Celestron SkyMaster Giant 15x70 Binoculars with Tripod Adapter

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Product Specifications

Multi-coated optics
Large aperture perfect for low light conditions and stargazing
Tripod adapter. 13 mm (0.51 inch) long eye relief ideal for eyeglass wearers
Diopter adjustment for fine focusing
Large 70 mm objective lens offers maximum image brightness in low-light and long-range conditions

Product Description

Product Packaging:Standard Packaging Product description Celestron and ;s SkyMaster Series of large aperture binoculars are a phenomenal value for high performance binoculars ideal for astronomical viewing or for terrestrial (land) use - especially over long distances. Each SkyMaster model features high quality BAK-4 prisms and multi-coated optics for enhanced contrast. Celestron has designed and engineered the larger SkyMaster models to meet the special demands of extended astronomical or terrestrial viewing sessions. The 15x70 version is one of the most popular models in the series. It offers serious large aperture light gathering in an affordable and reasonably lightweight configuration.

Amazon.com 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 See all Product description

Product Reviews

A balanced view…

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

Totally worth it.

These binos came somewhat un-collimated by my estimation. After reading several other reviews I discovered the screws underneath the handgrips. Only took me 2 min to adjust one screw and it made a world of difference in the image coming in so crisp, these binos will blow you away as long as you can get them leaned against something sturdy or a tripod. When they are completely still and it is clear outside and DARK you will be amazed.At this price the 15x70s are totally worth it because of how deep you can see into space.A few drawbacks are just pure cosmetic flaws, somewhat to be expected with this price, as follows: Tripod adapter flimsy, however following another reviewers advice I filled the sides with plastic epoxy and reinforced it very well. Other flaws include flimsy bag, but glad it even came with one.Buy these now and start watching the sky, I’ve even seen some things moving around up there, I guess I am to believe these are satellites of human origin, who knows.

Excellent magnification, perfect focus, hand-held, no wobble

These binos are a total crap shoot in terms of arriving with proper focus and in proper collimation. However, I happened to luck out here, as my 15x70s arrived in crystal clear 100% perfect focus, which make them a joy to use for my intended star gazing. In terms of weight and wobble versus magnification, these are an excellent balance in that they can be hand-held (but not for more than 5-10 minutes max), finds your sky target quickly & easily, and can be hand-steadied for viewing, but you will wish they had more magnification. However, anything more powerful will wobble when hand-held and thus require a tripod, and even these 15x70s will work best & for longer duration when mounted onto a sturdy tripod. Bottom line is that for the price they are an excellent compromise, however you must “hold your breath” for its focus issue. For example, after 2 weeks with these 15x70s, I ordered a second pair of the higher magnification 25x70 to A-B them against this 15x70s. The 25x70s arrived out of focus and improperly collminated, so I returned them. Altho the 25x70s did bring celestial objects in closer (the full moon filled 50% view area whereas only 25% in my 15x70s) its focus and collmination defect was sufficient enough to cut against its increased magnification. Had the focus and collmination been 100% crystal clear (like in my 15x70s) I most likely would have kept them despite their extra wobble and need for tripod. Hey its all physics, its a balance test (magnification versus wobble) and you just can’t get it all !! However, these 15x70s come very close !!

Best bang for the buck I have ever had.

If you have a steady rest, and are not packing them around, these are awesome binocs for the price.I have owned these for several years now. I use them for hunting in Montana. Big, wide open spaces. I use a more expensive set of good binocs for most of my glassing, but when you really want to reach out a long way to bring out more detail, these work great. They are just to big and heavy to pack along for hikes, but for spot and stalk from the pickup, perfect. Example: on the evening before elk season started I spotted some elk three miles away while glassing from the truck, using my regular binocs. Then, with the Celestron, I could tell there was one bull in the group. The next morning, at dawn, again from 3 miles away in low light conditions, the Celestron allowed me to find the el in the same spot, and I could tell there was a mature bull among them.This year they were along for hunting antelope. We could find antelope with regular binocs, then use these big babies for ascertaining whether they were bucks or not. Perfect for that.

I bought them to whalewatch from our hotel balcony

I can see forever. Yes they are heavy, but I can see waves crashing on rocks about 12 miles away. I bought them to whale watch from our hotel balcony.

wicked

This is wicked. High end view with a very good price. Just buy it!

Five Stars

Really awesome binocs!

not recommended

Not reach long distances, not recommended

Really good for the $$$

For the money you really can’t complain. Very clear and great magnification.

Five Stars

These work great for daytime use and night sky viewing. Great value!

Good product at a good price

Love this! Works really well and easy to use!

Darn good product. Good in low light

Darn good product. Good in low light. If you do not have steady hands, get a tripod. I use it to spot fish getting out of the water on the large lake and it proved to be sharp and…