10×50 Ultra

$299.95

10×50 Ultra

(19 customer reviews)

$299.95

Out of Stock. Availability unknown at this time.

Oberwerk Ultra Series is our highest-quality mid-size binoculars, equaling the performance of the finest Japanese brands, for about half the price. Incredible sharpness across almost the entire field. Very rugged construction with precise individual focusers. Of course these are fully broadband multi-coated, waterproof, and nitrogen charged. Includes the Oberwerk Heavy-Duty Tripod Adapter, a heavy-duty padded case, and neck strap.

Recommended mounts-
Oberwerk 2000 Monopod
Oberwerk 3000 Tripod

Additional information

Weight 6 lbs
Dimensions 16 × 12 × 8 in
FOV

6.5°

Eye Relief

11.0mm (usable)

Exit Pupil

5.0mm

IPD Range

57-75mm

Minimum Focus

10m

Product Weight

3.5 lbs.

Product Dimensions

L=7, W=8, H=3 in.

19 reviews for 10×50 Ultra

  1. Mitch Frieber

    I have been an amateur astronomer for many years and have built my own telescopes including grinding the mirrors. I have also owned numerous binoculars over the years and actually do more binocular astronomy than telescope astronomy. Belonging to the local astronomy club, which includes many birders, I get to look through a wide assortment of binoculars.

    Understanding the worth of fine optics and justifying the price for near perfection, I was on the verge of purchasing a pair of Fujinon 10×50 FMTSX when I had the opportunity to look through a pair of Oberwerks and was blown away. After a couple of phone calls to Kevin Busarow of Oberwerk, who is as knowledgeable about binoculars as anyone I have ever known, I ordered a pair of Oberwerk 10×50 Ultras. These are simply the best binoculars I have ever looked through, even better than my immaculate, WWII Zeiss (Jena) 7x50s, which I inherited. The Oberwerks are no sharper than my Zeiss but the field of view is as wide if not slightly wider, which is pretty amazing since they have greater magnification. Of course, my Zeiss were state of the art 65 years ago.

    Shortly after I purchased the Oberwerks, I had the fortune to compare them with a pair of new Fujinon 10×50 FMTSXs. I spent the better part of an hour comparing the view of a radio antenna on top of an office building a couple miles away through both binoculars during the daytime–a very tough test for any binocular. The view through the Oberwerks was every bit as pleasing as the Fujinons. The view was tack sharp, alignment was dead on, field of view and eye relief were indistinguishable. Edge distortion was similar. I simply could not find anything inferior about the Oberwerks as compared to the Fujinons. The helical focusing eyepieces are as smooth as silk. The Oberwerks were slightly heavier but, to my way of thinking, this is a good thing as it translates into robustness and steadier holding. And on a tripod, it is a mute point. And, you should be using a tripod if you are doing astronomy.

    My next binoculars will be the 15×70 Ultras by Oberwerk to replace my 15×50 Celestron Skymasters. The Skymasters were good for the $90 I paid for them but I am now spoiled by the Ultras. I will also be ordering a tripod and parallelagram mount.

    Having used the Ultras for a while now, I have no regrets whatsoever by choosing them over the Fujinons.

  2. Jim M.

    I recently attended NEAF for the first time and was extremely pleased to find out that I had won a pair of 10×50 Ultra binoculars that your company had donated as a raffle prize. I have four other pairs of binoculars and none have provided me with the visual experience that your binoculars have provided. The clarity of the optics, the sharpness of the images and the bright, wide and flat fields are amazing! I just wanted you to know that they have quickly become my favorite binoculars and I thank you for providing such a wonderful raffle prize. I hope to get many years of viewing pleasure with them. Thanks!

