Once again I have to tout Orion's ST80 for the price, quality, portability and versatility. I do a lot of travelling here in SE Asia, and I really do carry it on with me everywhere I go. Just get a cheap ball-mount tripod to mount it on. Very cool!
What a great way to enjoy the Small and Large Magellenic Clouds, which you should be able to see from Ecuador in December. Check out 47 Tucanae. You can only hold binoculars steady for so long. You'll want to spend a lot of time on this one. Have fun, man!

 

Nikon 10x50 or 12x50 Action Extreme (AE) ATB Binoculars. Absolutely wonderful. 12x are of course harder to hold steady than the 10x due to magnification. I have the 12x.

As a fun hiking/walking binocular, IMO everyone should have the Pentax 6.5 x 21 Papilio. These focus to 18"!!! Amazing for nature.

The 50mm Nikon AEs are large, so not sure great for your mom at the track. The Nikon 7x35 Action Extremes would be better as smaller and lighter, plus nice for rich fields for astro as they have over 9 degree TFOV.

If these are eventually to be gifted to her, then the Pentax Papilio definitely the lightest and smallest and easiest. Whenever I sit in the back yard I take them because they can focus so close that fun to look at all the flowers and critters on the ground. These also come in 8.5x21 as well, but again higher mags are harder to hold steady so I chose the 6.5x21 after playing with both in a store for a while. If my primary focus was going to be very distant objects, then the 8.8x21s were better of course. But for me they are for close by stuff and birds and bugs while hiking so liked the wider field of the 6.5x. The do not have a strap though. Instead a small carry pouch with a belt loop. Also have the tripod adapter on the bottom.

 

Well, then get an inexpensive pair of 8x40-45's. Very light, easy to hold steady for a while and nice exit pupil for stargazing.
They will work great on the SMC and LMC, which will straddle the meridian around 3 hours after sunset in Ecuador in December. You can't go wrong. I would never leave on a motorcycle trip without a pair of these in my saddlebag.

 

The only bino sold by Agena that I am familiar with is the Celestron 8x56 SkyMaster, which I think is pretty nice day or night. Eye relief is long enough to use comfortably with glasses. Presumably the 9x63 are similar quality. I also have the 12x50 Action Extreme that Bill P mentions. I love that binocular, but not for extended astro use if unmounted. When I'm doing a handheld bino-only stargazing session I will bring out the 12x and 8x, and spend more time with the lower power bino due to ease of use. The SkyMaster is similar in size to the 12x50 and so not ideal for the race track.

If you don't intend to keep the equipment you take to Ecuador maybe you should look to borrow a little scope and/or bino. Or buy something out of the classifieds, then sell it when you return for the same price. Like renting.

 

George, get the 40-45mms. You'll love them. Unless you also want to carry a tripod along. Where your're going, the skies should be plenty dark, and you will have a great FOV!

 

These are a little pricey...but evidently quite good.

http://www.opticsplanet.com/bushnell-8x42-legend-ultra-hd-binoculars-black-roof-198042.html

 

I'm fond of my Leupold Rogue 10x50's, they're bright and visually excellent. You can find them for less then $200 at various places, but mine have survived trips to rain forests, the Empty Quarter, and more.

 

Here's some threads...

http://reviews.agenaastro.com/review/B-ZR-V842/ZenRay-Vista-8x42-Waterproof-Binoculars

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php?topic=12048.0

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=222145

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...topics/3888551/Re:_The_new_Zen_Ray_Vista_and_

 

8x42 is great. I'm using 10x42 in my moderately light polluted back yard, and you would be amazed at the views. The 8x would also give a bit wider FOV as already said, but would also be easier for handheld use as opposed to 10x. Especially if considering giving to your mom later. I see that the summit series are phase corrected. Not sure how much of a difference it makes for astronomical use, but it would make a difference in field flatness. Whether it justifies paying $100 more than the Vista, hmm... I personally would go with the Vista.

