Buy Celestron SkyMaster 25X100 ASTRO Binoculars with deluxe carrying caseCelestron SkyMaster 25X100 ASTRO Binoculars with deluxe carrying case Product Description:
- Waterproof
- Large aperture perfect for low light conditions and stargazing
- Integrated tripod adapter
- Long eye relief ideal for eyeglass wearers
- Diopter adjustment for fine focusing
Product Description
Celestron 25x100 Skymaster Giant Porro Prism Binoculars w/ Tripod Adapter and Case 71017
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
97 of 101 people found the following review helpful.
Celestron SkyMaster 25X100 ASTRO Binoculars
By L. Olson
BACKGROUND:I am an amateur astronomer and Vice President of the local Astronomy club. I ownseveral pairs of large binoculars and have looked through many more. My needs werebeautiful images of deep sky objects at a price I could justify. The Celestron 25x100Skymaster Binoculars meet those needs.GENERAL COMMENTS:The binoculars arrived July 2004 and had a collimation error of about 1 degree (verybad collimation). Celestron support was contacted at the request of Amazon supportand confirmed what I already knew, factory repair was required. I lacked the skillsand equipment to collimate and refill with nitrogen. Amazon promptly picked up thebroken pair and delivered a new pair in just a few days. What a difference a few daysmade. The new pair was packaged inside a secondary box and arrived in pristinecondition. Daytime collimation was excellent. We tested the binoculars afterastronomy club on a distant lighted sign and found them to be essentially flat to theedge of the field of view with a minor vignetting at the edge. Everyone was impressedand several members wanted a pair. During the club meeting I suggested thateveryone who wanted a $500 pair of binoculars for $250 needed to go to Amazon andpurchase one before the price went up.I sky tested the binoculars a few nights later and they performed very well. I had onlyabout 20 minutes till the clouds took over. Due to the high humidity and generallypoor observing conditions we were unable to use the binoculars for an extended timeand get a really good test.A tripod is pretty much required for astronomical observing although you can lay onyour back and observe the zenith. You have to hold your breath and squeeze up tightto get a steady image. I was able to hand hold the binoculars during daylight andlook at distant trees, etc. It was very difficult to hold the binoculars with one hindwhile adjusting the focus with the other. Leaning the binoculars on a steady objectsuch as a fence would probably work. Note that not just any tripod will work (readbelow), so if you used these in the field you will be packing a lot of weight. Irecommend that they be used pretty close to home or car.CONCLUSION:But, based on what I have already seen, this is the best buy for the money I havemade for astronomical equipment.CAVEATSI highly recommend purchasing these if:1. you can handle the weight (these puppies are heavy)2. you want to see bright images of distant objects3. you can deal with lack of center focus (not good for moving objects)4. you are very careful not to jar them out of collimation (big binoculars are easily knocked out of collimation5. you want excellence, and also a bargain (better binoculars are available for an order of magnitude more money. 6. you have a sturdy tripod (I have a Bogen which cost over $100 25 years ago and it seems barely adequate).IRRITANTS:1. First pair arrived in only the product box and I suspect that may have contributedto the collimation problem. You should be ready to send a pair back if they do notdeliver a good image.2. the "built in" 1/4-20 threaded adapter which attaches to the tripod head isundersized and has movement. There is a single screw which was not tight on bothpairs which when tightened would slow the play of the center shaft. There is a plasticsleeve between the adapter and the shaft which had play and this could not beremoved (again, same problem with both pairs). When the know was tightened to themax the binoculars were still not very snug. The result is that if there is anyunbalance in the weight on the tripod then the adapter is unable to hold the weight ofthe binoculars and the binoculars will swing to a more balanced position. I believe thatthe solution to this problem is to build one of the "binocular holders" seen in "Sky &Telescope" or "Astronomy" magazines which will hold the binoculars steady whileproviding a counter balance. Otherwise, you will have to be extra careful. Also, thetightening know should be larger for people like me who do not have the strength ofsuperman.3. there is an old adage that the mount is half the price of the telescope. A mountwhich fully supports the binocular tubes at both ends would perform better than theinadequate mount provided. For those mechanically inclined, the solution is straightforward and inexpensive. It could take 10-15 hours of time (at least for me).
34 of 34 people found the following review helpful.Grab one while they last!!!
By Tom Hannigan
I have been using these Binocs for about 6 months now and find them a genuine joy everytime I bring them out. On a recent autumn evening from a hotel balcony overlooking a golf course I was able to take in a marvelous variety of deep space objects. The sky was fairly dark- but by no means out in the country- and I saw the beauty of M4, M8, M20, M26, M16, M13,M31, M27,... and more. These are definitely Astro binoculars. They do need a tripod. You focus each eye individually. And there is some fade out in sharp focus as the eye reaches the outer edges of the field of view. This is not something I get worried about for $250. Maybe $1250. I have a Sunpack heavy duty photo tripod that goes for about $80 at Best Buy, and I use the Sunpak adapter to attach the Celestron. It is NOT the sturdiest set-up, but I found that I put the tripod into some very warped positions (one leg sometimes) and walk it around for better views. I can fit the entire Plaeides into the FOV and the view of the Orion Nebula shows nearly the entire swrd. Glorious!! And one more thing- because the eyepieces focus individually, you don't have to worry about collimation issues. I had ordered a Skymaster 15x70mm that were so out they gave me a headache to look through them. I did get another pair, however, and they were fine.I don't know why Amazon has this listed within Toys- it's one heavy toy. Educational and fun, but not for a child. Just wanted to note that as a safety issue.
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful.
Don't spend too much for an expensive tripod
By O. Cherkezian
It is a good binocular for the money. I have a 4 inch telescope also, but this bino has wider angle and is easier to stargaze. When both eyepieces are set on a wider view, I am getting double vision. Maybe my eyes, or out of collimation. When eyepieces are closed where you only see one circle with both eyes, then there is no problem. However, the most important thing to know is that you must have a heavy duty tripod. If I had researched in advance that a heavy duty tripod is a real must for this bino, I wouldn't buy it. Because those tripods can cost more than the binocular. After researching and testing the tripods at the photo shops, I finally bought "Slik Pro 700 DX" tripod on the net for $140. It was indeed a good decision.
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