Celestron SkyMaster 25x100 Giant Astronomy Binoculars for Deep Sky Views

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).

This binoculars are HUGE! You will need a quality tripod to use them. I got a good deal on a Manfrotto 3246 tripod with 501 head that handles this payload and extends to 76 inches or so. Until I got the tripod I was unable to even test them, as they are too heavy to focus while holding. That being said, the views were spectacular. On my first use, I couldn't see many stars with the naked eye, but when looking with the binos, there were stars everywhere. about 1 minute in, I saw a satellite, and was able to track it all the way across the sky. I own 3 nice telescopes, 90mm, 127mm, and 152mm. My most enjoyable viewing was with these 25x100 binoculars. It is just more comfortable viewing with both eyes, and the double 100mm apertures gather a lot of light and gives a big display. With my scopes, I struggle to find targets, then tend to stay on one target once I have located it. With these binos I find myself scanning the whole sky, bouncing from target to target and overall, viewing many times more targets than any of my sessions with a telescope. These are pricey, but they cost less than any of my scopes and I enjoy them a lot more. Mine came perfectly collimated, but if you get double vision, search how to collimate them yourself rather than returning them. If you are going to be a bino-astronomer you need to learn sooner or later, because nothing will hold its collimation forever, unless it is never used. And make no mistake, these are not bird-watchers specs, they are astronomy binoculars. If I had the money to spare I would buy Orion's monster parallelogram mount and tripod for good viewing while laying back in a lawn chair. there are cheaper parallelogram mounts out there but I don't think I would trust them with these heavy weight eye cannons. On a final note, there are numerous street lights around my house that interfere with my scopes, but these things do a very good job of cutting through light pollution. If you want to star gaze, don't get the 15x70, don't get the 20x80, get the 25x100's. I couldn't be more pleased with them.

I'm an amateur astronomer of over 40 years. I bought these binoculars to use as a backup for my 20 inch Obsession scope. The 7 sisters Pleiades and similar objects look great in this wide field binoculars.Some objects look better in binoculars. Of course for deep sky viewing that require lots of magnification the binoculars can't compete with the scope. Some downers. These binoculars are huge, heavy and bulky. The stars are all over the place hand holding the binoculars. I get the shakes in a few minutes using them. For astronomy these binoculars were NEVER meant for that. DO NOT BUY these binoculars unless you are willing to buy a good quality heavy duty tripod. A cheap light tripod won't cut it...these binoculars are heavy. I knew this and bought an Orion Paragon Plus XHD Field Tripod. Binoculars and this tripod worked great. My two teenage daughters get impatient with me setting up and getting objects with the 20 inch Obsession scope with the Argo Navis and Servo Cat. Now they can use the binoculars to view astronomy objects while I get an object for them to see in the Obsession scope. An easier family outing. The optics in these binoculars are good. The deluxe carrying case is nice and secure. The strap they give to go around your neck to hold the binoculars is laughable. I feel my whole head is going to fall off from the weight of the binoculars...get a quality HD tripod. To get much better binoculars be prepared to spend almost $1,000. These binoculars INMO offer good value for the money. I'm also into rifle 100 yd, 200yd, 300yd target shooting. I already had an average spotting scope and a range finder. With this Celestron 25X100 binoculars for me its easier and quicker to find the bullet holes on the targets. I'm almost 58 and when you get older your eyes are not so good. I use trifocal eye glasses and the eye relief on these binoculars was great. No problems using my eyeglasses and using the binoculars. These binoculars are great if you know before you buy them their limitations ( huge, bulky and too heavy for hand holding).You MUST use a heavy duty tripod for long time Astronomy use. Try them on the 7 sisters Pleiades... you wont be disappointed. 5 stars with limitations.

