Astronomy binoculars
A sealed, multi-coated 10x50, or a basic porro at a quarter of the price?
Both are 10x50 binoculars with a 5 mm exit pupil, the classic night-sky geometry. The Bresser is waterproof, gas-filled, BaK-4 and fully multi-coated. The Bushnell is an unsealed, fully coated porro with BK-7 prisms, at about a quarter of the price.
| Compared on | Wave 10x50 (1331050) | Falcon 10x50 (13-3450C) |
|---|---|---|
| Aperture | 50 mm (1.97 in) objectives | 50 mm (1.97 in) objectives |
| Magnification | 10x | 10x (one bullet of the listing says 12x) |
| Exit pupil | 5 mm (0.20 in) | 5 mm (0.20 in) |
| Prism type and coatings | BaK-4 · fully multi-coated · UR prism coating · waterproof, gas-filled | BK-7 porro · fully coated · no waterproofing claimed |
| Eye relief | Long-eye-relief eyepieces, twist-up eyecups, stated for glasses | Not published by the maker. |
| Weight | 758 g (26.7 oz) · 170 × 135 × 63 mm | Not published in the listing text · 830 g in Amazon’s item data |
| Listed on amazon.com | Yes | Yes |
A tick means one listing published something the other did not, or published a better figure. It does not mean the product is better, and the column is not a score out of anything: a maker who says less loses lines here without losing a comparison. The two verdicts below are where the page is settled.
The better binocular. BaK-4 prisms, full multi-coating and a sealed, gas-filled body, with weight and size published. It will not fog inside on a cold night. About $166 from a third-party seller on November 7, 2026.
The pair you do not worry about. A plain 10x50 porro that shows the Moon, Jupiter’s moons and the Milky Way, at about $41 sold by Amazon. Keep it dry; it is not sealed.
A little: BaK-4 gives a round exit pupil, BK-7 can clip its edges. The coating difference, multi-coated against coated, matters about as much on faint objects.
It helps. Binoculars carried from a warm house into a cold night can fog inside if unsealed. A gas-filled body cannot.
10x. The model, title and description say 10x50; one bullet says 12x by mistake.
10x · 50 mm (1.97 in) · BaK-4 prisms · waterproof, gas-filled · 758 g (26.7 oz)
A waterproof, gas-filled 10x50 porro binocular with BaK-4 prisms, full multi-coating, a UR prism coating, twist-up eyecups and a metal center focus, published with its weight and size.
Best for: Dusk and night-sky use in damp or cold weather that would fog an unsealed pair
≈ $166
10x · 50 mm (1.97 in) · BK-7 porro prisms · fully coated · InstaFocus
A long-running 10x50 porro binocular from Bushnell's Falcon line, with BK-7 prisms, fully coated optics and a central InstaFocus lever, and no waterproofing claimed.
Best for: A first, inexpensive pair kept in the car for whatever the sky or the day offers
≈ $41
Any figure written into the body of this page was true on the day it was written. The amount shown next to each instrument is requested from the retailer as the page loads, and it is that amount, not the text, that stands.
