Will the 7245 be good for bright moon or star observations. There has been some reviews that state the lenses will distort on a full moon.. ???
1741451
Actually I use these to observe the moon and they are wonderful. I certainly do not notice any distortion and can see many dozens if not hundreds of moon craters and the image is bright and razor sharp. I can also easily see the Galilean moons of Jupiter with these. Jupiter is visible in the early nighttime right now. The Galilean moons can be clearly seen with these binoculars hand held but for a steady image I highly recommend a heavy tripod with a binocular adapter. The 7245 of course has built in threading for a tripod binoculars adapter. I was so surprised that such celestial objects are clearly visible with these. Highly recommended. Actually I use these to observe the moon and they are wonderful. I certainly do not notice any distortion and can see many dozens if not hundreds of moon craters and the image is bright and razor sharp. I can also easily see the Galilean moons of Jupiter with these. Jupiter is visible in the early nighttime right now. The Galilean moons can be clearly seen with these binoculars hand held but for a steady image I highly recommend a heavy tripod with a binocular adapter. The 7245 of course has built in threading for a tripod binoculars adapter. I was so surprised that such celestial objects... » Read More Actually I use these to observe the moon and they are wonderful. I certainly do not notice any distortion and can see many dozens if not hundreds of moon craters and the image is bright and razor sharp. I can also easily see the Galilean moons of Jupiter with these. Jupiter is visible in the early nighttime right now. The Galilean moons can be clearly seen with these binoculars hand held but for a steady image I highly recommend a heavy tripod with a binocular adapter. The 7245 of course has built in threading for a tripod binoculars adapter. I was so surprised that such celestial objects are clearly visible with these. Highly recommended. « Show Less
1741452
Actually I use these to observe the moon and they are wonderful. I certainly do not notice any distortion and can see many dozens if not hundreds of moon craters and the image is bright and razor sharp. I can also easily see the Galilean moons of Jupiter with these. Jupiter is visible in the early nighttime right now. The Galilean moons can be clearly seen with these binoculars hand held but for a steady image I highly recommend a heavy tripod with a binocular adapter. The 7245 of course has built in threading for a tripod binoculars adapter. I was so surprised that such celestial objects are clearly visible with these. Highly recommended.
1606765
I have been using the Tamron for astro for a while now. I am very happy with the results. I stop mine down to f8 so it is a little slow but works fine. I wish I could post an image here but do not see a way to do so. Moon shots should be no problem.
1943774
Yes, definitively. But not with the standard lenses. The Sirius Plossi 10mm are good enough for interesting lunar views. Planets are still too small to really enjoy. But I bought 2x, 3x and 5x Barlow lenses and that is really good. A 3x Barlow with 10mm Plossi means 180x power. Nice views of Jupiter (Red Storm quite visible, atmosphere details as well) and Saturn (clearly defined rings). 5x Barlow with 10mm Plossi means 300x power. Good enough views (hard to focus without a 2-speed focuser, much more chromatic aberration). Furthermore, if at 180x it is already difficult to keep plante on view field (due to earth rotation movement), at 300x is almost impossible (unless you keep your eye on and keep adjusting position manually). For planets, a motorized mounting is mandatory. Also, at such high power, a usb camera plugged to a notebook would provide a much more effective way to see images (at notebook screen, obviously, not so "enjoyable" as a direct sight at ocular lens). I just bought a USB camera, as well as two astrophotography cameras, but have not yet opportunity to test. So, all in all: 1) for pleasant planetary views, with low cost, this Orion 120ST + 3x Barlow is really good 2) for formidable planetary views, consider upgrade either to a 100-to-120 APO Refractor or to a 160mm Reflector, with motorized mounting and good cams.
1222125
The images were unsatisfactory (muddy) for my long distance shots taken with a Canon 7D. The lens has aberrations. It should be ok for moon shots where sharp focus is not a priority. This is a cheap spotting scope not a camera lens. What you see with the naked eye may not be captured on the photo image. You are much better off using a camera lenses for your long distance photographs. I use a 200mm Canon lens and shoot on the highest quality setting for a larger image. This scope is fine for sighting targets at the shooting range or watching ships sail past, but it is not for photography.
556907
Stars??? The moon..yes! I was able to get the moon by stabilizing the entire lens with the use of a bean bag and using MUP reduce shutter vibration.
1205531
It's a lens, not a camera. I bought it specifically for taking photos of the moon and I haven't had any issues with that. You will need to use a tripod when using this lens. It takes a little getting used to, but it's not a particularly steep learning curve.
252925
1.25; if you have better magnification eyepieces the scope does work well with them. The two that are sent with the scope are fine but with a little higher magnification, it still works well. The 20mm and 10mm are great for lunar observation especially near the limb. I can make out Jupiter's moons with the 10mm and I had a 8mm and could easily make out Saturn's rings without too much distortion. I even think this little scope could pick out the Cassini division if Saturn was more inclined.
1856383
It is a hell of a great lens for its price. If you have extra money you can consider other lenses such as: Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF-S Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras (http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-17-35mm-Nikkor-Digital-Cameras/dp/B00005LEOS) again, if you have extra money. I have used both but I was happier with this 18-35mm lens because it's so light weight. Unless you have an old camera with not-so-great ISO performance or you like to do astrophotography, I think this lens can make many people happy.
