Telescope Reviews: Super deal right now on Celestron 15x70 bins..

My own first hand experience with the Celestron Skymaster 15X70 was at the NEAF show several years ago. I think back then they were in the $69-$79 range. I was skeptical about what to expect. IIRC at that time the Burgess version was priced at $99, already pretty low compared to the Oberwerk brand.

As I walked up to the Celestron stand I was prepared to find something wrong: Evidence of poor fit and finish, collmiation errors, spikes and flares, poor resolution etc. To my surprise I could not find any. I spend a good 10 to 15 min checking out the pair as closely as I could inside the exhibit hall. Looking at signs and small details requiring sharp optics to resolve, checking for gross CA. I could not find any fault at all.

After a detailed exam of the Celestron I walked over to the Oberwerk stand to check out their 15X70. I could not find any difference , (based on the sample of one each). My eyes could not tell if the Oberwerk had 5 or 7% better light transmission; I did not think of doing a flashlight test. If EdZ was in the hall that day he may be able to conduct a field test and point out the deficiencies. He wasn't.

I already had a pair of Burgess 20X80 LW and a pair of Oberwerk 12X60s. I was please with both. I know what to expect from these lower cost, light wt Chinese Giants. They do not have the same heft and mechanical construction of classic Japanese binos but the optics were quite good to my eyes. I wasn't shopping for 15X70 LWs that day, If I were, I would have had a tough deciding to go for the pricier Oberwerk.

I was searching for a pair of 12X50 roof prisms at the time. Checked out a pair of Celestron Outland WP 12X50 roofs. ($ 69). They were no better than $25 flea market binos, image dim, resolution poor. Just as I remembered from the year before. I left the Outland to checked out a pair of Pentax 12.5X50 DCF SPs. I think they were selling for over $500 at mail order discount. I decided I wanted something closer to the DCF SP quality level.

Over the years the Celestron 15X70 topic seems to come up on weekly basis. I have read reports from someone who has gone thru 3 or 5 pairs at a retail store to find a good pair. Others who have to return two pairs. Also many positive reports from members like CESD and doctordub, those who own and enjoy premium binoculars.

I can only surmise there must be considerable sample to sample variation. I also feel at the $100-$150 price point the importer have sufficient margin to conduct inspection and screen out obvious defects if they indeed go thru the inspection; at the $50 price point it's pretty much luck of the draw.

If a friend or relative insists $50 is all they want to spend on a pair of 15X70s I would suggest going to a retail store and check out a pair first hand. I myself am not inclined to return multiple pairs via UPS to find a good pair. The effort of boxing and printing labels, tracking the return, and wait for the replacement is not worth the savings to me.

I ordered a pair of Eagle Optics 10X42 Denali roof prisms for $169 a few years back. I was very pleased with a pair of EO Ranger 8X32 roofs for $360. Decided to give their lower priced cousin a try. The Denalis were no better than the $69 Celestron Outland. Image dimmer than my 32 mm and resolution poor. I retuned them for a refund. Saw no point in trying another pair. ~$200 seems to be the threshold for quality roofs a few years ago.

I have not used my Oberwerk 12X60 much since getting the Leupold 12X50 roofs in late 2004. They Obwerks are good binoculars for $109. The $350 Leupolds gives me much more viewing pleasure. I can do away with 1/2 of my two dozen+ binos and be quite happy. I am a binocular addict, don't mind going thru the process. I share my experience here so that some members who really want quality optics AND save a few dollars can skip a few steps in between if they choose.

I used to provide links to less than favorable reports of the Celeston as a caution to fellow CN members. There were so numerous over the years I stopped. There are enough data points in this thread for those interested to make informed decisions.

Bill C's $300-$600 price range is a good guide. I'll say it's quite possible to find quality optics under $400 these days. It may be worthwhile for some to consider a $300 pair instead of having 3-5 lower cost pairs. None of us can look thru more than one pair at a time. ;-))

ERik D