Celestron SkyMaster - Reviews

(4.2)

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6.4.2016

Great for stargazing! The binos arrived a few days ago, well-packaged and perfectly collimated. It took less than 2 minutes to adjust them to my preference. And then they opened up the stars! They are definitely heavy, so if you have no intention of getting a tripod and you aren't unusually strong OR steady-handed, you will either want a tripod (more on that at the end) OR to get a smaller, less heavy pair. I wanted that extra bit of power, so I'm happy I chose these, and I added a tripod and adaptor to my order.In my about-30% light-polluted, mostly-rural sky, I was able to clearly separate the 2 "fried eggs" of the Orion Nebula, pick out the double and triple stars in the Sword,and even find an intriguing fourth stick-figure star group right on top of the Sword that nobody online seems to ever mention. The hilt?In fact, the Sword and Belt of Orion were so spectacular in these binos that I had trouble taking my eyes off of them. I could NOT separate the double-stars in the Belt, nor did I get any hint of the Nebulas that are supposed to be right near the last star in the Belt, but I was able to pick out quite a few star clusters. The Pleiades looks wonderful as you can just capture all of them in one shot, as with most star clusters. I could easily pick out two planets in the sky (update: the second "planet" turned out to be the star Sirius), but no good detail. I'm not sure if the really bright one was Saturn or Jupiter (update: it was Jupiter), but the Binos helped me pick out a sparkling belt of (moons?) around it, and it was stunning. I guess NO Binocular in this weight class is going to give you any detail on the planets, nebula, or allow you to do much more than get a faint, fuzzy glimpse of a galaxy. But if you are happy just knowing you found something even if it's not like the pictures, this is a really good option. I did NOT get the moon yet, so I don't know how that will look, but I suspect it will be amazing.As far as quality, it seems pretty good for the money. It comes with easy-on/off caps to protect the front and back ends, and as noted above, adjusting them is very easy. And they stay adjusted, too! That surprised me given how easy they are to adjust in the first place. Optics are about what you'd expect at this price point, but I'll say that I was very impressed with how sharp and clear the stars were, and how much detail I was able to get out of them. The outside has a rubber coating on it, which would provide a little protection if they were banged or dropped (UPDATE: and so they did). They do have some plastic on them, but it doesn't really come off as cheaply-made. My set came with a nice little carrying bag (that I will totally use), a cleaning cloth, and the aforementioned caps.These will be used regularly, even if I end up with an actual telescope. They are strong enough to scan the sky and pick out interesting areas, but have a wide-enough field of vision to use for spotting. After my first star party, I confirmed that some sky sights are actually better in these binoculars than in a telescope! I had a few telescope owners oohing at the sights from my binos (which I oohed over the extra detail available in their scopes!).Important note: Do NOT buy the Davis Vista tripod suggested by Amazon without doing some research first! The low $25 price, if it's the same one they recommended to me, also means that it's not actually built to support the weight of these binos - that tripod is not built for astronomy use. It's very hard to get these binos to hold still with the $25 tripod Amazon wants you to buy, and trying to look upwards is very difficult. If your budget allows, look for a heavier tripod that can support more weight and can be solidly locked even when the binos are on a tilt or tilted back. I think you should look for (if you can afford it):The TALLEST tripod you can get your hands on. You'd have to be, like, 5' tall to find 60" acceptable for stargazing.A tripod that can handle at least 10 pounds of weight with no problem (so you can lock the binos in place).A tripod with good support - you'll be tilting the binoculars constantly up, down, and sideways, and picking up the tripod frequently and moving it all around, so support really matters.The lightest tripod you can find that meets the above qualities. Again, you'll probably be picking it up a LOT and moving it around.I don't unfortunately have any suggestions yet - I will be asking the Astronomy Club I just joined as soon as I can for ideas. However, I'm pretty certain that you'll drop at least $75 into an appropriate tripod for these Celestron 15 x 70s, so... if your budget is tight, the cheaper tripod might be low-cost enough to be worth the irritation, as they will nevertheless steady up the binos at least enough to improve your view of the stars.**UPDATE a week later! My beautiful new binoculars FACE-PLANTED from the above-mentioned tripod right onto the concrete at my first star party, a fall of about six feet total, with time to accelerate. Thunk, omg, yikes.THEY SURVIVED THE FALL. I picked them up and was able to see fine out of them. It's possible the collimation is now slightly off, but I couldn't notice a difference.I can't give the SkyMasters another star as I'm already at 5/5, but I would if I could. All they got was a few scratches. WOW. I don't recommend dropping them on solid concrete as a rule, mind you - and I might have just gotten lucky - but it's a huge comfort to know that they CAN survive that sort of thing. I won't always have the luxury of using these on soft ground.(I also found a Ravelli APGL heavy-duty tripod at about $70 that should be able to handle a lot more weight, and will discontinue use of this "lightweight" tripod once it arrives. Lesson learned, and I'm only out about $25 from it, and these wonderful binos lived, so it could all be worse.)

