The Celestron SkyMaster 25x100 aren't quite the biggest binoculars around, but they are big enough to produce impressive views of distant objects, either terrestrial or astronomical.

Best when mounted on good support, the SkyMaster makes a wonderful set of binoculars for a home deck or patio, perfect for viewing distant landscapes and wildlife. Because of the high magnification, you will easily be able to determine whether that distant beast is a black bear or a grizzly. The high magnification does have a down side; it's difficult to follow fast-moving objects, such as birds in flight, unless they are a good distance away.

The SkyMaster is equally impressive for nighttime use, and not just for surveying the moon and planets. The 25x magnification is high enough for distant viewing and the 100mm objective lenses drink up the light that falls into them, producing bright images of distant galaxies, as well as landscape and wildlife in low-light conditions.

Mulit-coated optics and a porro prism design produce crisp views and focus that's sharp as a tack. If you're used to the more common smaller binoculars, you may find the focusing system a bit difficult to use, because of the lack of a center focusing knob. Instead, each eyepiece is individually focused. This may seem cumbersome at first, but because you will usually be viewing distant objects, the focus point won't change often enough to present a real problem. If you share the SkyMaster with others, refocusing every time you swap may become tedious.

Weighing in at almost 9 pounds, the SkyMaster isn't ideal for handheld use. We found that our hands cramped quickly when we attempted to hold the binoculars steady. In addition, the high magnification requires a rock steady grip; otherwise, everything will just be a blur.

When mounted on a steady support, the SkyMaster really shines. We recommend a good quality camera tripod for terrestrial use, and a tripod designed specifically for binoculars for astronomical use.

Additional features of the Celestron SkyMaster 25x100 binoculars include fully rubberized coating, waterproofing, long eye relief, which is a plus for those of us who wear glasses, and a padded case.


Pros: Large 100mm objective lens for optimal light gathering, ideal for distant terrestrial or astronomical viewing
Cons: Individual lens focus can be cumbersome, best used with a tripod

Warranty
$25 No-Fault Warranty (Lifetime)