Gone is the generic and rather boring looking plastic wheel that you find on many modern instruments at the mid to lower price levels. Ideal for anyone just starting out in stargazing.A sleek and well made binocular model with optics to boot. Whilst the differences are subtle, there is no doubt in my mind that these newer Celestron TrailSeeker ED binoculars are an improvement on the non-ED version which I think already is an excellent binocular at this mid-level price range. Bear in mind though that larger lenses often mean heavier and bulkier constructed binos with it. So, once again, it's about arriving at that ideal balance to avoid you 'getting the beak'; something that we believe the binoculars showcased here have got right. Without further ado then, let's swan dive into what we consider the best binoculars for birdwatching… FAQ Are porro prism or compact roof prism binoculars better for birdwatching?

Celestron TrailSeeker ED 8x42 Review | Tested by GearLab

The Swarovski NL Pure 10x42 binoculars have high 10x magnification and a wide field of view, which makes them a veritable shoo-in for birdwatching, wildlife safaris, spectator sports and concerts. Should you be able to justify spending upwards of two grand on a pair of binoculars and be able to spot even the slightest differences between one pair of binoculars and another, you're in for a treat. Otherwise, you'd be better off with another quality birdwatching binocular on this list. It's up to you. Bear in mind that the closest can focus with these binoculars is 7m, which shouldn't be an issue if you're birdwatching. They're tough and waterproof as well as fog-proof, and if you can live with their bulk, you'll find a lot to love about them. When looking through an 8x42 binocular with a high-quality, fully multi-coated optical system and dielectric mirror coatings on the prisms, you expect to be presented with a bright image and these Celectron binoculars did not dissapoint.

Agreed, and the 10x50 would have been my choice right after the Celestron. The image was brighter, owing to the larger aperture, the color fringing was more noticeable but still decent, and the image was flat and sharp up until the edges. I should also mention that the Discovery's have a excellent eye relief and boast a close-up focus range of 4.9 feet - the closest of any bino's that I tested. Many binoculars at this price range look very generic... as if they were all made in the same factory ;-) But these Celestron TrailSeeker ED's are anything but that. In addition to this, the inclusion of BAK-4 prisms helps to further increase the transmission of light. The design of these prisms helps to take in more light through the binoculars. This helps to make the viewable image much brighter and certainly more defined. This makes the Viking Kestrel ED a fantastic option regardless of your environment. Below are similar pairs of Binoculars that you may also want to have a look at: Hawke Frontier HD X 8x42 Binoculars See the universe close up and in stereo, but don’t plan to hike with them as they're big and heavy.

TrailSeeker Binoculars | Celestron TrailSeeker Binoculars | Celestron

Best thought of as a great value pair of entry-level binoculars for all-round use and for occasional night sky views. The competition may seem unfair. In Middle Europe, the Trailseeker sells for about 250 Euros, while you have to pay around 550 Euros for the Monarch 7 (both in den 8x42 configuration). Naturally, prices vary, but as a general rule the Monarch 7 costs at least twice as much as the Trailseeker. The focus mechanism is geared so that it takes one and a half turns of the wheel (540°) to move from minimum to maximum. These binoculars provide a very decent view, and we were able to spot three stars within the Trapezium Cluster, which is located near the center of the Orion Nebula (Messier 42). To see the fourth bright star in this star-forming area, you'd need higher magnification.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. A noticeable difference and certainly an improvement between the non-ED TrailSeeker and these Celestron TrailSeeker ED 8x42 binoculars is the focus wheel. At longer ranges, you can scan wider areas more easily and take in more of the view without having to pan the view about and therefore have a better chance of spotting something of interest.