  3. Mark Fay

    The 10X50 Ultra’s are superb for stargazing!
    To begin with, I have 1st owned the 15X70 Ultra’s now for about a year and a half and am always stunned at the optical quality of this model. The extraordinary sharpness of the stars contrasted against such a strikingly dark background, still puts me in awe every time I pull them out of their beautifully crafted custom aluminum case. (Yes, I am a little enamored with these.) That said, I still would find myself sometimes wishing for that same level of quality, but in something a little bit more hand-holdable. My natural choice had the be the 15X70’s little brother, the 10X50 Ultras. And these binoculars have now become my new favorite “grab and go” binoc! These are simply amazing. Just as crisp an image with only a little loss in brigntness and resolution, but the tradeoff… The freedom to not have to set up a tripod, to just step outside without a moments hesitation, is so wonderful. There is something to be said about the “convenience factor”. I remember reading an article years ago in Sky and Telescope about a guy who bought a very high end but extremely bulky and heavy scope. It had amazing images but 9 times out of 10, he would grab his little 6″ Newtonian reflector and run out to observe instead! Convenience! Extremely comfortable to handhold, the 10X50 Ultras feel rock solid in your hands. I have tried some very expensive roof prism binocs which were almost 1/2 the weight. (Thinking this would be so much easier to hand-hold.) They had decent optics but the lighter weight and narrower profile actually made them harder to hold for stargazing. I think the broader shape of a porro prism itself lends towards a more comfortable gripping position and the additional weight is not at all deterrent. It literally helps stabilize the binoculars in your hands. Now, with that said, on Kevin’s recommendation, I did also grab Oberwerks 2000 Series Monopod with Grip-Action Ball Head, which is a fantastic addition, quick to set up, and it helps stabilize the 10X50 Ultra’s even more, but without the bulkier full tripod. But with or with out a tripod or monopod, these binocs stand completely on their own. They even look magnificent sitting out on my dresser. Like some sentient icon of the stars beckoning me to take them out and let them strut their stuff. You think I’m kidding? Set them out on your dresser and see if you don’t go out stargazing about twice as often as you used to! 🙂

  4. Richard A Casper (verified owner)

    Ordered it on Saturday got it Wednesday , this is well built but no surprise I have 15×70 deluxe ,the optics are sharp I don’t see how you can get any better ,it makes it a pleasure to look threw . I decided to replace my B L 10×50 I am seeing double threw it it needs to be contaminated ,this is a very good company and if something happens to it they can fix it going to be extra careful I’ll guard it with my life ,and it’s light enough to hand hold ,but a mount makes a big difference ,I like to keep a 10×50 in my truck that’s easy to get to and this is perfect ,I am still in wow how sharp it is, I couldn’t decide on witch 10×50 to get ,back in the day I would just got all three ,but I decided to go with this one ,the individual eyepiece focusing is not a problem for me,one of my 25×100 has it I think I prefer it ,enough said I am going out to do some viewing, Rick from N H.

  5. Jonathan Mininni

    I had Swift storm King’s for many years they were inadvertently purchased by somebody by mistake so I lost them. Later on I bought the ultra 10×50 as opposed to the Swift 7×50’s. Both good binoculars but the ultra 10x 50’s are way better than good way better. Thank you Kevin thank you.

  6. Ariel A Morales (verified owner)

    As a kid growing up in the southwest of Puerto Rico, I was fascinated by the planets, stars, satellites, and any moving objects visible to me. Interestingly, the place I lived in was called La Luna, next to the town of Guanica. La Luna was dark at night, and it means The Moon.

    My childhood made me do it! It gave me a hunger for the stars and forced me to research binoculars. After a few weeks going from website to website, this brand to that brand, I knew that quality lenses was paramount. That the reputation, quality control, and quality products were key factors. I even looked up the Oberwerk offices in Dayton, OH using Google Earth. Nice virtual trip! I enjoyed was I saw.

    Oberwerk embodied all of those elements I was looking for. The 10×50 Ultra did it for me. Crisp clear images. It sucks in the light like a vacuum cleaner! Solid construction, not a toy. Smooth and solid operation.

    But be advised. After using the Ultra a few days I recognized that the best way to enjoy the night life was by having a tri or a mono pod. I went with the 2000 series monopod. The first time I looked at the moon with the Ultra and monopod setup, my heart jumped in my chest. I am not exaggerating! To me it was shocking to view the moon in all of it’s splendor.

    Yes I endorse and recommend this organization and products.

    Ariel Morales
    Jacksonville, FL

  7. James Cameron (verified owner)

    Decided a few months ago I would like a quality binocular to check out the night sky just outside of Washington DC. I checked reviews across the internet and decided to go with Oberwerk. I was not disappointed the quality and sharpness of these binoculars is amazing!
    It’s not the darkest sky in metro DC but I was seeing stars, planets and satellites and other mystery objects I couldn’t see without the glasses. The only issue it’s hard to keep a small star steady with hands so I ordered a heavy duty tripod from Oberwerk as well! That will be a second review and just as good!

    Now I can’t believe the enjoyment I’m finding in looking at the sky! I’ve been looking up for 58 years but this is a game changer. I bought a big tripod because I’m sure I’ll be upgrading to a more powerful binoculars from Oberwerk in the near future.
    I rarely give a review but this company truly deserves the praise!

  8. Scott (verified owner)

    Everyone else seems to be using these for astronomy. I got them to spot towers on forested mountains at 2 – 10 miles out.

