Celestron SkyMaster 71008 25×70 Binoculars – Waterproof

There are glowing reviews and terrible reviews, both i think are unfounded, so I thought I’d try and give a balanced review.This is a great product overall. You will see spectacular views of the moon and larger deep sky objects like the Andromeda galaxy and the Orion nebula. These are a better entry to the world of astronomy than a telescope due to their portability and ease of use.First, these binoculars are meant for astronomy.These are heavy, and due to the 15x magnification need to be mounted on a monopod or tripod. I can’t overemphasize that.The focus is slow and stiff.If sports, hunting, or birding is your primary use, look elsewhere at smaller, lighter binoculars.If astronomy is you primary use, you may be able to live with these for occasional terrestrial viewing.These binoculars are not a telescope. Sounds kind of simplistic,I know, but if you are seeking to see the bands on Jupiter or detail in Satrun’s rings, these won’t do that for you. But you will be able to see Jupiter’s moons and the rings on Saturn – enough that you can tell what you’re looking at.The “very good”:Optically these binoculars are very good. The field is bright and flat and they focus sharp to the edges. False color (Chromatic aberration) is visible as red/blue fringing around bright objects. It is not at all severe, but it is there and visible on bright celestial and high contrast terrestrial objects. It is worse at the edges of the field than in the center. Views of large deep sky objects like the Orion nebula are really beautiful. The contrast is very good.The “just ok”Mechanically the focus is a little hard to adjust. There is some play in the mechanism that has to be accounted for, but it is very easy to focus out, then back in to the point of perfect focus. Once focused they stay that way for a long time.The “totally unacceptable”The plastic tripod adapter is totally and completely useless. The binoculars just rotate back and forth and it takes forever for them to settle down after you move them. That’s a shame because at 15x magnification these need to be mounted on a sturdy tripod. Even in light wind the tripod adapter just causes the binoculars to wiggle back and forth.I have ordered the Celestron 93524 Binocular Tripod Adapter and will see if it is good enough. Even with that adapter, the center of graviry of the binoculars won’t be at the tripod’s pivot point, so you have to keep the friction on and that makes it harder to move them. A better balanced tripod mounting scheme would be killer.Summary:An incredible value. Good optics, decent mechanics, and an unusable tripod adapter.Celestron: Throw a decent tripod adapter that is sturdy and fit for the purpose. Extra credit for centering the CG at the the tripod attachment point. Lose the useless strap, and raise the price

I bought these (25×70) to give that little extra oomph when stargazing, having bought a pair of 15x70s last year..The first thing I would point out is that the 25 x magnification magnifies the slightest movement, so if you intend using them for astronomy for more than a couple of minutes you’ll really need to mount them to a tripod. I’ve been using my camera tripod, and it’s more than adequateA tripod adaptor is included, it’s plastic and reasonably sturdy, but for a more stable image it’s worth buying a metal one, I bought a good solid one on here for £6 and it’s much better.I’ve been using the binoculars most evenings this week, Jupiter and its four main moons and Saturn and its rings are clearly visible through them. OK, they’re binoculars, not the Hubble, and the aforementioned planets are only very small in the field of vision, but you can see them nonetheless. I think I was able to make out the stripes across Jupiter on a really clear night last week, but that may just have been wishful thinking on my part.Naturally they can’t match the image I obtain from my 4 “refractor telescope either, but they’re much easier to set up and use and ideal for short viewing sessions when lugging out the telescope would be just too much hassle.They’re pretty good for terrestrial viewing too, but bear in mind the closest focusing distance is 75ft, ideal for planes overhead and ships at sea, but not for birds at the bottom of your garden unless your garden is 75ft long or more.I like the look and feel of these binoculars, and I’m very pleased I bought them.

