Arrow Celestron SkyMaster Pro 15 x 70 Binocular-Pare
Arrow Celestron SkyMaster Pro 15 x 70 Binocular-Pare
Interchangeable Eyecups
Interchangeable standard and flared soft, rubber eyecups are comfortable to use and can be folded down for use with eyeglasses.
Durable and Stylish Armor
The rugged yet stylish armoured exterior provides durable protection as well as a professional, high quality appearance.
Multiple Accessories Included
Tripod adapter, Reflex Sight Rail (RSR), objective lens caps, rainguard, neck strap, lens cloth, instruction manual all included.
 |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magnication | 15x | 25x | 15x | 20x |
| Field of View (degrees) | 4.4° | 2.7° | 4.4° | 3.7° |
| Field of View (feet @ 1000yds) | 230 | 141 | 230 | 195 |
| Lens Coatings | Proprietary XLT and Multi-coated | Multi-coated | Multi-coated | Multi-coated |
| Prism Material | BaK4 | BaK4 | BaK4 | BaK4 |
| Diopter Range | -4 to +8 | -4 to +8 | -4 to +8 | -4 to +8 |
| Close Focus Distance (feet) | 47.6 | 102.5 | 52.5 | 106.3 |
| Eye Relief (mm) | 17 | 13 | 18 | 18 |
| Eyecup | Interchangeable– Standard and Flared | Folding | Folding | Folding |
| Environmental Protection | Waterproof | Water Resistant | Water Resistant | Water Resistant |
| Tripod Adaptable | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
|---|
| Weight: | 1.81 Kilograms |
| Size: | 15×70 |
| Dimensions: | 28.7 x 19.05 x 36.83 cm; 2.81 Kilograms |
| Brand: | Celestron |
| Model: | 72030 |
| Colour: | Black |
| Pack Quantity: | 1 |
| Batteries Included: | No |
| Manufacture: | Celestron |
| Department: | Unisex |
| Dimensions: | 28.7 x 19.05 x 36.83 cm; 2.81 Kilograms |
| Quantity: | 1 |
| Size: | 15×70 |
Be sure to spend an extra $150 on a super sturdy tripod.
I like them for the light gathering ability for night sky watching..fully multi coating makes a differance.
En suite excellente paire de jumelles, il vous faudra un monopode et une rotule pour les observations de longue dure
Autrement pour de l’observation au coup par coup la jumelle en elle mme est un peut volumineuse mais c’est faisable
Une dernire remarque mettre une chiffonette digne de se nom pour les optiques le chiffon livr et ridicule
Les cinq toiles lui vont bie
Cons-
Needs a lockable focus and clickable diopter like a Pentax 20×60, or seperate ocular focusing (that click and stay put) like a Orion Giant Veiw has.
The rubber eye guards come off far to easy. Especially the winged ones which I really like, but bump off far to easy.
I myself like the larger, softer ones that do not come of on my standard 15×70 Skymaster better.
Do not like the hard plastic feel of the binocs. Prefer soft no slip rubber. But easier to clean.
Not crazy about the objective lens covers. They come off to easy, flop around, and add weight if you prefer to hand hold like I do mostly.
Again, I like the rubber cup style that the cheaper Skymaster provides.
Personal preference only here.
The thin case needs a hard liner on the exterior.
Pros-
Mine were collimated perfectly, just like my Standard Skymasters were which seems to be the exception for them.
Other than that, these are just fantastic bino’s for the money.
Coatings are different color than on the standard. Purple instead of green.
Abberation a bit better both in coma and color compared to standard Skymasters.
Focusing is very smooth and fine.
Water proof and fog proof.
Good neck strap.
Giving these a four out of five stars
as they are a affordable large apature bino with good quality.
Me sorprendi mucho la calidad de imagen ,tengo telescopio ,pero para mirar ,los prefiero es alucinante ,los recomiendo,ciento por la gente que les a venido en mal estado,bueno que tengan un buen fin de semana
Prismtico bueno “para todo” siempre que tengamos un trpode. Calidad de imagen bastante aceptable, peso en los lmites tolerables para una pieza as. Buena luminosidad. Excelente relacin Precio/Calidad – Los hay mejores, pero mucho ms caros, y los que son ms baratos son mucho peores; pero con diferencia. Si no eres demasiado exigente es una buena compra teniendo en cuenta lo que valen.
La imagen es muy buena y el alcance que tienen es espectacular.
I’ve had these for two weeks now and every night has been overcast so can’t yet say how well they work as astronomical binos. However, when trying them out on solid tripod on land, the magnification is awesome but can’t seem to get them focus to anything near sharp enough to see details. I’ve tried with reading glasses as suggested but made it worse. I have a pair of Celestron 10×32 which focus brilliantly, but the 20×80 can’t even come close… Any ideas to sharpen the focus?
