I've been eyeing binoculars lately to replace my 20 year old Japanese 10x25s, and was considering 8x40s from Nikon and Olympus. I live in Australia however, and everything is double the price here. Anyhow, I needed to first define what I would use it for: and my first priority is for starspotting. After that, it will likely be used on holidays and vacations, or general planespotting from my backyard. As a result, I need a general pair of binoculars, without it necessarily being rugged, or having waterproofing, but with decent optics. This pair caught my eye solely on its pricepoint. The 10x magnification would let me enjoy close up views with manageable shakiness, and the 50mm aperture would let in many more stops of light. So upon receiving it and playing with it for 2 days these are my observations:
- the optics are amazing for the price you pay: VERY bright image and amazing clarity! The focus ring is wide enough and gets a good fix for subjects at infinity (stars) and 3 km away. The objective lenses are well collimated and the depth of field that the two scopes provide is really enjoyable. The right eye diopter also holds its setting and makes the image very bright and clear
- Speaking about stars, I am travelling in Bangkok now, and through the light polluted sky downtown, I can see many more stars in the sky next to the bright lights on top of buildings. Even saw a bird flying in the night sky high above the buildings, the aperture is *that* good in letting in the light. Having said that, the artificial light sources do tend to cause some flaring within the barrels/prisms. But it doesn't obscure the stars in the centre of focus anyway.
- Looking up at the tall buildings and fancy hotels, I notice some significant pin cushion effect of the straight vertical lines. This doesn't bother me because the image clarity is amazing, and this is a pair of binoculars, not a camera!
- I wear eyeglasses, and have astigmatism. The eyecups are a rigid sort of rubber so it stays inverted firmly when I turn them out. The lesser field of view caused by my glasses doesn't bother me. My focus is ultimately in the centre of frame when using the binoculars.
- The construction is solid, but it won't win a beauty contest for finishing. The body and grip is all rubberized and feels good to grip and hold. But the finishing is a 7/10 - not fancy nikon or olympus level attention to detail in the lines along the bodies.
Also when looking through the barrel from the objective lenses, you can tell that the Celestron is built more cheaply in how the light passes through. The mounting screw-hole and thread is also cheaply finished - this is probably my biggest concern, as I don't want to strip the thread when mounting it. Also, be careful where and how you use it as Celestron does not claim to make it (nor is it) condensation-proof and waterproof.
- One lens cap keeps falling off from the objective lens.
- Compared to my uncle's Bushnell 16x50, my Celestron is amazing. The magnification is just a little less on the Celestron, but image is so much clearer and brighter. Sure the Bushnell is more rugged and heavier, BUT - the Bushnell has an awful focusing mechanism with limited focus throw. Both the Bushnell's focuser and diopter tend to lose focus very easily. Also the hand-jitter on the Bushnell is not as manageable as on the Celestron.
- Compared to my uncle's 10x40 monocular, the Celestron 50mm lets in more light and has better clarity. But the monocular is better built and more rugged.
So all in all: For the pricepoint at $29, and for my needs - I love this pair of binoculars! The image quality and usability makes it excellent value for money. If you need better construction, Nitrogen sealed condensation resistance, and need undistorted perfect images, then raise your budget five fold (10 fold in Australia) and buy a nikon, olympus or pentax.
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From the manufacturer
UpClose G2 10-30x50 mm Zoom Binocular
A versatile zoom binocular for both mid-distance as well as ultra-long range viewing.
