Celestron SkyMaster Giant 15x70 Binoculars with Tripod Adapter
by Celestron
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Category: Digital Camera
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: CelestronModel: 71009
Product features:
- Multi-coated optics
- Large aperture perfect for low light conditions and stargazing
- Tripod adapter
- 13 mm (0.51 in) long eye relief ideal for eyeglass wearers
- Diopter adjustment for fine focusing
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Celestron SkyMaster Giant 15x70 Binoculars with Tripod Adapter
Customer Review: Excellent binoculars, with features that enhance their value for astronomical viewing
Summary: 5 Stars
This posting begins with a discussion of some core information about binoculars for astronomical viewing that may help potential purchasers make a more informed purchase decision.
If you have other viewing objectives than astronomical objects, or are already familiar with binocular specifications, you may want to stop here or just read the latter part of this review before going on to other postings; otherwise, read-on.
There are two models often used in astronomy, roof prisms or Porro prisms binoculars. Roof prisms are more modern and have a straight through appearance, i.e., the binocular cylinders form straight tubes. Porro prism binoculars (named after Ignazio Porro) have a tell-tale right angle bend. These usually are manufactured with two prism on each side of the binoculars, i.e., double Porro prisms. Although considerably larger in size, because of their improved optical qualities Porro prism binoculars, such as the model reviewed here, are usually preferred over roof prism binoculars for astronomical viewing.
Another important aspect of binoculars is the size of their exit pupil. Younger folks have pupils that can open, dilate, to a maximum size of slightly over 7mm. However, as one gets older the size of this window into the eye reduces. Over the age of thirty most folks have a reduction in their dark adapted pupil size of approximately 1mm every 20 years. The exit pupils for a pair of binoculars should ideally approximate the entry pupil of the observer's eye. Some suggest an even smaller exit pupil size, see below. The size of a binoculars' exit pupil is found by dividing aperture by magnification. For example, common 7 x 50 binoculars (7 power by 50mm) have an exit pupil of approximately 7.14mm. In practice, this exit pupil size is larger than many adult's dark-adapted pupil size, particularly when some extraneous light is also present. In most viewing environments such as in or near a city such extraneous "light pollution" is almost always present. In addition, the periphery of the eye's lens exhibits some inherent optical degradation. Thus, an exit pupil size around 5mm may be preferred, although some experimental evidence suggests an exit pupil even less than 4mm may be most appropriate. These 15 x 70mm binoculars have an exit pupil of approximately 4.7mm resulting in more of the light exiting the lenses entering the eye than might occur with e.g., 7 x 50mm binoculars.
Possibly the most important consideration when choosing binoculars is their light gathering ability. Binoculars are essentially "light buckets". As noted the human eye at its widest has about a 7mm entry window. A 70mm objective lenses, as here, has over 50 times the light gathering area of the human eye. Another factor affecting the light transmitted through binoculars are the materials used in their lenses and prisms, and their lens coatings. The least expensive binoculars have uncoated lenses or single coated lenses, or may even use plastic lenses. Multi-coated binocular lenses, and BaK-4 barium crown glass prisms, as in these Celestrons, are typically more expensive but improve light transmission resulting in sharper and brighter images.
The best eye relief, i.e., the eyes' distance behind the exit pupil to see the full exit image is probably between 15mm and 20mm. These binoculars provide 18mm and additionally come with rubber eye-cups. Thus, I've been able to use these both with and without glasses. I use lightly tinted sunglasses when viewing the moon to see more detail. In that case I leave the eyecups down. When viewing without glasses I leave the eye-cups up.
In use, I've found these binoculars' images sharp and with adequate contrast to enjoy star clusters such as the Hyades and Pleiades, along with the moon and planetary observations. Its primary negatives are its size and weight. This pair is large, although slightly smaller at 11 x 9 inches than the 12 x 10 inches described in the listing.
Owing both to their size and weight, as well as their relatively high magnification they are not comfortable to use hand-held for any but the shortest period of time. For many the best binoculars are ones that can be strung over the neck and easily hand-held. These are definitely not such a pair. Because of their magnification, the slightest shake moves the astronomical object out of the field of view. Fortunately, they come with a tripod adapter. However, for many the need to use a tripod runs counter to the desire to have a "portable" pair of hand-held binoculars. For these observer's a smaller 50mm pair of binoculars is probably more appropriate.
However, even recognizing these binoculars cannot be hand-held for any extended period, they are probably one of the best choices for astronomical observers who need relative portability compared to a probably more cumbersome and expensive telescope. Perhaps surprisingly, they are also quite a useful adjunct even when using a telescope.
In summary, these binoculars allow for considerable additional exploration of astronomical objects compared to the naked eye. However, a tripod or, support for the arms, is required for extended observations. Highly recommended.
Description of Celestron SkyMaster Giant 15x70 Binoculars with Tripod Adapter
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.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
- Outer 25% of the field is soft and a little blurry
- Requires a tripod to use for extended periods
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