The case does not have any separate pockets, but does come with a simple, un-padded shoulder strap. 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. Lens Cloth If you don't wear glasses, you will most likely just keep these cups in the "rolled-up" position, whereas if you wear glasses, you need to allow for the distance that your glasses will add to the total distance between the ocular lens and your eyes and so you will roll the rubber eyecup down. One of the most important factors in a telescope is its transmissionthe percentage of light that reaches the focal plane. Also once you have gathered that light, what is also very important is what you then do with it: These and all other 25x70 binoculars produce an exit-pupil that is 2.8mm in diameter (70 25 = 2.8), which is fine during the day and in good light when that will pretty much match that of the size of the pupils in your eyes and so provide them with enough light so that you see a nice bright image. Ocular Lenses Check out my guide to, Celestron 25x70 SkyMaster Binoculars Video Review, https://img.youtube.com/vi/mUsEyh8F3C8/mqdefault.jpg, View all Celestron products I have written reviews on, older/old stock binoculars & if they are still worth buying now. This combined with a small exit-pupil meant that I was often searching to get the full view, trying to get rid of the dark rings around the edges. 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. However in low light and very low light conditions, when your pupils dilate (usually between 5mm to 9mm), the smaller exit pupil means that they will appear less bright than a binocular with a larger exit pupil. This is something that I did detect fairly often and you have to be more careful than those with larger exit pupils to set the IPD (Inter-Pupillary Distance) absolutely right.. So whilst this is very narrow when compared to your average 8x42 binocular with a FOV of around 350 - 430ft at 1,000 yards, it is still a lot wider than what you get with most telescopes. This rubber is quite hard and smooth and so does offer a little less grip than on some. These Celestron SkyMaster's have ocular lenses that are 23mm in diameter, which is around the same size as the larger ones found on most standard bins. https://www.celestron.com/products/skymaster-25x70mm-porro-binoculars, //cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1935/4371/products/71008_skymaster_25x70_front.jpg?v=1534285949, //cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1935/4371/products/71008_skymaster_25x70_front_medium.jpg?v=1534285949, NexYZ 3-Axis Universal Smartphone Adapter, Hummingbird Fast Action Pan Tilt Head Tripod, Not compatible with #93648 Off-Axis Guider, not compatible with #93519 2" Mirror Diagonal (discontinued), Currently not compatible due to mechanical interferences, Large 70 mm objective lens offers maximum image brightness in low-light and long-range conditions, Ultra sharp focus across the field of view, Multi-Coated optics for sharp, clear views, Suitable for terrestrial or astronomical viewing, Protective rubber covering for ultra-firm grip, Large center focus knob for easy focusing, Long eye relief ideal for eyeglass wearers, Carrying case included for travel and safe storage, Limited Lifetime Warranty provides best protection and product support on the market. This telescope control software replaces the hand control and allows the user to remotely control their Celestron computerized telescope from their personal PC or laptop. Focusing The most popular accessories for your new telescope! SkyMaster 25x100mm Porro Binoculars Do You Want to Review Binoculars & Write for BBR? So if we take the Zhumell 20x80mm SuperGiant or the Celestron SkyMaster 20x80 as an couple of examples, they have an exit pupil of 4mm (80 20 = 4), which in theory means these will seem brighter at night, but you will also see less detail with the lower power and have a heavier instrument to use. Genuine & Honest Reviews Celestrons 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. However with these, it was a little different as I did not have a similar pair with me to compare them against, so I used a couple of my 8x42 benchmarks as I thought it would be interesting for those who have a standard bin, to know how they compare to these. Take control of your telescope! Learn more about extra solar planets imagery, 3D Star rendering, observation planning, telescope control, multiple-panel printing, and much more. Celestron do not state what materials they use to construct the main chassis from, but as they are exposed, it is easy to see that the bridges are made from a type of metal. The colors look nice and natural, without any artificial tints, but are less vivid than on my benchmarks. I must say however that I never found it difficult to achieve a perfect focus with these. The trade off to larger lenses however is added size, weight and cost. However I soon discovered that if you also rest the palms of your hands on the underside of the barrels and keep your thumbs in the right spots, which comes quite naturally, they then do become well balanced at this point. 