Your eyepieces are the first accessories you should learn to use with your telescope. It means that as well as being pretty good binoculars for astronomy, they are perfect for a number of long range uses during the day. No retailers currently carry this product. ED glass is specially formulated and contains rare-earth compounds that greatly reduce a visual defect called chromatic aberration. Sign up to receive sale alerts, news about upcoming celestial events, and telescope tips from our experts! DUE TO EXTREMELY HIGH DEMAND, WE WILL NOT BE TAKING NEW ORDERS UNTIL MONDAY, DECEMBER 14. Seeing the iconic rings around Saturn is a great feeling, but it is difficult to see where the rings separate from the planet. Near Focus
You can adjust the distance between the centers of the ocular lenses to match that of the distance between your eyes by opening and closing the central hinge. However the huge trade off is the increased cost, size and weight (se table above). So to help with this, Celestron have also added a couple of thumb indents on the underside that are designed to direct you to hold them where you can get a good grip and easily reach and turn the focus wheel with your forefingers. Celestrons patented StarSense Technology makes it easier than ever to locate objects in the night sky, even if youve never used a telescope before. Like the majority of binoculars I review, these SkyMaster's are tripod adaptable, but unlike most "standard", general use binoculars, the need to attach these to a tripod is far greater. Rating for Body Construction Quality: 6/10. This was one of the reasons that I chose this 25x70 SkyMaster over the other larger pairs as I wanted a binocular that had plenty of reach and light gathering ability, but are still just lightweight enough for me to hold and use them without having to fix them to a tripod: BBR Rating for Body Stats compared to other Giant Bins: 9/10. Celestrons aplanatic EdgeHD optics revolutionized astroimaging. Our patented SkyAlign alignment technology makes setting up a computerized telescope simple, fast, and accurate. There are between 10 and 18 glass surfaces within most binoculars, all of which have the potential to reflect light in an undesirable way. Over long periods, this pressure did become a little uncomfortable. Sure they may not be perfect, but I do believe that they are quite a lot better than their price tag and as such they are better than most in this class and make a great low cost option if you are after a high powered astronomy and terrestrial binocular. I also sometimes found myself holding the barrels a point a little further down them which works well and you can get a really good steady and comfortable grip, but the downside to this is that you do need to move your hands to change the focus. At 33mm in diameter, the centrally located focus wheel is nice and large. These Celestron SkyMaster's have ocular lenses that are 23mm in diameter, which is around the same size as the larger ones found on most standard bins. SkyMaster 18-40x80mm Zoom Porro Binoculars, We process your personal data as stated in our. Please let us know what topics you are interested in. I would also like to say a quick thanks to Hama (UK) Ltd, the UK distributor of Celestron binoculars for sending me these to test and review. Currently there are 9 models in the SkyMaster series, available in a range of configurations with everything from a comparatively small 12x60, right up to the giant 25x100, which means that you should be able to get the ideal one to suit your particular needs and wants. This is an important consideration if you use your bins in cold conditions, like when observing the heavens on a cold winter night. From the SkyProdigy, a telescope so smart it can align itself, to our high-performance EdgeHD optical system, weve revolutionized the hobby of astronomy for beginners and advanced amateurs alike. However in low light and very low light conditions, when your pupils dilate (usually between 5mm to 9mm), the smaller exit pupil means that they will appear less bright than a binocular with a larger exit pupil. This for me is a real strong point as it opens them up to a wide range of uses (see below). 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. Instead of the more commonly used twist-up eyecups, the Celestron 25x70 SkyMaster has simple rubber eye-cups that you can roll up or down to adjust the distance of your eyes from the ocular lens to match the 13mm of eye-relief on these. Having a good balance when holding your bino is always desirable, but on a high powered and relatively heavy one like this, it is even more important. Obviously I did not test them to destruction, but to me they look to be easily strong enough to take most normal, day to day bangs and bashes. Fixing your binocular to a tripod can go a long way in helping you achieve a really stable platform for a shake free view, as well as free up your hands to do something else and take the weight off your arms enabling you to relax, which is important should you want to observe an area over a long period of time. I must say however that I never found it difficult to achieve a perfect focus with these. Many binoculars in this price range will have plastic bridges and whilst these metal ones may be heavier, they will also be much stronger and more durable, which considering the size and weight of each barrel, I think is important. As for astronomy, you do get plenty of reach and image detail when compared to most other astro binos that generally have a lower power, but to get this you do sacrifice the width of the view and the smaller exit pupil means that they are not as bright as the lower powered ones or those with larger objective lenses. For those of you who are interested I was using my Vanguard GH-100 pistol grip attached to my tripod in the images pictured above. Color Reproduction
The 13mm of eye-relief is ok, but not great, for a binocular to have a long eye-relief, I usually suggest a distance of at least 16mm. The overall image also looks nice and flat and stays in focus from the center of the view right until the edges where this minimal softening occurs. This adapter can then be attached to directly to your tripod or tripod head depending on your setup. Sky recognition technology that has revolutionized the manual telescope by eliminating the confusion common among beginners and enhancing the user experience for even seasoned telescope users. One of the most important factors in a telescope is its transmissionthe percentage of light that reaches the focal plane. Below is a link that will take you to a page with online retailers in both the US and UK that sell Celestron 25x70 SkyMaster Binoculars this page makes it easy to compare prices and then to buy from your preferred option: Contact Me | About Best Binoculars | Privacy | Sitemap | Copyright 2022 Best Binocular Reviews | Do You Want to Review Binoculars & Write for BBR? But what you have to remember is that these will be heavier, bigger and more expensive. I will try and see if I can confirm this, but until then I will have to assume that they are. So as you can see there is no perfect solution, it is all about deciding what your specific wants and needs are and accepting that whatever you choose there are related strong points and weaknesses. Objective Lens Covers
