Celestron - Outland X 8x42 Binoculars – Ideal for Birding and Outdoors – 42mm Objective Lenses – Wide 7° Field of View – BaK-4 Prisms – Multi-Coated – Waterproof and Fogproof

This review is for the Celestron 8X42 Outland X. (I say this to clarify because so many Amazon reviews are getting “hijacked” for other products these days! I hope this helps shoppers make a desicion in a world of conflicting reviews and highjacked ratings). These are, for my $100 max budget, exactly what I was looking for. These binoculars rock! I am not a “binocular pro” - just an amature enthusiast who often kayaks Florida’s spring fed rivers. But, I understand optics from former professional experience. I did my homework before settling on this pair in this magnification power 8X42 (more power is NOT always better). I tried other “name brands” at various retails stores — I am glad I gave the Celestrons a shot. Resolving power, magnification light gathering, color fidelity and many other objective and subjective assessments can be made about optics. Right out of the box, my perception was that these lenses where fantastic considering the under $90, I payed for them. I wanted waterproof / fog proof binoculars that I could reliably point and focus from close to far while in a moving/ bobbing kayak. I wanted an offset I could use with prescription glasses. I wanted eye cups that did not collapse easily once set to my liking. I wanted to be able to “close focus” to around 14 feet. I wanted the larger optics for light gathering and better contrast for the shade and bright sunny days on a Florida river. But I didn’t want something bulky and heavy. They have a better build and finish than I expected. The rubberized waterproof finish feels and looks really good. I messed around with them indoors in low light when I unboxed them and I could read lables on food items 30 feet away. They are sharp. The focusing knob and right eye diopter adjustment feel just right—not too stiff, not to loose. The inter pupil distance holds comfortable tight. I hope this helps someone!

I'm a photographer -- yes, a professional and I have been for years. But binoculars are something new for me. I suppose I could have used one of my long lenses on one of my camera bodies but I like the idea of the binoculars on my side table to grab at a moments notice. We have a large sliding glass door looking out on the backyard. I have multiple bird feeders out and these binoculars are very handy. These took a bit of getting use to and adjustment for field of view but now that I've got it down I'm very happy. I wear glasses and have no trouble either with glasses on or off. They are a bit heavy and bigger than I thought they'd be when I ordered them. I also probably should have gotten the 8x42 instead of the 10x42. But I know how to hold them to reduce shaky images. The construction is solid. Love the rubberized body for grip. And I cannot say enough about the quality of the glass. Things are very clear with good contrast. Lens caps are easy to deal with and the front lens caps are not permanently attached, as another reviewer noted, and can be fully removed if you so choose. I expect I'll not be buying another pair anytime soon. But I'd buy these again if need be. Good price for good quality.

I am not a binocular expert by any means, so I may not be using the right phrasing, nor understand fully binocular science. I did keep these, while returning a cheaper pair that just didn't feel as solid. These had a nice weight to them, they felt solid without being too heavy.The dimension is fantastic, everything looks clear with nice depth. The drawbacks for me was the field of view was smaller than I expected. But I kept them because they still had good points and are supposed to be good in low light (something I haven't tested yet). Also, maybe it is because of the smaller field, but they were hard for me to get in that sweet spot where everything was clear and sharp. If I got them too close, there was vignetting, and of course too far and they picture wasn't combined to be one cohesive view (I hope that makes sense).But overall, they serve the purpose as intended which is observing nature, and hopefully the night sky as well (when there is finally a clear night again). I feel they are a little pricey when considering the drawbacks, but again I maybe too much of a novice to understand binocular nuances. But for me they are a comfortable 4 star product.

Fantastic binoculars! The quality of the image they provide is outstanding. You can pay more than twice as much for the equivalent Nikon binoculars, and the Nikons would probably be better, but they would only be 5 or 10% better, not twice as good.The 8x42 are perfect for me for birding, sight seeing, sporting events and stuff like that. They are a good balance of magnification,wide field of view, and brightness (exit pupil). The higher magnification 10x42 would also be good for these things, but you give up some field of view with the higher magnification. The extra field of view is helpful for following birds that tend to move around. It is easier to find the birds, and keep them in view. Higher magnification also means more image shake, the 8 power is easier to hold still than 10 power. The larger exit pupil makes viewing easier, even in bright daylight, because you can see the full image circle, even if your eyes aren't perfectly lined up behind the eye peices.I where eye glasses and these binoculars work great with them, I have no trouble at all seeing the full image circle. I just fully retract the eye cups with a twist, and I'm good to go.The eye cups make viewing with out my glasses very comfortable, I just have to adjust the diopter.They are a medium to full sized binocular, but I find them light enough to cary around my neck all day. Lighter than my 7x50s ,but not quite as bright at dusk or for looking at the night sky.They are nitrogen purged and waterproof, so they won't fog up, on the inside, and you can use them in the rain with no worries. If they get dunked in the river when you are canoeing, they should be fine.All in all, I think that for the money they are excellent quality, and being nitrogen purged at this price makes them even a better buy.