Black Night Binoviewer

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Brand and Model:Black Night Binoviewer
Price ($USD):300
Type:Binoviewer
Description:This is Siebert Optics Black Night Binoviewer. Properly equipped these units are excellent for both deepsky and planetary. 22mm's clear aperture, multi-coated and completely baffled. These units look virtually identical to the BW Optics unit, although not made in the same factories. These have a black metallic finish. Pictures of this unit are on the Siebert Optics web site.

Vote Highlights Vote
Black Night Binoviewer
I have had these binos for 2 months..Had a chance to observe Jupiter while it was still well placed ..Using just 20mm and 25mm plossls much detail was easily seen..Could see festoons and the Redspot in my C8..The color saturation seemed deeper using the binos..The 1.8X OCA worked very nicely on Jupiter giving a sharp image with no dimming..The OCA also allows focus in any telescope.I tried it in my CR150 and my 8" dob and the binos worked great..On clear nights I went deep sky observing...M13 was a wonderful sight and the OCA made it a glowing ball of stars..Two eyes are fun..M57 was easily seen as a glowing smoke ring and M27 floated against a background of stars...Another bonus is double star observing giving beautiful star colors and contrast...The bino coatings work on deepsky and the optics are excellent...At $300 this is truly a great value buy for binos..For the cost of one expensive name brand eyepiece you can enjoy using both eyes for viewing ....I rate them a solid 9.....

Overall Rating: 9
Performance:9 Value:10
Weight: 10 (Trustworthy Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=266927

Black Night Binoviewer
Want to apologize to John because of circumstances that only John and I know he got the prototype unit. This unit was sent out before one key change was made to the baffling process. All subsequent units should not have this reflection. I will recall the unit for repair.

Harry Siebert

Overall Rating: No Vote
Weight: 10 (Trustworthy Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=228259

Black Night Binoviewer
Nice fit and finish. Performs well on planets. Not very good for deep sky, though. A much darker and dimmer image than others I have used.

Good price, and a good beginner binoviewer.

Overall Rating: 5
Performance:4 Value:6
Weight: 6 (Veritable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=420025

Black Night Binoviewer
I saw one of these Black Nights at a star party. I had know Idea what a binoviewer could do. But WOW, it knocked my socks off. The images were bright and the magnification was nice and low. The man had one of the Siebert 1.3x optical correctors OCA. He could use it in his Dob or refractor.

I saw two other binoviewers that night. Even though the Siebert was a less expensive setup it was just as nice. One day I will get into binoviewing myself because of that star party. I can always change my vote if I see something better but until I do it is a good 10 in my book.


Amy

If you want more info just ask.

Benkay55@Juno.com

Overall Rating: 10
Performance:10 Value:10
Weight: 5 (Veritable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=427873

Black Night Binoviewer
This is what happened the first time I took my 22mm BlackNights to a star party.

I took the Black Night BV to a Mahoning Valley Astronomical Society star party Saturday night. My nephew and I decided to go and not take any equipment so we could wander around and look through all the other scope there. We still ended up taking some lenses and I grabbed the Black Night on the way out. I was hoping we could find someone who would let us try it in a big scope.

There were some nice scopes there. There was a nice big 14" Meade but we ended up working with a guy (Bill) with a C11 Carbon Fiber Fastar Goto scope. He was at the end of the lineup so to speak.

It seems that no one in that organization had a high opinion of
Binoviewers. I think maybe they had not tried any of the new ones recently. Bill kind of scoffed at the idea of using a binoviewer at first. I told him if he looked though them it would cost him money in the long run. I do not think he believed me.

I pulled out the Black Night and put a set of nice 24mm lenses, they look like they might be yours. (no-name 24mm Plossls that came with a Denkmeier is all I know about them). I got them off Astromart.

Bill focused in on M22 and it kind of went like this..