This difference was very small in good light and when comparing them to my average 8x42's, but was far more noticeable in poor and very poor light when the pupil in my eyes would have dilated and been quite a bit larger than the exit pupil on these Celestron binoculars. Color Fringing
As expected, Mars is easily observable as a small red ball, but you can't really make out any other features than that, but am told that in better conditions you may be able to make out the basins from the red areas. This innovative software solves the time-consuming problem of trying to pinpoint the North Celestial Pole. You get some fantastic, clear and crisp views when looking at the moon, especially if it is large and full, it almost completely filled up my field of view and whilst a tripod was not necessary, it really helps keep the image steady and gives your arms a rest during longer periods. 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. This is because they weigh quite a bit more and have a much higher power than your standard 8x or 10x 42mm binocular and so any small movement is magnified a lot more by the high power. Without any padding at all and only 8mm wide, it has to be said that the neck strap is very basic. Another benefit is that the overhang acts like a lens hood on a camera, which means that it can help prevent or reduce any image flair from the sun. In good light, the image contrast looks good, but because the image was less bright than that of my controls, it looks as though the amount of contrast is less. It also is a single piece, without the flexible bridge found on many others, so other than the eyecups moving inside of it, it does not really accommodate the different Inter-Pupillary Distances that you may have the bin set at. This increases to 27.3cm (10.7in) with the eyecups folded up. 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. With all my reviews, I use a range of my benchmark binoculars, to test and compare different aspects of the view through the bin under review. Celestron do not expand on the exact makeup of their compound objective lenses so I cannot comment, but we can examine how their 70mm diameter, combined with the 25x magnification affects their potential light gathering ability and how well they are likely to perform against others in poor light and at night: The surface area of these 70mm objectives gives these binoculars much more light gathering ability than say your normal 42mm binocular, which is always a good thing. Whilst it turned smoothly, without any play, the resistance to movement was a fraction too tight for my personal preferences. The rainguard or the eyepiece cover, like the objective lens covers is made from a soft rubber, but unlike those, it does not fit as well and easily comes away from the lenses. Start here to find the perfect telescope for you! 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. (For a demonstration, watch the walk-around video towards the end of this review). Most 42mm binos in my experience inset their objective lenses about 8mm - 10mm inside the ends of the barrels, but these are located a full 16mm inside, which is very deep. I was looking for a high powered bin that was also very versatile and so I decided to try out the 25x70 SkyMaster, because in my opinion, they sit on the cusp of what you can reasonably carry around and hand hold, but with a high powered 25x magnification they also give you plenty of reach and can still obviously be attached to your tripod. Turn it on and push Align. In about three minutes, youre ready to observe! WiFi technology encircles the globe in a web of connectivity, knowledge, and information. SkyMaster 20x80mm Porro Binoculars Image Brightness & Low Light Performance
The eyecups and the eye-relief for me were also not the greatest. On the trail, at the job site, in the classroom, or simply sitting at home relaxing the Celestron Elements ThermoTank 3 will keep your hands toasty. Planetarium software package which provides easy-to-understand explanations and impressive visuals of all kinds. Weak points? To give you an idea of how these dimensions compare, I have included the dimensions of a few fairly average full size 42mm bins and that of a few other giants in the table below: Weight
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. What is for certain is these are not fogproof and so there is a small possibility that the inside glass surfaces could steam up if there is a lot of moisture in the air and you get a rapid temperature change, like observing the stars outside on a cold night and into your warm house. With the rubber covering most of the body it is hard to see what the tubes of the barrels are made of, but to me, they look to be made from a polycarbonate, which is a low cost but lightweight option. This body shape has been tried and tested over many, many years and is one that makes for a very comfortable holding position that helps prevent fatigue when using bins over longer periods and which also helps you to keep them as still as possible for a shake free image. EclipSmart solar products feature Solar Safe filter technology providing the ultimate protection from harmful solar radiation, including both IR and UV light, and filters 99.999% of visible light. nleash the full pointing accuracy of your Celestron computerized telescope with a specialized telescope control software suite. I would say that in most cases this price level is probably about as low as you should consider going if you still want to achieve a reasonably good quality image, this is especially true with higher magnifications and so it will be interesting if Celestron have managed to not sacrifice too much quality by keeping the cost down to this level. Objective Lenses & Magnifications
The range of Celestron SkyMaster binoculars have been synonymous with binoculars for astronomy and for long range terrestrial observation for many years now, but for one reason or another, it has been quite a few years since I last tested and reviewed a pair. Optical Stats Rating compared to other Giant Binoculars: 6/10. Learn more about extra solar planets imagery, 3D Star rendering, observation planning, telescope control, multiple-panel printing, and much more. Get ready for a night of astroimaging with your mount faster than previously thought possible with All-Star Polar Alignment. 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. CPWI has an extensive object database, employs PointXP mount modeling, and more. Now, Celestron is using that same technology to allow star gazers to connect to the night sky and enhance their experience of the cosmos in fun and unique ways. At night and when using them for astronomy it is different, here you really do need a tripod to get the image steady enough for you to get as good a view as possible when looking at the stars or the moon.