Celestron Trailseeker 10x32 Binoculars Review

Celestron 10 x 32 Trailseeker Binoculars
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Buy & Compare Prices for the Celestron Trailseeker 10x32 Binoculars
Price Range: (3/6) Mid Price Binoculars       

Ideal Uses:

General Use Rating for General Use Binoculars
Birdwatching Rating as Birdwatching Binoculars
Outdoor Sports Rating asOutdoor Sports Binoculars
Safari & Travel Rating as Safari Binoculars
General Wildlife Rating as Wildlife Observation Binoculars
Hunting Rating as Hunting Binoculars
Marine Use Rating as Marine Binoculars
Astronomy Rating as Binoculars for Astronomy

The series of Celestron Trailseeker binoculars is interesting in that they aim to offer the user a high level of performance, yet are priced at a level so as to appeal to those on a tighter budget.

As I am sure you can well appreciate, this is a combination of aspirations that is exceedingly difficult to get right in the real world, with many manufacturers trying, but very few succeeding. This is because unlike the no compromise "alpha" bins that utilize all the very best manufacturing techniques, expertise, components and coatings to deliver an incredible instrument where price is a secondary consideration, there are always compromises to be made somewhere down the line on a lower costing product.

The trick to producing a great lower costing bino is to make the right compromises in the right areas. I think that with the 8x42 Trailseeker that I have already reviewed, Celestron have done a fantastic job, indeed, the evidence for this is that they won the BBR award as the Best Value For Money Binocular in 2014.

Celestron Trailseeker 10x32 Binoculars
However whilst this success is a great start, it does not automatically mean that the 10x32 Celestron Trailseeker will simply also be just as good. Mid-sized binoculars have their own particular niche to fill in that they have to be small and light enough to please those looking for a more transport friendly device, yet they must still be able to operate at a reasonably high level, even when the available light is poor.

So to see if and how they achieve this, please take a look at my full Celestron Trailseeker 10x32 binoculars review below that I wrote after fully researching and testing them both in my office as well as out in the field on a number of occasions:

Please Note: Because I have already written a full review on the 8x42 Trailseeker which has many of the same features and components as these, I will refer to that review for some of these details and will keep my focus on this review to highlighting the unique aspects of this 10x32 version so as not to repeat myself.

Main Specs & Features

  • Size of the Celestron Trailseeker 10x32 BinocularsMagnesium Alloy Body
  • Fog & Waterproof
  • Tripod Adaptable
  • Fully Multi-Coated
  • Phase Coated, Bak4 Roof Prisms
  • Dielectric Mirror Prism Coatings
  • Field of View of 325ft @ 1000yds
  • Close Focus: 8.2ft
  • 14.4mm of Eye-relief
  • Weight: 16oz (454g)

The Body

Shape
All the bins in the Celestron Trailseeker range including this 10x32 version use roof prisms to revert the image after it has passed through the lenses, this in turn means that they have typical straight through roof prism design with the lenses in the eyepiece lining directly up with the larger objective lenses.

Also quite standard is the single hinged bridge that connects the two barrels together. However it does deviate slightly from the traditional in that this bridge is somewhat thinner than that found on many others. A benefit of this is that it uncovers more surface area on the barrels, which in turn gives you a little more to hold onto, both when glassing and when carrying them.

Another possible advantage is that a thinner small bridge is possibly a fraction lighter.

On the flip side, a thinner connection potentially means a weaker, more fragile connection and the last thing you want is for it to break or for it to bend, which would point each lens in a slightly different direction! However I really don't see this being a problem on these Celestron Trailseeker 10x32 binoculars as the bridge feels really robust, there is no free play and I really doubt it would break unless you were to subject the bin to some serious abuse, which would probably also break a lot more than just this connection.

Just a quick note: Where this model does deviate very slightly from the 8x42 Trailseeker is that the bridge on these is positioned almost at the center of the barrels, whilst on the larger model it is nearer the top.

Celestron Trailseeker 10x32 Binoculars

Another area where these 10x32 Trailseeker's differ very slightly from the 8x42 model is that the objective lenses are set a fraction (1mm) less deeply within the ends of the barrels. However at 9mm I would still consider this very deep, especially for a mid-sized binocular.