These overall are great binoculars. They have a ton of light-capturing ability. If you want to see galaxies, nebulae, and constellations, then get these. I don't recommend them for planets or for star clusters, as the 25x zoom is not large enough to see any details. If you want to see planets and star clusters, then purchase a telescope with an aperture of 5 inches or higher. The 100mm aperture is amazing when I look at the stars and constellations. If I see three stars with my naked eye, then look at the same group of stars through the binoculars, then I see up to 80 stars through the binoculars! You can see really faint objects. And occasionally, and airplane will pass by, and these binoculars pick out amazing detail on airplanes. I don't recommend these for bird-watching or wild-life watching, because they are almost 10 pounds, and carrying them would be a tedious haul. If you have a lakefront view or a really good view outside, then I recommend them for that spot. They pick out amazing details for sightseeing. If you want to do nature/bird watching, then a 50mm aperture will give you plenty of detail. There is one flaw, though, with the binoculars. That is the production. Celestron doesn't have 100% quality when it comes to manufacturing the actual product. They mass produce a lot of things, so it is hard for them to individually inspect all of their products. One of their flaws came through my binoculars. The tripod adapter was a little lop-sided, making it really hard to screw the binoculars onto the tripod. I wanted to get a really good view of the orion nebula, so I attempted to put them on my tripod, but it took me five minutes just to get them set up on my tripod. That is 4m 30s more than my 15x70s, which do not have a jacked up tripod adapter. There is one other small flaw: The design of the binocular case. The binoculars take a really long time to take out of the case. Unless you leave them out frequently (I sadly do because of the case), you will have a tough time setting them up for use. Same with putting them away. It is a very tedious task. Another flaw with the case is that is doesn't protect them from accidents. I think that Celestron should design a hard shell case that clips, rather than a baggy case that makes them really hard to set up. Another reason Celestron should make the hard shell case is because the binoculars are so expensive, and Celestron can give us some gratitude by providing the binoculars with better protection. Overall, you should get these. They are well worth the price. But on the other hand, you are taking a risk when it comes to production. You might get a jacked up pair (kinda like mine), or you could get a really fine tuned pair. And if you don't mind the extra time setting them up, or you don't mind leaving them out, then you should also get these. They are much better compared to other 100mm binoculars. Good Luck with your purchase!

This was my first pair of any kind of binoculars. After researching and combing reviews for 2 months in all sizes and configurations applicable to stargazing only, I purchased these knowing they might go right back...and three sessions with this thing was all I needed to get the refund process started. Why? BECAUSE THE VIEW IS GORGEOUS AND I WANT MORE LOL Honestly, I love these, but I knew that if binocular stargazing gave me a considerable experience to go with my Cassegrain, I would want more than 25X. Even at that power, these 100mm's made starscan sweeps that peppered your view with 10X more stars than you'll see naked eye viewing in remote locations. I'm positive that a smartphone holder and motor mount would have pulled up a few nebulas straight to my gallery, but it's already on its way back. I'm 6'4 with an IPD of around 68-70(?), quick pivot adjustment and I confirmed collimation was A+ out the box. That seemed to be the biggest complaint with these larger binoculars during my research, Celestron came through on that part. The nylon carry case is adequate and sensible, I see other brands with hard cases and as a 25+yr Pelican user, I honestly would get my own Pelican for something this big and valuable instead of trusting a no-name brand case to hold up. You need a parallelogram mount. I also lift and stay active regularly, I was able to hold these steady, but it was not as enjoyable as me mounting them and things being a lot smoother. Do not use a regular tripod unless it's something super heavy duty. I used a Bosch construction tripod meant for laser levels, it was overkill, but imagine this precious beauty smacking the ground. No lol All all in all, Celestron delivered here, my thing is for the size, weight, and mount/tripod integrity investment, once I personally commit to that level, I'm okay with spending a bit more to get more power. If all you want to do is stargaze and not view nebulas or planetary rings in real time, these are perfect and priced with considerable value in mind for that purpose. If you want more than that, you can stick to telescopes the same price or a little cheaper that will give you a bit more power or you'll no doubt jump up to the $1K-2800-5K+ binocular offerings that allegedly give you the best of both formats, accept 1.25 eyepiece variations, filters, etc. I conclusion, you're not losing here, there is value and quality, you will get an eyeful of stars and lunar mountain ranges...but once you get hooked, you will want more. I would have kept these if I felt I would get at least 2yrs satisfaction without any immediate urge or ability to upgrade before then.

