A DSO stands for Deep Space Oject. A DSO can come in many forms, such as Galaxies, Nebulea and Star clusters. Some targets such as M31 (The Andromeda galaxy) and M42 ( The Orion nebula) can be seen with the naked eye.
Most DSOs are outside the capabilities of the Human eye. So you will need a pair of binoculars or telescope. Beyond this, many fainter targets will only be found by imaging.
For a great selection of binoculars and telescopes, visit the Northern Optics website HERE
First impression out the box, are the Olivon PC 8×42 binoculars have a simple uncluttered but functional design. This is not a minus point, as they look very elegant.
Picking them up, the feel reassuringly solid and balance nicely in the hands.
Before we get on the the optics, I must mention the focus wheel. This is one of, if not the best focusers I,ve had the pleasure of adjusting. Silky smooth with no tight or slack spots.
To test the optics, I chose to look at some nearby trees and shrubbery. A combination of fully multi=coated optics and phase corrected BaK-4 prisms give beautiful colours and sharp contrast. This is aided by superb baffling that give no internal reflection, even with the eye cup down.
Looking at the leaves and bark in the shaded areas revealed incredible detail. These are truly binoculars for all lighting conditions. I then turned my view to areas that were heavily back lit. This is an area that can let some binoculars down. Once again the Olivon PC 8×42 binoculars excelled in this department. Colours were bright and clear, with virtually no false colour (chromatic aberration) in the centre of view. For some reason, I found a sweet spot just below the center of view.
There is some fall off in quality towards the edge of view. But this is right on the edge, and will certainly not distract you. Straight lines stay straight all the way to the edge.
Great news for spectacle wearers is the eye relief of 17.5mm. This means you can keep your glasses on, and still get the full field of view with the eye cups twisted down.
Close focus is an impressive 2 metres ( I did measure this). So they are also ideal for looking at birds in the back garden , as well as going out travelling.
As standard, you get a soft case and two straps. One for the case, and a high quality thick padded strap for the binoculars.
As for any faults or minor gripes. I cant find any. Any one who knows me, will know that’s a rarity.
Highly recommended, and can be bought from Northern Optics HERE
The Skywatcher PanaView 38mm eyepiece offers superb optics at a price that defies gravity. With fully multi-coated optics, you get a picture window wide view from this impressive eyepiece.
The twist eyecup is smooth throughout, offering just the right user distance from the eyepiece, whether you wear glasses or not.
In build quality and looks, the Skywatcher PanaView 38mm eyepiece looks and feels the part. It should, with care and attention last the life time of your telescope
The Panorama ED 20-60×82 is the new flagship spotting scope from Hawke Optics
When you require the finest image reproduction at extended distances, ED (Extra Low Dispersion) glass is a must. Designed around an optical system using ED glass components, the Panorama ED Spotting Scopes produce superb images with minimal Field of View Curvature.
Whether your interest is in sports, bird watching, wildlife, hunting or casual astronomy these spotting scopes are sure to provide the performance you demand for years to come.
This short bodied scope is extremely portable and is supplied with a sculpted stay-on protective cover.
Here at Northern Optics one of the most frequently asked questions is “can you fix 1.25″ on to a Celestron Ultima spotting scope”. Unfortunately the answer is no.
The Celestron Ultima 65, 80 and 100 mm ED and non ED all use screw on eyepieces. Astronomical 1.25″ eyepieces are push fit. And to the best of my knowledge there is no adapter available at the time of writing this article that will adapt 1.25″ to screw fit.
You can however purchase additional screw on wide angle fixed magnification eyepieces for the Ultima spotting scopes. These like for like give a brighter and wider view than the standard zoom eyepiece. Some of our customers have said the lower power wide angle eyepieces , which are 16x – 22x depending on the model used, give results so clear, its like having a new spotting scope. For this reason, some people opt to ditch the standard zoom eyepiece in favour of 2 or 3 fixed eyepieces.
