panhard
Mongo
Reged: 01/20/08
Posts: 5191
Loc: Markham Ontario Canada
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I just recieved my new 15 x 70 binoculars today. I ordered them on Thursday I was told that it would take a month to get them. I have a problem with them. The adapter used to mount them on a camera tripod is very flimsy. When the binos are mouned on the tripod the slightest touch will set off a vibration that does not stop for several seconds. I called Celestron the person on the phone told me that they use the same adapter on the larger binos. I aked him to check it out by part #. He said they are all the same. The tripod that I used is very sturdy I mount my Canon camera on it and I use lenses up to 800mm with it no problem. Does anyone else have a similar setup? Also is there an adaptor made out of metal?
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hallelujah
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/14/06
Posts: 2148
Loc: Rocky Mt. High Colorado
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Quote:
Also is there an adaptor made out of metal?
This is the sturdiest  one that I have been able to locate.
http://www.garrettoptical.com/Binocular-Tripod-L-Adapter-p/gladapt.htm
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Celestron Traveler 8x25 & B. & H. 8x40 FC JAPAN & Revue 10x50 CF Porro FC JAPAN &
Pentax 12x50 PCF WP II FMC & Pentax 16x60 PCF WP FMC &
Pentax 20x60 PCF WP II FMC & Orion 12x63 Mini Giant FMC JAPAN &
SPECTRUM I 20x65 FC JAPAN &
Orion 15x70 Little Giant II FMC JAPAN & Orion 20x70 Little Giant II FMC JAPAN
Orion 16x80 Giant FMC JAPAN & Orion 30x80 MEGAView FMC JAPAN
Barska 30x80 X-Trail LW FC & Burgess Optical Series II 20x90 FMC
Hallelujah! For the LORD God Omnipotent Reigneth
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94bamf
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/15/08
Posts: 705
Loc: Kansas City,Mo
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Quote:
I just recieved my new 16 x 70 binoculars today. I ordered them on Thursday I was told that it would take a month to get them. I have a problem with them. The adapter used to mount them on a camera tripod is very flimsy. When the binos are mouned on the tripod the slightest touch will set off a vibration that does not stop for several seconds. I called Celestron the person on the phone told me that they use the same adapter on the larger binos. I aked him to check it out by part #. He said they are all the same. The tripod that I used is very sturdy I mount my Canon camera on it and I use lenses up to 800mm with it no problem. Does anyone else have a similar setup? Also is there an adaptor made out of metal?
That adapter is junk, it might work ok for some really light, short binoculars, but not for the 15x70's. Many places sell better adapters that are metal. As far as I know, Celestron doesn't sell any binoculars "bigger" than the 15x70s that don't have a center bar/post mounting adapter, so they wouldn't use that adapter anyway.
Ken
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Telescopes:
Celestron C6 SCT on CG4 mount
Skywatcher 8 inch F/5 Newt on a GEM
Celestron 8 inch Starhopper Dob
Celestron Oynx 80ED
Celestron C130 Mak
Celestron C102HD
Binoculars:
Nikon 7x35 Action
Nikon 7x50 Action
Zen Ray Summit 10x42
Celestron 10x42 Noble
Orion 10x50 Scenix
Celestron 10x50 Noble
Pentax 12x50 PCF WP II
Celestron 15x70 Skymaster
Oberwerk 20x60
Zhumell 20x80
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panhard
Mongo
Reged: 01/20/08
Posts: 5191
Loc: Markham Ontario Canada
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I agree with you as to the quality of that adapter.
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werewolf6977
Lord High Smasher
Reged: 12/15/03
Posts: 8429
Loc: Hanover, Ohio
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You can get a nice one from Orion for under twenty bucks IIRC. I got one for my Skymasters. Made a whole world of difference.
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Pete
6" Apogee/LXD55
Starhopper 6" Dob
Spaceprobe 130EQ
Black C8 OTA
WO Zenith Star 66 Patriot Edition
Sun Pak Pro 7500 Platinum Edition
8X42 Bushnell H2O Porro
7X35 Tasco
10X50 Nikon Actions (Type 7)
15X70 Skymasters
Dell Inspiron Dual Core 531s
"Science without Religion is lame, Religion without Science is blind" A.Einstein.
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Jimmy2K63
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/26/09
Posts: 1184
Loc: Kentucky
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The Amazon reviews on the tripod bracket that comes with the Celestron 15x70's said about the same thing....the bracket is junk. I think I read every review on there that night.
I have the Garrett L adapter and it's nothing to write home about either, not worth $20 IMHO. It left my binos at odd angles, and I never could get it to work and hold level, the threads would come loose at the worst times, etc. But at least it's not shaky.
I went and got the FarSight mount and have never looked back. I know its a bit of money, but I felt it was worth it.