The merits of this include the shelter the lenses receive which helps safeguard them from both physical harm, but as well as from collecting dust and watermarks from light rain etc.

Apart form these small points and the obvious size difference, the rest of the body including the rubber armouring, thumb indents and the fact that they are fully sealed and nitrogen purged making them both fog & waterproof is all very similar (if not identical) to that of the 8x42 Trailseeker.

So to read more about these features and discover their benefits please read the body section of the 8x42 Trailseeker Review here.

I would however like to highlight a few points that I feel are worth mentioning again:

Celestron Trailseeker 10x32 Binoculars mounted on a tripod

Objective Lenses on the Celestron Trailseeker 10x32 BinocularsTripod Adaptable
These Celestron 10x32 Trailseeker binoculars are tripod adaptable. By that I mean you can unscrew the small dust cover on the front of the central hinge and then screw in most standard and readily available tripod adapters.

Whilst I would expect to see this on a full-sized bin, it is not a feature you always see on smaller instruments like this, which is the reason I am bringing it to your attention.

Chassis Material
I also fee that it is well worth emphasizing that the main frame on these is made from a magnesium alloy, which is considered by most to be far superior to the polycarbonate shells found on the majority of bins within this price range.

Indeed I have reviewed many far more expensive binos that have either polycarbonate or aluminium bodies and so to have a bin at this price using the highest quality materials like this is very impressive.

Inter-Pupillary Distance (IPD)
The central hinge enables you to change the distance between the eyecups so that you can match them to the distance between your particular eyes.

This is known as the Inter-Pupillary Distance and on these Trailseeker's, it has a maximum possible setting of 7.3cm which is fairly standard, if perhaps a few millimeters shy of the widest and thus should be enough for the majority of people.

The minimum IPD setting is 5.6cm, which is a little off the narrowest on offer, but once again should be sufficiently close enough for most people including woman, young adults, children and most others with closer set eyes.

Eyecups
Eyecups on the Celestron Trailseeker 10x32 BinocularsLike the full sized Trailseeker's these also come with twist-up eyecups, but they differ slightly in terms of their specifications, which I will go over in the section below.

Before that I would first like to really highlight that these Celestron Trailseeker binoculars have eyecups that look to be made from metal and the eye-piece housing is most undoubtedly metallic.

This to me is very important as the vast majority of lower costing and even mid-priced binoculars will use a lot of plastic in this area to keep costs down.

This and the fact that the better made plastic ones can still work really well is completely understandable when you are paying less for a product, but it is a compromise because this is the area that most often gets damaged on a binocular. On top of this, the twist up/down mechanism on metal ones also usually work better, with little or no free play, which is exactly what I found to be the case with these.

So having a really robust eye-piece and eye-cup is important and is why the best bins will always use metal/magnesium and so for me is another area on these Trailseeker's where they far out perform what you would expect to find at this price point.

The eyecups have a rubber layer for padding which look to be fitted onto the cup very well and I doubt will easily come loose. However the rubber used is a little thinner and harder than on some, but the eyecups themselves have a fairly large diameter (39mm) compared to other mid-sized bins, so unless you push the instrument against your face, I never thought of them as being uncomfortable compared to most others.

The 10x32 Trailseeker has 14.4mm of eye-relief and there is one fixed click stop on the twist up mechanism, halfway between fully retracted and fully extended, which gives you another setting to get your eyes to the correct distance behind the ocular lenses even if you use glasses.

Focus Wheel on the Celestron Trailseeker 10x32 Binoculars

Focus Wheel & Focusing
Unlike the superb eye-piece housings which are metal, the focus wheel has a plastic shell, which at this price point is most typical as well as understandable and whilst as you can read below it works well enough, it is one area where high end bins with their metal ones do ooze a little more class.

Underside of the Celestron Trailseeker 10x32 BinocularsI measured the diameter of the wheel to be 30mm, which is also fairly typical, this combined with it's prominent position above the bin makes it nice and easy to reach.

The wheel turned nice and smoothly, without any sticking points and there was no loose play at all. This added to its fairly large size and the raised rubber sections made adjusting the focus both simple and accurate, even whilst wearing my winter gloves.