 

Well I got the binos a few days ago from Agena, the Zen-Ray ZRS. Very impressed with the accessories. The case is quite attractive and very nicely made, with interior pouch with included lens cloth. Straps for case and for binos, both very nice. The lens caps for the objective seemed a little light and not so robust, and was a little strange for me being attached...but they worked. In the end liked it better that removable ones I think. Overall impressive looking and well appointed.

Although this is a Christmas present for me...I had to try them out tonight to make sure all in order. The AFOV on the eyepiece on these is exactly the same as the AFOV on the eyepieces on the Nikon 12x50 AEs. Now my main reason for these was for more casual wider TFOV viewing of star fields. The binos I use for searching for targets are my 12x50x. After some time tonight with both, the 8x42s are far superior for finding targets than the 12x50s! So I think the 12x50s will not be coming out so much. The extra magnification was sure better for closer views than the 8x42s showed, but not sure of so much advantage.

I was able to see Albiero as an orange and blue double very easily in the 12x50s, but was still able to see the split and colors with the 8x24s as well.

M35 was better defined in the 12x50s, but was still nicely shaped in the 8x42s, plus finding it was so very much easier in the 8x42s.

The Double Cluster was I felt just as nice in both. I preferred the extra TFOV context of the 8x42s. Stock 2 was also visible in both, although more ethereal in the 8x42s.

Turning to Lyra the Double Double was just as obvious in both, although of course not apparent as doubles stars. However I did again like the view of them and Vega in the 8x42s due to the extra TFOV. Oddly, I was able to locate the Ring Nebula better in the 8x42s than the 12x50s. I didn't expect this but was more obvious for some reason. Maybe due to less clutter of fainter stars that the 12x50s were picking up.

Moving to M31 it was nice and obvious in both, and a littler better defined in the 12x50s, but again I was preferring the view in the 8x42s even though the galaxy was less bright. Probably the extra TFOV context.

Finally I saw some faint stars near the horizon in the light pollution glow so turned to that and was surprised as it was M45! Looked so beautiful in the 8x42s with lots of room around it. Again, the 12x50s showed it closer with more stars, but in the end I liked it in the 8x42s better overall.

Btw, not super dark here tonight so maybe Mag 4 skies at best...but still the 8x42s performed just superbly for hunting down targets. Can only imagine how nice it will be at a dark site.

Keeping a steady hold and view with the 8x42s was way easier than with the 12x50s...it was actually no contest. Although much smaller, the 8x42s were still fairly heavy and the 12x50s did not really feel much heavier. But holding a steady view was simply so much easier which made the observations all the nicer.

As far as the off-axis, the 12x50s showed aberrated stars in the outer 25% of the FOV that could not be cleaned up...astigmatism. The 8x42s showed imperfect star points as well on the outer 25% but the predominant reason was field curvature, so I could focus it sharp over most of the off-axis quite nicely. While I could not totally accommodate the FC, when I set focus in the middle I could get most of is so that was nice. Using street lamps and such right at the field stop there was some CA, but very very minimal...and I did not notice it at all with Vega, so very controlled.

Mechanics I felt were quite nice...all parts were not too tight and not too loose, with the exception of the objective caps and the seemed a little loose although they never came off on their own accord.

So overall...impressive binoculars IMO and a very nice overall package. Would be nice if a little lighter, but having a strong build is always a good thing. Did only night time observing so no idea on daytime performance, but I didn't get them for that so won't care too much however they perform there. Happy with them and think they fit the purpose quite nicely -- plus having a 7.5 degree TFOV is so much more effective for hunting targets than the 5 degree field of the Nikon's. Would have been wonderful if they were under $200...but wouldn't everything Back in the box now until Christmas

 

ps - was interesting as over the weekend I did play with both binoculars, the 8x42s and the 12x50s, to see how I preferred the magnification and FOV for astronomy and back yard bird watching. I had gotten the 12x50s for astronomy and 8x binos are usually recommended for bird watching. However, for me I found the 8x42s superior for astronomy as they allowed a more aesthetic TFOV and easier target location, and I preferred the 12x50s for bird watching as I could see so much more details on the birds that it made it far more enjoyable.

 

Sure.

 

Have a safe and fun trip!!

 

Be safe George!