A week later: Finally got some clear skies and wow, OK, now we’re talking! For the first time in my life I have seen the rings of Saturn in an eye piece. Though not crystal clear, you can nonetheless see the bulges of the rings on the planet. Other celestial bodies come in nicely. Ans yes, a rock solid tripod is a must. As for the aforementioned focusing issues at distance ground targets may well just be atmospheric disturbances etc.
I use these at the shore to spot aquatic wildlife (birds, seals, ships) and the night sky. Though these are my first pair of astronomical binauculars, I’m quite impressed.
The SkyMaster 20X80 Pro are rather impressive, especially given how relatively inexpensive you can acquire them. They see far and maintain a crisp full view. Easy one center knob focus. Eye relief is decent. The rail is removable for using a red dot finder scope. It’s a very good package they give you. Lifetime (limited) Warranty.
Now, they are no Echelon or Nature HD or any number of virtually 4 figure (or high 4 figure) Binoculars out on the Market. They are tough, well built, very nicely designed, comfortable Binoculars that Deliver really good Optics.
Shoot with discounts and/or coupons you can snag them for under $300.00. You Will not find a better pair of Binos this size at Celestron’s price! Good Luck and Clear Skies!
tant proche de la nouvelle Lune, je les ai testes en “ciel profond”.
Le contraste des objets sur le fond du ciel, est trs lev. En admirant le vaste amas de la Ruche (M44) j’ai constat que les toiles en bord de champ n’taient pas dformes, je suis pass ensuite sur les amas ouverts du Cocher et des Gmeaux, et du double amas de Perse, splendide ! Les astrismes comme le “smiley” ou” le chien de Davis” entrent en entier dans le champ des jumelles. J’ai observ ensuite quelques galaxies, comme les duos M81 – M82 et M65 – M66 qui n’ont poses aucun problme quand leur reprage.
J’avais une crainte sur les capacits visuelles de ces jumelles, d’autant que je venais de vendre des jumelles 25×100 qui m’ont combles pendant prs de 10 ans, mais qui l’usage se sont rvles lourdes encombrantes, et usage unique pour l’astronomie, car il n’y avait pas de mise au point centrale. En conclusion de cette observation, je suis satisfait de la finition et des capacits visuelles de ces jumelles 20×80.
Sur les points ngatifs, minorer tout de mme, ce sont les oeilletons qui se dtachent un peu trop facilement, et du sac de transport qui n’offre aucune protection contre les chocs. J’ai donc rutilis le bloc de polyurthane que j’ai encastr dans une mallette aluminium de 46 cm x 33 x 15.
Seule la hauteur de 15 cm est un peu juste. Mais ainsi je peux transporter ces jumelles en toute scurit.
Je recommande donc ce produit, qui sans atteindre le niveau de jumelles apo, ce n’est pas le mme prix non plus, est de trs bonne qualit et permettra de belles observations de nuit comme de jour.
A utiliser minima, montes sur un monopode, mais de prfrence sur un trpied photo qui assurera stabilit et confort visuel.
As described on the box and on the internet. Heavier than I expected for any long term use while holding up to your eyes. The tripod feature is a welcome addition which assists the arms. Great view ability of the night sky. Super pleased witht this purchase. Would buy from this supplier again.
-Aberracin esfrica esta corregida hasta el 90%.
-Coating decente. La aberracin cromtica existe pero esta mejor corregida. Se nota con Luna llena o de da (para mi dentro de lo aceptable), pero en cuarto creciente o menguante, te cuesta verla y el contraste en esta es impresionante. De todas formas hay que recordar que los prismticos no estn pensados para planetaria. Se pueden ver por ejemplo los satlites de Jupiter sin problemas, Titan como una estrella tenue y Saturno como una bola ovalada (todo esto en condiciones bastante malas)
-Como todo prismtico astronmico donde tiene que destacar lo hace muy bien: campos estelares y dobles de igual luminosidad o pareja. He llegado a resolver estrellas dobles hasta los 25″ de separacin como Cor Caroli o Marsic. Los colores se distinguen muy bien, mencionar especialmente Mu Cephei, con su rojo granate muy bien representado, la serie de los rojos y amarillos esta tambin muy bien. Los cmulos abiertos del catlogo messier sin problema, los globulares son simplemente nubes difusas pero aun as sorprendente para esta apertura.
-A mejorar: las gomas de los oculares dan asco y se caen con facilidad, la tapas frontales van flojas y he tenido que pegar goma Eva para que no vayan tan sueltas, la rosca donde se acopla el adaptador a los prismticos va con una arandela de plstico que no sirve para nada, recort un trozo de goma y le di forma redonda y ahora si aprieto el prismtico no se va para los lados.
-Los prismas van cementados as que hay que cuidarlo bien (como todos los prismticos que no es un juguete) porque no se pueden recolimar.
