Celestron 8x40 UpClose Binocular

Comments about Celestron 8x40 UpClose Binocular:

This is a great product for the price. I am a college student who recently became interested in bird watching and wanted a decent pair of binoculars. Unfortunately I did not have a lot of money to spend on state of the art optics. These binoculars are exactly what I needed. Most of my birding is done in the evening after work, and even in twilight the large lens size (40mm) provides sharp images.

My only complaints are the bulkiness of the binoculars and the fact that the lens caps do not stay on at all. Otherwise an excellent product for the price.

Comments about Celestron 8x40 UpClose Binocular:

We purchased the Celestron 8x40 UpClose binoculars mainly for viewing the countryside and spotting wildlife when camping, hiking, etc. They are great for this purpose. Light-weight with OK images. I have also used them for Astronomy, in conjuction with my telescopes. While they don't provide the quality celestial views that higher end binoculars do, they perform well considering their low cost.

Comments about Celestron 8x40 UpClose Binocular:

I got this binoculars for my Dad, he really enjoy them. The image and color rendering is very good.

Comments about Celestron 8x40 UpClose Binocular:

The box says weatherproof and water resistant, this was not clear when I was ordering, but definitely a nice surprise!

Field of vision is quite wide so you can get decent look even when viewing with glasses on.

My 6 and 9 years old were able to use the binoculars too although getting the stable image is a little problem. Generally I would not recommend getting more then 8x magnification as the shaking only gets worse with increased magnification.

The construction appears somewhat basic and cheap but looks like it might withstand years of moderate use and the binoculars work very well. I do not know how the advertised tripod attachment might work.

Comments about Celestron 8x40 UpClose Binocular:

I got these to replace my old 7x35 fixed-focus binoculars that I received for a gift many years ago. The fixed focus was annoying and the minimum focus distance must have been at least 60', making them unsuitable for bird watching. They sat unused for many years. So, my advice is to avoid any fixed-focus binoculars. I did a lot of comparison shopping before deciding on these.

I like the boost to 8x from 7x in magnification and the 40mm objective. Seems like logical step up from 7x35. I was tempted to go to 10X but most reviews indicated image stability was a problem. These focus easily, have the diopter ajustment for the right eye, have a nice solid feel, with a pleasing rubber coating. Focus is easy and very sharp. Image is very bright and the 5mm exit pupil work is works well in dim light. There is a significant edge distortion noticable when looking and say, a telephone pole. It will curve to the right if it is at the right edge of the view. But for the price, I am truly amazed at the quality of these binocs. I'd have to say these are execellent for causal birding and star gazing.

One con I came across that there are no instruction as to how to install the strap. It was next to impossible to get it through the loops on the binocs. I had to cut them at a sharp angle and then push them through with a small precision screwdriver. Looping it into the clasps might be a mystery to some as there are no instructions for this procedure. I just happen to know how to do it from installing camera straps.

One last thing, while investigating these, the Celestron website says they are "tripod adaptable". I'm not sure I know what that means. I didn't see any accessory to adapt these to a tripod. Why can't they just incorporate the 1/4"-20 socket for a few extra dollars in the first place?