Baader Maxbright II Binoviewer
The MaxBright® II binoviewer has reached market maturity and closes the gap between the low-cost entry-level binoviewers and Baader´s high-end Mark V large-field binoviewer.
"Supercharged" by design
The MaxBright® II Binoviewer incorporates the knowledge aquired during thirty years of building astronomical binoviewers. It is superior to cheaper models in many details. The housing of the 27 mm large prisms is made with Baader´s own die casting moulds, using Carl Zeiss production drawings. The non-slip leather finish provides extra grip when holding the binoviewer with heavy eyepieces in your hand. On the eyepiece side, the newly designed, self-centering Clicklock® eyepiece clamps with diopter adjustment are immediately noticeable. Thanks to the ergonomic design, you can blindly distinguish between clamping and diopter compensation even in the dark. The inner parts are made of stainless steel for maximum stability. The high-quality eyepiece clamps are only the last part of the precisely collimated optical system, which is designed for highest magnifications. This is the only way to achieve the almost three-dimensional image and relaxed observation expected from a binoviewer. All optical surfaces of the Maxbright® II feature a 7-layer multi-coating. The prism mounts of the prisms are constructed like those of the Mark V Großfeld (Giant) Binocular. The clear aperture is 26 mm on the telescope side and 25.5 mm on the eyepiece side. In comparison to models with smaller prisms you can see a much larger part of the sky at the same magnification - similar to the Mark V Großfeld (Giant) Binocular. On the telescope side, either a T2 cap nut or a dovetail ring with original Zeiss micro bayonet are available - both connection options are included in the scope of delivery and allow a very compact adaptation to all common threads as well as our T2 prisms and mirrors. Compared to fixed nosepieces, this effectively saves a lot of backfocus. The MaxBright® II is compatible with all Baader Glasspathcorrectors. According to optical calculations by Carl Zeiss, these correction lens systems shift the focus outwards so that you can still reach focus despite the approximately 11 cm back focus (the required inward travel of the focuser) of the binoviewer. They also compensate for the colour error that would otherwise be introduced through the prisms when using telescopes between f/4 and f/7. Glasspathcorrectors are not simple Barlow lenses, even if they resemble them. For this reason, in Germany the name Glaswegkorrektor® is a protected trademark by Baader Planetarium.
Attaching to a telescope with eyepiece connector at the back side
In combination with a lens telescope or a Schmidt-Cassegrain we recommend the Baader T2 Star Diagonal # BA2456005 to achieve a compact telescope adaptation. In addition, you can then choose a matching glass path corrector.
Important: Without a star diagonal mirror or prism, the image is upside down, so TS definitely recommends using this accessory here.
Choosing a glass path corrector for different telescope systems
To select the right Glasspathcorrector, you need to know the backfocus of your telescope. You can read how to do this in the manual of the Maxbright® II Binoviewer.
For Newtonian telescopes Baader recommends a glass path corrector in any case. For Newtonian telescopes that are also suitable for photography, the glass path corrector GWK1.7x will suffice, in combination with the 2" adapter # BA2408150. However, it is very tight. The GWK1.7x shortens the glass path of the bino by 41 mm. If you want to play it safe, you can use the GWK 2.6x. With this you will get into focus in any case.
For SC or refractors, a glass path compensation is often not necessary, because there is enough backfocus available. Nevertheless, we recommend at least the GWK 1.25x at least for faster systems to compensate the color error.
At the Schmidt-Cassegrain with f/10 a glass path corrector is not absolutely necessary. Especially for lower magnifications and larger fields of view, the Universal Alan Gee II Telecompressor (UAG II) is a more interesting option here: it shortens the focal ratio to about f/5.9, allowing a brighter image and a larger field of view. Thus, a C8 almost becomes a widefield telescope - with comfortable binocular viewing!
Binoviewers and accessories
Baader Planetarium has more than 30 years of experience in building binoviewers. Therefore they do not offer simple modified microscope binoviewers without further accessories, but complete system solutions.
With monocular vision, your brain can only use a fraction of its "computing capacity". In fact, there is a kind of "emergency mode" in the brain so that even image information obtained with one eye can be distributed to both halves of the brain, but the brain has no way of correctly interpreting the "image errors" and above all the "nerve noise" that inevitably occurs during energy transport - just like with a CCD image!
Just as the user of a CCD camera or webcam superimposes several images in the computer, i.e. "stacks" images, the brain can also superimpose the different information from both eyes during binocular vision and in this way - each time in milliseconds - eliminate the imperfections that are not part of the real image.
So it is no wonder that after observing with one eye for a few minutes, you will have to take a rest that your brain demands because it is simply overloaded by the extremely concentrated viewing. In binocular vision, this problem does not exist! You can look as long as you want and remain relaxed. Even with severely impaired vision in one eye, the reduced tension results in an enormous gain in observation quality.
One often hears the criticism that using a binoviewer would split the light into two visual channels and that only 50% of the light intensity reaches each eye. This argument prevents many people from trying out for themselves what a revolutionary effect binocular vision has. But what is forgotten is that 50% of the light reaches each eye and that the energy from both eyes is "reunited in the brain" (more precisely, in the back of the head).
What you then see is by no means 50% darker than it is claimed. The real gain is only visible for someone who has tried it out for himself and has familiarized himself with this kind of seeing for a few minutes. Ultimately, the object doesn´t look darker, but becomes visible more detailed and - more beautiful.
Prisms: | 27 mm prisms |
Clear aperture: | 26 mm at telescope side, 25.5 mm at eyepiece side |
Prism coating: | 7 layer multi-coated |
Connection telescope side: | T2 internal thread or ZEISS dovetail ring |
Connection eyepiece side: | 1.25" ClickLock clamping with diopter adjustment |
Effective optical path: | 110 mm |
Weight: | 595 grams |