I will caveat my five stars to say that I think these bins deserve that rating in the £50-£250.00 price bracket.When I choose bins I rarely go for anything where the focus doesn’t divide into the object lens size by at least five times (just my estimate). These are 15 x 70, so just under that BUT the exit pupil is large, so you get lots of light through. They are never going to be as bright as my 7×42 bushnell of course, but nor will my bushnell get the distant these give! All the same, at 15 x 70 the image is still nice and clear. I can’t really see why you would go for 20x or more because of the loss of light, unless you get an object lens of 100 or more, which would be really big!Anyway, I bought mine mostly for watching the killer whales and harbour porpoise that swim along the coast near my house, and maybe to see what more distant neighbours are up to, sorry, I mean stars and stuff. Trying them today, they have been perfect. I have actually NOT tried these for astronomy as yet, but I’m sure I will.Weight wise, they are heavy and they are big in length, the main body is pretty much in keeping with a 10×50 pair of traditional bins. Though, using them mostly for watching sea life and birds means that I scan the ocean with my eyes and then use these to focus in on detail. If I was to keep them at eye level all the time, it would be a real test of strength! So I’ve no doubt I will look at a tripod.So Tripod? Yes, if you are going to use these for extensive periods of time, and something good, not your standard £9.99 aldi type. The adapter that comes with it, as already been said by others, is pointless. Get another one, they are pretty cheap anyway. I really wish they would just drop that in the package and improve the case, or use the saving on some other area of the bins.Technically, I guess I’m lucky, I have had NO collimation issues from the box, they were perfectly aligned. Overland viewing gives no fringe, not sure with astronomy stuff as that is not really my field.Focusing is a little stiff at the moment, though I’m used to that with new bins, so I expect they will loosen up.The carrying case is pretty basic, no, the carrying case is very basic and will offer no protection from bumps whatsoever. I guess when you make a decent pair of bins, you have to cut costs elsewhere; celestron have done the cost cutting with a naff neck strap, near to useless carry case and a very useless tripod adapter. BUT don’t let that put you off. The binoculars themselves are excellent.So in short, large, but bright, and a great price for a decent set of binoculars. Very pleased with the purchase.

I bought these binoculars after returning the Celestron 10X50 and Celestron PowerSeeker 60AZ Telescope. The reason I returned them was cause I didn’t get the views I wanted and found them to be very basic though I was on a tight budget as well. Finally I saw the must spoken of 15X70 in the Amazon sale for 7979. I know reviewers here had got an even better prices but then unfortunately that was the lowest I could get! Here is my review as an astro-viewer, more than a terrestrial viewer!Pro’s:1. View and zoom is good if you are accepting it as a realistic person.2. Price was ok, though lower prices are possible!3. Better than the equipment I have mentioned above. No science in figuring that out!4. Came we well packed though I am sure I got a used piece. Multiple tape marks confirmed this. The binos were clean though!Con’s:1. Heavy blurring of stars and planets gives a frustrating experience!2. Heavy equipment, which may benefit your muscles though! Long time use may surely do neck and back damage. Tripod is a must!3. Lighting around in a metro city messes the overall experienceSetting expectations in a polluted metro:1. Jupiter will be seen a bright white dot with 4 moons seen as fine and faint dots next to it it. Just like a thermocol ball.2. No, you can’t see the red spot on Jupiter!3. Saturn is the most sought after planet. However, it looks white, blurred, elliptical and like an even smaller thermocol ball. Due to the blurring, you have to conclude that the elliptical shape is because of the rings. And no you can’t make out the rings clearly!4. The moon is bright as big as the new 10Rs coin. Craters are clear!5. I’m yet to see the galaxies and nebulae so can’t comment on it yet.6. You can see other stars that you may not be able to see with the naked eye. In short you see more of the milky way!7. Terrestrial views are fine and you can see good amount of details. My house is 9kms from the airport runway (as-the-crow-flies) and the detailing on the airplane tail is just fine. Easy to make out the airline. Don’t expect to see waving passengers at this distance though!What is a must:1. Tripod!!!!! Buy the Photron Stedy Pro 560 and it works like a charm. I got it at a reduced price of 1100 instead of 2950 on Amazon which was even more fantastic. The bino to tripod docking station is plastic but I think it does the job. Reviewers on Amazon USA have suggested a metal dock, which would definitely be better than plastic. However you can stick to what you get.2. Google Sky Map on Android is brilliant! Can’t track planets and stars without it.3. A good phone that you can focus on the eyepiece to click pictures. Makes silly pics, but then can surely show people what you saw! I use the Note 5.4. Painkillers, if you go without the tripod for extended viewing.5. Don’t wear your cap the other way while viewing else you may be mistaken for a sniper!Pictures:Check the pictures to see how the planets look. Please excuse the blurred white circle (in between which should not be mistaken for some astro object) and also the quality! These pictures are very crude representations of what you see and the real view is slightly better. I still need to test these in a less polluted and lit area and I’m sure they will do their magic!Verdict: You may buy if1. Your expectations are not very high.2. You can wait for reduced prices if not in a hurry. As I type my review, these binos are retailing for 10,048.3. If you need to buy it, Amazon it is!Finally, I hope the review helps you make your choice!

