Celestron 8×42 TrailSeeker Ed Binoculars – 71405

Nice optically however I had to change this review due to the binoculars focuser basically falling off with hardly any use. Then my friend told me his had rusted as he lives near the coast. Beyond that you have to pay for repair service under warranty. You have to send them a check for $14.95 when you send in your bino for repair. To me that’s just wrong. Their product fails and you must pay for it both ways? How does that make sense. Most binocular warranties are not like this. You pay one way and they pay the return.

As an amateur astronomer I have long been aware of Celestron’s history of (mostly) excellent optical equipment. As a result, when my wife and I first began birding about 20 years ago we purchased two pairs of Celestron 7 X 50 binoculars for about $50 each. That was not a totally “cheap” bino at that time. We were very happy with them and they lasted about 5 or 6 years. Various mechanical problems, mostly arising after we dropped them or handled them carelessly, finally made them difficult to use. The optical quality was always excellent. Since then we have gone through various other binoculars by many manufacturers at prices from $100 to $300. Because we do not always take the best care of our binos, we have never purchased any high end $2500 Leicas or Swarovskis. I recently saw the need for a 10 power binocular so my aging eyes could get up a little closer to the birds. Trusting to Celestron’s reputation, as well as many good experiences with their products, (and the recent rebate), I decided on these reasonably priced Celestron Trailseekers. I have already had them out a number of times and am quite happy with their performance. The field of view for a 10X binocular is excellent. So is the close focus which will allow you to focus on a bird less than about 10 feet away–as close as most birds will allow. The focuser works smoothly, the weight is about average and the general feel of the binoculars in my hand is comfortable. As for the optical quality, these binoculars produce a bright, sharp image that shows no aberrations except possibly toward the very edge of the field–and not much even there. While they won’t produce an image as nice as a $2500 pair of binos, these cost less than 1/10 as much. Unless you are used to the ultra expensive binoculars, these are an excellent compromise between quality and price. Actually, it’s not really a compromise since Celestron is not compromising on the quality. They are giving you a beautifully made product with exceptional optical quality that would have cost much more, if this quality was even available, 30 years ago. Optical glass and coatings have advanced a lot in the past 20 to 30 years and we have been able to benefit with better quality and lower prices. I believe these are a good choice for anyone seeking a good performing binocular at a very reasonable price.

For the price these are excellent binoculars. I tested these against the 8×42 monarch 5, monarch 7, vortex vipers, diamondbacks and razors. I returned all, other than the razors (10×42) and these. I thought these performed in low light conditions comparably to the vipers and monarch 7’s both of which are almost double the cost. The razors blew all of them out of the water (but at $1000 I expected this). All binoculars tested were excellent in bright daylight conditions. The real test with binoculars is at low light (dawn/dusk or very overcast/rainy day). These did very well for the price. I had no problem id’ing small quick moving songbirds in dense brush at dusk. They didn’t perform as well for ID’ing waterbirds in the ocean or flying raptors against a blue sky (or really any flying birds for that matter). But then again none other than the razors could pull colors and definition from those birds at a distance or in flight. I am going to keep these for songbird viewing (and the razors for seabirds/hawks) and eventually save up for a high end 8×42. Great set and worthy of the best in class ($100-300) on audubon binocular guide.

Bought as a present for my father after reading the review on TheWirecutter. Side by side test shows it performs similarly to my Nikon Monarch 8×36 binoculars in terms of sharpness in centre and at edge of field of view, as well as overall brightness of image. The case / carrying arrangement is good also. Very happy with the purchase as is Dad.

Superb binoculars and excellent value for money. Excellent packaging, speedy delivery, beautiful case and lens covers, everything is class about it and the quality of my experience using them is very pleasing indeed. If you are looking for binoculars in this type of price range I would recommend them without hesitation, and would suggest that to do better you would need to be looking at spending considerably more (likely in excess of £500).

Excellent quality for the price. Very pleased with the amount of light they gather. Perfect for spotting in conjunction with a long camera lens, but good on their own for general purpose stuff. Haven’t taken them to a concert yet, but I think they are small enough to not be too annoying and large/good enough to get a close look at the stage.

These were a gift for my husband to replace an ancient and heavy pair…he is thrilled with them, they are great for long distance on trips out but also useful for bird watching in the garden at much closer range. He also says he sees that quite a few wildlife presenters seem to have Celestron binoculars too. Very happy customer.

Excellent binos, clear sharp focus, good magnification without loss of light or clarity. As good as binoculars twice the price but the carry case is a bit cheap and tacky! Guess you can’t have it all!