I've been eyeing binoculars lately to replace my 20 year old Japanese 10x25s, and was considering 8x40s from Nikon and Olympus. I live in Australia however, and everything is double the price here. Anyhow, I needed to first define what I would use it for: and my first priority is for starspotting. After that, it will likely be used on holidays and vacations, or general planespotting from my backyard. As a result, I need a general pair of binoculars, without it necessarily being rugged, or having waterproofing, but with decent optics. This pair caught my eye solely on its pricepoint. The 10x magnification would let me enjoy close up views with manageable shakiness, and the 50mm aperture would let in many more stops of light. So upon receiving it and playing with it for 2 days these are my observations: - the optics are amazing for the price you pay: VERY bright image and amazing clarity! The focus ring is wide enough and gets a good fix for subjects at infinity (stars) and 3 km away. The objective lenses are well collimated and the depth of field that the two scopes provide is really enjoyable. The right eye diopter also holds its setting and makes the image very bright and clear - Speaking about stars, I am travelling in Bangkok now, and through the light polluted sky downtown, I can see many more stars in the sky next to the bright lights on top of buildings. Even saw a bird flying in the night sky high above the buildings, the aperture is *that* good in letting in the light. Having said that, the artificial light sources do tend to cause some flaring within the barrels/prisms. But it doesn't obscure the stars in the centre of focus anyway. - Looking up at the tall buildings and fancy hotels, I notice some significant pin cushion effect of the straight vertical lines. This doesn't bother me because the image clarity is amazing, and this is a pair of binoculars, not a camera! - I wear eyeglasses, and have astigmatism. The eyecups are a rigid sort of rubber so it stays inverted firmly when I turn them out. The lesser field of view caused by my glasses doesn't bother me. My focus is ultimately in the centre of frame when using the binoculars. - The construction is solid, but it won't win a beauty contest for finishing. The body and grip is all rubberized and feels good to grip and hold. But the finishing is a 7/10 - not fancy nikon or olympus level attention to detail in the lines along the bodies. Also when looking through the barrel from the objective lenses, you can tell that the Celestron is built more cheaply in how the light passes through. The mounting screw-hole and thread is also cheaply finished - this is probably my biggest concern, as I don't want to strip the thread when mounting it. Also, be careful where and how you use it as Celestron does not claim to make it (nor is it) condensation-proof and waterproof. - One lens cap keeps falling off from the objective lens. - Compared to my uncle's Bushnell 16x50, my Celestron is amazing. The magnification is just a little less on the Celestron, but image is so much clearer and brighter. Sure the Bushnell is more rugged and heavier, BUT - the Bushnell has an awful focusing mechanism with limited focus throw. Both the Bushnell's focuser and diopter tend to lose focus very easily. Also the hand-jitter on the Bushnell is not as manageable as on the Celestron. - Compared to my uncle's 10x40 monocular, the Celestron 50mm lets in more light and has better clarity. But the monocular is better built and more rugged. So all in all: For the pricepoint at $29, and for my needs - I love this pair of binoculars! The image quality and usability makes it excellent value for money. If you need better construction, Nitrogen sealed condensation resistance, and need undistorted perfect images, then raise your budget five fold (10 fold in Australia) and buy a nikon, olympus or pentax.
