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Barska Cosmos 15x60
Brand | Barska |
Part Number | |
Availability | available |
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Reviews
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Sep 29, 2009
Big boys!
Pros:Well built
Cons:Handheld use limited, sharp focus issues with my pair
Comments:(I transferred this from a forum comment I made previously about this model)
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
I hated to return the Barska 15x60 Cosmos, but it didn't work out for me. They are very well made binocs, but bulky as mentioned.
These 4lb binoculars have individual focusing for each EP. While holding these binocs with both hands was ok for brief periods (not too shaky) trying to hold it with one hand while trying to focus in was too much. Don't even bother trying it at night unless there is a tripod available.
The weight of the binocs weren't too bad on the arms as much as the irritation on the bridge of the nose and eye area. Having that part of your face being subjected to that weight, along with the rubbing on the ep from focus was too much. It helped a little to fold down the eyeguards, but still got irritating when viewing at the sky, a good chunk of that weight on your face..
As for the views themselves...well these were the most powerful binocs I had ever tried, and putting them side by side with 8x40s and 10x50s certainly showed the difference. But handling these weren't worth the extra boost. They do show the night sky very well, and if I didn't already own a Dob I'd have probably kept them and got a tripod. I could make out DSOs very easily and the star field was VERY bright indeed. I liked what I saw.
But since I don't have to have the big glass to view up close they aren't worth the effort for me. I was hoping they would be a little easier to deal with, but I knew I was taking a shot. As for something to grab and go with on cloudy nights they were a tad too overwhelming. But I did like them. They felt good, quality was there, I might buy another pair down the line when I'm ready to invest in a tripod. Like I said I really hated to part with them, but I knew they weren't fitting the bill at this time for my needs.
I must also say that my pair never seemed to want to get to a point where I felt they were in perfect focus. I could get close, but it always seemed a tad off. Maybe it's just the Gemini in me but I just couldn't get settled. It might have been slightly out of collimation from my testing. A fellow forum member (Glen) mentioned to me that it's possible that the 15X was revealing the inherent spherical aberration of the short focal length 60mm objectives. I'm no expert on the subject but it sounded reasonable to me. lol Whatever the cause, I couldn't get it focused to where I was satisfied many times. Maybe it was just my pair, maybe not. A tripod is recommended for better focusing either way.Sort by