23.10.2011

I purchased the 15x70 Celestron Skymaster Binoculars primarily for casual astronomical viewing. Most of my remarks and observations center around using them for deep sky scans.First, the basic stats:Magnification: 15 power (50% greater than 10x50's)Objective size: 70mm (equivalent light gathering power twice that of a 50mm binocular)Field of view is 4.4 degrees or 230 ft. at 1000 yardsA surprising near focus of a mere 43 ft.--exceptional for this type of binocular.Eye Relief: 18mm so one can wear eyeglasses--providing the rubber eyecups are folded downExit pupil is 4.67mm (only .33mm less than 10x50's at 5mm)Other stats: Center focused; BAK-4 prisms, Porro design; Multi coated (but not fully multicoated)optics; Tripod adapter included an extra value (3 ½ inch vertical clearance). Case with strap--the latter the weakest part of the whole package.During daytime, we used it for scanning distant wildlife and mountain ridges. Excellent performance. Tripod adapter best used when viewing level or slightly above level angles. I found it too tedious and straining to attempt oblique views with a conventional photographic tripod. A tip on holding it steadier by hand: rather than grasping it the normal way, try holding each 70mm objective end with your hands.For amateur astronomers and novices wondering what you can see and its limitations, here are some notes in viewing familiar objects: Jupiter is readily resolved as a disc but seems too bright to see its bands. Its four moons can be easily seen (when in view); Saturn was near the sun but I think one may be able to resolve or infer its ring shape; Compared with a traditional 7x50 or 10x50 binocular, The Pleiades (M45), the Lagoon Nebula (M8), M35 in Gemini and the Orion Nebula (M42) are all breathtaking. So are the Scorpius open clusters M6 and M7. M13--the great Hercules Globular Cluster--was tantalizingly larger than the fuzzy spot I saw in my 10x50's. If you have a favorable southern horizon, the globular cluster M22 in Sagittarius also exhibits size. You can resolve some of the Wild Duck Cluster, M11. The shape of the Beehive open cluster (M44) in Cancer can be traced. Given a dark night, the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) almost sprawls across the entire field of view with the companion galaxy M32 glimpsed as a fuzzy smudge. Even under urban and suburban skies, M31 does show expansive width. Both the North American and Pelican Nebulae near the star Deneb at the top of Cygnus the Swan--the Northern Cross--can be detected on a dark night's viewing--with patience. The colorful double star Albireo (at the opposite end of Cygnus) can just be resolved if you can manage a steady view. Mizar & Alcor in the Big Dipper's handle are easy to separate. I found it difficult to keep the stars in the Pleiades from dancing across the view unless I used a flat surface to lean on or a tripod.In terms of field of view (4.4 degrees): You can see the entire belt of Orion in one field; you can capture the entire sword--including M42--in one field of view; The near parallelogram head of Delphinius the Dolphin fills a field; So do the Coat Hanger and Kemble Cascade asterisms, respectively; In Lyra, Vega and the stars epsilon and zeta fill a field. The latter two are revealed as double stars. So also is Castor in Gemini. The Perseus Double Cluster and nearby open cluster Stock 2 can fit in one field, but in urban or moonlit settings this is more of a challenge. The three delightful open clusters sprawling across Auriga can be seen two at a time: Either M36 and M38 or M37 and M38, respectively. One of the four keystone stars in Hercules, eta, can be positioned with the globular cluster M13 also in the same scene. As the field of view is less than five degrees, one cannot place the pointer stars in the Big Dipper in the same field nor contain the entire of the Hyades in Taurus. The central four stars in Cancer the Crab are just barely outside the field.I also own a pair of Celestron OptiView 10x50's and have found the increased magnification and light gathering power of the Skymaster 15x70 worth the price to upgrade. In a quick comparison, the increase in apparent size of Jupiter's disc in the latter is quite noticeable as is that of M13 and M31. There is a pair of stars several degrees west of M13 that appears white in the 10x50's (at least to my eyes) yet are a stunning red with the 15x70 Skymaster. The moon, of course, can be seen with greater clarity in the Skymaster yet it does not fill the entire field of view. The down sides--and no surprise here--are that I can hold the former much steadier and see more of the sky with the smaller binos. There is also some chromatic aberration with the brighter objects like Jupiter but then again, for the price point (about $60), that's part of the game.All in all, I find the Skymaster 15x70 an excellent investment for the price. I've already relegated my trusty 10x50's to backup and use the Skymaster to quickly and effectively tour the heavens on nights when I don't want to take the time to set up my 8" SCT. I'd especially recommend it as a portable alternative for those considering purchasing the typical 60mm/2.4 inch department store telescope. The caveat is that one will have greater satisfaction with the use of a tripod or other means of steadying for sustained observing of stellar objects. I suggest acquiring a different tripod adapter such as the all metal Celestron Binocular Tripod Adaptor (#93512-A or equivalent) to alleviate some of the strain of viewing because it extends the height and clearance from the tripod an additional 1 1/8 inch vertical dimension beyond that of the supplied Bakelite tripod adapter.

9.12.2009

This posting begins with a discussion of some core information about binoculars for astronomical viewing that should help potential purchasers make a more informed purchase decision.If you have other viewing objectives than astronomical objects, or are already familiar with binocular specifications, you may want to stop here or just read the latter part of this review before going on to other postings; otherwise, read-on.There are two main styles of "true" binoculars. Here, binoculars that do not use prisms such as opera glasses, are not discussed further. Most binoculars use one of two type prisms, either roof prisms or Porro prisms. Roof prisms are more modern and have a straight through appearance,i.e., the binocular cylinders form straight tubes. Porro prism binoculars (named after Ignazio Porro) have a tell-tale right angle bend. These usually are manufactured with two prism on each side of the binoculars, i.e., double Porro prisms. Although considerably larger in size, because of their improved optical qualities Porro prism binoculars, such as the model reviewed here, are preferred over roof prism binoculars for astronomical viewing.Another important aspect of binoculars is the size of their exit pupil. Younger folks have pupils that can open, dilate, to a maximum size of slightly over 7mm. However, as one gets older the size of this window into the eye reduces. Over the age of thirty most folks have a reduction in their dark adapted pupil size of approximately 1mm every 20 years. The exit pupils for a pair of binoculars should ideally approximate the entry pupil of the observer's eye. Although some studies suggest an even smaller exit pupil size, see below. The size of a binoculars' exit pupil is found by dividing aperture by magnification. For example, common 7 x 50 binoculars (7 power by 50mm) have an exit pupil of approximately 7.14mm. In practice, this exit pupil size is larger than many adult's dark-adapted pupil size, particularly when some extraneous light is also present. In most viewing environments such as in or near a city such extraneous "light pollution" is almost always present. In addition, the periphery of the eye's lens exhibits some inherent optical degradation. Thus, an exit pupil size around 5mm may be preferred, although some experimental evidence suggests an exit pupil even less than 4mm may be most appropriate. These 15 x 70mm binoculars have an exit pupil of approximately 4.7mm resulting in more of the light exiting the lenses entering the eye than might occur with e.g., 7 x 50mm binoculars.One of the most important considerations when choosing binoculars is their light gathering ability. Binoculars are essentially "light buckets". The human eye at its widest has a 7mm plus entry window. The 70mm objective lenses here have over 50 times the light gathering area of the human eye. Another factor affecting the light transmitted by binoculars are the materials used in their lenses and lens coatings. The least expensive binoculars have uncoated lenses or single coated lenses. Multi-coated binocular lenses and BaK-4, barium crown glass prisms, as in these Celestrons, are typically more expensive but improve light transmission resulting in sharper and brighter images.The best eye relief, i.e., the distance your eyes needs to be behind the exit pupil of a binocular to see the full exit image is probably between 15mm and 20mm. These binoculars provide 18mm and additionally come with rubber eyecups. Thus, I've been able to use these both with and without glasses. I use lightly tinted sunglasses when viewing the moon to see more detail. In this case I leave the eyecups raised. When viewing without glasses I leave the eyecups down.In use, I've found the images sharp and with adequate contrast to enjoy star clusters, the moon and planets. This pair's primary negative is its size and weight. These binoculars are really big. Owing both to their size and weight and as well as the relatively high magnification they are not comfortable to use hand-held for any but the shortest period of time. Because of their magnification, the slightest shake moves the astronomical object out of the field of view. Fortunately, they come with a tripod adapter. However, for some the need to use a tripod may defeat the value of having a "portable" pair of hand-held binoculars. For these observer's a smaller 50mm binocular is more appropriate. A minor problem is the carrying case, mine arrive with missed stitching on about a 1" section of a vertical seam, letting light through and possibly rain. The case is also a bit tight making it more difficult to easily insert and remove the binoculars, a better degree of quality control for the case, and a slightly larger size would seem more appropriate. Simply holding the case to the light and looking inward will reveal any stitching missed.However, even recognizing that these binoculars cannot be hand-held for any extended period, they are probably one of the best choices for astronomical observers who need relative portability compared to a probably more cumbersome and expensive telescope. Perhaps surprisingly, they are also an extremely useful adjunct for those who use telescopes.In summary, these binoculars allow for considerable additional exploration of astronomical objects compared to the naked eye. However, a tripod is required for any extended observations. Highly recommended.