Features And Benefits
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Zoom in for DetailsLocate your subject then zoom in for a close-up view of the action. |
Multi-coated LensesMulti-coated lenses provide bright and clear images with exceptional contrast. |
Powerful Yet Easy-to-UseGet up to 30x magnification in a low weight, easy-to-carry standard size binocular. |
Fully Armored ExteriorDurable external armor protects the binocular against the rigors of active use. |
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Comfortable & Eyeglass FriendlySoft, folding eyecups are comfortable to use and can be easily positioned for use with or without eyeglasses. |
Tripod AdaptableMount the UpClose G2 10-30x50 mm on a tripod for hours of hands-free viewing convenience. |
Essential Accessories IncludedCarrying case, objective covers, eyepiece covers, lens cloth, and instruction manual all included. |
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| Price | — | — | — | — |
| 71260 | 71258 | 71256 | 71256 | |
| Magnification | 10-30x | 20x | 10x | 8x |
| Field of View (degrees) | 4.3° @ 10x/2.2° @ 30x | 3.2° | 6.8° | 8.2° |
| Field of View (feet @ 1000yds) | 225 @ 10x/115@30x | 168 | 354 | 429 |
| Lens Coatings | Multi-coated | Multi-coated | Multi-coated | Multi-coated |
| Prism Material | BK-7 | BK-7 | BK-7 | BK-7 |
| IPD (mm) | 56-72 | 56-72 | 56-72 | 56-72 |
| Close Focus Distance (feet) | 26 @10x /45 @ 30x | 42 | 23 | 19 |
| Eye Relief (mm) | 20 @ 10x /15 @ 30x | 7 | 12 | 12 |
| Eyecup | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Compare with similar items
This Item  Celestron – UpClose G2 10–30x50 Binocular – 10-30x Zoom Binoculars for Beginners – Multi-Coated Optics for Bird Watching, Wildlife, Scenery and Hunting – Porro Prism – Includes Soft Carrying Case |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | -14% $59.95 List: $69.95 | $124.64 | $17.99 | -10% $89.99 List: $99.99 | $45.99 | -7% $129.99 List: $139.99 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2 | Get it May 7 - 10 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 3 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Light weight | ||||||
| Value for money | ||||||
| Easy to use | ||||||
| Picture quality | ||||||
| Night vision | ||||||
| Sold By | Amazon.com | Amazon Global Store UK | Y&W Holding | Sunny Direct | FREE SOLDIER OPTICS | Sogries |
| max magnification | 30 multiplier x | — | 20 multiplier x | — | — | 30 multiplier x |
| focus type | Close | Manual Focus | Center Focus | Center Focus | Center Focus | Center Focus |
| lens coating | Multi-Coated | Fully Coated | Fully Multi-Coated | Fully Multi-Coated | Multi-Coated | Anti-Reflective |
| eye relief | 15 millimeters | — | 12 millimeters | 12 millimeters | — | — |
| exit pupil diameter | 5 millimeters | 4.2 millimeters | — | — | 50 millimeters | — |
| objective lens diameter | — | 50 millimeters | 50 millimeters | 50 millimeters | 50 millimeters | 50 millimeters |
Videos
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Celestron UpClose G2 10-30x Zoom: unboxing, field test
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Reviews with images
Very good binoculars for such a low price
First of all, people need to understand: When ordering binoculars online, especially ones in this range, you are taking the chance you will get a bad pair. Between the factory and the shipping to your door, there's a chance the pair you get WILL BE OUT OF COLLIMATION. This means you will see double and never get a merged focused image. In other words, they'll be useless. If you read through reviews that's the main complaint people have and they conclude the binoculars "just suck". However, it seems the number of bad are outweighed by the number of good ones people received. And Amazon is really good at returns and exchanges, so you really just stand to lose time and convenience having to make the return if they are out of collimation. Having said that...Since my main use is for stargazing I already had gotten the 15x70 SkyMaster, which is also an excellent pair for the price. But because of their size, for hand-held use they can be difficult to use. I can manage pretty well, but my wife definitely had a harder time, so I took a chance with these. Having taken the collimation gamble with the SkyMasters and being a pessimist, I wasn't expecting my luck to be good twice in a row. But these also arrived in collimation and focused just fine. After the relief of that, the second thing I noticed was how much easier they were to hold, and therefore, how much better and stable the image was. Using them at night was just as easy. Between their size and lower magnification I was able to focus in on objects a lot easier than with the SkyMasters. My wife also found them MUCH easier to use. The image is not as close or as bright, but for hand held use the stability of the smaller one wins. However, even though I could see Jupiter and it's moons 'good' with these 10x50's for a longer time, I still switched to the 15x70's for a 'better' but shorter view. That wouldn't be an issue with a good sturdy tripod though and the bigger one would win ~hands down~ (see what I did there?).Like the Skymasters, these came with a thin flimsy soft case, a cheap neckstrap, lens caps, and a tiny microfiber cloth. Unlike the Skymasters, it didn't come with a tripod adapter, which isn't a big deal since most will use them hand-held and the tripod adapter the Skymaster did come with really sucks anyway. It appears to be a well-built pair of binoculars, but that's not saying anything if a good enough bump knocks them out of collimation. Taking that into account, I ditched the flimsy carrying bags for both pairs of binoculars and put them in "Plano Protector Four Pistol" cases. Overkill maybe, but made me feel better.Overall, for $20-30 binoculars, these are really good.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2013
Style: 10x50 -PorroVerified Purchase
First of all, people need to understand: When ordering binoculars online, especially ones in this range, you are taking the chance you will get a bad pair. Between the factory and the shipping to your door, there's a chance the pair you get WILL BE OUT OF COLLIMATION. This means you will see double and never get a merged focused image. In other words, they'll be useless. If you read through reviews that's the main complaint people have and they conclude the binoculars "just suck". However, it seems the number of bad are outweighed by the number of good ones people received. And Amazon is really good at returns and exchanges, so you really just stand to lose time and convenience having to make the return if they are out of collimation. Having said that...
