You get good magnification in a lightweight package (11.8 ounces), along with a waterproof (IPX7 rating) and fogproof design. They also have two things that make them especially great for kids: sturdy construction and nice, rubberized grips. I can’t tell you how many trees and rocks I’ve hit around my son’s neck, and they’re still as good as new.
stargazing telescope
Photograph: Celestron
When you think of stargazing you probably think of binoculars, but binoculars can also work, especially large, high-magnification models like these Celestron SkyMasters. The first thing to know is that these are pretty big – most of the time you’ll want to use these with a tripod, which isn’t included in the price (they include an adapter, which I used to put them on a photo tripod, which worked fine). The Porro prism design (see above), with 15x magnification and a 70mm objective lens, makes these nice and bright, perfect for getting good views of the Moon. They also work for large clusters and nebulae. They also work for bird hunting, but it’s like using a spotting scope. They are good for Digiscoping, however if you are looking at something stationary like water birds.
As with all Celestron binos, these have a nice large, smooth focusing knob, and they also have a long eye relief that makes them easy to use with glasses. There is a slight chromatic aberration, especially with bright stars or the moon, but I didn’t find it distracting. In fact, for the price, they offer surprisingly great views.
image-stabilization telescope
Image-stabilizing binoculars use electronics to smooth out your view, similar to how action cameras do to get rid of jittery video. There are a lot of models out there, and we’re still testing, but here are a few that have stood out from the pack so far.
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Photograph: Carmel Quinn
Canon
8×20 image stabilization binoculars
Image-stabilized binoculars tend to be expensive, but Canon has some budget models worth considering. They are easy to use. You simply tap the button at the top for a five-minute stabilization, or tap it again to turn it off quickly. The technology detects your activity and optimally adjusts to it in real time. The Canon 8×20 IS, its smallest, is doubly pocket-friendly: they’re surprisingly affordable and fit in large pockets. At 15-ounces plus battery, they won’t weigh you down.
The 8X magnification is good for wildlife and sports, as is the 10X magnification of the slightly larger Canon 10×20 IS. The 6.6-degree field of view is narrow but wide enough for most situations.