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. Unleash the full pointing accuracy of your Celestron computerized telescope with a specialized telescope control software suite. WiFi technology encircles the globe in a web of connectivity, knowledge, and information. This is why a binocular is great for scanning the sky and a telescope is great for focusing in on a single distant object. 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! Just point the telescope at any three bright objectsstars, bright planets, or even the Moonand your telescope can orient itself with the night sky. Tripod Adaptable Celestron Solar Safe filter technology is GUARANTEED SAFE for direct solar observation and has been independently tested by SAI Global Assurance Services. It is made from a hard plastic and has metal threads to prevent cross threading. The Zhumell Tachyon 25x100 and the Celestron SkyMaster 25x100 on the other hand also have 4mm exit pupils (100 25 = 4) and you still get the added reach and image detail with the 25x magnification. As with their dimensions, if you compare them to a standard full-sized binocular, they are quite a lot heavier, but as you can see from the table above they are also quite a lot lighter than many other giant binoculars on the market, even ones like the excellent and very popular Fujinon Polaris that also has 70mm objectives. The best binoculars are "Fully Multi-Coated", which means every single surface has multiple anti-reflection coatings. I tried this extreme and this difference did not seem to affect the eye-relief too much, so I do not think that this is anything to worry about. So whilst these are "Multi-Coated" which is not quite as good as the best, it is much better than those that are only single "Coated" that you often also find within this price range: 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. SkyMaster 18-40x80mm Zoom Porro Binoculars Perfect for the serious student, professional scientist and discriminating hobbyist. Celestron SkyMaster 25x70 Binoculars Extras & Attention to Detail Rating: 5/10. The Celestron SkyMaster binoculars all use use porro prisms made from BaK-4 glass, which is in most cases thought to be better than the BK-7 prisms that are quite often also found within this price range. 2022 Celestron, LLC. Sky recognition technology that has revolutionized the manual telescope by eliminating the confusion common among beginners and enhancing the user experience for even seasoned telescope users. I would also like to say a quick thanks to Hama (UK) Ltd, the UK distributor of Celestron binoculars for sending me these to test and review. The overall image also looks nice and flat and stays in focus from the center of the view right until the edges where this minimal softening occurs. This is because they weigh quite a bit more and have a much higher power than your standard 8x or 10x 42mm binocular and so any small movement is magnified a lot more by the high power. Fastar Technology allows imagers the option of drastically increasing the speed and sensitivity of their Celestron optical tube, allowing bright, detailed images with short exposures. Your eyepieces are the first accessories you should learn to use with your telescope. The great thing is that they can of course also be mounted to a tripod, so when you have a fixed or slow moving target, like the moon, a distant ship or are an area far off in the distance the added stability of a tripod means that you can get the best result possible. Popular Science by Celestron SkyMaster 9x60mm Porro Binocular with Smartphone Adapter and Bluetooth remote, SkyMaster 15-35x70mm Zoom Porro Binoculars. So to help with this, Celestron have also added a couple of thumb indents on the underside that are designed to direct you to hold them where you can get a good grip and easily reach and turn the focus wheel with your forefingers. Sure you get a more stable view using a tripod and possibly people with shaky hands may find it difficult, but I would say that the average fairly fit person should be able to do the same. Carry Case Chassis Download the Celestron PWI Telescope Control Software. This movement is soon canceled out when you place your eyes against the eyecups, but for the most stable view possible, I feel a metal adapter or at least one that was designed to counter this twisting movement would have been better. I will try and see if I can confirm this, but until then I will have to assume that they are. The rainguard or the eyepiece cover, like the objective lens covers is made from a soft rubber, but unlike those, it does not fit as well and easily comes away from the lenses. Style: control and Sky Viewer display makes selecting your target easy. The 13mm of eye-relief is ok, but not great, for a binocular to have a long eye-relief, I usually suggest a distance of at least 16mm. The fairly small exit pupil on the Celestron also makes it just a little more difficult to line up your eyes exactly with the shaft of light exiting the eyepiece, failing to do so results in dark rings forming around the edges of the view. Specific areas that I can think of include good plane spotting binoculars, where using a tripod makes it very difficult to follow the moving aircraft. Below are similar