11.1.2013

The SkyMasters arrived carefully packed and collimated. One negative I noted is the narrow neckstrap included. It's much too small for a pair of binos this size, and I'm sure it would leave a "rope burn" on the back of my neck if I use it. To correct this, I removed the MUCH BEEFIER strap from my old Jason 10 x 50s and attached it to the new SkyMasters. Problem solved.The other negative is the flimsy, nylon carrying case. I would prefer to have a hard carrying case to help prevent the binos from being bumped out of collimation during storage and transit. For this reason alone, I considered giving the SkyMasters four out of five stars,but this issue isn't related to the performance of the product itself.Many reviewers have commented on the weight of the SkyMasters. Yes, they are definitely heavier than my 10 x 50s, but I expected them to be much heavier. They are surprisingly easy to hand-hold. Those folks who have difficulty with the weight, may find it easier to hold the barrels near the objective lens to distribute the weight evenly.My first night using them outside was a real treat as I did a quick star test to determine star color accuracy and brightness. I looked at three of my favorite stars - Deneb, Sadr and Mirfak. I swing the binos up to the northwest and check out first-magnitude Deneb (1,425 light years away), in the constellation Cygnus. It's a rare, A2Ia (white-hot supergiant) star about 108 - 114 times the size of our sun, shining with an astounding luminosity of 54,400 suns!!! It marks the top of the Northern Cross in Cygnus. If Deneb was put in place of our sun right this moment, earth would be roasted instantly!! Through the SkyMasters, Deneb appears as a brilliantly-bright, sharply-focused, white point of light! Magnificent!Just below Deneb, in the same constellation, I scan down to mid-second-magnitude Sadr (1,830 light years distant), an F8Iab (yellow-white-hot supergiant) star nearly the same color and temperature as our sun, but an enormous 183 times larger, shining with a fierce luminosity of 60,000 suns!!! The SkyMasters reveal Sadr's beautiful, light yellow hue. Stunning!Now, I swing over to the northeast and up to check out second-magnitude Mirfak (590 light years away), the brightest star in the constellation Perseus. It's an F5Ib (yellow-white-hot supergiant), 62 times the size of our sun and 5,000 times brighter. Mirfak appears similar in brightness and color to the yellowish-white light of a car headlight seen about 1/2 mile in the distance by the unaided eye. Impressive!Since the bright, first-magnitude star, Capella, is nearby in the constellation Auriga, I pan over a short distance to the left. Actually, Capella is a binary star system consisting of a G8III (yellow-orange-hot giant) and G0III (yellow-hot giant) star in very close mutual orbit around each other. The combined light of both stars is similar in brightness to the yellowish-white light of a car headlight seen about 1/4 mile in the distance by the unaided eye. Very bright, indeed!To really appreciate the light-gathering ability of the Celestrons, first look at your favorite stars with your old binos. Then, view them through the SkyMasters. The star brightness from 50mm to 70mm aperture is substantial, and is enhanced by the SkyMaster's BAK-4 prisms. What I once thought was bright with my Jason 10 x 50s with lower-quality BK-7 prisms, now is dim compared to the SkyMasters!The SkyMaster's 4.4-degree field of view can make it a bit challenging to locate a star, unless you're familiar with the constellations, and know the location of the star and its color. I found that aiming the SkyMasters in the general direction of the star, placing them to your eyes and raising them up a little higher will place the star in the field of view.The center focus dial and right diopter eyepiece rotate smoothly through their full range of motion, and are easy to turn, even with winter gloves on. I didn't detect any tightness or looseness in either dial.Because of their weight and higher magnification, there is a considerable amount of "star dancing" when viewing a star with the SkyMasters. This annoyance is much more pronounced than it is with my 10 x 50s. Previous reviewers have touched upon this as well, and have remedied the problem with a tripod. I'm still trying to find other ways (if there are any) of steadying the SkyMasters, short of purchasing a tripod. I want to maximize the SkyMaster's "ultimate portability," by swinging them from one area of the sky to another rapidly, to compare star colors and brightness, without having to move and re-station a tripod over and over again.There you have it, the biggest advantage of the SkyMasters - ultimate portability! I've had two telscopes in the past, but got rid of them both. Wasting time setting up the scope, fishing around trying to locate a star, then seeing a fuzzy "blob" with one eye closed once I did find the star, wasn't fun. Let's not forget having to tear down the scope and store it away! More time wasted.Now, if I want to check out a few of my favorite stars after supper on a winter night - no problem! Just throw on a parka, hat and gloves, grab the Skymasters and step out in the back yard for a quick view. Ahh, Wezen sure looks beautiful tonight!