I bought the 25x100 binoculars because I thought there would be better light gathering with 100mm apertures. After comparing them to my SCOKC 30x80 binoculars I was disappointed. I had a wider field of view with the 30x80s, clearer optics and better light gathering. Also, I bought these new. They arrived with the inner protective box damaged. One velcro strap was ripped off and the bottom was detached. I'm not 100% sure if whatever caused this damage influenced the optics or light gathering ability. Also the neck strap was different than the one pictured on Amazon. I'm pissed because I bought these new and they were obviously tampered with or were someone else's return. So now I'm going to buy another pair of the SCOKC 30x80s so multiple people can enjoy scanning the skies at once with me. I highly recommend the SCOKC 30x80! In order for me to buy these bigger ones, I'll have to shop at a store to try them out and make sure they weren't used before like these 25x100s!

I bought the 25x100... You'll see a lot of people on here who are more than amateur hobby astronomers. If they criticize these binoculars... DON'T LISTEN TO THEM. Pro's should stick to fancier equipment. However, for us hobbyists, this thing is AMAZING!! First, I thought it was used or opened, because the tape on the box was open, but it wasn't, it was all snug inside. It's huge, and heavy. The pics show the 25x100, next to my 2yr old 20x80's (also excellent!) This puppy is way bigger! The views you get are better, closer, clearer. I attached my Galaxy S22 Ultra to the binoculars and zoomed way into the moon, and took pics of Jupiter and his Galilean moons, beautiful... You can see deeper space, as well. For the first time, I had better views of Saturn, still small, but a little better then the 20x80's. The focus is easier than the 20x80, you adjust each eye lens individually, I like that better. The only negative for me, is, the big lens covers aren't attached to these binoculars, like the 20x80's are, so you can possibly lose them. Otherwise, this is an amazing piece of equipment. The bag: I don't understand why nobody ever gives much info on the bag... it's important. They could've done better with it, for the price you pay, but, it gets the job done. The binoculars are in a padding that wraps around the binoculars and Velcros shut, then you insert that in the bag. It seems safe enough. What people don't usually say, is that not only can you carry it with the shoulder strap, but, you can take the shoulder strap off and pass it through the plastic hoops on the back of the bag, and carry these heavy binoculars as a back pack! I LOVE that! It's much better than carrying them over the shoulder, especially for us smaller people. There is also a small zipper pouch on the front of the bag, where I personally store my green laser light, that I use while stargazing. All in all, these binoculars are a wonderful way to exercise your astronomy and deep space hobby!!