Since my main use is for stargazing I already had gotten the 15x70 SkyMaster, which is also an excellent pair for the price. But because of their size, for hand-held use they can be difficult to use. I can manage pretty well, but my wife definitely had a harder time, so I took a chance with these. Having taken the collimation gamble with the SkyMasters and being a pessimist, I wasn't expecting my luck to be good twice in a row. But these also arrived in collimation and focused just fine. After the relief of that, the second thing I noticed was how much easier they were to hold, and therefore, how much better and stable the image was. Using them at night was just as easy. Between their size and lower magnification I was able to focus in on objects a lot easier than with the SkyMasters. My wife also found them MUCH easier to use. The image is not as close or as bright, but for hand held use the stability of the smaller one wins. However, even though I could see Jupiter and it's moons 'good' with these 10x50's for a longer time, I still switched to the 15x70's for a 'better' but shorter view. That wouldn't be an issue with a good sturdy tripod though and the bigger one would win ~hands down~ (see what I did there?).
Like the Skymasters, these came with a thin flimsy soft case, a cheap neckstrap, lens caps, and a tiny microfiber cloth. Unlike the Skymasters, it didn't come with a tripod adapter, which isn't a big deal since most will use them hand-held and the tripod adapter the Skymaster did come with really sucks anyway. It appears to be a well-built pair of binoculars, but that's not saying anything if a good enough bump knocks them out of collimation. Taking that into account, I ditched the flimsy carrying bags for both pairs of binoculars and put them in "Plano Protector Four Pistol" cases. Overkill maybe, but made me feel better.
Overall, for $20-30 binoculars, these are really good.
Since my main use is for stargazing I already had gotten the 15x70 SkyMaster, which is also an excellent pair for the price. But because of their size, for hand-held use they can be difficult to use. I can manage pretty well, but my wife definitely had a harder time, so I took a chance with these. Having taken the collimation gamble with the SkyMasters and being a pessimist, I wasn't expecting my luck to be good twice in a row. But these also arrived in collimation and focused just fine. After the relief of that, the second thing I noticed was how much easier they were to hold, and therefore, how much better and stable the image was. Using them at night was just as easy. Between their size and lower magnification I was able to focus in on objects a lot easier than with the SkyMasters. My wife also found them MUCH easier to use. The image is not as close or as bright, but for hand held use the stability of the smaller one wins. However, even though I could see Jupiter and it's moons 'good' with these 10x50's for a longer time, I still switched to the 15x70's for a 'better' but shorter view. That wouldn't be an issue with a good sturdy tripod though and the bigger one would win ~hands down~ (see what I did there?).
Like the Skymasters, these came with a thin flimsy soft case, a cheap neckstrap, lens caps, and a tiny microfiber cloth. Unlike the Skymasters, it didn't come with a tripod adapter, which isn't a big deal since most will use them hand-held and the tripod adapter the Skymaster did come with really sucks anyway. It appears to be a well-built pair of binoculars, but that's not saying anything if a good enough bump knocks them out of collimation. Taking that into account, I ditched the flimsy carrying bags for both pairs of binoculars and put them in "Plano Protector Four Pistol" cases. Overkill maybe, but made me feel better.
Overall, for $20-30 binoculars, these are really good.
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
Jay M.
Does the job for a great price [a warehouse deal in this case]
Reviewed in Canada on January 18, 2024Style: 20x50 - PorroVerified Purchase
Mike
Great product
Reviewed in Canada on January 18, 2024Style: 10-30x50 Zoom- PorroVerified Purchase
Luis Enrique Olmos
Buenísimo para ver la luna y las estrellas
Reviewed in Mexico on September 9, 2023Style: 10x50 -PorroVerified Purchase
Jacques Anatole Xavier Ramos
Bom produto
Reviewed in Brazil on August 24, 2023Style: 10x50 -PorroVerified Purchase