Bill while focusing in, " Wow.. Oh WOW, Oh MY!!" at which point he jumped up and grabbed another club member and demanded the man run up to the other end of the line and get Rick! Rick had to come and look through these Binoviewers! The Globular cluster of M22 really was sweet. It gave a nice 3D effect. I had just looked at it through some other scopes and it was nothing compared to the view I had through the binoviewer. I had never really been a DSO guy but I think I am heading that way now.

We finally settled on Mars for a while and I ended up putting in a set of 21mm old televue plossls that I had. We also used a 1.25 yellow filter that of course threaded straight in to the Blacknight with no problem. As people reached us at the end of the line almost everyone remarked that this was the best view of mars they had seen. This is after looking through 14" SCTs and some big DOBs. There were not any refractors present to speak of. Also no one else seemed to be using filters. The view of Mars through the 14" was way too bright.

One of the other really amazing things I noticed was that no one had trouble merging the images. They just walked up and looked through the BV with no trouble at all. The C11 scope is an F10. That's a 2800mm FL. We were using 21mm plossls in a binoviewer. I am sure the Binoviewer itself increases magnification. Do you have any numbers on that? Anyway even at 21mm we were looking at 133X power. I think the image looked more like a 200X though the BV.

Later in the night, after the general public got done looking at Mars, we took the C11 on a tour with its software. The dumbbell and ring nebula were great. I wish I would have brought some 32mm or 40mm for the other stuff. Andromeda was magnified too much to really see the shape of it. The
M22 view filled the 24mm. It left me wondering how it might have looked at a slightly lower power.

Two guys insisted that they were ready to stimulate the economy by buying binoviewers. I gave your name and site to around five or six people who truly seemed interested in getting a binoviewer. They were shocked that they could get the basic BV for $300.

Thanks again for a wonderful product.

Don Durbin

Overall Rating: 10
Performance:9 Value:10
Weight: 5 (Veritable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=423142

Black Night Binoviewer
I would like to review an essential accessory for Blacknight binoviewers. I received one of Siebert Optic's new Multi Mag OCAs. This corrector lets you buy one premium set of EPs and achieve six different magnifications with them from 1.5X to 7X. I use APO refractors and a 9.25 SCT for nighttime viewing and an Ha setup for solar viewing. This OCA has performed flawlessly in all of my scopes, especially in the APOs. It maintains the flat field, superior color correction, and ultra-sharp star images that APOs are famous for. The OCA also allows me to use the BVs with my solar scope and maintain low power 2X views. The only thing that even remotely detracts from this excellent OCA is the fact that you have to assemble and disassemble it when you want to reconfigure the magnification. That's a small price to pay for this OCA's versatility, IMO. I have two pairs of Blacknights and it is comforting to know that I can use this OCA in both pairs simultaneously. If this OCA were available earlier I wouldn't own 10 sets of matched EPs. I do not work for Siebert Optics or have anything other than a customer relationship with them. I am however a loyal repeat customer that appreciates good value and excellent performance.

Clear Skies,

Steve

Overall Rating: 10
Performance:10 Value:10
Weight: 5 (Veritable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=345272

Black Night Binoviewer
I previously owned the generic Chinese binoviewer of the Burgess BV125 version. I like my BN22 MUCH better. The self centering EP holders are much nicer than the fiddly Burgess setscrews. The BN22 is lighter and more ruggedly built with prism covers that screws hold on instead of being cemented on. The BN22 is better collimated and holds collimation better. I have the 1.8X Maxlite OCA that converts the BN22 to Newtonian duty. I get good illumination at the f/7.2 focal ratio it produces. Axiom eyepieces of 15mm to 23mm work very well in this binoviewer, as do all the 30mm and shorter Ultima eyepieces. The Siebert Star Splitter eyepieces are my favorite eyepieces for planetary and lunar observation in the BN22. I like my 15mm and 23mm Axion EP's for deep sky observations. Don't waste money on the generic Chinese binoviewers if you can afford $100 for the BN22. The BN22 is better in every way, and it is based on the BW Optik binoviewer that elsewhere sells for $500 to $800. Lumicon sells the BW Optik version with a helical focuser nosepiece for $800. You can get a Borg nonrotating helical focuser for $80-$100 and put it on the nosepiece of the BN22 and get about the same thing for around $400.

