Opticron Oregon WA 10x50 binoculars
An affordable, lightweight pair of binoculars that will inspire newcomers to the hobby
Many experienced observers consider 10x50 binoculars to be the ideal size for those who are dipping their toes into binocular astronomy. Not only do they have enough aperture to give bright images, combined with enough magnification to reveal star clusters and galaxies, but their weight (885g) is light enough for you to hold them easily by hand.
When you first take the Opticron Oregon WA 10x50 binoculars out of the lined nylon case, you’ll find that they come with a 25cm-wide neck strap, tethered lens caps for the objective lenses, a rain guard to protect the eyepieces, a microfibre cleaning cloth and an instruction card. The aluminium alloy body is mostly covered by a thin rubber armour that gives a secure grip with either bare or gloved hands, even if it’s damp with dew. The wide centre focus wheel, right eyepiece dioptre and central hinge have appropriate stiffness and smoothness. At the minimum interpupillary distance (the distance between the pupils of your eyes) of 58mm, there is 16mm between the rubber eye cups, enough to avoid them squeezing the bridge of your nose. We noticed that the prisms are clipped in place and not held in a cage, which potentially makes them susceptible to becoming dislodged – but the five-year guarantee, unusual for an entry-level pair of binoculars, inspires confidence that the manufacturer has secured the prisms effectively.
Controlling light
We held the binoculars up to the light and examined the exit pupils (the light emerging from the eyepieces), noting that these are perfectly round with no black or grey segments. This indicates that the prisms are appropriately sized and confirms the use of high-index glass. When you shine a light into the objective lens, the muted reflections are consistent with the fully multi-coated specification, and this combined with the ribs inside the objective tubes suggests that stray light should be well-controlled. Indeed, we could not find any spurious reflections when the gibbous Moon was inside, or just outside, the field of view.
The Moon also offers a test of chromatic aberration (an effect usually seen as unwanted coloured rings around brighter objects); although there is a slight
amount of false colour at the centre of the field of view, nowhere does this become overly intrusive. Stars in the central two thirds are very sharp, and we were able to keep the components of the double star Delta (d) Cephei (40 arcseconds separation) split to about 80 per cent out, as well as distinguish the colours of the two stars. Turning our attention to other winter binocular targets, we explored the curves and groups of stars in Collinder 70 (the region around Orion’s Belt), which were a delight. The Orion Nebula itself began to show structure, with the ‘Fish’s Mouth’ inlet being prominent, while the stars of the Meissa Cluster revealed their various colours. The Leaping Minnow asterism and Messier clusters in the constellation of Auriga, the Charioteer were all distinct, while the Beehive Cluster, M44 in Cancer, the Crab clearly showed the mass differentiation that pushed the fainter stars further from the middle. Once Bode’s Nebula, M81 and the Cigar Galaxy, M82 achieved a reasonable altitude, they were obvious with direct vision. We also found it easy to identify asteroid Vesta, which was almost at its best for the year and is the brightest of the asteroids.
Although these binoculars have a satisfyingly sturdy feel to them, this does not come at the expense of decent ergonomics. You will find that they are well-balanced, and light enough for you to hold for extended periods. While they do have some shortcomings (as do all but the most expensive premium binoculars), there is nothing severe or obtrusive enough to make them difficult to use or to markedly degrade the image. In fact, you probably wouldn’t even notice the few niggles we found unless you were actively looking for them. It’s as if someone has been paying attention to what binocular reviewers have, for many years, been asking for in an entry-level pair of 10x50 astronomical binoculars and, at last, given it to us.
Whether you’re just starting out in this wonderful hobby, or are an experienced observer who wants some inexpensive binoculars for quick wide-angle vistas and other casual use, the Opticron Oregon WA 10x50s are definitely worth a look.