Rubberized metal for the Trailseeker, rubberized plastic for the Monarch. Four stops, they could be more marked in both binos; probably the Monarch's eyecups will get loose sooner than the Trailseeker's, because of the plastic and because of the way the stops are constructed. The rubber doesn't leave any traces on your glasses. Both binos are good to look through. Very difficult to make out any difference. If you can't read something with the Trailseeker because of weak contrast, you cannot read it with the Monarch either. However, if white/blue tones are contrasted against brown/yellowish tones, the Monarch has a very, very slight edge; obviously a consequence of the better whiteness rendition. Looking at brownish birds in a meadow or following a yellowish bird in green foliage, I don't think anyone could tell the two binos apart by their images.

CELESTRON TRAILSEEKER 8x42 vs. NIKON MONARCH 7 8x42 - BirdForum CELESTRON TRAILSEEKER 8x42 vs. NIKON MONARCH 7 8x42 - BirdForum

Incidentally, these optical stats (FOV, close focus, and eye-relief) are pretty much the same on the non-ED version of the TrailSeeker. Well, it was a rather complicated business before I came to a decision - and before I had an acceptable device in my hands. But let's have a look at the binos. These binoculars are extremely versatile and fantastic quality is a guarantee. Brands such as Viking and Celestron provide unrivalled quality at cost-effective prices. We are certain that there is something for everyone here. With the Monarch 7, however, this holds true only for the first five years. For the second five years only spare parts are covered, repair work will be charged. Considering the usual cost of skilled labour in Europe, such a "warranty" repair can become a very costly business. In addition, the Monarch's warranty card states that damage caused by water is not covered. Now, if you look at the above paragraph, you don't need much imagination to guess what's going to happen: If you ever get into a torrential rain with your Monarch and the bino fills up like a goldfish-glass - they may just tell you that the damage is not covered by the warranty because surely you touched the focus knob! We, the customers, often want everything (naturally), and we want it cheap, cheaper, the cheapest. Big sales chains and internet retailers can and do exert a lot of pressure on companies to lower prices, and one consequence is that they have to produce cheap, cheaper, the cheapest. Saving on build quality and quality control is an easy way of reducing production costs. In the end (naturally), someone has to pay for the low price. It's the costumer himself - and many others who don't even have a choice.

The field of view is impressive at 426 feet at 1,000 yards (some of the widest in its class) and has a very respectable close-in focus of 6.5 feet. For me, the wide FOV is what set these binoculars apart from the others, especially compared with the Nikon Monarch which specs at 360 ft @ 1,000 yards. Celestron has opted to use a relatively hard rubber for the exterior armor, which tends to be a little longer lasting and less likely to perish than softer ones in my experience. Celestron SkyMaster Pro 15x70 BinocularThese binoculars give a superb stargazing experience at a reasonable price. They won’t give you close-ups of planets or reveal the most distant galaxies, but they make up for it by providing dramatic wide-field views in a good, dark sky.★★★★½ We were pleased with how nicely these binoculars performed when we used them at night. The Pleiades star cluster appeared sharp and clear over the whole view, with just a slight decrease of quality towards the edges, and we did not notice any color distortion. This upgrade means that they now have the possibility of better directing the individual wavelengths of light as it passes through the lenses and thus reduces chromatic aberrations when compared to the "standard" low dispersion glass used in the non-ED version.

Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42 binoculars review | Digital Camera

In these situations, I found that the Celestron Trailseeker 8x42 ED binoculars were equal to my alpha level benchmarks and noticeably brighter than the mid-range benchmark.Remember as well as water, a fully sealed binocular is also protected from dust entering, which for many users is the more likely scenario. The Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42 gives consistently crisp, colourful views with plenty of detail and contrast. We particularly liked the ability to focus on close objects just 6.5ft. from us, which proved very useful in both an animal sanctuary and while bird-watching in a local wetlands reserve. One item that is different is the carry case and unfortunately, it is not for the better. The non-ED TrailSeeker that I tested came with a higher quality case that was the same that they use with their more expensive models like the Celestron Granite 8x42 binoculars.