Where the BN22 really shines is on a long focus f/15 to f/20 Mak-Cass or classic Cassegrain scope where you can achieve focus without an OCA and the fully illuminated field is almost as large as the input aperture of 22mm. The sharpness and contrast can beat the view in a fast APO refractor that requires an OCA to come to focus. I use mine a lot in a Russian LOMO 150mm f/14.2 Mak-Cass, and the lunar views are the best I have ever seen. The resolution exceeds what you seen in a single EP without the binoviewer, and eye floaters are reduced about 75% in my case.

Every serious lunar and planetary observer should checkout the Siebert BN22. You get your money back if you don't like it, and Harry says he almost never gets a unit back. This is one of the last astro accessories I would ever consider selling. The Tele Vue and Denkmeier units get you very little more, mainly they just cost and weigh more.

Overall Rating: 9
Performance:8 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=559565

Black Night Binoviewer
I got one of these for Christmas - I was very excited about getting into binoviewing. After trying it, my excitement diminished. Views are very dim, and have chromatic aberration when using these. I finally got to try a William Optics binoviewer at a star party, and was amazed at the difference - much brighter and sharper. The WO feels much more like a quality product in your hands. I dumped my Black Knight on Astromart, and am now waiting for my WO to arrive.

If you are considering a binoviewer, forget the Siebert and get a WO - it is a nicer bino and costs alot less $$.

Overall Rating: 3
Performance:4 Value:1
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=502934

Black Night Binoviewer
Sorry, I can’t concur with the other two posts. I have the BN bino viewers w/ the 24mm SWA and mulit-mag OCA, and use them with a 6” dob. Used them for about two months now. I use the BN’s on the moon and planets only as DSO images are too dark with my limited aperture. Although I have not tried the other brands, I am happy with my unit. Merging images are no problem. They are sharp and have a nice flat field w/good color correction. To me, the 24mm SWA are superior eyepieces and when used w/the multi-mag OCA’s, provide good value. It’s basically the equivalent of having six pair of premium eyepieces for about $71 a pair. When I used the OCA in the 7x configuration (which in effect renders the 24mm to about a 3.43mm f.l.) it rivaled the views I had with my Televue 3mm Radian, so I ended up selling the Radian. I have used other Siebert eyepieces as well and although they didn’t have a high tech finish and look to them, they all had a solid build and optically performed very well - definitely not junk.

I have found a couple of minor negatives with the BN’s. I found it hard at first to see in the dark the tiny engraved numbers in the OCA casings that identify each ocular. I was having to rotate it around and around in my fingers until I spotted it, even with a red led flashlight. But now I seem to more readily remember in what order I lay them down in when I change the powers, so it’s not much of a problem to switch them. Also, when using 2x (12mm f.l. equivalent) and higher, the eye relief with the rubber eyecups is not sufficient for my glasses. But normally at higher powers I don’t bother to use my glasses, so it’s not an issue for me.

I am associated with Harry only as a satisfied customer. Harry gives great customer service, stands behind his products and offers a money-back guarantee. I don't think you can go wrong in trying these bino-viewers.

Cameron

Overall Rating: 9
Performance:9 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=482512

Black Night Binoviewer
I agree wth the other guy. The Siebert binoviewer is no where near as good as my Denk. Make with pluming parts and fell apart before I could get it into my telescope. I added the performance and Value togeather and I gave the Sieberts a 4 the Burgess get's a 10 and the Denkmeier's a 11.5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

John Johnson

Overall Rating: 4
Performance:2 Value:2
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=468613

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