Celestron 71008 SkyMaster 25x70mm Porro Prism Binoculars with Multi-Coated Lens, BaK-4 Prism Glass and Carry Case, Black

Product Information

Whist the Celestron PowerSeeker telescopes open up the universe with high performance, enhanced brightness, and clarity from lenses that can triple viewing power. A visually obvious difference however is that they have a more traditional looking single hinge body shape, but Celestron have still used high spec magnesium alloy for it's frame material, which is not often seen on bins at this lower price. Unlike many binoculars these days, they are not tethered to the binocular and so you have to remember to put them somewhere safe every time you remove them, so as not to loose them. This would have been nice, especially if you often use them outdoors at night, where it can be a bit of a pain to search around in the dark looking for the covers.

Its important to note that field of view usually decreases with higher magnification. This is why astronomers typically prefer higher fields of view, less magnification (e.g. the 20x80s are preferred).

Improving on an already winning formula can be tough and in some cases does not work. However, with the inclusion of high-quality ED glass, I think Celestron have managed to pull it off with their newer TrailSeeker ED range. The Celestron Trailseeker ED binoculars are only currently available in the two most popular configurations

Innovations include: 8x binoculars that are combined with a 3.1 megapixel digital camera with video capability, 16MB flash memory, and the ability to store 35 high and around 100 low resolution images Will a decent camera tripod be OK when using binoculars for Astronomy or do I need to think about a special tripod too? Celestron Cavalry 7x50 Binoculars with Digital GPS, Compass and Rangefinding Reticle- Read My Review The Celestron SkyMaster 25x70s are equipped with 70mm (2.75-inch) f/4 achromatic objective lenses. As expected, these lenses produce a significant amount of chromatic aberration; however, at 25x magnification, it’s not highly noticeable on most celestial objects. For individuals who wear eyeglasses, these binoculars provide only 13mm eye relief, which can be a bit short if you have astigmatism or otherwise need to keep them on. The 15×70 SkyMasters have a much more comfortable 18mm of eye relief. What it means is that regardless of how the binocular may have been damaged or rendered unusable (fully or partially), Celestron will repair or replace the product without any questions asked (there are a few restrictions) - This is ImpressiveThe most commonly used method is to have a ring on the right eyepiece that adjusts the focus independently to the left. Rather than a ring, you turn the whole eyepiece on this Celestron, moving it in or out, but it does the same job and works well enough. These and all other 25x70 binoculars produce an exit-pupil that is 2.8mm in diameter (70 ÷ 25 = 2.8), which is fine during the day and in good light when that will pretty much match that of the size of the pupils in your eyes and so provide them with enough light so that you see a nice bright image. The amount of softening of the image at the edges of the view was also very minimal and less than what I would expect to find on a binocular within this class range. Therefore it is critical you get the balance right between magnification and the lens diameter of the objective lenses. Magnification and Objective Lens– Evaluating the balance between magnification and lens size for optimal viewing

When it comes to astronomy, the larger the lenses you are using the better. This is because larger lenses collect more light and allow you to observe fainter objects in the sky. (This applies for Binoculars and Telescopes alike). Depending on the product, Celestron offer either a 2 year or a very comprehensive No fault Lifetime Warranty on their entire range of binoculars. This Celestron SkyMaster binocular that I tested, comes with a 10 year UK guaranty and the booklet has details of the limited lifetime warranty for US and Canadian customers.While the Celestron SkyMaster 25x70s are at least passable, their quality issues and cumbersome nature in both transport and use mean you really should consider alternative options with different aperture and magnification specifications, such as 15x70s, 12x70s, or smaller 50-60mm binoculars instead. My control 8x42's have an exit pupil of 5.25mm (42 ÷ 8 = 5.25), which is plenty bigger than the 2.8mm (70 ÷ 25 = 2.8) ones on these. So it was no surprise that the image I could see through my top end and my mid level 8x42mm controls was brighter than that through these. Celestron do not specify the dimensions of their 25x70 SkyMaster on their specification chart, but I measured their length as 25.9cm (10.2in) without lens covers and with the eyecups folded down, which is how most manufacturers advertise the length of their devices. This increases to 27.3cm (10.7in) with the eyecups folded up.