8.12.2009

This posting begins with a discussion of some core information about binoculars for astronomical viewing that may help potential purchasers make a more informed purchase decision.If you have other viewing objectives than astronomical objects, or are already familiar with binocular specifications, you may want to stop here or just read the latter part of this review before going on to other postings; otherwise, read-on.There are two models often used in astronomy, roof prisms or Porro prisms binoculars. Roof prisms are more modern and have a straight through appearance, i.e., the binocular cylinders form straight tubes. Porro prism binoculars (named after Ignazio Porro) have a tell-tale right angle bend.These usually are manufactured with two prism on each side of the binoculars, i.e., double Porro prisms. Although considerably larger in size, because of their improved optical qualities Porro prism binoculars, such as the model reviewed here, are usually preferred over roof prism binoculars for astronomical viewing.Another important aspect of binoculars is the size of their exit pupil. Younger folks have pupils that can open, dilate, to a maximum size of slightly over 7mm. However, as one gets older the size of this window into the eye reduces. Over the age of thirty most folks have a reduction in their dark adapted pupil size of approximately 1mm every 20 years. The exit pupils for a pair of binoculars should ideally approximate the entry pupil of the observer's eye. Some suggest an even smaller exit pupil size, see below. The size of a binoculars' exit pupil is found by dividing aperture by magnification. For example, common 7 x 50 binoculars (7 power by 50mm) have an exit pupil of approximately 7.14mm. In practice, this exit pupil size is larger than many adult's dark-adapted pupil size, particularly when some extraneous light is also present. In most viewing environments such as in or near a city such extraneous "light pollution" is almost always present. In addition, the periphery of the eye's lens exhibits some inherent optical degradation. Thus, an exit pupil size around 5mm may be preferred, although some experimental evidence suggests an exit pupil even less than 4mm may be most appropriate. These 15 x 70mm binoculars have an exit pupil of approximately 4.7mm resulting in more of the light exiting the lenses entering the eye than might occur with e.g., 7 x 50mm binoculars.Possibly the most important consideration when choosing binoculars is their light gathering ability. Binoculars are essentially "light buckets". As noted the human eye at its widest has about a 7mm entry window. A 70mm objective lenses, as here, has over 50 times the light gathering area of the human eye. Another factor affecting the light transmitted through binoculars are the materials used in their lenses and prisms, and their lens coatings. The least expensive binoculars have uncoated lenses or single coated lenses, or may even use plastic lenses. Multi-coated binocular lenses, and BaK-4 barium crown glass prisms, as in these Celestrons, are typically more expensive but improve light transmission resulting in sharper and brighter images.The best eye relief, i.e., the eyes' distance behind the exit pupil to see the full exit image is probably between 15mm and 20mm. These binoculars provide 18mm and additionally come with rubber eye-cups. Thus, I've been able to use these both with and without glasses. I use lightly tinted sunglasses when viewing the moon to see more detail. In that case I leave the eyecups down. When viewing without glasses I leave the eye-cups up.In use, I've found these binoculars' images sharp and with adequate contrast to enjoy star clusters such as the Hyades and Pleiades, along with the moon and planetary observations. Its primary negatives are its size and weight. This pair is large, although slightly smaller at 11 x 9 inches than the 12 x 10 inches described in the listing.Owing both to their size and weight, as well as their relatively high magnification they are not comfortable to use hand-held for any but the shortest period of time. For many the best binoculars are ones that can be strung over the neck and easily hand-held. These are definitely not such a pair. Because of their magnification, the slightest shake moves the astronomical object out of the field of view. Fortunately, they come with a tripod adapter. However, for many the need to use a tripod runs counter to the desire to have a "portable" pair of hand-held binoculars. For these observer's a smaller 50mm pair of binoculars is probably more appropriate.However, even recognizing these binoculars cannot be hand-held for any extended period, they are probably one of the best choices for astronomical observers who need relative portability compared to a probably more cumbersome and expensive telescope. Perhaps surprisingly, they are also quite a useful adjunct even when using a telescope.In summary, these binoculars allow for considerable additional exploration of astronomical objects compared to the naked eye. However, a tripod or, support for the arms, is required for extended observations. Highly recommended.

27.11.2014

I love looking at the night sky and have always wanted a closer look at the moon, stars, etc. Unfortunately I had never but trouble with the various "quality" beginner telescopes I tried and ultimately returned. So I have gone without or used an old pair of sports binoculars I had. Then I saw some deals on Woot! which caught my eye in regard to telescopes and astronomical binoculars which got me interested in pursuing this avenue as a solution. I checked out reviews, both on Amazon and other Internet resources, and decided to purchase the Celestron SkyMaster Giant 15x70 astronomical binoculars.Before making the actual purchase I checked out the Amazon Warehouse deals for this item (who doesn't like to save money,right?). They had several in stock in various grades of condition. I selected a "like new" condition and paid a few dollars more for this. As you know the Warehouse sells returned or damaged items. This pair was listed as having been inspected, was in like new condition, etc. This is important as it will play a big part in what happens later.The binoculars arrived quickly and I removed them from the Amazon shipping box. The Celestron box looked brand new, but it had been opened. The binoculars were packed inside along with the tripod adapter, a cleaning cloth, and manual. Everything looked great! I couldn't wait to go outside and see what I could see. And what I could see was a pronounced double image. Crud. My luck with telescopes has jumped over to something as simple as binoculars. I would have no luck at all if it wasn't bad. Back to the box they went as I tried to decide if I wanted to return them (which is no doubt why they were at the Amazon Warehouse having been returned for this reason by someone else). I had read more than a few of the one-star ratings, given by other reviewers, citing this as a problem with these binoculars. It is called collimation and happens when the optics are not aligned correctly. Great, this is the problem I was now experiencing.I think that the late comic and actor, Marty Feldman, would have been the only person to have been able to use these binoculars in their current state. I went online to see if I could find a way to easily fix the problem (otherwise they were going back to Amazon). Luckily, good luck this time for me, I found many web sites and videos that show how to correct the problem. The bad news is that most of these required me to fiddle with various set-screws and try and adjust the internal prisms into correct alignment. I really didn't want to do this and risk breaking something. Then I found a forum where someone having this problem (with a different brand of binoculars btw) only had to unscrew the main barrels and re-screw them back into place. Apparently QC at the assembly factory isn't always the greatest and this can cause the problem and have nothing to do with the prisms. I started looking at where the barrels attached to the mid/focusing section (sorry, I don't know the correct terminology) and noticed the rubber material coating the barrels was bunched-up in places where it was assembled. Could this be the problem?So I set about unscrewing the barrels from the mid-section. Both easily unscrewed from that assembly and I saw that a little chrome ring (I don't know if it acts as a washer or is from cosmetic purposes) was not seated well and had cross-threaded some of the screw threads. I reseated it and then reattached the barrels. the rubber coating was no longer binding as it did. So now for testing. I just went outside and looked at the moons. Wait! The _moon_ as the double vision was GONE! The fix to my collimation problem was that simple. Yes!I lack the experience and/or expertise to go into a really in-depth description of the binoculars and their use for celestial viewing. What I can say is that I could see the moon and stars clearly and they were bright. Looking at the foothills was also a treat. I set-up my camera tripod to use the tripod adapter that came with the binoculars. They attach easily to the tripod but I don't care for their quality (they are plastic). I also don't care for the plastic cap that Celestron uses to cover the adapter mounting hole in the binoculars as it is also cheap plastic. But aside from those two items I am now happy with my purchase and look forward to spending more time outside with them.This experience makes me wonder how many of these are in the Warehouse with this problem? I cannot say my fix will work in all cases of collimation errors with these binoculars, but it is certainly a quick and easy fix for a nice set of modestly priced astronomical binoculars.

