What is a Hide Clamp

Posted on July 9, 2011 by Reviewer

A hide clamp is a single section support with a camera/spotting scope head. The heads are the same as used on many tripods, so some can be interchanged with tripods. For example an Opticron birdwatchers tripod and Opticron hide clamps use the same 42800 head.

All hide clamps can be adjusted for height by sliding the centre column up and down through the clamp section. The clamp section attatches to the bird hide tables.

Compared to tripods, a hide clamp is much lighter and wont take up room in the hide like tripods will.

 

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Opticron Discovery WP PC 8×50 Binoculars Review

Posted on July 9, 2011 by Reviewer

If like me you are OK with handling large binoculars, the 800g discoveries should be no problem. If on the other hand weight is a big issue, then they are not for you. The 50mm version are one of those binoculars that give you the wow factor on first use. The image is way brighter and sharper than the 42mm models.

The long 21mm eye relief and wide 122m field gives an outstanding image. Low light performance is incredible, making them suitable for hunting as well as birdwatching. Unlike some larger binoculars that struggle with close focus, these focus down to around 1.5m !

Visually they are the same design , and come with identical (if larger) case and lens caps. All controls are silky smooth and handling is superb.

Highly recommended if the extra weight is not a problem. Ans believe me, these are heavy if you are carrying around for long periods.

At just £10 more than the 10x42s, I can give nothing less than 10/10 for value for money

 

 

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What does Nitrogen Waterproof mean

Posted on July 8, 2011 by Reviewer

With many binoculars, you will see Nitrogen Waterproof or Nitrogen Gas Filled. So what does this mean ?. Think of what happens in your car or house when its cold outside and warm inside. You get condensation on the inside of the window. The same happens with binoculars when you get extremes of temperature on the inside and outside of the binoculars.. This is simply the air turning moist and causing the misting or internal fogging.

With Nitrogen gas filled binoculars this does not happen like with air filled binoculars. This means they can be used in extreme temperatures and humidity without fear of internal fogging.

Nitrogen waterproof binoculars are not to be confused with water resistant binoculars that simply have a rubber seal at either end and are not fully waterproof

You can purchse nitrogen waterproof binoculars from http://shop.northernoptics.co.uk

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What is a Mono Pod (monopod)

Posted on July 8, 2011 by Reviewer

A Mono-pod is a single legged support with a standard thread at the top to accept cameras and spotting scopes. They can come as a single section, or up to 4-5 sections for adjusting height. For added flexibility some come with a 2 or 3-way head.

Some come with padded carry handles, wrist stra

A Monopod is a lightweight solution in situations where a tripod is not suitable

Mono pods can be purchased from http://shop.northernoptics.co.uk

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Opticron Discovery WP PC 8×32 Binoculars Review

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Reviewer

Straight out the box, these look like they should be a 25mm binoculars. Its quite amazing how a 32mm pair of binoculars of such high quality can fit in such a small shell. So you would think that build quality has been compromised.  This is not the case, as the tough rubber body feels solid and well engineered. The weight of 391g is one of, if not the lightest in class.

As for the optics, they will easily match many similar priced 8x42s. Yes there is a little CA, and fall off in edge quality. But I could find no bending of straight lines throughout the field of view. Colours and sharp and clear, even in the dark shadows. The eye relief is quoted at 17mm. I found with glasses on, I could not quite get a full field of view.

At 5ft 8 inches high, I found that I could focus in between my knees and feet. This makes them perfect for looking at insects. The quoted close focus is 1.2m

Handling can not be faulted in any way. From beginner to advanced bird watcher,

Lens caps, soft case and straps are of a very high quality. No corners cut here

Highly recommended

 

 

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What is a Light Pollution Filter

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Reviewer

 

A light pollution filter screws in to the inner thread of an astronomical telescope eyepiece. The lens coatings help block out street/house lights, yet allow light from emision Nebulae to get through. Unlike stars, emission nebulae give off light in a very narrow range of wavelengths. These filters allow maximum transmission of the important wavelengths of H-alpha, H-beta and doubly ionized oxygen – the ones most commonly emitted by nebulae. Views of galaxies and star clusters are also enhanced, but to a lesser degree