The gearing on the focusing mechanism is such that it takes 1½ turns (540°) of the focus wheel on the Celestron Trailseeker 10x32 binoculars to go from the extremes of close to far focus. This is a what I would describe as being moderately geared meaning that large changes of the focusing plane are reasonably quick and making fine adjustments to the focus is easy enough to be done quickly and accurately.

Diopter Adjustment on the Celestron Trailseeker 10x32 BinocularsDiopter Adjustment
There is nothing out of the ordinary to report about the diopter adjustment ring, which like most others is positioned just under the right eyepiece and which is used to calibrate the binoculars to your personal eyesight.

Here once again and just like the focus wheel it all pretty much works as it should, but lacks a little finesse that you would expect to see on more expensive products.

I would however say that whilst it was not bad, on my test pair, it did move just a fraction too easily for my liking. This is no great smash, but because it also lacks any locking mechanism, it could mean that it moves inadvertently meaning that you have to recalibrate. To make it much easier for yourself and unless your eyesight is the same for both eyes and thus your setting will be neutral, I would make a small mark on the bin, so that it is easy to return to should you need to.

Rating for Body Construction Quality: 7/10

Weight
At only 16ozs / 454g, these 10x32 Celestron Trailseeker binoculars are up there with some of the more lightweight mid-sized bins on the market as well as weighing substantially less than the 8x42 Trailseeker:

  Weight Design Chassis Length Width Height
Snypex Knight ED 10x32 13.4oz (380g) Open Bridge Magnesium 4.25in (10.8cm) 4.64in (11.8cm) 1.57in (4cm)
Celestron Trailseeker 10x32 16oz (454g) Single Hinge Magnesium 4.8in (12.2cm) 4.8in (12.2cm) 1.9in (4.8cm)
Kite Lynx HD 8x30 16.3oz (462g) Top Hinge Polycarbonate 4.7in (11.9cm) 4.7in (11.9cm) 1.9in (4.8cm)
Pentax 9x32 DCF BC 17.6oz (499g) Open Bridge Polycarbonate 5.0in (12.7cm) 5.4in (13.7cm) 2.4in (6.1cm)
Swarovski CL Companion 8x30 17.6oz (499g) Top Hinge Magnesium 4.7in (11.9cm) 4.5in (11.4cm) 2.3in (5.8cm)
Kowa 8x32 SV 19.9oz (564g) Single Hinge Polycarbonate 5.4in (13.7cm) 4.9in (12.4cm) 2.0in (5.1cm)
Celestron Granite 9x33 20.1oz (570g) Open Bridge Magnesium 5.4in (13.7cm) 4.9in (12.4cm) 2.1in (5.3cm)
Swarovski EL 10x32 20.5oz (581g) Open Bridge Magnesium 5.3in (13.5cm) 4.3in (10.9cm) 2.4in (6.1cm)
Kowa 10x33 Genesis XD 20.8oz (590g) Single Hinge Magnesium 5.2in (13.2cm) 4.1in (10.4cm) 2.0in (5.1cm)
Minox 8x33 BL 22.9oz (649g) Open Bridge   5.4in (13.7cm) 5.1in (13cm) 1.8in (4.6cm)
Celestron Trailseeker 8x42 23.1oz (655g) Top Hinge Magnesium 5.5in (14cm) 5.1in (13cm) 2in (5.1cm)

What makes this relative low weight even more impressive is that unlike many other cheap binoculars that have plastic bodies, these use a magnesium frame which is heavier, but is also much stronger.

Dimensions
One of the main reasons for opting for a mid-size bin over a standard 42mm one is to have a smaller package to carry about and pack away into your bag when going on holiday etc, so this section is in my opinion quite important.

Once again these Trailseeker's do not disappoint and whilst they may not be the most compact pair in the size class, they are there or thereabouts. As you can also see from the comparison photo below, they are also quite a lot smaller than the 8x42 Celestron Trailseeker:

Comparison between the 8x42 and the 10x32 Snypex Knight ED Binoculars
Size comparison: Celestron 10x32 Trailseeker vs 8x42 Celestron Trailseeker

Notes on the Advertised Dimensions:

The official length of the Trailseeker according to Celestron is 12.2cm, however I measured it even less that at 12cm with the lens covers removed and the eye-cups twisted in.