8x42 vs 10x42 Binoculars - Which is Best? | Best Binocular 8x42 vs 10x42 Binoculars - Which is Best? | Best Binocular

Celestron SkyMaster 25x100 BinocularThese heavy-hitters are certainly not for the uninitiated binoculars-users. They're more like two 100mm refractor telescopes glued together and they give enormous reach. They're our favorites for large astronomy binoculars, and with proper care, they could give you decades of joyful stereoscopic star-hopping.★★★★Canon 10x42L IS WP binoculars: They're not perfect, but they’re as close as you’ll get for hand-held astronomy. They're an outstanding choice for super-steady stargazing thanks to their image stabilization, waterproof design and large objective lenses. ★★★★★ I have found that images are bright, clear and crisp well off center with just slight blurring and chromatic aberration at the extreme edges of view. Again, the Trailseeker EDs exhibited far less CA than the Nikon, Vortex, and Opticron glasses. I did not notice any of the dreaded “roller ball” effect. They are very comfortable to hold and images snap into focus nicely. The case is simple, but functional.

Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42 binoculars review: the ultimate

The combination of the powerful zoom with the incredibly detailed optics makes this an excellent choice. The viewable image appears without flaws thanks to the inclusion of the ED glass. The fairly wide lenses help to process as much light as possible to ensure the image always appears bright. This is particularly important when using these binoculars in low-light conditions. For the price that these binoculars are available, you certainly get excellent value. I don’t have much in the way of expertise to write a product review, but I wanted to share my experience with my recently acquired Celestron 8x42 ED TrailSeeker binoculars. Touring the heavens with this pair of telescopes is like using two four-inch (100 mm) refractor telescopes with added 25x magnification as if a mad scientist had blended them using an experimental teleporter. The Celestron Nature DX 8x42 binoculars provide a cost-effective approach to achieving high-quality results. Providing a blend of powerful magnification with a close focus ensures that these are extremely versatile. These binoculars offer everything that you could possibly need for a more in-depth examination of subjects. Finally, the inclusion of the rubber-armour build design offers fantastic levels of protection. This is a fantastic all-round option for both beginners and intermediate users. At 11-inches (280 mm) in length and weighing 3 lbs. (1.36 kilograms), we found in our Celestron SkyMaster Pro 15x70 binocular review that they certainly have a lot of heft, but using them handheld isn't impossible. You'd be most comfortable if you mounted them to a tripod. However, because of their high magnification, the views of the moon are breathtaking. We were especially impressed by the stereoscopic viewing of the lunar surface.We look at how easy they are to operate, whether eye relief can be adjusted for spectacles wearers, if a binocular comes with appropriate accessories or carry bags and suggest if a particular set of binos would benefit from any additional kit to give you the best viewing experience possible. I also feel that the inclusion of the ED glass is a good thing and whilst the non-ED version did not perform badly in terms of the amount of color fringing in my tests (I thought they were very good), these TrailSeekers now perform excellently in this area. These binoculars are built to endure various weather conditions with ease. They are nitrogen-filled and sealed to prevent condensation or fogging, allowing you to use them for extended periods without any trouble. The eye relief is generous, measuring 18mm, making them comfortable for individuals who wear glasses. The field of view, which refers to the width of an area you can see, is decent but not extraordinary at 5.8 degrees. With the sun in front of you, both binos showed a significant amount of glare, though the image was still acceptable; I didn't notice much of a difference between the two models. At night, when I had a strong street light before me, it was easy to tell the two binos apart: With the Trailseeker, a street light would produce a straight beam of light that crossed the image. In the Monarch's image, however, you'd see an arrangement of curved beams. The reason for this behaviour becomes obvious when you look into the objectives: the Monarch's tubes are ridged inside, but the little edges (or "steps") are not matted; on the contrary, they are quite shiny and bound to produce curved ghost beams. Thus, a good idea, put into practice very badly. The only thing we weren't particularly impressed with was the quality of the eyecups, which are just average and don't provide much relief, especially if you wear glasses. However, eyecups aside, the Nature DX ED 12x50 binoculars are built with excellent quality and have durable rubber armor that protects them from water and impacts.