Oh dear… I really wanted to have a fantastic experience with this product. It was the first quite expensive optic I’d ever bought and I was hoping for good things. Alas, 1) the weight. As you consider this, it’s easy to discount the impact of the weight. Sure with a tripod and a strong gimbal head, it’s manageable but by no means a pleasure. The positioning and size of the barrels frequently interfere with the screw on the head, which makes this off and especially on in the dark is very difficult. It also makes it catastrophic if perhaps (as it happened, but I managed to painfully catch it with my foot) the connection wasn’t quite right and the hulking expensive sensitiveand precisely engineered mass hits the floor. You might be asking ‘why would you get it off in the dark?’ The binoculars have a way of loosening their connection to their head mount I think from the sheer weight requiring infield attention to fix. Only for the problem to happen again, probably in like 15 minutes after which you just try to live with the wobbling head. Honestly, they should ship with some kind of connection and or head that is made for this things. I use this every day to look at the stars and things during the day flying around in the sky. And every time I look at it I have a moment of pain as I realise I need to lug it around from inside to outside and moving it up and down on the tripod vertical height is such a pain because it’s just heavy. And I’m not a small guy. Overtime this really becomes quite wearing. And Lord help you if you forget to tighten any of the head mount position screws as the weight of the binoculars simply flopping to one side will potentially pull a high tripod all the way off balance. The rubber eye relief ring which folds on itself when you’re wearing eyeglasses (unbelievably at this price point) cracked at where the rubber is folded on a semi daily basis. This crack went through half the IP so now it flops around the eyepiece and will require a new fitting. Each barrel can be independently focused. Frankly, I really like this. On binoculars the size it’s actually a lot easier to adjust to focus at that point rather than kind of reach across while trying to maintain a steady hold and turn a very heavy dial that we’re all used to to adjust the focus. Typically the work of adjusting the focus that way pushes the binoculars themselves off whatever you’re looking at as referenced for focus. This doesn’t really happen with these binoculars. However, the connection they used to attach the focus ring on the eyepiece is with Gromit screws. I noticed one day that one of the pieces was kind of flopping around and and subsequently literally came off in my hand. It needed the four Gromit screws to be tightened, which are underneath the eye relief rubber. If this happened in the field it would be impossible to do in the dark as the screws are unbelievably small and there is no chance you could see them under anything less than a steady bright room lighting. These binoculars also should have some kind of red dot like telescopes have. They are far too powerful to simply aim at what you want to look at and hope that you’re going to see it without a good few seconds of rooting around. Celestron didn’t even bother to arrange to have some kind of place to mount a third-party RDS necessitating a custom 3-D designed and printed add-on which was completely different difficult to do given the slope and slickness of the barrels which obviously cannot be penetrated with screws. The image quality and brightness is excellent. When all the hard work of setting up the shot is completed, the enjoyment component is really quite good. A very bright large image is produced. I actually also think they might be more powerful than the advertise as it looks remarkably similar to an another 30 X binoculars I had. I had a pair of SKOKH (?) 30×80 no that cost one third of the price of these. Now sure the brightness of the image wasn’t quite as bright (but it would require you to have a literal side-by-side comparison to tell) but the weight made such a difference looking back. The cheaper pair of binoculars with so much lighter and easy to move around. I actually missed in comparison those binoculars (aside from even the price point). I couldn’t recommend that you buy this. I frankly grudgingly gave it a three star and for a second considered a two star. But at the core the image quality is very good. These will be especially suitable for you if you have a high-quality head mount (or you’re willing to design in 3-D print your own connection) and tripod that stays in one place and you don’t move it around to different parts of the house or different locations. This pair of binoculars gave me a lesson that paying three times the price can still end up buying you a worse experience. The fact that it is readily on sale for 2/3 of the original price used I think sums up the story well. Celestron, if you’re listening - make this half the weight, allow/supply a RDS or supply some kind of finder on it, fix the eyepiece issues. Improve the lens cover issues. Provide a better strap the idea of using the supplied neck strap is ridiculous -and you’re onto a winner! For those of you considering this to buy without these use for a tripod - absolutely forget it. Zero chance. An apt comparison would be trying to write a nicely handwritten note with a 10lb dumbbell attached to your hand.

Un peu lourd à mettre en station.Qualité irréprochable! Bien pour un positionnement statique.

Muito bom

Estos binoculares los compré para mi tio después de mucho leer reviews y comparativas. Son realmente grandes y pesados, olvídate de observar con ellos a pulso, a no ser que seas La Cosa o el Increible Hulk (cualquier otro superhéroe necesitaría trípode). En nuestro caso, mi tio se construyó un cómodo trípode basculante para observar desde cualquier posición y disfrutar de los binoculares y del cielo nocturno. Aquí tenéis una foto de como quedó (viva España y la cerveza xD): [...] Observar el cielo con unos prismáticos te da otra dimensión, mucho más espectacular de la que obtienes observando con un sólo ojo a través de un telescopio (y tengo un 200/1000 que no es cojo). Ideal para constelaciones, cúmulos, nebulosas... Para planetaria se queda corto como es de esperar, pero no es este su cometido. La calidad óptica es buena, tiene sus pequeños defectos, pero ¿habéis visto los precios de estos cacharros en la gama alta? Yo, desgraciadamente no tengo 10.000€ para gastarme en unos cristales mejor; y en alguna quedada he tenido oportunidad de probarlos y por la diferencia de precio, merece la pena si te sobra la pasta, si no, con estos estarás más que satisfecho. Viene con una funda tipo bolso para transportar. Algo menos de 270 euros en abril de 2012. Buen precio y con el servicio de Amazon.

Wont say much just few words...GO FOR IT..(ASTRO.... TERISTRIAL) bino king. Just make sure its colimated

الدربيل ممتاز و يعطيك رؤية حلوه للقمر و بعض الكواكب في الظروف المناسبه. لكن خذ في بالك لا تشتريمعاه ترايبود و راس صاحي