charge for them.

But to unbox and enjoy has a lot of enticement, too.

I think I'm going to force myself to wait, and see how my current tripods and heads can work with the big binoculars I ordered.
Just Celestron 20X80 SkyMaster Giant Binoculars. Should get my eyes watering.
I have some good possibilities as it is with my Photography heads, and home made attachments.

But I am looking at the Parallelogram options.

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

I have the Orion: https://www.amazon.com/Orion-5376-Paragon-Plus-Binocular-without/dp/B0000XMYQA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?crid=29ZA7AUDMZBJ8&keywords=parallelogram+binocular+mount&qid=1578397433&s=electronics&sprefix=parallelogram+,electronics,440&sr=1-3&linkCode=ll1&tag=innonote-20&linkId=8c46b707e268e2412ebd4a29e03ccbda&language=en_US

Works well. What doesn't work so well are my eyes. Astigmatism means that if I don't wear my glasses, the stars don't look like points of light. If I do wear my glasses, can't get my eyes close enough to the binoculars. Well not entirely true. I have some 8 x 42 and 10 x 50 binoculars that have a lot of eye relief. Less so with the 15 x 70's.

So I am considering this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M6Y5I5M/ref=dp_prsubs_2 I also find that the mount that screws onto the front of the binocular pivot axis never stays tight. No matter how tight I make it, after a short while, the binoculars are loose. I think this will solve that problem.

If I mount a small scope on this, I can use eyepieces that have much better eye relief. The parallelogram can handle the weight. I have several prisms to use with a scope. For low elevations, best to use a straight through erecting prism. Higher in the sky, a 45 degree diagonal is best. And high in the sky, 90 degrees is best, although the image becomes left to right backwards. Fortunately, I have been messing around with telescopes long enough that I have all three. Plus a number of various eyepieces that can go higher in power than my binoculars which is good for resolving double stars. (I remember as a teenager looking through my first scope, a 3" reflector, and with no astigmatism, what a wonderful sight! I still remember my first look at the Pleiades. I was blown away! By my senior year in high school, I had purchased an Edmund Scientific 4 1/4" reflector for even better views.)

The parallelogram sure beats hand holding!

I have also tried a "go to" mount to hold a scope. But as soon as I aim upwards, my neck can't bend far enough to make looking through it comfortable, so the parallelogram is much better.

Here is a really good book for finding what to look at: https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Left-Orion-Hundreds-Telescope/dp/1108457568/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1G08ZXFPN6AYX&dchild=1&keywords=turn+left+at+orion&qid=1600319292&sprefix=turn+left+a%2Celectronics%2C216&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEySklDMTRNMDlZWjhJJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwOTYyMDgyMkVFTElYSVZTWUFZTyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODcyMDgxVjVSNlg5QVZXSFJLJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

alberio Loc: Casa Grande AZ

If you'd just loosen those purse strings a bit you could get one of these.

https://shop.opticsplanet.com/zeiss-victory-rf-10x54-binoculars-rangefinder.html?_iv_code=ZS-BI-VCRF-525649-0000-000&gclsrc=aw.ds&

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

In a word, NO!

We have a set of ancient Bushnell's in 10x 50 mm. But no way to mount them, except like Jim shows with the platform/strap attachment. (I'm still considering that)

I have a set of Celestron 20x 80mm Sky Master's en route. (Almost 6 pounds of bug eyes) I got the last pair.
I have a very heavy duty contractors tripod I bought way back when I was playing with my DSLR. I built different head mountings for it. So I thought I'd try some of that first.
But I can see where a Parallelogram mount would be ideal. But I balk at dropping $500 on one.
I probably will, but I'm being stubborn.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Hi Jim!
I have that book in Kindle format on my phone. I got about half-way through it.

We have a pair of older Bushnells in 10x 50 mm that don't have a mounting point. So I've been considering a platform mount like that. Just haven't done it yet.

Like I said to Alberio, I'm being stubborn about a Parallelogram mount. But I can see one coming because it makes the most sense.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

Had the 20x80 binocs a few years back. Found them too heavy and powerful for deck usage but then again I didn't have them mounted on anything...

Do they come with smoke filters??

bwa

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

No, no smoke filters.
But I do believe they have rubber cups.

I'm unclear how they size those. If they are A,B,C,D, DD....

Ballard Loc: Grass Valley, California

Do you determine the size you need by how deep you breath in?

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Don't know. I was always after the contents...

There doesn't seem to be any Parallelograms anywhere. So I've been getting creative (sigh).
I threw together a platform mount for the 10x 50 mm Bushnell's.

But I might settle for the Sirui monopod.

Clearing skies here! There's blue between cotton-ball clouds this morning.
(A delicious break from grey-brown...)

(Download)

Ballard Loc: Grass Valley, California

Our air is much cleaner today also. First time it has been in the yellow range for weeks. I'm hoping the Low front will help clean it up a bit and I can try to do some imaging a again.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

Probably an A or B? Any larger and you'd have trouble lifting the binocs

bwa

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

I was always told more than a mouthful is a waste.
But then, I was never one to listen....

I think I'm going to try making my own Parallelogram.
You know, just to get my eyes back up where they should be...