Finding The Best Tripods and Mounts For Your Binoculars

by Derek Robinson

Many mounts are available for all your birdwatching and astronomy needs, and options vary widely to accommodate the particular optical device you use. Inevitably, selecting the right mount or tripod means finding a compromise between weight, size, and stability. While stronger, heavier mounts will obviously provide more strength for larger sets, some trades are made in terms of convenience and portability.

Bushnell offers a number of binocular accessories including tripods which come in a wide range of price points and specialties. While some are meant to be mounted on a table, others are best placed on the ground. There are even car window mounts for when you don't want to leave the vehicle. Their table top tripod is only 9 inches tall, with a weight of only 1 lb, and a price less then $20. This could be an excellent Christmas gift for that friend who has everything, and can easily be placed on a patio table or picnic table for convenient, portable outside use.

Field tripods are larger, and while you want to keep them reasonable for carrying, they also tend to offer a little more strength for larger spotting scopes and binoculars. For example, Bushnell binoculars field tripods offers a maximum height of only 3 feet, although it has three leg sections so you can adjust it to the height you need up to those 3 feet. It still weights in at only 1 lb, and is a birdwatcher's favorite for portability and strength. At less than $60 it is also another great option for Christmas gift-giving.

Apart from size, smooth operating tripod heads are a necessity for birdwatching. You just don't want to be fighting to turn the head around the right way when that rare bird appears, so it's important to have a reliable head that will move smoothly. It will also be worth it to spend some time working with the head in advance to determine it's range of movement and how best to manipulate it while keeping it in control. That way you won't be wildly whipping it around to catch that endangered raptor, hoping to get it set up properly before it's too late.

If you use more than one set of binoculars or other optical devices, there are mount adapters available that allow you to use any set of binoculars of any brand on your existing mount. In using one, you can quickly and easily set your binoculars on a tripod even when you usually use them in-hand. If you have giant lenses this would be particularly useful when you want to survey a large area while birdwatching over extended periods. It could also be useful for hunters who want to set up camp and watch moving herds at dusk, and those who may use their existing night vision binoculars for surveillance during neighborhood watch.

Some mounts for astronomical purpose add even more exciting features. While these can improve your experience considerably, naturally they add weight and size and may only be reasonable when you plan to set up a scope that can be left in place. These mounts are usually bigger and heavier, and may be used on your patio or even if you just plan to set them up in one spot and leave them there for the night. For example, Oberwerk binoculars offer a mirror mount for giant binoculars used to stargaze. This sets up more like a microscope, as you mount the binoculars so they point at the mirror. The night sky is reflected in the mirror then up through the binoculars. Ultimately you end up looking down diagonally, rather than up through the binoculars. For some this angle is much more comfortable, particularly with telescope binoculars or giant binoculars. These larger optical devices can be uncomfortable to use when pointed diagonally up rather than down. When you're using them for long periods of time, the right mounting device certainly enhance your comfort.

That said, you will want to be careful handling such mounts, not only because they are heavy, but because the added glass can be fragile. You wouldn't want to drop one of these mounts once you have invested in one. With a price range of about $170-220, this can be a great option, provided you have a deck or other permanent mounting area.

While choosing mounts takes a little extra time, and certainly incurs some added investment, it can be a big difference towards enjoying birdwatching or stargazing. Nobody wants to end up with a neck or arm ache from holding optical devices up, nor from struggling to keep binoculars trained on an image. Do take the extra time to consider your mount options, as it can help you gain hours of enjoyment with your giant binoculars, night vision binoculars, or rangefinders.

About the Author

Derek Robinson is a keen outdoorsman who contributes regularly for many websites including The Binocular Site which is the premier consumer site about binoculars, monoculars, spotting scopes and much more at http://www.thebinocularsite.com

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How Do Telescopes Work - Telescope Lenses

by John B. Mayall

Lenses and mirrors are the elements used to collect and view focused light in telescopes. Mirrors are the medium for focusing in reflector telescopes, while lenses are the medium in refractors. Each type has its own distinct advantages and disadvantages. Refractor type telescopes use lenses. These lenses bend the light when it enters the telescope from the distant object being viewed through it. Because of this refraction it is possible to closely view a distant object. The telescope has two lenses, with one slightly larger.

The eyepiece in the telescope is generally a small lens. Some telescope however, may not use lenses for the eyepiece at all. The eyepiece, in any case, is the most important element of a telescope. It is the element which lets you see correctly whatever it is that you want to focus on. These eyepieces are adjustable and are of a low power. Adjusting the eyepiece allows you to change the magnification factor. What kind of lens you use for the eyepiece is a personal choice. In today's age, several different kinds of eyepieces are available in the market. Because of this motley available, choosing the correct eyepiece fro your requirement may be a difficult task. As a result, you should concentrate on defining the criteria you think are important for your choice. The depth of field, optical quality, sharpness, clarity, brightness, market price, barrel size and how it affects your eyesight are some of the major points of concern. However these criteria always remain individual prerogatives.

Lens designs used in older telescopes go by the name of Huygens and Ramsden. Professional astronomers are advised to not use these lenses anymore as they are not of superior quality, even though they are comparatively less expensive than other market lenses. These lenses also do not provide correction for chromatic aberration or the light circles that form around brighter objects when they are viewed.

Professional astronomers use orthoscopic lenses that are designed specifically for professional stargazing. Even amateurs will find these lenses good for their telescopes. The orthoscopic telescopes use four lenses in the eyepiece, and have a 45 degree field of vision (FOV). Since the eyepiece is the element most important to the quality of a telescope, this design is a winner. The lenses do not strain the user's eyes, and can be used even for viewing closer objects like planets.

For a person with a moderate budget, a Barlow lens is a viable option. The design provides average quality but is a good bargain. It does not burn a hole in one's pocket, and yet is not of inferior quality because of its cost. The range at which this lens is available starts at a low $30 and goes up to $70. The magnification factor is generally not enough for professional use, however for amateurs it should be enough. For hobbyists, it is an ideal lens.

When you're looking for lenses for a telescope, it is important that you determine criteria that most comprehensively fulfill your needs from the lens. Adjustable lenses is a good option as it means you can view objects which are not too far, as well as distant stars with it, and thus obtain the best deal your money can buy you.

About the Author

Download free hubble image space telescope as well as learning more about refractor vs reflector telescopes when you visit http://www.howdotelescopeswork.com, the online portal for free resource on telescopes making and usage

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