As a salesperson, one of the things I appreciate about binoculars when we come to the “after Christmas” sales season is the fact that there are so few returns. Let’s face it, a binocular is a simple tool, once you learn the basics of binocular construction, and, as far as using a binocular, there is not much to it. Most returns on binoculars are a matter of a defective product and not a matter of the user’s ability or lack of ability. On the other hand, the “after Christmas” sales period with telescopes is quite another story. Telescopes and astronomy require a long, but fascinating, learning period. Real proficiency with a telescope only comes from many hours of hands-on use. Newcomers to astronomy and telescopes learn this, quickly and, unfortunately, many telescopes are returned after Christmas and the holidays due to operator error and unrealistic expectations with what a backyard telescope can actually do.
That’s one of the reasons I often recommend a binocular as a first telescope - just point a binocular at the sky and start looking. You do not have to be a technical genius to use a binocular and, yes, there is plenty of astronomy to be done with an ordinary10x50 binocular, such as the Nikon Action Extreme 10x50. You do not need to buy a binocular labeled as an astronomy binocular. Then, too, should a beginner decide that astronomy is not their cup of tea, the beginner still has a binocular that can be used for many other applications. Too many telescopes end up collecting dust in the closet and that is a real shame.