Este prismtico sigue siendo de la gama baja pero esta bien corregido en general, no recomendara ninguno de menor precio y a esta apertura. Estos SI son decentes. Rcomiendo la compra de un trpode de aluminio de bola, que no pesan nada, se montan enseguida y no ocupan nada. A estos aumentos es casi obligatorio si quieres disfrutar del cielo.
I liked the fact that I could use a fed dot finde
zunchst habe ich das praktische 15×70 bestellt und es war sogar besser als erwartet justiert, lies sich aber nur einseitig genau scharfstellen, hatte ber einen breiten Rand einen Grauschleier und glnzende Stellen an der Einsichtstelle -was auf schlechte Schwrzung im Inneren schlieen lt;
dann erschien auf einmal dieses – eigentlich viel teurere- schaut selbst im Internet – Pro-Glas damals zum Kampfpreis,
kein Zeiss, aber viel besser als das o.G. ohne all diese Fehler, jeden Cent wert;
leider waren beim ersten noch Fehler auf der Eintrittsflche, ein scheinbarer Kratzer lie sich sogar mit groer Vorsicht
als Verunreinigung beseitigen, aber nicht gravierend, htte ich bei Problemen mit dem Austauschgert sogar behalten; beim – problemlos – als Ersatz geschickten war alles in Ordnung,
ein wirklich schnes Instrument, mit wirlich viel Licht,
Andromeda gut zu sehenund Orion-Nebel toll, die Plejaden ein Glitzern wie Brillanten und das fr einen tollen Preis; die Qualittskontrolle scheint wirlich wie oft beschrieben nicht der Hammer zu sein, aber dank der tollem Kundendienst und Kulanz von Amazon und wohl auch Celestron wohl ein vertretbares Risiko,
meine absolute Kaufempfehlung fr ein gehobenes Einsteiger-Instrument fast zum halben Preis;
ich empfehle ein stabiles Stativ, am Besten ein Astro-Einsteiger-Stativ, obwohl das Ferglas leichter als erwartet ist – aber fr Astro keine Chance ohne Stativ; das kann ja in den Koffer;
wnsche immer gute Sich
Well worth the asking the price.
If you’re built like the proverbial, they can be used without a tripod for scenic views, yachts and ships etc, but even for a hefty unit like myself, I’m happy giving my arms a rest every now and then, and when I do hold them up I find it useful to tuck my arms in so that my elbows are resting on my torso to create a quasi support frame. Most people I’m sure would be more comfortable with a tripod, especially for astronomy – I use a Hama Star 63, available from all good Amazon outlets near you. Handheld for astronomy with these is a complete no-no – Jupiter simply refuses to stay put and be observed.
Easily focusable, and the tripod mount can be adjusted laterally to get a good balance before tightening everything up.
Build quality is excellent , covers stay put and happy that I could add a separate red dot finder (mounting clip supplied )
Tripod is a must.
(1) Fully XLT multi-coated lenses. Regular Skymaster binocs are not fully multi-coated.
(2) High quality, flexible drop-down front lens caps and flexible connected rear caps (versus the junky caps you receive with regular Skymaster binocs.)
(3) Supposedly waterproof — haven’t tested it
(4) High quality, flexible rubber, light blocking second pair of eyecups — thank you Celestron!
(5) Tripod mountable — very easy system, quality metal, and it “just works” — much better than plastic alternatives
(6) Wonderful daytime performance. Brightness of nighttime viewing is also excellent, however nighttime clarity needs improvement.
(7) Attractive styling
CONS:
(1) No quality control. My first pair had to go back because of severe astygmatism. This issue never should have passed inspection.
(2) Fair nighttime performance which undoubtedly lacks the clarity of Japanese glass
(3) Minor quibble: Eyecups and lens caps tend to fall off a little too easily. This issue may improve as the rubber stiffens over time.
I am giving the Celestron SkyMaster Pro 15×70 binoculars a 4-star review despite my first pair being defective. The lens system on the right side had a horrible astygmatism that fuzzed out more than 1/3 of the entire field of view. There was no way to adjust or compensate for the problem. Obviously nobody looked through the binoculars, and there was no “inspected by” label anywhere on the bioncs or on their packaging (= zero quality control).
I sent the first pair back and received a replacement from Amazon which was visibly open-box with subtle signs of wear and a smudge on the glass. (I believe somebody at Amazon may have looked through the glass — just my belief.) The second pair did not have the huge astygmatism of the first pair, and I will be keeping them. Again, there was no “inspected by” label anywhere.
