Northmere Tundra 15x70 binoculars, with parallelogram mount

Specifications

Description

The Tundra 15x70 is a Porro-prism astronomy binocular with 70 mm objectives and 15x magnification. It uses individually focused eyepieces, a design that keeps the body sealed and holds focus on the stars without drifting once you set each side.

The 70 mm objectives show stars about 0.7 magnitude fainter than a 50 mm binocular. At 15x, globular clusters such as M13, M3, and M5 show as round glows with bright cores, the Dumbbell Nebula shows its shape, and the Swan and Lagoon nebulae show structure under dark skies. The 4.5-degree true field frames the Double Cluster and most of the Pleiades.

The Tundra 15x70 has a rigid aluminum body that holds the two optical paths in alignment, which matters at this magnification. The BaK-4 prisms give round exit pupils of about 4.7 mm, and every air-to-glass surface is multi-coated. The body is sealed and nitrogen-purged, so it tolerates dew and cold.

At 1,700 g, the Tundra 15x70 needs support for anything beyond a short look. The central tripod socket takes a standard L-shaped adapter, and a parallelogram mount lets you observe near the zenith without bending your neck. Individual focus means you focus each eyepiece once at the start of a session, then leave it.

Large binoculars give a natural, two-eyed view that many observers find more relaxing than a telescope. The Tundra 15x70 suits sweeping the summer Milky Way, following comets, and observing variable stars with comparison stars in the same field.

Variable-star observers often use binoculars of this size because the field holds a target and several comparison stars at once. The Tundra 15x70 reaches stars fainter than magnitude 10 under dark skies, which covers many long-period variables.

About this configuration

The Northmere Tundra 15x70 binoculars comes in several configurations, and the notes below explain what this particular combination includes. The parallelogram mount keeps the binoculars at eye level while you move them across the sky in smooth arcs. A parallelogram mount lets observers of different heights share the same view without aiming the binoculars again. Multi-coated optics reduce reflections at the main glass surfaces while keeping the price of this binocular low.

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. Before you add a mount or adapter later, check the compatibility notes for the thread and fitting that this binocular uses.

What's in the box

• Binoculars with padded neck strap
• Objective and eyepiece caps
• Padded carrying case
• Lens cleaning cloth
• Parallelogram mount with counterweight
• Tripod adapter

Compatibility notes

• The central tripod socket takes a standard L-shaped binocular adapter with a 1/4-20 thread.
• Needs a photo tripod or parallelogram mount rated for at least 2.5 kg.