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| View Larger Image | Celestron SkyMaster Giant 15x70 Binoculars with Tripod Adapter | Electronicsby Celestron
| List Price: | $99.99 | | Price: | $62.95 | | You Save: | $37.04 (37%) | | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
| | Publisher: | Celestron | | Model: | 71009 | | Warranty: | Limited lifetime warranty |
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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 |
| Manfrotto 785 Modo Maxi Photo Video Grip Head Tripod
by Manfrotto
supports digital cameras and camcorders weighing up to 2.2 lbs.,height adjusts from 6-15/16" to 59-1/4",ball head and joystick-style grip for positioning camera
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| Celestron Heavy-Duty Altazimuth Tripod
by Celestron
Celestron wants to be known as a company that puts quality first in all aspects of its business. It is a complete company, working to make the best possible products backed up by the best possible product support. Because of this commitment to quality, Celestron organized its efforts to manufacture products from the inside out - starting with the most important internal components to the external touches that set the look of products apart. Celestron's overall mission is to provide the highest...
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| Adorama Blower Brush - Small
by Adorama
Fine camel hair brush with a rubber bulb for strong blowing action. Brush can be removed and blower bulb used for blowing away dust and lint.
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| "Binocular Astronomy", Hardcover Book by Crossen / Tirion
by Books
This book and a pair of binoculars are all you need to begin observing the nightsky stars, open and globular clusters, bright and dark nebulae, galaxies, and much more. The binoculars need not be expensive! Everything described in Binocular Astronomy was viewed by the author using a pair of $40 binoculars he purchased from Sears & Roebuck in 1978. The chances are good that you now have or can borrow a pair of binoculars that will do very nicely. You don't have to buy an atlas. Binocular...
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| Celestron Photo / Video Tripod
by Celestron
Celestron wants to be known as a company that puts quality first in all aspects of its business. It is a complete company, working to make the best possible products backed up by the best possible product support. Because of this commitment to quality, Celestron organized its efforts to manufacture products from the inside out - starting with the most important internal components to the external touches that set the look of products apart. Celestron's overall mission is to provide the highest...
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Product Description
Celestron and ;s 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. Each SkyMaster model features high quality BAK-4 prisms and multi-coated optics for enhanced contrast. Celestron has designed and engineered the larger SkyMaster models to meet the special demands of extended astronomical or terrestrial viewing sessions. The 15x70 version is one of the most popular models in the series. It offers serious large aperture light gathering in an affordable and reasonably lightweight configuration. |
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 |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 146 reviews)
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New Amature Astronimer by D. Haws (Kansas City)  5 Stars
November 03, 2009
Works great, everything I expected. Now I need to get my eyes corrected (I've been putting it off) so that I enjoy it's full capabilities. All of the reviews were very helpful and appreciated. I think that I hexed myself with this purchase: it's never cloudy in Kansas City at this time of year, it's been cloudy many nights since the binoculars came in the mail. I'm up late and up early any time that it clear, having the time of my long life.
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Simply Great binocs by V. Alexandrov (NJ) 5 Stars
October 27, 2009
I have had these binoculars for about 1 year now and I still bring them basically anywhere I go. I started to get interested in Astronomy last summer and needed an optical instrument that would be easy to use and not very expensive. I went ahead and ordered SkyMaster and loved it from day 1. They are great for both Astronomy use and for day time observing. From looking at distant landscape, contrails of an overhead jet travelling at 35,000 feet or looking at Andromeda galaxy, these binocs bring everything much closer and much brighter than most people would expect. There is always a WOW factor when someone picks it up for the first time. All moving parts, including focuser are smooth and very well made. The only downside that I see is that these are relatively big and heavy binoculars. I would suggest buying a monopod, so your viewing sessions will be longer and more enjoyable. If you don't have monopod or tripod, just find some kind of support for your arms or sit in the reclining chair. Overall, this is top level, highly recommended product.
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Easy Astronomy on a budget! by lordmono (Hudson, Ohio) 5 Stars
October 26, 2009
These are great! If you want to look into astronomy but don't want to spend a ton of money, this is a great buy! Easy to use, not at all heavy really, sharp clear optics and great value. I use these more than my 8" Reflector now. So much easier to grab and go outside. I am very happy with this purchase!
