Stellarvue Deep Sky Explorer 12X60

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Brand and Model:Stellarvue Deep Sky Explorer 12X60
Price ($USD):$159.95
Attributes:un-checked Waterproof un-checked Armored
Objective Lens Size:60 mm
Magnification:12 x
Prism Type:BAK4 Porro
Coatings:Fully Multi-Coated
Field of View:5.7 degrees
Eye Relief: mm
Near Focus: ft
Weight (lbs):41 oz.
Dimensions (w/h/d):8.25x8.25x3
Description:Full multi-coatings, Bak-4 Prisms, rubberized, large fully-multi-coated, high resolution, wide angle eyepieces. Lightweight, ergonomic design for easier hand holding.

Vote Highlights Vote
Stellarvue Deep Sky Explorer 12X60
For $200, this is what I got.
12x60s with trademark green lenses
cheezy case
lens cloth (too rough for green lenses)
"L" bracket
8x25s with green lenses
belt case and another lens cloth.
Care instructions.

The 12x60s are big and pretty heavy. I am okay hand holding them, but I am 6' tall. They are coated with rubber, which gives a good grip and insulates them somewhat.
OBJECTIVES: The green lenses are really green. Plus they are huge. Lids flip open and stay attached like on a battleship.
EYEPIECES: Huge. As big as 32mm Plossls. (That might be what they are.) It's a little tricky finding the right spot for your eyes, but the rubber cups help.
CORRECTION: Pretty sharp to edge.. Also very little false color for a fast achromat. Only noticeable on Jupiter so far.

Suburban impressions: Pretty nice view, especially at zenith where the skyglow is least offensive. Stars are sharp pin-points. Orion sword fits easily into the field of view. The basic nebula structure is easily seen. M35 and the Auriga clusters are all apparent as fuzzy blobs. Double Cluster is very pleasing. Saturn appears as a yellow football. Jupiter appears as a bright disk with moons. The two darkest bands can be discerned.

Dark site impressions: M31 takes up the whole field of view. Tremendous contrast. Sky appears inky black. M35 is clearly visible with stars resolved. Same with Auriga. Just scanning around reveals stars everywhere. Orion Nebula is unbelieveable. A huge puffy thing in the middle of a starry asterism. The Pleides and Taurus look better in the 12x60's wide field than they do in my 8" Dob. Bright, too. I lie on a blanket and rest the binoculars on my eyebrows for the best views. Its a good way to pass time while my 8" Dob cools off.

The little binoculars are nice too. Sharp views of birds, landscape, etc. Focusing mechanism is internal so it is not necessary to retract focuser before stowing.

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=41868

Stellarvue Deep Sky Explorer 12X60
The binoculars are some of the brightest that I have ever used. Stars are pinpoints right to the edge. They are light wieght for thier size and are easy to hold. For a binocular of this quality in this price range, I don't think you can beat them.

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=41864

Stellarvue Deep Sky Explorer 12X60
Very nicely constructed,with captive lens caps, nice rubber coating, they look like much more expensive binoculars. Objectives have green multicoatings, eyepieces have MgFL. Pleasantly surprised at the pinpoint star images across
what appeared to be the whole field of view. Nice contrast at night, daytime contrast not quite as good, perhaps from eyepieces not being fully multicoated. They were better at dusk than noon in this regard as the 60mm objectives help in low light but arent an advantage in bright light. For the money, nighttime rating 10, daytime 7, dusk 8.5 overall 9

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=41863

Stellarvue Deep Sky Explorer 12X60
Not expensive but also not very sharp, edge of the field is
terrible. Orion 10x50 utraviews are better binoculars for the same
price.

Overall Rating: 5
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=41862

Stellarvue Deep Sky Explorer 12X60
I don't own this particular pair of binoculars but I have used them at two recent star parties. Both times I was extremely impressed with what I was able to see. They are a modest size binocular, and have excellent optice. As a matter of fact on one nite a bunch of us were looking a Andromeda thru our telescopes and believe it or not, the best view we all saw was thru the Stellarvue 12x60. Not so much the size of the object but rather how sharp the details were. Razor sharp image of a usually fuzzy glow in a large scope etc. I have several other pairs of various size binos and none of them came close to the Stellarvue. No eye fatigue either with them. For the money spent this is an excellent buy for someone looking for a medium power bino that will give them hours of pleasurable viewing on all types of objects within their reach. I don't think you will find a much better value out their currently. Give them a try, you won't be sorry.

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=41860

Stellarvue Deep Sky Explorer 12X60
i bought a pair of these WONDERFUL bino's today... for the price,there is nothing negitive i can say at all about these. wonderful views of the southern skys.. the weight is not bad either.. i was able to hold them for short times, and get good veiws...
yes, a mount is a must for long periods of astronomical veiwing.
optics: for the price, they are great... yes ,i have seen better... but the bino's were 3 times the cost of these..
tell you what... for a $159.oo . you will have a TOUGH time finding better...
thank you ..

Overall Rating: No Vote
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=41867

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