With the eye-cups twisted out, the length becomes 12.3cm and with both the objective and ocular lens covers on the maximum length is 12.8cm.

Likewise, their advertised with is also 12.2cm, however I measured it to 11.7cm without lens covers on and the central hinge fully open. The neck strap loop on the side of the rain-guard does mean that with it added, their width moves out to 12.7cm.

By closing the central hinge and removing the rainguard, their minimum with is 9.8cm.

By removing the lens covers and opening the hinge, I measured their minimum height to 4.7cm. By putting them back on and closing the hinge this measurement then becomes 6cm.

BBR Rating for Body Stats: 8/10

Objective Lenses on the Celestron Trailseeker 10x32 Binoculars

The Optics

Apart from the smaller 32mm objective lenses (versus 42mm ones), these Celestron 10x32 Trailseeker binoculars feature the same optical components and coatings as the 8x42 Trailseeker's that I have already reviewed:

These include:

  • Fully Multi-Coated with Anti-reflection Material
  • Roof prisms made from Bak-4 Glass
  • Phase-Correction Coatings on the prisms
  • Super reflective Dielectric Coatings on the Prisms

At this price level these Trailseeker's feature a higher level of optics than you would normally expect to find and whilst they may not use ED glass in the lenses this does not necessarily mean that the quality of the view will be any worse than those that do (see my section on Image Quality below).

What is super impressive is that they utilise dielectric coatings on the prisms, which offer the highest level of reflectivity possible and is almost unheard off at this low price level.

For more details of this and all the other optical components and coatings, please have a quick read of the optics section of the 8x42 Trailseeker Review here, where I go over each part in full detail.

Optical Components Quality Rating: 8/10

Optical Stats

Field Of View (FOV)

These have a FOV of 325 feet at 1000 yards. What this essentially means is that when you look through them, the image that you see is 325ft wide (or high) at a distance of 1000yds. This equates to 108m wide at 1000 meters or to describe it another way, the angle of view from the binocular is 6.2°.

For a mid-sized binocular with a 10x magnification this is very good, but without being spectacular.

This is clearly demonstrated in the table below, where they compare very favorably with some of the best similar sized 10x and even 9x bins.

However if having a really wide FOV is very important to your needs, you may wish to consider dropping the magnification a little and opt for the 8x32 Trailseeker instead which has super wide FOV of 409ft / 136m (7.8) or split the difference between the magnification and the FOV and look at the excellent Celestron Granite 9x33 with it's 378ft wide FOV.

  FOV at 1000yds Close Focus Eye-Relief
9x magnification
Celestron Granite 9x33 378ft 8.2ft 14.1mm
Pentax 9x32 DCF BC 351ft 8.2ft 16mm
10x magnification
Swarovski EL 10x32 Swarovision 360ft 6.2ft 20mm
Kowa 10x33 Genesis XD 357ft 4.9ft 15mm
Celestron Trailseeker 10x32 325ft 8.2ft 14.4mm
Snypex Knight ED 10x32 288ft 3.9ft 17.5mm
Opticron 10x32 Traveller BGA Mg 270ft 4.9ft 16mm

Close Focus
The advertised 8.2ft / 2.3m close focusing distance is ok, but does fall short of the 6ft / 1.8m that I would describe as excellent.

However I would like to point out, that like many manufacturers, their actual close focus distance is less than what they advertise. I measured my test pair as having a close focus of 6.2ft 1.89m, which is very close to being excellent.

For most users this slightly longer distance will not at all be an issue, but for those who want to use their bins for viewing objects like butterflies, other insects and flowers from closer distances, you could be better off going with the 8x32 Trailseeker that advertises their close focus at a distance of 6.5ft / 2m away and is bound to be less in reality.

Eye-Relief:
For most eyeglass wearers, an eye relief of 14mm to 15mm tends to be enough to allow them to position their eyes at the right distance behind the ocular lens (by twisting down the eyecups), whilst still keeping their glasses on and still see the full uninterrupted view.

