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Burgess Optical Binoviewer BV125

4.0 (2 Reviews) Read Reviews Write Review
Brand Burgess Optical
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Reviews

4.0 (Based on 2 Reviews) 100% of reviewers recommended this product.
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    1. cosmic109

      cosmic109 New Member

      Skill Level
      Unknown
      Time with Product
      Unknown
      User Notes:
      1187881620
      Aug 23, 2007

      4.0 Burgess Binoviewer BV125

      Pros:

      Cheap; Good build quality; Above average performance.

      Cons:

      Small prisms; Takes only 1.25" eyepieces.

      Comments:

      These are reasonably inexpensive binoviewers and an affordable way to see if this system works for you. Some people have trouble merging the two images and realize that binoviewing is not for them. This little unit will save you some cash.

      I've had great results using a matched pair of Orion 17mm Sirius plossls. The views of the Moon are truly amazing. My unit came without an OCA, but I was able to screw the lens off my Orion 2X shorty barlow and screw it on to the nose of the unit. It works great with the Celestron C80ED and William Optics 2 inch diagonal.

      Eyepieces are held in place with nylon screws that won't mar your barrels. There is adequate inter-pupillary adjustments for most users and the build quality is above average for the price.

      This is a cheap way to get your feet wet in the world of binoviewing. Recommended.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No
    2. nam2525

      nam2525 New Member

      Skill Level
      Unknown
      Time with Product
      Unknown
      User Notes:
      1178049540
      May 1, 2007

      4.0 Good quality, inexpensive

      Pros:

      Good quality, lightweight, inexpensive

      Cons:

      Small prisms, one side is a bit dimmer

      Comments:

      This model of binoviewer is one of the many clones available today. It has 3 nylon set screws for holding the eyepieces in place, and has diopter adjustment for both eyepieces. It has about 22 mm clear aperture at the front side with or without the corrector in place, and 20 mm clear aperture on the eyepiece side. It is fully broad-band multicoated to help maximize light throughput. It is of good quality, and has proven reliable. I mainly use it for wide views of star fields, or for medium to high power viewing of the planets and moon and sun. Being able to use both eyes to see things is a HUGE advantage, and will help you see more detail and in a more comfortable manner.

      Other brands might have compression ring eyepiece holders, "self-centering" diopters, dielectric coatings, or more clear aperture, but they also cost quite a bit more. This Burgess unit worked just fine right out of the box, and I have never had a problem merging images even at high powers using a 10 mm Orion Highlight Plossl with a 5x Powermate in an F/8 refractor or F/10 SCT. The diopter adjustments are a huge plus because this helps correct for differences in each eye's ability to focus. This binoviewer also has a wide range of interpupillary adjustment, making it useful for kids and adults alike. Ghosting is kept to a minimum, which is good because some other binoviewers have very bad ghosting present which makes it difficult to see fine detail on the moon or planets. The unit I have also has good alignment of the optics, which is also a big plus.

      Now for the Not So Good: While the unit does have good alignment, it does use somewhat small prisms, and as you look through the unit (with no eyepieces in place) you will see how these small prisms rob you of some light gathering. HOWEVER, the new version will have bigger prisms and so should do a better job gathering all the light possible for these relatively small prisms. In practice, this is not even noticeable when you look through it...you will simply be amazed at how much clearer things are when you use both eyes to see them!!!

      Also, the diopters can become a little stiff in cold weather.....but then again, once you set the focus for your eyes, you won't have to adjust it anymore.

      Another not-so-hot: There is a slight color difference between the two sides of the binoviewer, and one side produces images that are a bit fainter than the other side. This is expected in these inexpensive units and is not really a defect. In fact, other binoviewers costing hundreds of dollars more have shown the same problems. In practice, this does not affect the image in a noticeable way (although if both sides could be equally bright you should be able to see more).

      I have tried the Siebert Optics Black Knight Dielectric binoviewer, but was not satisifed with the price I paid for such poor build quality and misalignment of the optics and bad ghosting and coatings that rubbed off!!!

      The Burgess units are fully multicoated and work great with no problems. There is virtually no ghosting and the alignment was great. Just pick 2 "matched" eyepieces that are 1-1/4 inch type....in other words 2 eyepieces that were made at about the same time (not months apart) and that have the same kind of coatings, etc. Be careful with eyepieces that have long focal length and a huge field of view, as the small size of the binoviewer might vignette these eyepieces.

      In summary, this is the same binoviewer clone that is available from other companies, but the Burgess unit is cheaper and just as useful. This is a great way to get into binoviewing for a small price!

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No
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