Northmere Fjord 10x40 ED binoculars, with photo tripod

Specifications

Description

The Fjord 10x40 ED binoculars pair 40 mm objectives with 10x magnification, giving an exit pupil of 4 mm. This size suits most observers under suburban and rural skies and keeps the image bright enough for open clusters, bright nebulae, and the brighter Messier objects. The true field of 6.2 degrees gives an apparent field of 62 degrees, so a broad section of the Milky Way in Cygnus or Aquila fits in one view. Compared with 7x50 models, the 10x40 shows more detail on the Moon and on the Pleiades, though the narrower field means you will sweep more slowly across star fields.

The extra-low-dispersion objectives reduce color fringing around bright stars and along the lunar limb, which helps when you examine double stars such as Albireo and Mizar. The BaK-4 roof prisms are phase-corrected and multi-coated on all air-glass surfaces, so the image stays sharp toward the edge of the field. An eye relief of 16 mm lets you keep your glasses on while you see most of the field, and the twist-up eyecups lock in two positions.

At 690 g, the binoculars are comfortable for hand-held sessions of an hour or more. For longer sessions, rest your elbows on a wall or a car roof, or fit the binoculars to a parallelogram mount. The close focus of 2.0 meters lets you examine nearby objects, and the central focus wheel and right-eye diopter adjust smoothly. The nitrogen-purged housing resists internal fogging when the air cools after dusk, so you can keep observing through damp, dew-forming hours. Replace the rain guard caps when you transport the binoculars, and clean the objective lenses only with the supplied cloth.

About this configuration

The Northmere Fjord 10x40 ED binoculars comes in several configurations, and the notes below explain what this particular combination includes. This package adds a photo tripod and an adapter, so you can hold the binoculars steady without further purchases. A tripod works well for objects at low and medium altitude, though viewing near the zenith becomes awkward on one. The ED version adds low-dispersion glass and full multi-coating for sharper star images toward the edge of the field.

The tan armor is easy to spot when you set the binoculars down on the grass in the dark. The optics in the 2024 edition match the other years; the changes concern handling details only. Compare the exit pupil in the specifications with your sky conditions and your age, since both affect how bright the view looks.

What's in the box

• Binoculars with neck strap
• Objective and eyepiece rain guard caps
• Soft carrying case
• Lens cleaning cloth
• L-shaped tripod adapter
• Aluminum photo tripod with pan head

Compatibility notes

• The central tripod socket takes a standard L-shaped binocular adapter with a 1/4-20 thread.
• Fits Northmere parallelogram binocular mounts and harnesses rated for 1 kg binoculars.