Celestron SkyMaster Giant 15x70 Binoculars w/Tripod Adapter from Celestron
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Our Editorial Review
Product Description The SkyMaster Series of large aperture binoculars from Celestron offer phenomenal performance for astronomical viewing. They are also a great choice for terrestrial use, especially over long distances. All models feature high quality BAK-4 prisms and have multi-coatings for enhanced contrast.
Amazon.com Review Binoculars come in a wide range of shapes and sizes these days, and an even wider range of prices. It's easy to spend less than $100 or more than $500 for what may appear to be, at least outwardly, comparable models. While they may look the same, they are probably quite different on the inside. Recently, the binocular market has seen a flood of giant binoculars at prices that were unheard of just a few years ago. In general, giant binoculars are defined as those that magnify the view 10 times or more and have 70-mm or larger front (objective) lenses. It used to be that the least expensive giant binoculars cost in excess of $150, even $200. All that changed not long ago, when the bottom fell out of the price cellar. Now, several companies import giant binoculars that sell for half that, or less. Celestron's 15x70 SkyMaster binoculars are one of the leaders in the low-price giant binocular arena. They certainly sound good on paper. The SkyMasters include multicoated optics and BaK-4 internal prisms, two features that promise brighter, better images, and key points to look for when judging a pair of binoculars. They also come with an adapter for attaching them to a photo tripod, which is a must to use them to their fullest, and a soft carrying case. But just because they are cheap doesn't always mean they are worth the price. Would it be better to save up for a more expensive pair? To find the answer, I had an opportunity recently to judge the SkyMasters against a pair of Fujinon 16x70 FMT-SX binoculars , one of the finest pairs of giant binoculars sold today. Like the SkyMasters, the Fujinons feature BaK-4 prisms, but also have fully multicoated optics. As a general rule, superior coatings mean superior image sharpness and contrast. But then, that should be expected, given that the Fujinons cost many times more than the Celestrons. While the Fujinons were clearly the better performer, the Celestron SkyMasters held up admirably. Image brightness, quality, and contrast were all remarkable considering their bargain price. Although images were a little soft across the outer 25% of the Celestron's field, the overall view was impressive nonetheless. Some inexpensive binoculars have very sloppy focusing, causing the eyepieces to tilt and shift. Not so with the SkyMasters. I found that their center-focusing mechanism worked smoothly, with no apparently backlash or wobble. Eye relief (the distance you hold your eyes away from the eyepieces to see the full field) is stated to be 18 mm, a good distance for higher power binoculars and an important consideration if you must wear glasses when viewing. The SkyMasters are also light enough to support by hand for short periods of time, although buyers would be well advised to mount them on a sturdy photo tripod. The bottom line is, if you are considering a pair of giant binoculars, whether for bird watching, stargazing, or another recreational use, and have a limited budget, Celestron's giant 15x70 SkyMasters represent an excellent value. --Phil Harrington, author of Star Ware and Star Watch Pros: - Exceptional value for the price
- Light enough to support by hand
- BaK-4 prisms
- Multicoated optics
Cons: - Outer 25% of the field is soft and a little blurry
- Requires a tripod to use for extended periods
Customer Reviews
Celestron Skymaster Giant Binoculars Posted 09 March 2007
I bought these for my boyfriend so that he could use them to watch everything from shore birds to stars, and they are perfect. This is a great product, you can see anything with these binoculars and focusing is very easy. Does take a little getting used to the weight, but they are a great, much more flexible alternative to a telescope, and so is the price.
Excellant product for Astronomy and birding Posted 06 March 2007
I purchase this on december 2006 i have other 10X50 binocular but when i look at sky through this binox..it's amazing!!! i recommend it for astronomy and birding trip...
High quality and powerful for a good price Posted 05 March 2007
Just be aware the maginfication is such that it takes very steady hands, especially for distance viewing. Sure, you can bring it to a ball game and count the players' nose hairs, but the field of vision is better suited for fixed sky objects, long-distance spotting, or (fairly motionless) birds. A tripod is strongly recommended.
Amazing for the price Posted 23 February 2007
I was looking for a good set of "cheap" binos for astronomical use. Most reports suggest not going over 10x magnification in order to ensure stability while hand-holding the binos, but there were enough reports that these were usable while held that I went with them.
For my money, these are absolutely amazing. While it is true that the outer 25% (give or take) of the field of view is soft and blurry, the field of view itself is so large that this was of little impact. The optics are multi-coated, and honestly, the coatings leave a bit to be desired, and while my daylight testing made me wonder whether or not these would be passable binos for stargzing, first light with the night sky blew me away.
The light gathering power of the 70mm objectives is sufficient to bring the Milky Way to new life even from my light polluted suburban skies, M42 is a wonder to behold, and I actually found that, even only about 1/4 visible, the moon was so bright I couldn't look at it for extended periods.
Hand-holding these binos is not a problem. They're lighter than I expected, and I actually had an easier time hand-holding these than I have had with other, much lower power binos.
As an all-around pair of binos for stargazing, these things get my vote for "best value." I haven't had them long enough to talk about longevity and that may ultimatley influence my opinion, but for under $100, it's hard to go wrong with these.
Complete surprise for it's price! Posted 05 February 2007
I ordered these about two weeks ago and just started using them to view the moon (YOWZER--do they bring in the light!) and to view raptors, ducks, and other birds a half mile across a section of the Susquehanna River below the Conowingo Dam. I was floored by how well these did. I can not only see incredible detail on birds in the middle of the river on small islands, but birds completely on the other side sitting in trees. My husband was able to identify a blue jay sitting in the shrubs on the opposite bank. They are NOT heavy to use without a tripod. I have arthritis in both hands and could use them easily, propping my elbows occasionally on a nearby fence, but that was just to steady myself in the brisk wind, NOT because they were too heavy. I am very happy I did not go with my first instinct to get a spotting scope and tripod. I was walking from spot to spot easily, picking out different winter visitors, while another fellow viewing birds had to keep folding up his spotting scope and tripod, moving, unfolding tripod, resetting scope--too annoying!
This works very well at the half-mile distance I am using it, and closer distances are a delight! Very pleased with this buy!
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