    Before they arrived, I did not notice that they were individual focus rather than center focus. I had never used that method and was pretty nervous that I would spend a lot of time tweaking the focus twice every time I shifted viewing targets. After using them for the last three months, that turns out not to be such a big deal. I don’t have to change the focus if everything I’m looking at is 1/4 mile or further away, which is most of the time for me. If I’m trying to follow a bird or animal in the yard, it becomes a pain. I almost never do that and lower magnification would probably be better that purpose anyway. I do think the product photo could use some more contrast on the hinge so it is easier to tell that there is no center focus knob.

    I think more magnification would be good for my purposes, but the inconvenience of dragging out a tripod would be a pain.

    Kevin was very helpful in deciding which model to buy. I had several newbie questions. The questions were probably basic FAQs. He was patient. It helped to have Kevin verify that they were the correct binoculars for my purposes rather than me trying to figure out if I was even asking the right questions.

    I can actually use these without folding the eye cups or removing my thick, astigmatism correcting glasses. That is a first for me. I’ve been too cheap with binoculars until now.

  9. James Gojenola (verified owner)

    After star gazing with my friends Nikon binocular I was in awe. So I was on the search for my own set. I stumbled upon some reviews talking about how great these are at an amazing price and they were not wrong! These are spectacular and clarity is unreal! I also purchased the monostand and very happy I did! Extremely well built, I couldn’t be more happy. I also want to note the great customer service, Kevin was extremely helpful and prompt with his response

  10. Fiske Miles (verified owner)

    I have been involved with amateur astronomy for decades and have owned and used many binoculars and telescopes. The OB 10×50 Ultras are excellent binoculars, a great value, and just plain fun. Compared side by side with a premium 10×42 birding binocular which cost 4 times as much, the 10×50 Ultra was brighter and more vivid, showed fainter stars, and more detail. Oberwerk has a great reputation for customer service and delivering excellent value and its easy to understand why. If you are shopping for an astronomy binocular, do yourself a favor and order from Oberwerk.

  11. Keith McComsey (verified owner)

    These binoculars are crystal clear. So nice to grab them and scan the heavens. Will but the 15×70 Ultras next! Oberwerk is a fantastic company. Dont hesitate to buy from these guys!

  12. Jim Simmons (verified owner)

    I am extremely pleased with everything about the 10×50 Ultra binocular I received today. The heavy duty case, tripod adapter, even the included strap are all good quality. The eyepieces rotate smoothly but not too freely. I had previewed all the locally available 10×50 options and was able to detect the obvious difference between the Fujinon and all the other binoculars I tried. Here in New Zealand high end optics are quite expensive, so I took the chance that what everyone says about the Oberwerk Ultras being equivalent to the Fujinons was true. My terrestrial test viewing today (on sturdy tripod) tells me that they are indeed equivalent. Tonight they’ll get their first night sky outing – I’m excited!

    If I were to make one suggestion, it would be that the index mark for the eyepiece settings was marked somehow. It is simply a molded line in the rubber, so is hard to see. I’ve put small enamel paint marks on mine so I can more easily and quickly make adjustments to the eyepieces.

  13. Dale smith (verified owner)

    Very pleased with the OB 10×50 Ultra binoculars. They are sharp out to around 65% of the field of view, and very sharp at dead center. I only notice the barest hint of chromatic aberration on the Moon when it is gibbous or full, otherwise these show none to my eyes.

    I have an excellent pair of 10×42 ED binoculars and the Ultra 10x50s match up very well, going “deeper” with their larger aperture and showing a bit more detail on the Moon.

    I used them mounted on a light tripod, the perfect combination for quick views from my Bortle 7 suburban backyard here in Oregon. Open clusters are my favorite deep sky objects to observe, and the Ultra is perfect for these. M41 in Canis Major sparkled in these, and the Double Cluster was glorious.

    Ordering from Oberwerk was seamless, and fast. Very pleased with the customer focus, as well. Highly recommended.

  14. glenn littledale (verified owner)

    i love these bright, sharp 10x 50 oberwerk ultra binoculars. the sweet spot is large enough that star fields are beautiful and any edge aberations disappear. usually large eyepieces on binoculars are a problem for me, but these ones are just fine because the soft eyecups are forgiving enough to part ways for my fat nose. the included tripod adapter is angled to shift the center of mass over the tripod head which is a nice feature. i have a few pairs of stupidly expensive binoculars, one of which is a similar size. these ultras hold up well looking for deep sky objects in very good company. there is something especially satisfying about a pair of binoculars that perfom so very well, are so rugged and are so well priced. oberwerk’s meticulous inspection process assures delivery of a well collimated pair of binoculars. i’ve tried a variety of less expensive binoculars and have not found binoculars that hit the balance of great performance and an excellent value quite like these ultras. the caveat is that they are not lightweights and they are individual focus, but if that works for you, i think these make a terrific choice!

