These are not light binoculars and benefit from a tripod especially for astronomical viewing. I can use them hand held so long as as I'm only having a quick look at something, resting them on a suitable surface helps a lot as does a monopod but in general you really need a tripod. I would like to have given five stars as the image is good and there is little chromatic abberation but focussing is a little bit of a pain as each eyepiece is focussed separately and you can't do while hand-holding. I suppose because of the central aluminium mount, a common focussing system would be difficult to install and to include it would make the bins more expensive. Overall, these are good bins, best for astronomical use due to being able to set the focus and forget it, but useable for long-distance bird-watching or similar so long as you have the time to adjust focus for which you WILL need a tripod.

I would recommend these to a [strong-in-the-arm] friend.

Only got these on Friday and have had no clear skies yet. They are heavy as expected but look well built, I’m looking forward to our first clear night to get out and use them. My only gripe is the case. Having paid the thick end of £300 they could have provided something better to keep the bins in. The supplied case is rubbish and has to be taken almost completely apart to put the bins back in, it’s very very poor. One of the Velcro straps broke off on first use! I’m looking to buy a foam lined case for both protection and ease of use.