I own a Nikon OceanPro 7x50 pair of binoculars, but I find that when I look at the moon, I would like more magnification.
My requirements are:
- costs less than $400
- weighs less than 10kg
- the length is less than 1-2 feet
- much higher maginification than 7x (I already have a pair of 7x binoculars, as I said)
- at least an 100mm objective I (I already have a device with a 50mm objective)
What kind of device should I go for? A spotting scope? Binoculars? A telescope of some kind?
Ideally, I'd go for binoculars, so that I can see with both eyes, but I'm told binoculars don't come with objectives larger than 100mm, for my budget.
I could buy a spotting scope, like this, but Wikipedia says that spotting scopes are not designed for astronomy.
I live in an apartment, so I can't use a big, heavy telescope, like a 4-feet 20kg thing. I don't have room in my apartment for such a big telescope, and I can't carry it over the threshold into the balcony.
So, what kind of device should I consider, and what are the tradeoffs? What kind of astronomical objects will I be able to see?