pairs of Binoculars that you may also want to have a look at: Celestron 15x70 Skymaster Binoculars offer phenomenal performance at an incredible price for astronomical viewing. This review was written a few years ago now. ED glass is specially formulated and contains rare-earth compounds that greatly reduce a visual defect called chromatic aberration. So as you can see there is no perfect solution, it is all about deciding what your specific wants and needs are and accepting that whatever you choose there are related strong points and weaknesses. Start here to find the perfect telescope for you! Again with such a comparatively far minimum focusing distance and a much narrower field of view, it was not really possible for me to compare and therefore judge the depth of view between these and my 8x42's. Without any padding at all and only 8mm wide, it has to be said that the neck strap is very basic. Celestron has designed and engineered the larger SkyMaster models to meet the special demands of extended astronomical or terrestrial viewing sessions. On most binoculars this grip location is also at or fairly near to the balancing point on the device, but because the barrels are so long and the objectives so large on these SkyMaster's, I found that this is not the case on these and if you simply hold them at this point with your forefingers on the top and your thumbs underneath, they want to tip forward. Currently there are 9 models in the SkyMaster series, available in a range of configurations with everything from a comparatively small 12x60, right up to the giant 25x100, which means that you should be able to get the ideal one to suit your particular needs and wants. Sure they may not be perfect, but I do believe that they are quite a lot better than their price tag and as such they are better than most in this class and make a great low cost option if you are after a high powered astronomy and terrestrial binocular. For most full sized binoculars this adapter would be more than sufficient and whilst it worked fine on these, I did find that the extra weight and leverage of this larger binocular meant that there was some twisting movement when you aim and then stop the binocular on the tripod (you can also see this movement on my video below). 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. The top flap is held closed with a strip of Velcro which holds very well, but makes a huge noise when opening it, which to be fair is not such a great deal with these long distance binoculars as whatever you are about to look at will probably be a fair distance away and not be frightened off. Eye-Relief: I will say that unlike the best, there is no ratchet, or locking mechanism to prevent unwanted adjustments and if your personal difference between your eyes is extreme, it will mean that the right eyepiece will be up to about 1mm nearer, or further (depending on the direction you need to turn it) to your face than the left. To find out if they achieved this and all my other thought on them you can read my full and in-depth Celestron SkyMaster 25x70 binocular review below: Body Design To adjust the focus from it's minimum near focus to the other extreme of infinity takes just one full turn of the wheel (360). Made from a soft, flexible plastic/rubber, the objective lens covers fit fairly snugly over the ends of the barrels and so do not come away accidentally too easily. Apart from the bridges and a few other details, most of the exterior has a rubber armor covering it. Get ready for a night of astroimaging with your mount faster than previously thought possible with All-Star Polar Alignment. Unlike many phony reviews out there, I wrote this Celestron SkyMaster 25x70 binocular review after actually using and testing them over many days (and nights in this case), both out in the field and in my office. Another benefit is that the overhang acts like a lens hood on a camera, which means that it can help prevent or reduce any image flair from the sun. On these this inter-pupillary distance can be adjusted from a maximum of 7.2cm, right down to 5.6cm, which is nice and close and matches some of the best full sized bins out there, which means that these should be ideal for those whose eyes are fairly close set. Celestron SkyMaster 25x100: 140oz (3969 g), Focus from Near to Far, focus wheel rotates: 360. Compared to an 8x42 binocular that can have a near focus of around 6ft, the close focus of these seems very far away, but focusing on near objects is not really what these long distance binoculars are about anyway. I would also like to make it clear that the views expressed are completely my own, honest opinions and I have not, nor never will be persuaded to write in a certain way. Seeing the iconic rings around Saturn is a great feeling, but it is difficult to see where the rings separate from the planet. This rugged, 3-in-1 device features a true tactical 3-mode flashlight, a hand warmer, and a portable power bank for recharging your personal electronics on the go. SkyMaster Pro 20x80mm Porro Binoculars As expected, Mars is easily observable as a small red ball, but you can't really make out any other features than that, but am told that in