Celestron 71020 SkyMaster 25-125x80 Zoom Binoculars

 (28 customer reviews)

I'm happy with my purchase of these binoculars. The optics are fine and I've enjoyed looking through them. You must have a heavy duty tripod or they are useless - don't expect to hold them in your hands and get a steady view. As you zoom in the focus changes slightly and the field of view narrows considerably. I also have trouble using binoculars in general and often use a single eye. I think I might have been happier spending the same money on a decent spotting scope. But I don't regret this purchase and am enjoying having something so portable for nights I don't want to set up my telescope, or when I want to view larger phenomenon.

I am honestly confused as to why these binoculars have gotten such low user reviews (aside from the few who apparently received defective pairs). Granted, I am new to the world of binoculars, but with a little adjustment (which I assume must be done for any pair of binoculars) my pair show crystal clear images, never "cross-eyed". The only issue I have encountered is when the looking at full zoom, where the image tends to double up. If I back the zoom off just a little that seems to clear it up. As for the weight and size of the binos, I think it is obvious that they are not meant to be hand-held, otherwise they would not come equipped with a tripod mount. If you are looking for a relatively normal-size pair for casual observation or observation of quickly moving objects, these aren't the way to go. But if you prefer magnification over maneuverability, these binoculars are great! Just remember to use a tripod and you will get excellent results. Mine are used for amateur...Read more

1.5 stars...I own a few nice sets of binocs.(Leicas) Those are in a class of their own. The Celestrons at 25 power are kind of OK in terms of clarity and magnification. Not remotely close in quality to the finer optics found in Leicas etc..The price point makes these a reasonable investment for a set you wouldn't be distraught over losing but only in a fixed magnification set..skip the variable magnification binocs.At around 25%+ to 125 power,the image quality is worthless. A waste of money. Mine went back to Amazon thank goodness for their good return policy. Distorted and diplopic-at least this set. Stay away.