For daytime viewing of boats on Lake Michigan, they are a 5 star, “OMG that’s gorgeous!” binocular. For stargazing, they are a little more challenging to use. No problem for moon gazing. Although I have pretty steady hands, especially laying on my back with elbows supported, it’s difficult to hold 15X binoculars steady enough to get a really clear view of Mars, Saturn, Venus, etc. For greater stability I use an old fashioned heavy Bogen Manfrotto tripod legs with extra leg weights (if needed) or the legs spread out wide, a 22 pound capable lock-down Manfrotto 468MGRC2 ballhead, an Imorden 6.5 foot carbon fiber mini-Jib arm with counterweights, and my vintage Bogen Manfrotto 3130 fluid camera head with counterweight. This setup is heavy!!! My Bogen Manfrotto 3265 joystick grip head also works pretty well, though it locks into place rather than allowing the smooth glide of the fluid head. My expensive and bulky system gives me good stability and an ability to get under steady binoculars to look at stars without straining my neck and without hand-shake. Obviously, these Bogen Manfrotto components increase the system cost considerably and they add to setup time. I just keep mine assembled and drag the whole apparatus out onto the deck when I look at the sky.
[ Aside: I tried simpler setups and none were satisfactory: without the jib, I was struggling to keep my body away from the tripod and I constantly had to move the tripod legs as I changed sky viewing positions. Sorry people — for stabilized astronomy you’re going to get complicated. Handheld viewing is a lot simpler with a beanbag seat, blankets and a few pillows. Lake viewing and birdwatching with a simple tripod and a high quality fluid head is a total joy! Even a decent monopod works well for daytime. Don’t forget extra QR plates and mounting adaptors if you’re doing more than one kind of viewing. ]
So, here is my optical review of the Skymaster Pro 15×70… The replacement binoculars are great for looking at boats on the lake or for birdwatching. They are not so amazing for astronomy. No matter how I adjust the binoculars, there is always a slight smudge on stars and planets, and noticeable chromatic aberrations even in the center of view. Chromatic aberration is NOT noticeable, however, for daytime viewing except in the outer 1/3 of the visual field (where it would be expected in any consumer grade binocular). I can see that Saturn appears slightly wider than tall (I think), but I cannot see any more detail than that. Chromatic aberration makes it difficult to be certain I am really seeing Saturn wider than tall. Again, these are wonderful daytime binocs for the person with a good tripod & head, a monopod, or steady/strong arms.
I also purchased Celestron 51630 Star Pointer viewfinder, which I reviewed separately. While decent quality and easy to attach, I am not sure it adds anything to these binoculars. Maybe the 51630 would be useful for 25X binocs.
I was tempted to purchase Celestron’s new SkyMaster Pro 20×80 binoculars from another vendor (currently unavailable from Amazon) but I am glad I did not do so. The non-Amazon vendors had restocking charges and a pay-your-own return shipping. Amazon definitely is the way to go for sensitive optical equipment lacking factory quality control.
I was also tempted to buy Celestron Skymaster 25×100 mega-binoculars, and I may do so in the future. With my setup listed above, I could definitely stargaze with the 25×100. The longer glass would pull in distant ships on the horizon better. That said, I expect the Skymaster 25×100 to be completely unusable for hand-held viewing (based on my experience with the 15×70 and reading reviews of the 25×100) and I have concerns about Celestron quality control being even worse than nonexistent on the non-Pro Skymasters.
I love the Skymaster Pro’s high quality, flexible rubber, light blocking second pair of eyecups. This was a very happy surprise, and I use the light blocking eyecups often. They are shown on Skymaster’s web page “what’s included” photo but not mentioned elsewhere. Nice extra! The only downside is the heavier eyecups tend to drop off when stargazing. Please check the ground when packing up after viewing. I nearly lost my favorite eyecups already twice this month. Celestron does not appear to sell replacements.
SUMMARY: These are a decent pair of fully coated, supposedly waterproof binculars with nice extras and better styling versus the regular SkyMaster line. These are not truly Professional grade binoculars like Celestron Echelons, which I do not own… nor do they cost anywhere near as much as Echelon binocs. The brightness of the 4.6 mm exit diameter allows lots of light to reach your retina during stargazing, however pinpoint clarity suffers when viewing planets or stars. (I cannot say whether the higher powered SkyMaster binocs are any better in this regard.). Some chromatic aberration is to be expected in any consumer grade binocular, and these definitely have it but it’s not too annoying. For casual sky exploration the wide field of view makes handheld use possible — expecially laying on your back with elbows supported. I certainly wouldn’t want to try that with Skymaster 25×100 binocs. For extended viewing, a tripod setup such as what I listed above will definitely help. These binoculars are moon-gazers rather than galaxy-finders. They are higher end Chinese binocs, not German, Swiss or Japanese glass. The only quality control is the buyer, so definitely make sure you have a generous return policy like Amazon’s.
Overall value: I felt $190 was a fair price for these binoculars. They are no substitute for a 16 inch Newtonian telescope. Thank goodness for Amazon returns!