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http://astronomyguy63.blogspot.com/
LXD75 SN6-UHTC
Cave Astrola 10" f/5
Garrett 15x70/FarSight
Canon XS (1000D)
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DarkSpark
member
Reged: 11/25/08
Posts: 51
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Resaerching my 15 x 70 Skymasters I once saw a post (I think here) where someone applied some type of putty (epoxy putty?) used in car repairs to the empty areas on the adapter. Google it and you should find references to that. I haven’t tried it yet but intend to. Not much to lose as the adapter is junk anyway.
Edited by DarkSpark (09/23/09 10:34 AM)
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EdZ
Professor EdZ
Reged: 02/15/02
Posts: 14716
Loc: Cumberland, R I , USA42N71.4W
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Quote:
I have the Garrett L adapter and it's nothing to write home about either, not worth $20 IMHO. It left my binos at odd angles, and I never could get it to work and hold level, the threads would come loose at the worst times, etc. But at least it's not shaky.
I went and got the FarSight mount and have never looked back. I know its a bit of money, but I felt it was worth it.
Interesting comments here sort of conflicting.
the farSight binocular mount is constructed to purposely ALLOW the binoculars to tilt side to side. In other words it's desigened to NOT hold binoculars rigidly level. You don't like that in the Garrett adapter, but don't mention it about the FarSight adapter?
I might add, premium adapters for use on parallelograms are purposely designed to allow binoculars to tilt from side to side. That is the only way any parallelogram mount can achieve the 6th degree of motion.
edz
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Teach a kid something today. The feeling you'll get is one of life's greatest rewards.
member#21
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danielgolite
member
Reged: 09/29/06
Posts: 44
Loc: Erie County, PA
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I have the Celestron 15x70 binoculars and strengthened the cheap tripod adapter by filling in the cavities on both sides with expoxy I purchased at Wal-Mart for just a few dollars. Now the adapter is much stronger and does not flex.
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-Daniel
"For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything." -Hebrews 3:4
Celestron 6" reflector/eq. mount
Tele Vue Ranger
Celestron 10x50 Ultima & 15x70 Skymaster binocs
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jkevn
sage
Reged: 03/02/06
Posts: 211
Loc: Tucson, Arizona
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I have these binoculars. Their overall quality is surprisingly good for their inexpensive price and their large 70 mm aperture. There are tradeoffs with the quality and price however--although not too bad optically (mine anyway), they have the very cheap plastic tripod adapter mount that allows vibration like you describe. I would not use the Celestron tripod mount at all, but replace it with a sold metal one, like a Zhumell tripod adapter. In fact, when I first used the Celestron tripod adapter, it seemed so fragile that I was worried that if I bumped the binoculars, it might break and the binoculars would fall off the tripod.
These binoculars also have a very (very!) cheap strap, and they are not fully multicoated. Reviews indicate that the collimation quality varies a lot between samples. Positive comments about my sample are that the focus is pretty mechanically tight and doesn't change with pressure too much, and the lack of distortion approaching the edge of the field of view is remarkably good, I think.
It is interesting to speculate on what engineering/marketing decisions are made about what binoculars characteristics to spend the most and least money on to come up with the most competitive product.
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Jimmy2K63
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/26/09
Posts: 1184
Loc: Kentucky
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Quote:
Quote:
I have the Garrett L adapter and it's nothing to write home about either, not worth $20 IMHO. It left my binos at odd angles, and I never could get it to work and hold level, the threads would come loose at the worst times, etc. But at least it's not shaky.
I went and got the FarSight mount and have never looked back. I know its a bit of money, but I felt it was worth it.
Interesting comments here sort of conflicting.
the farSight binocular mount is constructed to purposely ALLOW the binoculars to tilt side to side. In other words it's desigened to NOT hold binoculars rigidly level. You don't like that in the Garrett adapter, but don't mention it about the FarSight adapter?
edz
The Garret tripod adapter fit very sloppy on my binoculars. If I overtightened it, which I needed to do to keep them rigid, then the act of drawing the optical train closer together would loosen the center bolt resulting in it slopping all over the place.
On the other hand, with the FarSight mount, you thread the nipple into the binoculars as tight as you want while still allowing them to be loose, and you lock it with a tiny set screw so it cannot move. The nipple is so precisely machined to fit the FarSight bracket that you have to work to get it in there (but it goes perfectly) and it holds everything firm with no play except direct rotational movement. I know the bracket is about $60, but the fit and usability more than makes up for it. Plus the GSO reflex finder fits directly on the top of the FarSight with the same precision, making for a really super targeting system. I only have one weakness to correct, but I can live with it for now, and that is the Orion HDF2 tripod which is less than acceptable in performance. Seems I have to constantly fight it when panning.
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http://astronomyguy63.blogspot.com/
LXD75 SN6-UHTC
Cave Astrola 10" f/5
Garrett 15x70/FarSight
Canon XS (1000D)
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panhard
Mongo
Reged: 01/20/08
Posts: 5191
Loc: Markham Ontario Canada
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Well I tried the epoxy route and it works much better. The binoculars are very useable now. When I tap them the vibration ceases almost immediately. That is the effect that I was looking for. Now I am a happy camper. 
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