Author Archives: Reviewer

What is an aperture mask for a telescope

Posted on June 25, 2021 by Reviewer

Often integrated into a telescope lens / OTA cover, an aperture mask reduced the effective diameter of the main objective lens or mirror. Although you lose resolution, you also reduced the effects of atmospheric turbulence under bad seeing conditions. Also … Continue reading →

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Celestron astromaster 102 AZ review

Posted on June 25, 2021 by Reviewer

The Celestron astromaster 102AZ is a great example of a telescope that proves high magnification and large aperture are not an essential requirement when starting out in astronomy. If you are starting out, the simple AZ mount and straight though … Continue reading →

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Hawke Endurance ED 8×25 monocular review

Posted on June 10, 2021 by Reviewer

The Hawke Endurance 8×25 ED monocular is an ultra compact solution, weighing only 150g. Ideal for keeping in a pocket or hanging from your wrist with the strap included. Can also be attached to a belt , using the soft … Continue reading →

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Sigma 21-35mm f3.5 – 4.2 first impressions, with sample images

Posted on February 15, 2021 by Reviewer

Bought an early 80s Sigma 21-35mm f3.5 – 4.2 from a vintage lens shop for the princely sum of just £39 + postage. On top of this I needed to get an OM to EOS adapter so I could use … Continue reading →

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Hawke Endurance ED 12×50 binoculars. Blog post 2nd Aug 2020

Posted on August 4, 2020 by Reviewer

A customer came to the Northern optics Optics weekend looking for a set of good quality binoculars for birdwatching. Knowing the reserve they visit, I was aware that they needed a little extra magnification without reducing image quality. After try … Continue reading →

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Hawke Endurance ED 12×50 binoculars. 2020 update

Posted on June 26, 2020 by Reviewer

The Hawke Endurance ED 12×50 binoculars have made a come back in 2020, featuring a brand new body design and look. Available in black or green , with a textured rubber finish for easy handling. Despite weighing 805g, I found … Continue reading →

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Hilkinson 8×25 monocular review

Posted on February 13, 2020 by Reviewer

Entry level 8×25 monocular from Hilkinson. Being only 131g and 110mm long , they are perfect for wildlife watching on the go. So lets take a closer look. The monocular comes in a plain box show the brand name and … Continue reading →

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Viking traveller 8×21 binoculars review

Posted on February 7, 2020 by Reviewer

The Viking traveller compact binoculars are aimed at the beginner. So lets have a look to see how the build quality and optics perform for such a low price (around £25 – £30 at the time of this review) First … Continue reading →

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North Lincs Astro meeting 3rd February 2020

Posted on February 4, 2020 by Reviewer

We had a great turn out, including a new face , to watch John Dunthorne give an excellent talk at the February 2020 North Lincs astro society meeting. His talk entitled The challenge of transporting Man to Mars. This was … Continue reading →

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Olivon PC-3 8×34 binoculars. Blog post December 2019

Posted on December 31, 2019 by Reviewer

A customer visited the Northern Optics Optics weekend looking for a good quality set of binoculars. And I would imagine they would also need to be lightweight for travels on his bike. He looked at a couple of 42mm models … Continue reading →

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