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Your sleepless nights will be worthwhile! by V. Koti  4 Stars
October 17, 2009
Today was my first use of these binoculars along with the tripod I ordered from 57"TRIPOD FOR SPOTTING SCOPE CAMERA BINOCULARS+CASE !!
I used the free open source stellarium software (google it) to research and locate targets of interest. Jupiter with four of its moons was the easiest to spot with the binoculars and the most exciting view was the Orion's Nebula. A lot of detail is visible in the sky in general at the minimum maginificaiton. In terms of functionality, aesthetics and price, this is a great product, no complaints. Since this is the only product I have used so far, can't really say how it compares with other similar products. The instruction sheet that comes with the product seems a little outdated as the diagram shows a zoom lever whereas in the actual product, zoom works through rotation of lens with fingers. I recommend that you get a good sturdy tripod that can remain stable and smooth under the weight of this product, the tripod I bought does an OK job but is not the best option by any means.
Just like I was, if you are having a tough time deciding between a binoculars and a telescope, the BBC sky at night magazine episode 11 on YouTube should help you make the decision.
Happy stargazing!
P.S. Addition on 10/23/2009: The tripod I bought earlier, mentioned above in the first line of this review, broke yesterday(the lever that spins to adjust the tripod's height just snapped under the weight of the binocular while the height was being adjusted). I got a new one, Targus Digital TG-6660TR 66-Inch Tripod with 3-Way Panhead. This new one can take upto 7 lbs weight and is very steady under the binocular's weight, highly recommended for use along with the Celestron Skymaster Giant 15x70.
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Bang for the buck! by EP (Bay Area, CA) 4 Stars
October 08, 2009
Pros:
- BAK4 prism provides crisp and clear images
- tripod adaptable
- huge objectives
- does what is it supposed to do
- water-resistant
Cons:
- Heavy, but this isn't one of the binoculars you'd bring to a stadium or for hiking
- Needs tripod for image stability; comes with tripod adapter, so this issue is null
- Neck strap is pretty much non-usable since the weight of binoculars actually put pressure on the back of your neck. You would use a tripod most of the time, so this is also null
- Crappy carrying bag with strap, but nonetheless a bag
The relative:
- If you get this make sure you have a sturdy tripod
Note- I was able to make out the shape of Jupiter and see several of its moon with no difficulty.
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SIMILAR PRODUCTS |
| Binocular Highlights: 99 Celestial Sights for Binocular Users (Sky & Telescope Stargazing)
by Gary Seronik (Author)
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| Celestron Photo / Video Tripod
by Celestron
Celestron wants to be known as a company that puts quality first in all aspects of its business. It is a complete company, working to make the best possible products backed up by the best possible product support. Because of this commitment to quality, Celestron organized its efforts to manufacture products from the inside out - starting with the most important internal components to the external touches that set the look of products apart. Celestron's overall mission is to provide the highest...
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| 57"TRIPOD FOR SPOTTING SCOPE CAMERA BINOCULARS+CASE !!
by redhotbuys
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| Vanguard BA-168 Binocular Tripod Adapter
by VANGUARD
Vanguard's goal is to maximize sales of the products produced by the mother company, Guardforce Corporation, by developing an up-to-date sales program, through effective marketing, and efficient distribution at a lower cost than competitive products. Guardforce's mission is to produce high quality products at affordable prices in order to appeal to the largest possible cross-section of the population.This 5-inch height binocular adaptor fits all of Vanguard's full-size models and most tripods...
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| NightWatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe
by Terence Dickinson (Author), Terence Dickinson (Photographer), Adolf Schaller (Photographer), Victor Costanzo (Photographer), Roberta Cooke (Photographer), Glenn LeDrew (Photographer), Timothy Ferris (Photographer)
Thoroughly revised, updated and expanded. The first three editions of Night Watch sold more than 600,000 copies, making it the top-selling stargazing guide in the world for the last 20 years. The key feature of this classic title is the section of star charts that are cherished by backyard astronomers everywhere. Each new edition has outsold the previous one because of thorough revisions and additional new material. Night Watch has been acclaimed as the best general interest...
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