Editors’ Choice Astronomy

Celestron Skymaster Pro ED Binoculars Review

Review by Angie Kibiloski

Stargazing with Style

Celestron is a well-known name in stargazing technology, with a wide range of binoculars and telescopes to suit both amateur and pro astronomers alike. They offer specialized devices to safely watch solar eclipses, standard models to closely admire our near-Earth neighbors, and multi-functional, AI-driven smart devices to track, photograph, and peer at celestial objects further out into space. Today, we’ll be taking a look at one of their standard binocular models, the Skymaster Pro ED 7x50mm Porro Binoculars, suitable for both astronomical and terrestrial viewing. At $199.95, this semi-entry level model is perfect for anyone with an interest in witnessing planetary alignments, spotting constellations, or following the path of visiting comets.

Compact and Powerful

The Skymaster Pro ED 7x50mm Porro Binoculars pack some great features into a fairly compact handheld device. The ergonomic body is 7.1″ in length, covered in durable, waterproof rubber, with a nice matte finish that’s comfortable to hold. Coming in at 44.3 oz., this model isn’t exactly lightweight, but is easy enough for an adult to manage and maneuver. It has a central focus dial that adjusts both lenses, and a diopter adjustment dial on the right eyepiece to compensate for vision variances between right and left eyes. The eyepieces can be easily adjusted to fit interpupillary widths between 2.2″ and 2.83″, are extendable to accommodate users with or without glasses, and threaded to fit any 1.25″ filters you may wish to add for light or color adjustments. The binoculars come boxed with a nice accessory set, including flexible lens caps and eyepiece covers, an adjustable neck strap, and a protective fabric case with a shoulder strap.

Inside the sturdy casing, Celestron has outfitted this model with several pieces of optical tech that help make objects in view crisper, clearer, and more color accurate than other binoculars. The 50mm diameter objective lenses are the main feature, made with Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) glass, BaK-4 Porro prisms, and a proprietary, observatory-grade XLT coating. These fog-resistant lenses are great at gathering light, especially in low-light conditions, and filtering out any chromatic aberrations (aka color fringing), providing increased resolution, contrast, brightness, and true-to-life color. The 7x magnification can present sharp visuals at great distances, with a close focus of 26.2 ft.

Field Tested by Me

I was pleased with the performance of these binoculars, with just a couple minor sticking points. First off, once I actually read the instructions, it was pretty easy to get both focal dials adjusted precisely, and as someone with slightly different vision in each eye, I appreciate the diopter adjustment dial, which my previous set of lower-end binoculars doesn’t feature. The visuals through the lenses were as crisp and color-accurate as promised, and I had no trouble focusing on objects near and far. Both day and night viewing environments were bright and clear, and I was impressed with the sharpness at the edges of stars and especially the moon.

I will say that the eyepieces could stand to have slightly narrower eye cups, or have angled cups that block light from the peripheral sides. When adjusting the lenses to fit the small distance between my eyes, I had to hold them away from my face to avoid discomfort at the bridge of my nose, and I would’ve liked having a more insulated view through the lenses. My only other adjustment would be to have a built-in tripod port, or include an adaptor in the kit, instead of requiring an additional adapter purchase. This model was fine for short-term stargazing, but if I ever wanted to enjoy a longer session, these binoculars are a bit heavy for me without some support.

Start Your Stargazing Adventure

If you have any stargazing plans in the near future, check out the Skymaster Pro ED 7x50mm Porro Binoculars on Celestron‘s website, and learn more details about this model’s technical specifications. While there, have a browse through the rest of their wide array of binocular and telescope options, along with the various filters and other accessories available as add-ons. If you’re looking for something to watch the solar eclipse next week, they have a line of specialized EclipSmart models for that as well, including add-on accessories for more generalized models. Whatever items you choose to order, Celestron is a trusted brand that will deliver quality products for all your celestial viewing needs.