The only downside is for digiscopers. The fixed eyepieces are physically smaller than the standard zoom eyepiece, and do not come with a t-thread. All fixed eyepieces come in a handy pouch to help protect when in transit
Click here to buy from Northern Optics
The Maplin N50FU flight case is the perfect low cost solution for the safe storage of your optical equipment, such as Telescope eyepieces and accessories, cameras, binoculars and many other related products.
The sturdy aluminium case comes with a foam interior that can easily be shaped to the required size by removing the small foam blocks, or pushing them down.
A useful handle and shoulder strap make carrying a breeze.
External dimensions
330mm (w) x 290mm (d) x 140mm (h)
Internal dimensions
315mm (w) x 250mm (d) x 110mm (h)
Weight 1.6kg
Discontinued
The Optical Hardware webcam adapter is the ideal low cost solution for taking images through your telescope using a compatible webcam, such as Philips Toucam Pro /Fun, SPC 880, 900 and Vesta
Threaded to accept 1.25″ filters, such as the Ostara Luminance filter , which will help reduce IR and UV
The new Olivon T800 is an updated version of the Olivon T80. Features a new lightweight body and also accepts 1.25″ astronomical eyepieces. The ability of accepting 1.25″ eyepieces means you can upgrade to higher magnifications or wider angle low eyepieces with having to change the spotting scope.
As mentioned above, the body is very lightweight. This was the first thing I noticed when I handled the T800 for the first time. Despite this, build quality feels very solid.
The spotting scope comes wide a high grade 20-60x zoom eyepiece as standard. The zoom was very smooth in operation, as was the twist eye cup. The eye piece has very good eye relief for use with spectacles on.
To remove the eye piece, it did take a little effort at first. Saying that, this should improve with time, and gives you the confidence that it is a secure fit.
So what about the optics. I was impressed with the bright high contrast image. The quality remained throughout the range, with the lower powers giving impressive edge of field sharpness.
I found the field of view very good across the zoom range. This is something that can disappoint with some cheaper spotting scopes.
Highly recommended by us if you are looking for a quality, up gradable spotting scope at an affordable price
For the photographers among you, it is up gradable for digi scoping with additional adapters or compatible eyepieces.
Other features. 80mm objective lens, Fully multi coated optics and nitrogen waterproofing.
VISIONARY WETLAND 12x42 BINO OFFERS USABLE EXTRA POWER For use where your subject is small, or at a long distance, the extra power afforded by Visionary’s new 12x42 Wetland binocular can make the image you view more worthwhile. The difference may be the ability to make a clear identification of a species or object,to be able to read distant text or recognize a person. Considering its power, the Wetland 12x42 is compact and light enough to be hand held and, as you’d expect from the name, it’s completely waterproof. These binoculars will even withstand complete immersion in water, so they would not be damaged if dropped in a stream while walking on moorland, for example. Like the rest of the popular Wetlands range, they can therefore be usedwith complete confidence in foul weather conditions. The binoculars are protected against damage by a tough rubber coating with a pattern of raised rubber grip points where your fingertips hold the upper surfaces and smooth contours on the undersides, to avoid discomfort to the palms of the hands. Focusing is via a large, rubber coated center knob and an easy-to-grip eyepiece adjuster. Twist action eye cups allow setting between the click locks at fully extended and retracted positions, so you can find a point that is comfortable with or without spectacles and places your eyeat the correct distance from the eyepiece. Bak4 roof prisms and multi-coated lenses are used to ensure optimum image brightness, colour clarity and sharpness. To prevent any internal fogging of the optics during low temperature usage, the binoculars are filled with nitrogen and sealed. A standard tripod thread is fitted beneath a protective cap, allowing the binocular to be used with one of the various supports available as optional accessories, such as a tripod, hide clamp or car window mount. Lens caps for the larger, objective lenses are attached to the body by a removable rubber gaiter, to stop them being lost, and the eyepiece cap is attached to the binocular strap, with a slot allowing it to be pushed right out of your way, when the binos are in use. The left and right eyepiece covers are separated by a flexible strip, so you can leave the binoculars at your chosen adjustment, immediately ready for their next use. All Visionary Wetland binoculars are supplied complete with a 10 ear guarantee, a good quality pouch case, straps and caps.