747378
For landscape it's amazing. I have not tried it yet for astrophotography. I did take some amazing sunsets with it but have not tried it with stars. For that i'm thinking of buying the Rokinon 24mm f1.4. That lens is a fixed lens but that's what you will need for shooting the stars. This is an amazing carry in your bag lens though. It takes incredible sharp photos! I love it! I will try to go out tonight and see about the stars but I think with the 3.5 aperture I probably won't get great images. I would buy this again.
43652
These binoculars certainly does not bring the stars as close as a good tripod mounted telescope would. There is no mounting socket for a tripod on the binoculars. The binoculars DO give you a very clear and steady view of the moon, or planes or other flying objects in the atmosphere. The length of time you can watch an object is determined by the amount of time your arms can hold the binoculars up.The binoculars DO NOT give you an IR (infrared) night view such a nightscope, such as the military nightscopes. I'm not familiar with the cost and efficiency of nightscopes, so I can't make any recommendations. These binoculars certainly does not bring the stars as close as a good tripod mounted telescope would. There is no mounting socket for a tripod on the binoculars. The binoculars DO give you a very clear and steady view of the moon, or planes or other flying objects in the atmosphere. The length of time you can watch an object is determined by the amount of time your arms can hold the binoculars up.The binoculars DO NOT give you an IR (infrared) night view such a nightscope, such as the military nightscopes. I'm not familiar with the cost and efficiency of nightscopes, so I can't... » Read More These binoculars certainly does not bring the stars as close as a good tripod mounted telescope would. There is no mounting socket for a tripod on the binoculars. The binoculars DO give you a very clear and steady view of the moon, or planes or other flying objects in the atmosphere. The length of time you can watch an object is determined by the amount of time your arms can hold the binoculars up.The binoculars DO NOT give you an IR (infrared) night view such a nightscope, such as the military nightscopes. I'm not familiar with the cost and efficiency of nightscopes, so I can't make any recommendations. « Show Less
564654
While the 71008 may or may not be adjustable the 71012 is from 25x to 100x. My purchase has been a real source of joy, excitement, learning and revealing! My children frequently use them for lunar observing. My wife loves animal watching. One suggestion if I may. Purchase a quality tripod! The glasses are not light and for higher magnifications a good solid mount is a must in order to keep your objective is sight. It's well worth the money! I hope this helps and I hope you enjoy your glasses witchever way you choose to go.
2238328
I have a pair and use them almost every night since to gaze at the stars. The Moon will Fill up your view nicely. If you view say Jupiter with them it will appear quite small but if conditions are good you can actually make out Jupiter's moons even. Very good for starting Astronomy from a starter and will be used once I get a good scope also.
1069238
I can't speak to that, but I'm fairly finicky about the glass I use (I mostly shoot olympus m4/3 primes), and I really like this 75-300 lens. With good light, you can get some stunning images of wildlife, landscapes, and the moon! I've even used it indoors (with the olympus 600r) and gotten some fantastic shots as well. Olympus used nice glass in this lens. While it's not going to be on my camera every day, it's great for specific applications.
1706393
I cannot, but I can give you my perspective on the StarMax 90 mm by Orion. It is small, portable, and clear, but I wear glasses, and it is hard to see through with the 10x eyepiece. I think all of the small scopes will be. I wish I had spent the extra $100 and bought the 6" Dobsonian mounted reflector, but I wanted to use this during the day for spotting animals from a distance. I gave this as a present to my wife who hasn't worked with the telescope yet, and she may have different opinions. I did get her the camera mount, polar lens, and an extra eye piece that doubles the magnification. I think that you'll find that both are probably one in the same IMO. I do like the table top mount that the Orion has. I think once the weather warms we will be able to give a more thorough opinion. I think I will end up getting the reflector with the Dobsonian mount the color CCD eyepiece from Orion, and a few extras. If you have room I'd suggest the 6" reflector, or this http://www.telescope.com/Orion-XT45-Dobsonian-Telescope-amp-Beginner-Barlow-Kit/p/102027.uts . I feel that we may outgrow the Starmax 90, but I think the 4.5 or 6 with Dobsonian would well used for the lifetime of star gazing.
401789
It's a basic spotting scope. The eye piece does not come off to adapt a camera. For photography you will need a higher quality lens. It's ok at 20 power for birdwatching or using it at the range but gets fuzzier at higher powers. Mine was very inexpensive $48. I use it for nature watching. For astronomy you will need a higher power telescope built for star watching. I have a couple of them at home but they don't have camera adapters. Even a student scope works pretty decent for looking at the moon. This scope would be ok for looking at the moon but that's about it.It won't be super sharp or zoomed in like one used for astronomy. When you are outdoors, you don't want something expensive because there's a good chance of it getting dirty or breaking. Photography is hard to find something inexpensive. My wife has lots of lenses and they are not cheap.
1491356
Short answer is that this is the best scope in its price range. It is incredible for moon viewing. As for other planets; using a high powered lens gives a great view of Saturn and it's rings. If this is your price range I'd say buy this scope.
1606758
No problem at all. This lens is a quality piece of glass. I took pictures of the moon hand held and they turned out great. On a tripod they would be even better. Hope this helps.