Soy aficionado a la astronomía. He comprado tres unidades de este prismático Celestron (15×70) y he tenido que devolver las tres. ¿Motivos? Nulo control de calidad tanto por Amazon como por Celestron. Unidades tan descolimadas que hasta un niño se daría cuenta; ruedas de enfoque con holguras inadmisibles; tubos ópticos izdo y dcho con diferente campo de visión… Incluso una unidad vendida como “nueva” con muestras evidentes de haber sido usada. Otra unidad vendida como “reacondicionado” y supuestamente comprobada, también mal. La devolución de mi última unidad comprada, además, problemática con Amazon, teniendo que recurrir al servicio de atención al cliente. Simplemente encontrar ese número de teléfono es una aventura. ¿Mis conclusiones? No vuelvo a intentarlo. Recomiendo comprarse unos Nikon, Olympus o Pentax de 10×50, 7×35, 7×50, 8×42 ó 12×50 sistemas Porro o roof (en ese caso, “Phase Coated”) , según quieras más o menos campo, tengas mejor o peor pulso, tengas cielo más o menos oscuro y tu edad, hagas también observación de pájaros (entonces, que sean roof) o no, y olvidarse del todo de Celestron para prismáticos.

Arrived from Amazon well-packaged. Upon testing these bino’s with my own Swift Newport 10 x 50’s I had to say that the image quality (sharpness) was pretty much the same. I had in the past, checked my Swift with previously owned, (stolen by a burglar) Leitz Trinovad 10 X 25’s, and they were, quite amazingly, about the same sharpness……..so that’s where these Celestron bino’s are at. I really don’t find them heavy as other reviews state…..in fact, upon weighing them with my Swift bino’s, the weight is just about the same. In fact that was the first impression I got, that they aren’t heavy at all. They are well made, feel good in the hands, diopter setting is good, balancing the lens out as required by the user. I would say that 15 x 70 is about where you should be–Celestron do a 25 X 70 but you can bet the brightness drops. Out of the box I expected to find some flaw or other–I usually do—But no, I just can’t knock something that is as right as feasibility will allow. I paid £62 for mine which basically, was a gift…..they really are worth double! So, to sum up: Good clear lens, good brightness, well-made, a well-balanced feel, and quite light considering the large size. I would finally say, due to this size, that a good heavy tripod with a screw-top (not a quick release plate) is an absolute.

Well, the last one I brought I lost somewhere on Himalayan trail between Nepal and Tibet. This is amazing and powerful Binocular you need during trekking, didn’t spot yeti but scenery with this one is just beautiful. Night sky viewing is even more better, doesn’t work in city area though. You need to sit down in near camp fire where no city light exist, it will do the trick.My 71 year old dad enjoyed this with his eyeglass, no problem there. The extended rubber eye piece is made for that purpose, to view with eyeglass. Yes it little heavy but hey working out while enjoying scenery is extra benefit. My old dad can do it, there no question you cannot not. During the trek, my dad was the one who was holding it anyway. I was with my Camera and Drone. Man, my dad love this, when he lost it, he was very sad. So I thought I surprise him with gift.Don’t worry about power Adjustment, it’s very simple to adjust for all eye level.I believe Yeti took my last one 😀