better conditions you may be able to make out the basins from the red areas. Whilst it looks to be reasonably well made, the soft carry case is very flimsy, with only the thinnest amount of padding and so will not protect the binocular much should they be dropped. Today, our world-class team of optical and electronic engineers continues to push the boundaries of technology. Their maximum width with their hinge fully open is 21.5cm (8.46in) at this point their max height (depth) is 8.1cm (3.2in), by fully collapsing the central hinge, their width reduces to 20.4cm (8in) and because the focus wheel now protrudes up above the body, their height increases to 9.4cm (3.7in). This would have been nice, especially if you often use them outdoors at night, where it can be a bit of a pain to search around in the dark looking for the covers. Celestrons award-winning Nature DX binocular gets a major upgrade with the addition of ED objective lenses. If you ignore the very large 70mm objective lenses and the long barrels, the main body of the 25x70 SkyMaster has a pretty traditional looking porro prism design, with it's large centrally located focusing wheel, sandwiched between two of the three thin bridges that span the barrels. As for astronomy, you do get plenty of reach and image detail when compared to most other astro binos that generally have a lower power, but to get this you do sacrifice the width of the view and the smaller exit pupil means that they are not as bright as the lower powered ones or those with larger objective lenses. Rather than a ring, you turn the whole eyepiece on this Celestron, moving it in or out, but it does the same job and works well enough. Manual & Warranty Information To make up for any variations of your vision in your left and right eyes and thus calibrate to your personal vision, most good binoculars will have a diopter adjustment. Instead of the more commonly used twist-up eyecups, the Celestron 25x70 SkyMaster has simple rubber eye-cups that you can roll up or down to adjust the distance of your eyes from the ocular lens to match the 13mm of eye-relief on these. This is always the problem when you increase the magnification on a binocular as even with very large 70mm objectives, the exit pupil is pretty small. Planetarium software package which provides easy-to-understand explanations and impressive visuals of all kinds. The new Lithium Phosphate (LiFePO4) battery chemistry has significant advantages over other battery chemistries, great for for those Astronomers on the go. All Rights Reserved. In good light, the image contrast looks good, but because the image was less bright than that of my controls, it looks as though the amount of contrast is less. If anyone knows for sure, please just use the comment box at the bottom of the page to let us know. I was looking for a high powered bin that was also very versatile and so I decided to try out the 25x70 SkyMaster, because in my opinion, they sit on the cusp of what you can reasonably carry around and hand hold, but with a high powered 25x magnification they also give you plenty of reach and can still obviously be attached to your tripod. The eyecups and the eye-relief for me were also not the greatest. Objective Lenses & Magnifications SkyMaster 15x70mm Porro Binoculars Because many people who are considering these will be getting them for astronomy, I thought I would pass on what you can expect to see when looking at the night sky through them. (For a demonstration, watch the walk-around video towards the end of this review). 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. Our proprietary StarBright XLT optical coatings dramatically increase transmission, up to 97.4% on our Schmidt corrector lenses. Objective Lens Covers This for me is a real strong point as it opens them up to a wide range of uses (see below). So it was no surprise that the image I could see through my top end and my mid level 8x42mm controls was brighter than that through these. The soft rubber eyecups have an external diameter of 50mm, which like the rest of the binocular is larger than what you find on most standard bins. An unbalanced bin is harder to keep steady and will also lead to fatigue over longer periods of use. General Price Range: (2/6) Low Cost Binoculars. Most 42mm binos in my experience inset their objective lenses about 8mm - 10mm inside the ends of the barrels, but these are located a full 16mm inside, which is very deep. No retailers currently carry this product. The Eyecups The range of Celestron SkyMaster binoculars have been synonymous with binoculars for astronomy and for long range terrestrial observation for many years now, but for one reason or another, it has been quite a few years since I last tested and reviewed a pair. Have a promo code? This innovative software solves the time-consuming problem of trying to pinpoint the North Celestial Pole. The roof prism does have some advantages in that it's straight though shape allows you to make a more compact and streamlined binocular, but you also need to add a number of expensive coatings to it's surfaces to get the best out of it, which in this price range is either only partially or not done at all.