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Celestron SkyMaster Giant 15x70 Binoculars w/Tripod Adapter | 
 enlarge | Brand: Celestron
Category: Photography
List Price: $99.99
Buy New: $69.95
You Save: $30.04 (30%)
New (29) from $69.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  110 reviews
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Fragile: No
Batteries Included: No
Has Tripod Mount: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 12 x 10.1 x 4.9
Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty
MPN: 71009
Model: 71009
UPC: 050234710091
EAN: 0050234710091
ASIN: B00008Y0VN
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Multi-coated optics | | • | Large aperture perfect for low light conditions and stargazing | | • | Tripod adapter | | • | Long eye relief ideal for eyeglass wearers | | • | Diopter adjustment for fine focusing |
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| Accessories:
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The SkyMaster Series of large aperture binoculars from Celestron offer phenomenal performance for astronomical viewing. They are also a great choice for terrestrial use, especially over long distances. All models feature high quality BAK-4 prisms and have multi-coatings for enhanced contrast.
Amazon.com Review
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
Cons: - Outer 25% of the field is soft and a little blurry
- Requires a tripod to use for extended periods
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| Customer Reviews: Read 105 more reviews...
 Great for beginners in star glazing December 3, 2008
I'm new to star glazing and I always thought that I should get a telescope in order to see anything up there. But I was wrong. BTW, I also wanted to introduce my 3 yr old kid to this hobby... After doing some research, I decided to buy Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 instead. I was amazed by so many stars I could see through this binocular. The place I live has lots of light pollution, but I can see hundreds more already. I also like the tripod mount a lot. I was able to set up a simple station in my room, point to some interesting places and let my 3 yr old daughter see something. It only took me 10 minutes to setup, with lots of "help" from my daughter. I'm glad that both she and I could use this binocular and explore the great sky.
sweet deal November 23, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I'v been loking at thies binoculars for some time and this is by far the best deal i'v seen. Orion telescop sell them for over 120$ amazon had them for 74$, I curently use a 8inch dob telescope and sometimes its hard to find the things im looking for but w/ the binoculars it make it easy w/ the big field of view. Andromida is a breez to find. I would recomend this product to any one in to astromony, just keep em in the car for a quick view. thank you so much amazon..... jonathan in ohio
Amazing clarity - Best bet for amateur astronomer October 26, 2008
I will def. recommend this product. It's been only 4 days, but I really like this thing, it has amazing clarity and not that bulky but for sure you will feel the weight within 10 seconds and thats the only issue.
Still, much better if you will compare to telescope. And again you need to compare the price with bulky telescopes as well. So by all means good enough for amateur astronomer like me.....
5 Star Value October 25, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am very happy with this purchase. The binocs are comfortable to use and adjust and I did not have any collimination issues. The tripod adaptor works well - the cap screws off and the instructions do not tell you this so I have pry scatches on it from failed attempts. There is a lot of light coming into these things but the 15X (as reviewed by others) is hard to stabilize. The tripod does not allow you to really get your eyes up tight to the binocs without shaking. I found that you can hold the binocs while on the tripod and this gives good stability. You do need a tripod about 1' taller than you to look at most overhead objects. Very good for watching elk at dusk, as well.
 fair price October 16, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This binoculars has a fair range, the view is crisp clear, I also have a Bushnell 15x60 that I bouhg at tatget for $59.00 plus tax that are cheaper but @ long range focus is not as good as Celestron 15x70 which has
more room for focus adjustment, a little bulky but I rahter use my Celestron than my Bushnell,for astronomical view are not as good as it should, moon is to bright that I was worry about eye damage, Orion's belt too far and not clear,that's why I gave it 4 stars, I'll use it for short time terrestrial view .
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