Celestron 71404 TrailSeeker 8x42mm Roof Binoculars with Dielectric-Coated Lens, BaK-4 Prism Glass, Lightweight Magnesium Alloy Body and Soft Carry Case, Black

Product Information

One item that is different is the carry case and unfortunately, it is not for the better. The non-ED TrailSeeker that I tested came with a higher quality case that was the same that they use with their more expensive models like the Celestron Granite 8x42 binoculars. At 11-inches (280 mm) in length and weighing 3 lbs. (1.36 kilograms), we found in our Celestron SkyMaster Pro 15x70 binocular review that they certainly have a lot of heft, but using them handheld isn't impossible. You'd be most comfortable if you mounted them to a tripod. However, because of their high magnification, the views of the moon are breathtaking. We were especially impressed by the stereoscopic viewing of the lunar surface. Touring the heavens with this pair of telescopes is like using two four-inch (100 mm) refractor telescopes with added 25x magnification as if a mad scientist had blended them using an experimental teleporter.

Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42 binoculars review | Digital Camera

It was good to catch up with the guys at Celestron as it has been too long and they as always were most obliging and a brand new pair of Celestron TrailSeeker ED 8x42 binoculars landed on my desk a few days later. Thus after thoroughly researching as well as testing and using them out in the field, below is my full review and thoughts on them: Celestron TrailSeeker ED 8x42 Binocular Review Celestron SkyMaster 25x100 BinocularThese heavy-hitters are certainly not for the uninitiated binoculars-users. They're more like two 100mm refractor telescopes glued together and they give enormous reach. They're our favorites for large astronomy binoculars, and with proper care, they could give you decades of joyful stereoscopic star-hopping.★★★★ This much you gather from a short glimpse at the warranty card, but it's worthwhile reading the small print.The Celestron SkyMaster 25x100 binoculars are a worthy investment. Their tough, rugged, reliable build means you'll enjoy many years of stargazing, as shown in our full Celestron SkyMaster 25x100 review. Here, once again, I compared what I could see through these and my benchmarks on a number of different occasions and in a variety of different light conditions and as with the brightness, I was very impressed with the general quality and color reproduction. Softening of the image or fuzziness, right at the edges of the image was very minimal, indeed almost to the point of non-existence.

8x42 vs 10x42 Binoculars - Which is Best? | Best Binocular 8x42 vs 10x42 Binoculars - Which is Best? | Best Binocular

On top of this, the prisms also have phase correction coatings added to them. This keeps the separate wavelengths if light "in step" whilst it passes through the prism and thus ensures these binoculars deliver an image with improved resolution and contrast when compared to a roof prism binocular without them. Coating Comparisons The Trailseeker's image has a very slight yellowish hue. I don't think you'd ever notice it without making a conscious comparison, so it's not a big issue. But if you do compare, the little yellowish tint is clearly visible, at least if you are looking at blues or whites. With the sun in front of you, both binos showed a significant amount of glare, though the image was still acceptable; I didn't notice much of a difference between the two models. At night, when I had a strong street light before me, it was easy to tell the two binos apart: With the Trailseeker, a street light would produce a straight beam of light that crossed the image. In the Monarch's image, however, you'd see an arrangement of curved beams. The reason for this behaviour becomes obvious when you look into the objectives: the Monarch's tubes are ridged inside, but the little edges (or "steps") are not matted; on the contrary, they are quite shiny and bound to produce curved ghost beams. Thus, a good idea, put into practice very badly.

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Very difficult to make out any difference. If you can't read something with the Trailseeker because of weak contrast, you cannot read it with the Monarch either. However, if white/blue tones are contrasted against brown/yellowish tones, the Monarch has a very, very slight edge; obviously a consequence of the better whiteness rendition. Looking at brownish birds in a meadow or following a yellowish bird in green foliage, I don't think anyone could tell the two binos apart by their images.

Celestron Nature Dx vs TrailSeeker 8×42 and 10×42 Celestron Nature Dx vs TrailSeeker 8×42 and 10×42

Close focus: Listed as 6.6 feet (200 cm). In tests, we could focus these binoculars down to about 5.5 feet (168 cm)

The Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42 binoculars are compact and waterproof and amongst the finest mid-range binoculars you can buy

We, the customers, often want everything (naturally), and we want it cheap, cheaper, the cheapest. Big sales chains and internet retailers can and do exert a lot of pressure on companies to lower prices, and one consequence is that they have to produce cheap, cheaper, the cheapest. Saving on build quality and quality control is an easy way of reducing production costs. In the end (naturally), someone has to pay for the low price. It's the costumer himself - and many others who don't even have a choice. As with all the instruments within the TrailSeeker series, this Celestron TrailSeeker ED binocular uses a pair of roof prisms made from BaK-4 glass within the barrels to re-correct the upside-down image created by the lenses. Lens & Prism Coatings