Celestron 71008 SkyMaster 25x70mm Porro Prism Binoculars with Multi-Coated Lens, BaK-4 Prism Glass and Carry Case, Black

Product Information

Andromeda was a joy to see in these binos, the largest I think I’ve ever seen it, even against the views from a C8 SCT I’d owned previously. This pair of binoculars is suitable for astronomical viewing or for terrestrial (land) use, especially over long distances. I think better quality twist-up eyecups set at the correct amount of eye-relief would really help in this area.

What this means is that some, but not all (usually the first and the last) of the optical surfaces have been coated with many layers of anti-reflection coatings that reduce or eliminate unwanted light reflections, which increases the transmittance or the amount of light that gets through the system and to your eyes than if they were left untreated.HD Vision with Quality Optics – This HD binoculars is specially designed with BAK-4 Prism and FMC film lens, which minimizes the loss of light due to reflection, ensuring brighter and clearer high-contrast images. Or you can hold them against a window for perfect stillness :) I love them and I think they'll last forever! 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. A higher magnification gives you a further reach and more image detail, but on the flip side, it usually means that your field of view is reduced. ED stands for "extra-low dispersion," which refers to the composition and optical properties of the glass used for the lenses.

Perhaps Celestron assume that these will be mounted on a tripod most of the time, but I think the fact that they make such good long distance terrestrial bins and you can hand hold them, means that I think they are missing a trick here. They are a bit heavy, but if you hold them lower down and hold your elbows close to your chest you can keep them pretty still. These observations were on a night with a moon that was almost full and a fair amount of light pollution, so I am sure it would be possible to see more if the conditions were better and with more experience of where to look!I find that this intuitive grip makes aiming your binocular or spotting scope in the direction you want so much easier and faster than most normal ball or pan heads that I have used and is one that I highly recommend.

The cover does have a loop on the right hand side that you can thread the neck strap though to keep them handy at all times.

As a workaround to help see some of the fuzzies still from home I was looking at acquiring a larger pair of binos than my current 7x50 Strathspey, which although give good results, don’t have the light grasp or power to pull out much unless at a nice dark sky sight, which was going to be a rarity to do due to work and location etc. When purchasing a tripod or other support for the Celestron SkyMaster 25x70s, you should ensure that it can support the binoculars’ weight by a comfortable margin. 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. After a few minutes I got them both sweetly in view and showing pretty easily, M81 been the easier to see out of the two, but both nicely there none the less. From the SkyProdigy, a telescope so smart it can align itself, to our high-performance EdgeHD optical system, we’ve revolutionized the hobby of astronomy for beginners and advanced amateurs alike.

Porro prisms on the other hand do not need phase correction coatings and because you get total internal reflection of the light waves, you do not need to add highly reflective coatings to it's surfaces and so they perform as well as much more expensive roof prisms. Its large 70 mm objective lens offers maximum image brightness in low-light and long-range conditions.The SkyMaster 25x70s’ exit pupils are nearly perfect circles, and the aperture of these binoculars is a genuine 70mm, with only minimal clipping around one edge of the exit pupil, which does not impact the views.