At Home With the Celestron UpClose 10x50 Binoculars

After spending more time with the Celestron UpClose 10x50 binoculars, I wanted to say a few more words about them.   The main reason I chose these binoculars for astronomy was because of their price, and brand name.  I didn't expect them to be the best, and I didn't expect them to be the worst.  I expected them to be a decent set of cheap binoculars that worked, and that if I lost or broke, I wouldn't care that much about.

Surprisingly, that's exactly what I got.  It's not often that you get decent quality at a low price, and while I don't think that's necessarily something to brag about, it kind of is.  So much is cheap now days, that it's good to get a decent product at a decent price.

They're simple, they work, and they don't feel or look cheap.  Yep, there's better ones out there, but not for around $30.   They've got a nice heft to them, but aren't too heavy to hold for a long time.  I would definitely recommend them for someone wanting a basic pair of binoculars for casual astronomy, bird watching, sports, whatever it is you want to use them for.   For the price, they're perfect to leave in a car or camper for when you want them; and they are perfect to get if you don't know if you'd really want or would use binoculars, but want to find out.

There are only two bad things I have to say about these, and neither are all that bad.

1) The lens caps on mine won't stay on.  They're too loose to stay on properly.  The eyecaps have no problems staying on, it's just the lens caps.  Kind of annoying.  Since they're only going to be on while they're in the included case, not a big deal.

2) The strap that comes with it is the cheap nylon strap you've had a million times before on other binoculars, cameras, anything that hangs around your neck.  They're the kind that bite into your neck and shoulders, then start cutting into you like the Devil's saw.  That's to be expected.  To fix it, get a new strap.  I recommend the Op/Tech Easy Comfort Strap.  It's extremely cheap (under $10) and comes in six different colors.  Works great for binoculars, cameras, or whatever else has that crappy strap!