9.11.2016

Bought last night @18:35. Postman brought to me this morning (Left them in the shed), all the way up here in the mountains of North Wales.Packed well enough. As they'd been left in the shed on this cold morning they didn't need to acclimatise so tried them out like an excited kid, I'm bald and certainly not a kid, well not by age anyhow.These are really good. I needed to adjust the right eye as it was wound all the way up but that is not important. There's a lot of adjusting there for folk that need to balance the focus for their needs. Once the right eye is set it is rock solid and doesn't move if I wedge the bins on my face. The focus wheel is very resistive and is great for fine control.I'm left handed and I've found that I gold the right side at the far end of the bins and my left hand is by the focus wheel. Works well to counteract the slight vibrations I can't quite eliminate from my hands. Won't be a problem when I look to the night skies as once the focus is set it won't need adjusting and I'll hold the far ends of the bins.There is a lot of adjustment available for the width seperating your eyes and is resistive so fine adjustment is a doddle, once it's set it too is rock solid. My 6 year old daughter can use them when set to the narrowest. We rested them on a convenient fence and she scanned the hills and skys that make up our view. She is blown away, as am I.From the house we are lucky to be able to see for around 30 miles and the view is filled with rolling hills, mountaind (Snowden, Siabod, Tryfan The Arans, Berwyns etc). These distant, usually wet hills are amazing in these. Birds look fantastic as do distant running horses.They are not perfect though. Looking at the jagged bluffs in the distant and the edges are rainbow edged (is this chromatic aberation?). White birds on a brilliant white cloud are the same. BUT I was lucky to have 2 swans fly in to my field of view and it was wonderful to watch them with the green hill behind them. The 3D effect (caused by focusing at a certain point) is awesome, like paralax scrolling. Lovely detail and crystal clear with excellent detail for things miles or hundreds of metres away.Earlier this year I bought Olympus DPS-1 8x40 for my in-laws. These are used for bird spotting and are very very good. Have tried them for astronomy but a little to restricted for me. Also if held against the face too hard then the right eyeiece can slide from the focus position it was in. Not a very fair comparison as they are more of a premium brand and way smaller BUT compare I will and these are better in most ways, clearer, more to see because of the magnification and bigger lense, more resistive focus (I prefer this as it's easier for tiny adjustment). BUT are a bit heavier and they don't have the rainbow edge fringing as much as these (it is there though). They are much more portable too. These celestions have a much longer body after the lense so in the rain earlier no rain got to the lense due to this overhang but does on the smaller binoculars.I bought these Celestrons for astronomy as I don't have time to get out my telescope much these days (Tal-1). I know these binoculars can't replace my telescope. It is an amazing device and I have huge open skies with no light pollution but I work shifts, got 2 young kids one thing I lack is time. With these I'll just need to pop out in a thick coat and go for it. I will update my review after a clear night allows me a look at the skies.I don't know the technical terms for much regarding binoculars, have read loads of positive and negative reviews and I'm very glad I took a gamble on these beasts. The rubberised body is nice to hold and goes right over the big ends and back up towards the lense too. The strap is crap, digs in my neck. The eyepiece cap is tethered but the other 2.For me there are as yet no negatives.XXX UPDATE XXX5 people have used these and had no problems, all impressed but then one other friend used them and could not gat a single image, constantly seeing double. We have used them since and nobody else sees double, strange.XXX UPDATE XXX I can now scan the skies directly above using these. Almost impossible with my telescope. I found a big white galaxy, really clear, some awesome star clusters but had no means of identifying anything. Awesome binoculars.

23.8.2020

It must be said from the start that these are specialist binoculars and are aimed at astronomical and long range terrestrial use. Using them mounted in some way is a must or it is pointless owning them. I will assume the user is familiar with setting up the right-hand dioptre eyepiece.Optical Quality:For £75 these are excellent optical quality. Obviously because of the high power and price paid you cannot expect pin-sharp images and with most binoculars in this price range there is some chromatic aberration (coloured edges around bright images) and a little distortion at the edges of the field of view. However, this in no way detracts from the pleasure of using them.Full correction of this would take us into professional prices i.e. thousands. The 15x70 specification is ideal for stars. Remember image brightness is (exit pupil diameter)^2 . That is (70/15)^2. The exit pupil diameter of these is large and also permits the use of prescription glasses if you fold down the rubber eye cups. That is the reason I chose 15x70 and not the 20x80 model.Mechanical Quality:The focus is smooth and the mechanical design allows plenty of thumb wheel movement throughout the focus. A great help.I would have liked to have seen a ridged stabilising bridge across the ends of the objective barrels. The collimation of my pair was slightly out causing me to see two slightly over lapping images of the Moon for example. This is the risk of long focal length binoculars with long barrels. Any slight knock will de-collimate them particularly during manual handling and mounting. Lucky for me I found I could correct for this by folding a clean kitchen sponge and squeezing it between the ends of the object barrels. That just shows how sensitive the collimation is. But once corrected the Moon and its craters leaped out at me as almost 3D!The binoculars do come with a soft carrying case but I would recommend purchasing an aluminium instrument carrying case with foam inserts. This can also be used for safe storage. Personally I would not risk walking about with them in the softcase.Using:I would recommend experience with small and lower powered binoculars before deciding to purchase these. Although they are actually quite light for their size they are bulky. Using them hand-held is a sad waste of their potential. Hand-holding also raises the risk of knocks. The binoculars do come with a tripod adapter. However, I found a standard camera tripod hopeless. The binoculars are too heavy and because their centre of gravity is beyond the tripod pivot point and towards the objectives they will crash downwards at the slightest loosing of the tripod pan head. There is also a risk of the whole tripod falling over. I suggest you use a heavy-duty telescope type tripod and NOT one for digital cameras. Or I found I could get away with a heavy-duty mono pod though not ideal.Remember if using a tripod think how you are going to view the sky overhead. Standard heavy-duty tripod mounting is great for terrestrial use but breaks your neck looking upwards.The tripod adapter itself will not clamp the binoculars securely enough. The screw of the adapter is the standard tripod 1/4" UNC and is not of sufficient diameter to clamp securely enough to prevent the weight of the binoculars twisting and yawing while in use. Also, the height of the adapter causes the binoculars to vibrate. Personally I have decided to make my own cantilever mount via a heavy-duty telescope tripod. There are many designs out there on the internet. However, deciding to purchase one will set you back about 3x the cost the binoculars.Remember the more comfortable you are the more you will see. Standing, while viewing, is not comfortable long term so a lounger or deck chair is a good idea. Also, that way the tripod does not have to be fully extended and so is more stable.SummaryThe views of the Milky Way with these binoculars are breathtaking. In this they exceed the views from my large expensive telescope which cannot be used with low magnifications. Such a telescope will no where will match the field of view of these binoculars or the feeling of actually being out there amongst the stars that these binoculars give you. Overall I am very pleased with my purchase. I will update tis with a photo of my DIY mount when complete.

