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class="prefix prefixSilver">Discussion A Review of the Vixen 2.1x42 Super Wide Constellation and Kasai Trading 2.3x40 Wide Field Binoculars

Discussion in 'General Astronomy Chat' started by Agena AstroProducts, Jun 5, 2018.

A Review of the Vixen 2.1x42 Super Wide Constellation and Kasai Trading 2.3x40 Wide Field Binoculars

Started by Agena AstroProducts on Jun 5, 2018 at 12:46 PM

4 Replies 4630 Views 1 Likes

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  1. Agena AstroProducts

    Agena AstroProducts Vendor

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    Even experienced stargazers enjoy stepping away from the telescope occasionally to take in the night sky without optics. The wide field of view available with our eyes, especially in very dark locations where the Milky Way is clearly visible,offers a very different experience than looking at the narrow field of view of a telescope, or even a standard pair of binoculars.

    But the eye can bring in only so much light, and many celestial sights and features remain just out of sight to the unaided eye, even in the darkest sky. To bridge the gap between purely visual observing and seeing the sky with standard binoculars or a telescope, a few manufacturers have developed small, low power (2-3x), wide-field binoculars that can pull in fainter stars while still showing entire large constellations. These somewhat quirky binoculars are a specialty item, to be sure, and not intended for use as a primary instrument, or even as a primary pair of binoculars. Once you get used to their operation and limitations, however, they can be a lot of fun and help you see the sky with what some observers describe as 'super vision'.

    There are several of these wide-field binoculars on the market, but two of the most popular and commonly available are the Vixen 2.1x42 Super Wide Constellation Binoculars and Kasai Trading 2.3x40 Wide Field Binoculars (made in 2016 and later). This article takes a side-by-side look at these devices to help you figure out which one might be right for your budget and interests.

    Read the full article here.

    vixen-kasai-review_620x265.jpg
     
    jgroub likes this.
  2. jgroub

    jgroub Well-Known Member

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    Wow, pretty neat stuff! I've been eyeing these (pun intended) for a while now, and was wondering when I'd start to hear more about them. Great review. Because I'm cheap, it seems like the Kasais are almost as good as the Vixens but a full $100 cheaper.

    I'm wondering about those $85 (YIKES!) goggles that work with the Kasais. More to the point, again because I'm cheap, I'm wondering if you could somehow get a hold of some sort of ski goggle strap, thread it through the slots, and use them to hold them right onto your eyes instead. Has anyone figured out a workaround for that?
     
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  3. jgroub

    jgroub Well-Known Member

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    Well, wouldcha know it. Turbotax miscalculated my taxes. It seems that I didn't pay estimated taxes on my Jeopardy winnings, so Turotax figured in a little penalty for me. It turns out the IRS is a little more forgiving than Turbotax thought, so not only did I get a nooooooice refund, but I also got back the penalty I paid, too - $198.

    Which is more than enough to cover the cost of the Kasais. No excuses left! I'll order them right after I get back from RMSS and report back.

    [​IMG]

    http://i.imgur.com/iDdge75.jpg
     
  4. Dave In Vermont

    Dave In Vermont Well-Known Member

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    Sweet deal, Jon! I still have a $140 cash-back from Discover-Card to play with. Of course - more astro-goodies' are on my radar-screen.....
     
  5. STaNik

    STaNik New Member

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    I'm not sure these two binoculars have enough magnifying power for astronomy. Of course they are compact and lightweight, and most likely worth their price. But the lowest magnification you need to go stargaing is x7 at least.
    https://wildproofgear.com/best-binoculars-for-stargazing/
    [​IMG]
    Literally magnification means how many times closer the object appears, which means these binocs increase the object only x2 times. I'm sorry but there is no way you use them for astronomy.
     

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