Review on Celestron TrailSeeker ED 8x42 Binoculars: Compact for Birdwatching & Outdoor Activities with ED Objective Lenses & Fully Multi-coated Optics by Brad Cao

As an amateur astronomer, I have long known Celestron's history of (mostly) excellent optics. So when my wife and I first got into ornithology about 20 years ago, we bought two pairs of Celestron 7x50 binoculars for about $50 each. It wasn't exactly "cheap" binoculars back then. We have been very happy with them and they have lasted about 5 or 6 years. Various mechanical issues, mostly after we dropped them or handled them carelessly, made it difficult to use. The optical quality has always been excellent. Since then we have tried various other binoculars from many manufacturers ranging in price from $100 to $300. Because we don't always take good care of our binoculars, we've never bought a $2,500 Leica or Swarovski. Recently I needed a pair of 10x binoculars so my aging eyes could get a little closer to the birds. Trusting Celestron's reputation and extensive experience with their products (and a recent discount), I chose these affordable Celestron Trailseekers. I have tried them several times and I am very satisfied with their work. The field of view for 10x binoculars is excellent. The same goes for close focus, which allows you to focus on a bird less than 10 feet away - as close as most birds will allow. The focuser works smoothly, the weight is average, and the binoculars are comfortable to hold. Optically these binoculars give a bright, sharp image with no aberrations except maybe at the very edge of the field of view, and even there they are negligible. While they don't produce as good an image as $2,500 binoculars, they cost less than 1/10th that price. If you are not used to very expensive binoculars, this is a good compromise between quality and price. Actually, it's not exactly a compromise as Celestron doesn't compromise on quality. You are giving you a beautifully crafted product with exceptional optical quality that would have cost a lot more if this quality had been available 30 years ago. In the last 20-30 years, optical glass and coatings have come a long way and we have benefited from higher quality and lower prices. I think this is a good choice for those looking for a good pair of binoculars at a very reasonable price.