24.3.2015

I AM NOT A BINOCULAR EXPERT, BUT I KNOW NIKON CAMERAS AND LENSES OVER 20 YEARS OF BEING A NATURE PHOTOGRAPHER USING LENSES THAT COST THEN OVER $1,000. I KNOW WHAT IMAGES YOU CAN EXPECT FROM QUALITY EQUIPMENT.I recently moved next to a golf course filled with wildlife including geese, doves, ducks, rabbits and coyotes I had an ancient pair of Zenith fully coated 7X35 binoculars, which were ok, not especially sharp, but with almost no flair or multiple images. I wanted a higher power pair and over the next month bought four: a Celestron 16X32 roof top prism bino, the Barski 10-30X50 bino, the Nikon Aculon 10-22X50, and the Skymaster 15X70. I returned the first three as defective and kept the Skymaster 15X70.Why?The worst bino by far was the Celestron 16X32, because not only was the collimation off, but the optics were very fuzzy, and there were lots of secondary images which made them totally useless. Of course they were only $17. Amazon did a fantastic job taking them back and refunding.Next was the Barska 10-30X50. They were fairly good in terms of clarity and double images and collimation at 10 power, but once over 20 power they were useless, so unclear that they were useless, like they had a medium fog in them. They also had a lot of secondary images around the main image.I NOW ATTRIBUTE THE SECONDARY IMAGES TO THE UNCOATED LENSES BOUNCING LIGHT AROUND CREATING SECONDARY IMAGES THAT TAKE AWAY SHARPNESS BY KILLINGTHE ABILITY TO SEE SHARP EDGES. THE REFLECTED IMAGES WOULD NOT FOCUS DOWN TO THE CENTRAL IMAGE, LOSING LAITY AND BRIGHTNESS.So I bought the Nikon 10-22X50 mm hoping for at least some of the clarity I find in my $400-$1,400 Nikon camera lenses, because those lenses have an "exit pupil" size large enough to cover a 35 MM film frame, which in its corners means a circle requiring crystal clarity of over 43 mm, which is far larger than the 3 mm needed at the 22 power of the Nikons, therefore less expensive sized glass, etc.But no. The Nikon's had a higher degree of clarity than the other binos, but the lenses are not fully multicoated, and the multiple image problem was much worse than any other bino I tested. Also there was some blue color fringing on some bright sharp lines, that totally obscured the clarity at that point. The eye relief was only 8.6 mm which means you can't use eye glasses with them. When I took them out at night, I looked at a bright star, and get this---I saw 21 images. There were four light flares at 90 degree angles, and embedded in each were 5 reflected images of that central bright star!! So I sent them back to Adorma, which had to be threatened before they paid for shipping, and they still may charge me $14.95 if they don't find them defective as I did.REMEMBER, I DON'T HAVE THE MULTIPLE IMAGE PROBLEMS WITH THE ANCIENT ZENITH FULLY MULTICOATED ZENITH 7X35 BINOS.SO, I ORDERED THE SKYMASTER NOT EXPECTING MUCH BUT WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED.These binos are bright. They are not as clear as the Nikons, but the reflected multiple image problem was the least of the four binos I bought and no noticeable color fringing, and the magnification is good enough to read a clock on the patio of a house 150 yards away. They revealed that amount of detail. I am keeping them.But now I am aware that to get Nikon camera lens clarity in binos, you need to spend a lot more than I did on the Nikons or Skymaster. You need good quality multicoating, phase adjusted and coated prisms, perhaps ED glass, and enough robustness to not lose collimation by being bumped in shipment.However, for the price, the Skymaster 15X70 is an excellent buy for terrestial use. Because I am nearsighted, without eyeglasses, they focus at close as 35 feet or even less, thus good for even small birds on nearby trees.I took it out last night for a go at the sky. It beats all the others I tried hands down including the Nikons--flaring was much lower than the Nikons, and no discernible multiple images on stars.