For looking at Nebulae, nothing will beat travelling out of town to dark sky areas. But if this is not possible the light pollution filter will certainly help

Available in 1.25″ or 2″

Purchase Light Pollution filters here http://shop.northernoptics.co.uk/sky-watcher-light-pollution-filter-125–2-1395-p.asp

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Visionary B4 7×35 Binoculars Review

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Reviewer

 

The Visionary B4 range look similar to the budget Classics, but with better build quality and BaK-4 prisms.  For general use, I found the 7x35s to be the best of the range. The super wide 161m field and large depth of field make them very user friendly. The 5mm exit pupil makes them better than expected in low light conditions. Its really hard to find a fault, other than say that the eye relief is not quite long enough for spectacle wearers.

These will outperform cheaper 50mm BaK-7 binoculars for image brightness and quality. The case , neck strap and lens covers are all standard OEM low quality. However these can be upgraded.

I find that many people who struggle linning up binoculars find the 7×35 B4 binoculars easy to use

If you are not worried about waterproofing and just want easy to use binoculars with excellent optics, go for it.

Highly recommended

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What is a Barlow Lens

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Reviewer

A barlow lens is an adapter that fits in between your telescope eyepiece and the eyepiece holder. This will increase the magnification by 2x 3x or even 5x depending on which one you purchase. For example, if you have a 10mm eyepiece giving 100x power , you will get 200x with the Barlow lens attached. Like with anything, you get what you pay for. Cheap plastic ones will do the job on a budget, but the results will be poor.

For better results go for glass lenses with metal barrels. Again there are so many to choose from. Single lens for those on a budget, and doublets/triplets for those who demand top results.

Most come in 1.25″ barrel size. However you can get 2″ versions.

Some will accept telescope filters for added vale.

Be aware not to push the magnification too much for your scope. If in doubt, consult an expert or go to your local club for advice.

Good quality barlow lenses can be purchased here http://shop.northernoptics.co.uk/telescope-accessories-118-c.asp

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What is a T-ring

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Reviewer

A T-ring is a simple adapter that allows you to connect your SLR or DSLR camera to a spotting scope or Telescope. It will screw on to any T-adapter, eyepiece or other digi-scoping adapter with standard T-thread (M42x0.75 metric thread).

With this type of photography you use the camera body only.

You can purchase T-rings from http://shop.northernoptics.co.uk

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Celestron Ultima 20-60×80/45 Spotting Scope

Posted on July 4, 2011 by Reviewer

Mid priced spotting scope designed for photo/visual use. First things first. Before attaching the eye piece, remove the rubber eye cup to reveal the t-thread. You will find that straight out the factory this is not securely tightened. A quick firm clockwise turn will resolve this. Some retailers will do this in advance.

So what about the optics. The 20-60x zoom gives excellent low power views. This does tail off at higher power, where you get a much softer image. False colour is evident, but is definitely not a hindrance. For most situations you will be using 20-30x, and this will give superb results. The focus wheel and zoom adjustment are both silky smooth. Fixed magnification eye pieces are available from some retailers.

The eye cup is fold down, and eye relief is long enough for spectacle wearers. The stay on case is OK, but I have seen better. Rather than have an opening for the focus wheel, you will need to slide your hand down under the cover to reach it.

I hav,nt tested on astronomical targets, but I found the low light performance is very good. This is improved with a fixed 20x WA eyepiece.

For digi-scoping  , there is a t-thread on the zoom eye piece. This means all you need is a t-ring for £10-£20 to start taking SLR photos.

Unlike some others in this class the lens hod does not extend. For users in the UK the warranty is 2 years. The limited lifetime warranty on the box may be misleading

There is a sighting tube to aid finding targets, but I found it was never needed.

Recommended for bird watching and occassion astronomy

Excellent value for money and recommended

Click here to buy

 

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