  15. Michael Lanum (verified owner)

    I have had the 10X50 for a couple of years now so I feel I can write a review. I was never into astronomical binoculars until I visited Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona and the first thing they did was for us to experience how much of the cosmos we could see with a 10X binocular. I was shocked and sold at the same time. I spent several months looking for “the best astronomical binoculars”, looking at MANY different manufacturers. I called Oberwerk and spoke with Kevin at length about what I wanted versus what I needed. He led me to the two binoculars I was already looking at, but would not make the decision for me. 😏 I contacted one of the reviewers above and we spoke at length about what he is currently using and what he can do with each. Obviously I ended up buying the 10X50 Ultras and I have not been disappointed one bit. I feel they were a MUCH better purchased than my telescope because they are more portable, which makes a quick pullout on a star filled night all the better. Crisp clean images and a wide field of view!! I was even able to spot the green comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) through light pollution. I have recommended not only Oberwerk binoculars, but specifically the 10X50 Ultras to everyone I speak with who are interested, and those who aren’t as well.

  16. Glenn Littledale (verified owner)

    These 10x 50 Ultra’s are probably my most used binoculars for the night sky. They have a large sharp sweet spot, minimal false color and for my eyes anyway, do not suffer from distracting edge aberrations. The 65 degree apparent field of view feels expansive. My binoculars always find their way into many hands, especially at school where they are often passed from student to student. I’m not saying they can’t be damaged, but with close to thirty pairs of binoculars in the field we are constantly sending other binos in for service. These have stayed in perfect collimation and the individual focus has remained smooth and reliable. The simple eyecup design isn’t really a point of failure either. The moon shows a small amount of false color but it is slight enough that I need to look for it. It’s hard for me to imagine a more dependable binocular offering such a generous sweet spot of beautiful pinpoint stars at such a great price.

  17. Erin Fluri (verified owner)

    I’m new to stargazing and did lots of searching before finding these binoculars, but I’m glad I did! I’m really impressed with how clear they are and how much I’m able to see with them compared to the naked eye. I’m very happy with my purchase!

  18. DJ Kwiatkowski (verified owner)

    These 10×50 Ultra binoculars were used primarily for stargazing in Bortle 3-4 northern hemisphere winter skies.

    The objective lens covers tend to flop off when the binos are not in use, and the left-side neck strap slipped out of its clip several times before I finally taped it in place. However, neither of these design issues should be considered deal-breakers considering the price of these binos and the high-quality optics they provide.

    At 3.5 pounds, these binos are light enough to hand-hold for 5-10 minutes at a time, but ultimately, a tripod should be used for stable and longer period viewing. Note, no tripod was used while viewing the following targets:

    > Orion’s belt and sword all fit within the field of view; the Orion Nebula is sharp, and these binos were able to resolve three of the four stars that make up the Trapezium.

    > At 12 million light years away, the galaxies M81 (Bode’s) and M82 (Cigar) are faint smudges. Interestingly, Consolmagno’s and Davis’ star guide “Turn Left at Orion” does not consider M81 and M82 binocular-capable targets; however, these 10×50 Ultras are capable of seeing both galaxies under a clear, dark sky.

    > The open star clusters of M35-38 were easy to identify; in fact, M37, M36, and M38 all fit within the field of view, from left to right, respectively.

    > Viewed through these binos, Mars, Venus, and Jupiter don’t appear much different than viewed with the naked eye – just brighter. However, three of Jupiter’s moons were visible one night through these binos, and those are targets that the naked eye is not likely to pick up.

    Overall, these 10×50 Ultras are a great value for entry-level stargazing in clear, dark skies. The only reason I couldn’t give them 5 stars is due to the objective lens covers continually flopping off and the neck strap slippage (which could’ve been a costly accident if these binos fell to the ground, had I not taped the straps together).

  19. Mark Yanofsky (verified owner)

    I have these for a few days now,on the heels of recently getting the 12x50SE and last 8×40 Mariner available. All great products.

    These Ultra’s are absolutely superb in almost any category one wishes to think of. Sensational clarity,brightness and color. Much easier to hand hold than I’d have thought as well.
    Virtually flawless buying experience as was all of my O.B. purchases.
    I especially wanted a good FOV and one that stayed clear and bright almost to the edges. This comes so close to perfection that I don’t give it a second thought.

    Has to be a Classic! Especially at the asking price.

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