gle 7x50 Orion Scenix and tripod mounted 15x70 Celestron Skymaster binoculars. 10x50s seemed to me to be an ideal minimal stargazing companion. Being a rather “thrifty” fellow, I wanted a tough, good value binocular that wouldn’t break the bank. I did a ton of research and decided on the Oberwerk 10x50 Explore Binocular. When my wife asked me for Christmas gift ideas back in early November, these binos immediately sprang to mind. She asked me to go ahead and order them to ensure getting the correct ones, but I wouldn’t be allowed to touch them until I opened them at our family Christmas celebration. Hmmm. Not known for my patience, it was not going to be easy. I found a good deal online at B &H Photo (an authorized Oberwerk dealer). They offered free shipping and threw in an Oberwerk binocular harness at no extra charge. I placed my order and they arrived quickly. Now for the hard part, I had to wait to play with and test my new toy. Due to family scheduling conflicts, our Christmas celebration would have to take place on the evening of December 17. We shared a wonderful evening together and opened our gifts. As soon as I opened the box containing my new binocular, clouds and rain leaked out and I couldn’t even see the sky until the night of December 19th. Even then the atmosphere was filled with clouds and occasional brief “sucker holes”. In spite of this, I made the most of the situation between 19:30 and 19:50. I observed 14 astronomical objects (see observation list below). Not bad for a 20-minute window. My 10x50 binos were perfect for quickly moving from target to target as breaks appeared in the moving clouds. After 1/3 hour of bliss, the sky became totally socked in and I had to call it quits. Observation List, 12/19/25, 19:30-19:50 (B3-4, EXC/5 with many moving scattered clouds): 1. Jupiter with 3 moons - Nice clear planetary disk with no detail and 3 sharp moons visible 2. Castor Multiple Star System- Easy split of the two brightest components (A and B) 3. NGC869 & 884 Perseus Double Star Cluster – “Diamonds on Velvet” 4. C41 Hyades Star Cluster – This cluster comes alive with stars in a binocular 5. M45 Pleiades Star Cluster – Beautiful with just detectable hazy nebulosity 6. Stock 23 Pazmino’s Star Cluster – Nice cluster used to star hop to Kemble’s Cascade 7. Kemble’s Cascade Asterism – My favorite binocular object ending with NGC1502 8. NGC1502 Golden Harp Star Cluster – Tiny, hazy and cute star cluster in Camelopardalis 9. M38 Starfish Star Cluster – Medium size cluster in Auriga 10. M36 Pinwheel Star Cluster – Another nice medium size cluster in Auriga 11. M37 Star Cluster – Brightest of the star clusters in Auriga 12. M35 Shoe-Buckle Star Cluster – Nice cluster in Gemini 13. M42 Great Orion Nebula – Looked great with two Trapezium stars visible 14. M43 De Marian’s Nebula – Orion Nebula’s companion Oberwerk 10x50 Explore Binocular Review: In my opinion, the Oberwerk 10x50 binocular is an exceptional value. For $139.95 you get a sturdy, well-made optic that has perfect collimation, fit and finish. At 2.25 lbs., they aren’t too heavy for long handheld sessions. In spite of using standard optical glass instead of fancy and expensive ED glass, the view offered has minimal color fringing (CA) on high contrast objects. The lenses are fully broad band multi coated and offer up a bright, high contrast view. The actual field of view is 6 degrees. That’s not the widest in its class but is more than adequate. These binos are waterproof and nitrogen charged. The 18mm of eye relief is perfect for folks like me that have to observe with glasses. The twist adjustable eye cups are a very nice touch. Exit pupil is a 5mm which is just right for us older observers. The focuser and diopter adjustments are the perfect degree of stiffness. They are smooth to adjust without being easily bumped out of adjustment. I really like the way the objective lens caps are attached to the tripod mount adaptor cover. It makes it almost impossible to lose the little buggers. Oberwerk binoculars come with a “5 years after purchase” Limited Warranty. Kevin Busarow, the owner of Oberwerk, was super helpful with any questions that I had. I am very satisfied with this binocular. Buy with confidence!
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e a professional tool instead of a toy. This monopod works amazing with my 7x50 binoculars for astronomy. I can do my viewing standing or sitting. I found it much easier to look closer to zenith with this than my small tripod. They shipped it incredibly fast as well. I will be buying from this company again. I am thoroughly impressed, I can only imagine what their parallelogram mount is like. I am so glad I did not rely on the big online retailer and opted for Oberwerk as they seem to know a thing or two about this gear. Thank You!
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shields, mounting options, etc. These binos will satisfy the most discriminating observers - I'm picky about my optics! The SD glass makes a discernible difference over the ED version, especially on the moon and brighter planets. Also, at 8.5 pounds, you're not dreading taking these out to observe. Under the light-polluted skies of New Jersey with the stock 14mm eyepieces, I was able to pick out M11, M13, M92, M27, M31, M71, M56, M57, the Double Cluster (WOW), Alberio, and a host of other objects. If you've been considering these binos, don't hesitate, you will not be disappointed!
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y Dobsonian scope, as well as my refractor. And it just performed impressively, much better, compared to my 15x70 Skymaster. It delivered super sharp views, either hand-held or tripod mounted, the quality of image is just way impressive. For a couple of months and more than a dozen nights I compared the performance of this with my other 12x50, and the two 20x80s (other brands, but one 20x80 is also an Oberwerk ES, which I also purchased after this one (after being so impressed). Compared with the larger binoculars, this small 10x50 delivers higher quality views, and enables one to view the night sky in a very spectacular way. The clusters are clearer, the faint stars appear better, and the contrast is much better. Note that I've spent so much time viewing the night sky with binoculars, and this unit definitely raised the quality bar significantly higher. The sharpness is truly noteworthy, the colors look very good, and the unit is very easy to handle. I have already recommended this model to friends, family, and colleagues! Thank you so much Oberwerk! Great job!
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