Celestron Nature DX 8x42 (1 Viewer)

Does anyone have experience with these? I have found a few comments and one thorough review, but could not find any comparisons. Customer reviews also look very good but I can say the same for the Excursion HD's I tried recently and they were a disappointment.

I'm looking for a low cost 8x42 (with a decent FOV) to leave in a vehicle and would like to have a view at least as good as the Atlas Radian which I consider to be a pretty good buy.

Any other recommendation for a good knock around binocular ($150 limit) would be appreciated.

Thanks!

I got nothing on the Celestron, never even seen one in the wild. (meaning never seen one other than on the net or in print)

Leupold yosemite has been my knock around. Best $80 I have spent, though the natural color seems to show dirt, it has been a faultless binocular.

Another bino, the same company ....

Hello

I don't know anything specific about the bino you are asking for, but there is a rather elaborate review of another Celestron bino, the Trailseeker 8x42:

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=280201

I admit that I haven't even got to the end of that thread yet, but I gathered that the owner encountered rather many quality issues. Incidentally, I have the same model and I am rather satisfied with the optics, but mine started having a loose hinge after a short while, which is not good. I'm sure I could send it in and get a warranty repair, but as it's my only bino I'm not going to do so before I have another.

Important to know: The Celestron Trailseeker costs about 250 Euros (in Europe, probably cheaper in the US), so you can hardly expect the Celestron Nature to be any better in terms of quality - rather the opposite.

There is another model you might consider though, that is the Vortex Diamondback, which I think would be inside the limits of your budget. It has a good warranty, very good specifications (FOV, eye relief, close focus, weight). I have never seen it in reality, but from what I've read the optics are rather good for the price, though the image may have a yellowish hue. Whether you like the look and feel of that bino is a personal question - if you see a picture of it you'll know what I mean.

Just in case you do not know AllBinos' website yet - it's certainly worth having a look there. You'll find articles, reviews and rankings:

http://www.allbinos.com/rankings.html

But it's always important to remember: The bino has to suit you - so try before you buy. Also there seems to be great variation between one pair and another, even if they are of the same model.

Elu

I got an 8x42 Diamondback shortly after it came out and used it as a car binocular for about a year and it did very well in that environment. It's still working fine. It's built like the proverbial tank! It isn't the brightest 8x42 out there but I believe Vortex has improved that somewhat since then and lowered the price by 20 bucks! It has long eye relief of 18mm along with a very wide FOV and a generous amount of pincushioning to go with it. Their are about 50 favorable reviews of it on the Eagle Optic Website so they must have sold a ton of them.

It costs $200.00, just over your limit, but it might be worth considering.

http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/vortex/vortex-diamondback-8x42-binocular

Here is a review of it from the Bird Forum Equipment Review Forum:

http://www.birdforum.net/reviews/showproduct.php/product/408/cat/9/limit/recent/date/1067107700

Bob