18.10.2015

The 3rd large Skymaster Binos I've acquired and likely to become my favorite. Also have 15x70 and 20x80. About the same feel as my beloved 15x70 and I can hold steady enough for short glimpses without use of tripod. Apart from the next two sentences, my comments regard casual astronomical use. Did take it with me yesterday on the Blue Ridge Parkway for scanning faraway features. Excellent performance and reach for terrestrial viewing yet not as convenient to handle nor as portable as my 10x50.As others point out, a tripod is recommended if you intend on lingering longer than several seconds. A Bakelite tripod adaptor is included yet I still utilize the traditional metal Celestron one because it provides an extra inch of vertical clearance which eases visual access.While the view is 2.7 degrees, an expansiveness is remarkably maintained. Some observational notes follow, especially in comparison with the 15x70 and bear in mind my suburban skies suffer from light pollution: Saturn was a tease as it is definitely seen as elongated. However, it may be that at opposition the rings just might be inferred. I saw it closer to the setting sun so not a good circumstance. Jupiter was a bright disc and there was greater separation between its moons and disc. Could not resolve it's two dark belts. Venus was a very bright morning star and I could not be assured I could detect its shape with certainty.The Pleiades (M45) fills the field of view with breathtaking magnificence!! Orion's sword plus the cluster NGC 1981 can be seen simultaneously. The Orion Nebula (M 42) approaches what I can see in my telescope and some of the Trapezium stars can be viewed. NGC 1981 is truly a charming cluster. The very rich open cluster M35 in Gemini is partially resolved while the Wild Duck Cluster (M11) seems just under threshold, appearing more like an irregularly shaped hazy area. However, it might be partially resolved with darker skies. Globular clusters M13 and M22 are larger fuzz balls than in the 15x70. Double star Albireo in Cygnus can be resolved. The great Andromeda Galaxy (M31) truly resembles a comet which provides insight into the false alarms it likely triggered for historical comet chasers like Charles Messier who put it down as #31 on his list of stellar distractions to avoid. The delightful Beehive (M44) open cluster is contained in one view and I can now relate to the imagery of, "The falling tears of Christ" earlier observers reported. The open clusters of Auriga,(M36, 37 & 38) are tantalizing yet, for me, on the verge of resolution. The asterism Coathanger (aka Brocchi's Cluster) fills one field.All in all, for under $100, the 25x70 Skymasrter is an excellent investment when not seeking higher priced premium binoculars. It is recommended to be used with a tripod; yet quick, informal views can be relatively easy to accomplish hand held, especially while grasping it by the objective ends. The lenses are situated deeper on the front end than the 15x70, possibly suggesting a type of dew/sun shade purpose. Other differences to keep in mind in comparison with the 15x70 include the smaller observational field of view (of course) and the merely point and look aspect of the smaller bino is diminished in the 25x70 (of course) with the greater magnification coupled with that narrower field. These are just part of the game and should be of no surprise. With more use, I am inclined to suggest this may become my preferred set at first use. BTW, my 20x80's, apart from increased weight, are hardly used at home due to light pollution. Its larger objectives, at 80mm, bring in more light so are reserved for observation under darker skies. It was because of this suburban atmospheric limitation that I sought an alternative for increased magnification beyond the 15x70 and settled on the 25x70.

9.3.2015

I normally don't take the time to write a review for something I purchased, but after reading a hundred plus reviews from multiple websites on the Celestron Skymaster 15x70 Binoculars, I decided to write one in hopes of helping someone else in making their decision to puchase these binoculars or not. I must first say, I am no expert by any means in Astronomy or binoculars. That being said, these binoculars are great for someone just getting into astronomy like myself. I have a pair of 7x35 binoculars I used from time to time to look at the moon and scan the sky, which definitely help aid the naked eye, but they are simply no comparison to the 15x70s.The negative reviews concerning the collimation issues along with complaints of this pair being too heavy for handheld use were nearly enough to deter me from purchasing them. After I put in more time researching than I probably should have, I decided to go ahead and buy them. I decided to wait on buying a tripod and try them out handheld first, to see just how difficult it was. I drove about 15 minutes to a nearby greenway the first night I had them, and was anxious to test them out. The moon was full, and I definitely had the best view I'd ever had in person through the 15x70s. Like I said before, the 7x35s don't compare. The moon looked 15 times closer in HD, and I could see tons of craters. I scanned up a ways a found Jupiter. I could easily see Jupiter and the four Galilean moons. Needless to say, it took me a total of 5 minutes to realize I got my moneys worth. The weight of the binoculars aren't too overwhelming. I did realize, however, that If I were going to spend a lot of time looking at the sky, a tripod would really come in handy. Even if the binoculars aren't too heavy, it's still difficult to fixate on one planet, cluster, or nebula for too long without seeing "dancing stars". I'm sure there are breathing techniques you can use to help keep it steady, but I figured I would give a tripod a try. I decided to buy locally to avoid having to wait a few more days for it to be shipped. I bought a Targus 58' Camera & Camcorder tripod for $28. It was really easy to set up, and has a lot of adjustments along with a 360 degree swivel. The adapter that came with the Binoculars isn't expensively built by any means, but it works fine for now. Very easy to attach/use. Last night I used the tripod, and it really did make a world of difference. Once you set your sights to an object, the tripod does it's job of stabilizing the image for you. I will continue to use the binoculars hand held, but I'll get a lot of use out of the tripod too because it adds another "element" to stargazing. In only two nights out so far, I've seen the moon like I've never seen it before, Jupiter and it's four moons, M42 (Orion Nebula), M43, M44 (Beehive Cluster), and many other clusters. You may see a cluster of 3 stars with the naked eye, but when you bring up the binoculars to where you were looking, so much more will visible. It's faily easy to find what you are looking for with these, as the provide a wide field of view through the large lenses. In conclusion of my review, the Celestron Skymaster 15x70 Binoculars are a great bang for your buck, especially for a beginner to astronomy such as myself. The tripod isn't necessary, but a great added tool to help aid you in keeping what you want to see steady. I also forgot to mention, I took them out of the box and adjusted them to my eyes during the daylight. I had no collimation issues at all. My pair came perfectly intact and ready to use. I hope you find this review helpful in aiding you to make a decision on whether or not to buy these.

