Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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68 of 70 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Celestron SkyMaster 25X100 ASTRO Binoculars, August 18, 2004
BACKGROUND:
I am an amateur astronomer and Vice President of the local Astronomy club. I own
several pairs of large binoculars and have looked through many more. My needs were
beautiful images of deep sky objects at a price I could justify. The Celestron 25x100
Skymaster Binoculars meet those needs.
GENERAL COMMENTS:
The binoculars arrived July 2004 and had a collimation error of about 1 degree (very
bad collimation). Celestron support was contacted at the request of Amazon support
and confirmed what I already knew, factory repair was required. I lacked the skills
and equipment to collimate and refill with nitrogen. Amazon promptly picked up the
broken pair and delivered a new pair in just a few days. What a difference a few days
made. The new pair was packaged inside a secondary box and arrived in pristine
condition. Daytime collimation was excellent. We tested the binoculars after
astronomy club on a distant lighted sign and found them to be essentially flat to the
edge of the field of view with a minor vignetting at the edge. Everyone was impressed
and several members wanted a pair. During the club meeting I suggested that
everyone who wanted a $500 pair of binoculars for $250 needed to go to Amazon and
purchase one before the price went up.
I sky tested the binoculars a few nights later and they performed very well. I had only
about 20 minutes till the clouds took over. Due to the high humidity and generally
poor observing conditions we were unable to use the binoculars for an extended time
and get a really good test.
A tripod is pretty much required for astronomical observing although you can lay on
your back and observe the zenith. You have to hold your breath and squeeze up tight
to get a steady image. I was able to hand hold the binoculars during daylight and
look at distant trees, etc. It was very difficult to hold the binoculars with one hind
while adjusting the focus with the other. Leaning the binoculars on a steady object
such as a fence would probably work. Note that not just any tripod will work (read
below), so if you used these in the field you will be packing a lot of weight. I
recommend 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 have
made for astronomical equipment.
CAVEATS
I highly recommend purchasing these if:
1. you can handle the weight (these puppies are heavy)
2. you want to see bright images of distant objects
3. 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 collimation
5. 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 contributed
to the collimation problem. You should be ready to send a pair back if they do not
deliver a good image.
2. the "built in" 1/4-20 threaded adapter which attaches to the tripod head is
undersized and has movement. There is a single screw which was not tight on both
pairs which when tightened would slow the play of the center shaft. There is a plastic
sleeve between the adapter and the shaft which had play and this could not be
removed (again, same problem with both pairs). When the know was tightened to the
max the binoculars were still not very snug. The result is that if there is any
unbalance in the weight on the tripod then the adapter is unable to hold the weight of
the binoculars and the binoculars will swing to a more balanced position. I believe that
the 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 while
providing a counter balance. Otherwise, you will have to be extra careful. Also, the
tightening know should be larger for people like me who do not have the strength of
superman.
3. there is an old adage that the mount is half the price of the telescope. A mount
which fully supports the binocular tubes at both ends would perform better than the
inadequate mount provided. For those mechanically inclined, the solution is straight
forward and inexpensive. It could take 10-15 hours of time (at least for me).
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24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Grab one while they last!!!, December 14, 2005
Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars
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.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Don't spend too much for an expensive tripod, September 13, 2005
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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