Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 binocular review

Good astronomy binoculars require two things: High magnification to view distant objects and large objective lenses that allow enough light through to enable you to see in the dark. The Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 has both of these.

Although they aren't without their flaws, which is reflected in their lower price, they're a great entry point into astronomy for beginners who don't want to shell out hundreds for the best pair of stargazing binoculars. If you want to get a better look at the moon, star clusters and spot galaxies and nebulas, we think you'll be pleased with them. Although binoculars are much more portable than the best telescopes, you'll still need a tripod for these hefty 15x70s.

For this review, we're taking a look at their real-world handling and optical performance, and we'll give a run-down of the night-sky objects we managed to see with them. Thanks to a bit of digiscoping with our smartphone, we've included some photos of the moon as seen with these binoculars — and if by the end you're not convinced, we've also provided some alternative models to consider.

Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 binoculars review

Design and comfort

• Big and heavy
• Eyepiece cover likes to jump off
• Generous 18mm eye relief

Without a doubt, these binoculars fall into the "you need a tripod" category. This is not only due to their weight and size, but the 15x magnification makes it impossible to hold them still enough to get a steady view — particularly when you're looking at the night sky. You might be able to observe an animal or object in the distance for a short while, handheld, but the view will be shaky and it won't be long before your arms start to hurt. (Although, when we compared them to the Pro ED version, these binos feel as light as a feather).

Luckily, the binocs come with a tripod adapter, neck strap, cleaning cloth and padded bag included — although about the only thing the bag will protect them from is a stiff breeze. But for the price, we weren't expecting a protective hard case.

In regards to environmental protection, they are waterproof but not fogproof — which is a little annoying considering they're geared towards astronomy. Ideally, we'd prefer it the other way around. We noticed them fog up when moving between cold and warm environments, but on nights when we were out in the cold for a few hours, they didn't fog up at all when they had time to adjust their temperature.

We found the focus wheel and diopter quite stiff, and the high magnification exaggerated any little knocks or movements, so we could've done with them being smoother to minimize any wobbles. On the plus side, the adjustable eyecups and generous 18mm eye relief make for a comfortable viewing experience if you wear glasses.

Optical performance

• Lack of ED glass makes chromatic aberration very noticeable
• Narrow angular field of view
• Not suitable for wildlife observation or birdwatching

For the price of these binoculars, we weren't expecting them to have the best optics we've ever seen. They have BaK-4 glass and multi-coated lenses, as most binoculars do, although the more expensive Pro model has fully coated lenses with XLT coatings. However, the lack of ED (Extra Dispersion) glass really shows here in the amount of chromatic aberration visible when you look through them. This is especially prevalent at night when looking at bright objects.

That said, we were particularly impressed with the optics when looking at the moon. The image was bright and sharp right across the frame, and even though the color fringing is very obvious here, we thought the optics were overall very good for the price.

The optics are versatile in the sense that the binoculars are usable during the day and at night, with their large 70mm objectives drinking in tons of light at any hour. The 15x magnification is slightly less practical for everyday use (again, because of the tripod requirement), but if you can set them up on a tripod for terrestrial use then you'll find the magnification becomes a lot more useful.

With their high magnification comes a narrow 4.4-degree angular field of view and 231 ft (77 m) linear field of view, so they're not the best option for birdwatching or wildlife observation as you'll only see a small portion of a scene at a time.

What we saw

• Better for stargazing than planetary views
• The lunar surface is bright and detailed
• Noticeable color fringing

These binoculars offer many exciting targets for stargazing. The first thing we pointed them towards was the moon, where we were treated to bright, sharp views of the lunar surface in all its glory, and it got the "Wow" treatment all around when we showed it to family members. As we've mentioned, there was very noticeable chromatic aberration around the edges of the moon, but honestly, we didn't mind this optical defect too much — sometimes it even looked quite pretty.

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Planetary views, however, we would describe as overwhelmingly average. By far the most interesting planetary targets are the four Galilean moons of Jupiter, but overall the visible planets are bright, star-like blobs, and the chromatic aberration kind of makes them look like they're on fire. We compared them to our other Celestron UpClose G2 10x50 binoculars, where Venus and Mars looked much better.

We went to the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park in Wales to view the planetary parade under the dark skies of the new moon, and in addition to being able to see Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars with the naked eye, the Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 enabled us to view Uranus and Neptune, too. These binoculars are fine in terms of actually being able to see the planets but don't expect detailed views — if that's what you're after, you'll need a telescope.

Stargazing, on the other hand, is an absolute marvel. We tested them out during both a full and new moon, and even during a bright, full moon, we thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of the Pleiades (Messier 45), the Orion constellation and nebula, and our closest galaxy, Andromeda (Messier 31).

Should you buy the Celestron SkyMaster 15x70?

What we liked:

• Can see all the planets, albeit not in great detail
• Fantastic for stargazing
• Generous 18mm eye relief for glasses wearers
• Tripod adapter included
• Great for viewing many different celestial targets
• They're affordable for what they are
• Ideal for newbie astronomers buying their first dedicated stargazing binocular

What we didn't like:

• Having to use a tripod made viewing objects high in the sky tricky
• Visible chromatic aberration during planetary viewing
• Their size and weight are not backpack-friendly
• Eyepiece cover comes off easily
• Focus wheel is very stiff
• Not fogproof
• They are not easy to use handheld

"Should you buy them?" is a tricky question to answer. They sit in a very specific place in the market where their size and weight largely limit them to astronomy, but we think anyone wanting dedicated astronomy binoculars would be better off investing in a better pair with ED glass, fully-coated optics and nitrogen purging, or indeed a telescope. (We'll be reviewing the Pro ED version of these binoculars soon).

There are some terrestrial applications for which you might want to use them on a tripod, like whale-watching from the coast or getting a closer look at mountain peaks from afar, but using them to observe birds in flight would be a pain in the neck — quite literally.

If, however, you're buying your first pair of astronomy binoculars and you're on a budget, they're a great starter pair to dip your toe in the water without having to spend hundreds on a higher-quality pair. You'll be able to stargaze to your heart's content and get used to spotting planets and navigating your way through the night sky before you advance your skills and invest in one of the best telescopes.

If the Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 isn't for you

How we tested the Celestron SkyMaster 15x70

While testing the Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 we tried to view as many different subjects as possible in a variety of environments. For astronomy, we tested them during both a new moon and full moon, in addition to using them in both a streetlit urban backyard as well as in a dark National Park in Wales. We observed the moon, six planets during the planetary parade (Venus, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, Jupiter and Mars), and some deep-sky objects like Andromeda, the Orion Nebula and the Pleiades.