26.10.2013

I purchased these as a first foray into stargazing. I really wanted a small telescope, but most of the review sites suggested a pair of 10x50 binoculars to start with. I'm no fool, bigger is always better, so I ordered these 15x70 giants instead.Lesson one: You will never, ever, hold these steady enough to enjoy the view they give of the stars. Try holding them near the front lenses instead of the normal grips. They're fairly heavy and the 15x means the view is very wiggly. 10x50s would be much lighter and, with less magnification, easier to hold steady.Lesson two: You're not going to use these without a tripod. Get a good name brand tripod to go with these, the $20 model won't be steady enough.Go ahead and order an aluminum binocular mount as well. The plastic one included with these isn't strong enough to support them and will wobble around for 5+ seconds every time you bump it.Lesson three: Once you get a nice mount and attach it to a good tripod, these binoculars are amazing! The Orion nebula jumps out at you! Jupiter is extremely bright, and you can count the Galilean moons. Saturn is a little oblong thing. The moon....WOW the moon is amazing. I've never seen a magnified view of a star cluster until I bought these. It doesn't sound that impressive, (wow, a bunch of stars on a black background?) but you're scanning across the sky and suddenly BOOM, your vision is FULL of thousands of stars. Amazing! If only I could see these things a little closer! This leads to...Lesson four: Why didn't I buy a small telescope? I get the limitations of a small scope. Optical quality, mount quality, difficulty of use for a beginner, all of the other things people fault them for. I just don't see how these are much better for stargazing. Jupiter is very bright. Wouldn't it be nice to trade some of that brightness for 30x magnification and see some detail? At least with a small telescope, you'd have the option. Same for the moon and saturn.I should have listened to the sages of the internet and bought some 10x50 binoculars to learn with. I wouldn't hesitate to buy the Celestron brand again. The coatings on these are great, the build quality is good and there's plenty of eye relief for a glasses wearer. There were a few little glue spots visible, but no big deal. I recently compared them directly to a Nikon pair of the same size. The build quality on the Nikons was a little better, but optically there wasn't much to choose between the two.These are actually fantastic for watching deer, elk and birds out in the woods. Even as it gets dark (when the elk come out), the 70mm light gathering ability of these lets us see much later than our friends with 30-50mm binoculars. The tripod adapter is actually perfect in that setting. The wobble doesn't seem as bad when viewing wildlife as opposed to tiny specs of light.These probably aren't the best choice for a beginning astronomy enthusiast. You'd be better off with 10x50s or the 70mm Celestron Travel Scope, which sells for about the same price and lets you add eyepieces for more magnification. For stargazing, these are probably best for experienced astronomers looking for a particular piece of equipment.On the other hand, if you want fantastic views of wildlife and the occasional glance at the moon, these are perfect. I'm saving for a telescope, but I will probably buy a Celestron based on my experience with the build and optical quality of these binoculars.

4.3.2008

We bought these binoculars for our son when he turned seven. He has a great interest in astronomy, and we considered buying him a telescope. We had read several reviews recommending buying a student a nice pair of binoculars before purchasing a telescope. This recommendation proved to be exactly right. Our entire family has enjoyed these binoculars, and the lunar eclipse over Michigan a few weeks ago was a delight! They are heavy, but our seven year old is able to handle them, and they come with a neck strap. He knows their value, and has been quite careful with them. I wouldn't hesitate to give them to another child this age.The reason I can't give the binoculars five stars is as follows: This last weekend,one of the eye-pieces broke off. Knowing that there is a no-fault warranty on the binoculars, I called Celestron. The customer service man was knowledgeable and cordial, but it was only then that I became aware of the warranty catch. To take advantage of the no-fault warranty service, you must send back the broken binoculars and pay $25 for service, handling, and shipping of the new binoculars. I somehow missed this little detail when we received the binoculars and read through the warranty information included in the box. When I stated that now the $80 binoculars that I bought in September are going to cost me $105, he said, "Well, that's two sets of great binoculars that you got for $105." That's just a ridiculous point for him to make, because I have to send the broken ones back, and they are unusable anyway. He obviously didn't major in debate in college, OR that's what he's told to say when a customer challenges that policy.Needless to say, I feel it is important for Amazon customers to know this before purchasing. I am going to send back the binoculars, pay the $25, and see how Celestron does with standing behind their warranty claims. I will update this review when I get the new binoculars.I would still purchase them, but I would have liked to be aware of the warranty catch ahead of time. Happy stargazing!UPDATE: I sent the binoculars back to Celestron and received a brand new pair four weeks later. They didn't give me any hassle, and everyone I spoke to on the phone was very helpful. We are enjoying the new pair very much. The only downside is that along with the $25 I had to pay Celestron for warranty service, handling, and shipping of the new ones, it cost me almost $15 to ship the original broken binoculars back to them. So now I have spent $80 on the first binoculars and $40 to get a new pair. I also advise anyone with a warranty issue to spend the few extra dollars for delivery confirmation if you have to return a product. When I called two weeks after sending back the binoculars, the man I talked to had no record that they had ever arrived, but the post office was easily able to confirm that they had been delivered to Celestron. Also, in reading through the included booklet again, I realized why I had missed the warranty catch in the first place: It's not there. The customer is referred to the Celestron website for further warranty information. It seems like that information should be pretty prominent. While they definitely didn't hassle me on the warranty issue, the extra $40 to get a new pair is enough to make me think twice about purchasing from Celestron again.

20.8.2020

Standard for all my reviews: When reviewing products, I always remain objective and honest about the product or service. I always review with information that I feel others would like to know about the product as I always assume what I'm writing will influence for or against the purchase. I always try to go above and beyond surface characteristics and input into quality, value and application. Most importantly, I will always end the review with an answer as to whether I'd purchase the product again which I believe is the most critical question pertaining to the item. To manufacturers: Want me to review your items,just let me know!I see the negative reviews and get what people are saying but it's unfair to Celestron to offer poor marks on something they can't well control. I purchased these 25x70 binoculars knowing there is better glass available but wanting something reasonably priced that would offer better celestial body viewing along with long distance wildlife viewing while in Yellowstone. I have yet to use them for wildlife but have used them for night sky viewing.Firstly, the 25x magnification REQUIRES a very sturdy tripod, preferably one that can extend closer to 7'. Being an amateur photographer I use a Manfrotto and Bogen Ball head mount. It's very heavy and very sturdy. Cheaper tripods won't give you the solid base needed, could have an issue with the weight of the binoculars and will sway with the wind. Even on a tripod, the slightest bump, shake or allowing your eyes/brow to touch the binos will send your target image shaking across your field of view. They are best used by not touching them after properly focusing with the focus wheel and diopter, looking at your target without making contact with the binos.The 70mm objective lens size makes for a long and heavier binoculars and the 25x magnification is great for budget based viewing. Funny story: I purchased these to get a better view of Jupiter and it's Galilean moons. I mounted on the tripod, found the brightest start in our southern sky (Jupiter), spent a few minutes focusing one eye at a time and then prepared to be wowed. Instead, I was very disappointed in that it was just a larger bright star. Then I realized I was one star to the right of Jupiter. Repositioned and immediately saw the difference. Refocused and immediately saw Jupiter and all four moons visible. Make no mistake, you won't see detail, but you can tell it's a planet and the moons are visible.Again, you can find better glass/optics at much higher price points but for our first set of star gazing binos without going to full telescope, it's hard to beat this price point for a brand like Celestron. We're going to have a lot of fun with these. I can't wait to get these to Yellowstone to see if they are too powerful.But do NOT attempt to use these hand held otherwise you will be sorely disappointed. The field of view is too tight and the magnification is too great to use anywhere but on a tripod. The binos do come with a tripod mount. I had purchased one separately.

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