So with 14.4mm, these should be ok for most, but cannot be described as having a long eye-relief , which is something that you may wish to consider if you require more distance to play with than the average user. Once again if this is an issue for you, you may wish to consider the 8x32 Trailseeker which has a longer 15.6mm on offer.

Optical Stats Rating: 8/10

Image Quality

To fairly evaluate and express my feelings on the view that you see through the binos I review is the hardest part, yet in many ways this is also the most important part!

To help with this I have a number of baseline or benchmark bins that I use by comparing the view through them with the product under review because I have found over the years this is the best way for me to rate the view in comparison to others as well as try to remain as impartial as possible and not be influenced by any personal feelings, tastes, or opinions to a particular brand or type of bin.

For this review I compared this 10x32 Celestron Trailseeker binocular with my mid level benchmark 10x32 binoculars and just for interest, I also used the 8x42mm Trailseeker that I still had with me at the time. I also carried out these tests once in good light as well as in poor light, at sunrise and at and just after sunset.

Color Reproduction
Some binoculars, especially those in this cheaper price range can sometimes have an artificial hue to them. This is sometimes intentional as some bins have a filter to highlight and block certain colours like the Steiner Predator binoculars that help wildlife stand out from their backgrounds, but in general it most usually due to the lower quality of glass used in their lenses and prisms.

Thankfully this was not at all the case with these and I thought that the colors looked natural and were nice and vivid and compared favourably to both the benchmark and the 8x42 Trailseeker.

Image Brightness
In good and even moderately good light, I could not discern and difference in brightness between these and the benchmark 10x32s nor indeed could I see any difference between these and the 8x42 Trailseeker.

In poor and even very poor light the mid-sized bins were pretty much equal to my eyes, which leads me to rate them as very good to excellent in this size class and beyond any doubt up there with the best low cost/cheap 10x32 binoculars.

For interest and as you would expect (due to their larger exit pupil and equal quality optics), this was where the 8x42 Trailseeker had a definite advantage. But even so, unless you specifically need a really bright image, the low light performance of these 32mm bins was really not bad and without question preferable to a 10x26 compact or not having any bins at all!

Contrast
Like the colors, image contrast to me looked and felt natural. Thus you get a good sense of depth, especially when looking at and through foliage for example where birds and branches in the foreground really standout from those in shade within the tree.

Color Fringing
Color FringingMore and more modern bins, even fairly cheap ones now have lenses with an extra low dispersion (ED) element within them. When used correctly and in combination with all the other optical elements throughout the system, the properties of this glass can help reduce or even pretty much get rid of the color fringing around objects edges caused by chromatic aberrations.

However this is not to say that just because a bin has ED glass in the lenses that it will be better at this than all that don't. Indeed I have noticed many well designed non ED bins show less color fringing than lesser ED bins.

Just like the 8x42 Trailseeker's, these Celestron 10x32 Trailseeker binoculars once again really impressed me with just how little color fringing they showed. Even when looking at objects that highly contrast against a bright sky background, the amount of color fringing along the edges (I observed a thin blue line) is really minimal and as I often say it is only really easily seen when you are actually looking for it and is not something you should worry about.

My mid-level benchmark 10x32's have ED glass and I can honestly say that to my eyes the amount of color fringing between the two was very similar. So much so that just to be sure, I took the time to take out my high end 8x42 benchmarks and whilst I could then see an improvement, the difference between them was not that huge.

So to sum up, yes there is some fringing along the edges, but it is not a lot, only really detectable on the edges of very highly contrasting images and their backgrounds and I would say it is about as good as you could hope to get within this price level.

Image Flatness & Softening
As with most bins, there is a small area where the image is a little fuzzy around the extreme edge of the view. This amount is very minimal and nothing at all to be concerned with.

As well as this the whole image looked nice and flat to me and I was never aware of any "pin-cushioning" or "barreling" distortions.

Overall
I would describe the image produced by these Trailseeker's as excellent when compared to others within this size and price class.

Image Quality Rating: 8/10

Carry Case for the Snypex 8x42 Knight ED Binoculars

Accessories:

Carry Case for the Snypex Knight ED BinocularsCarry Case
Apart form the fact that it is a little smaller, the actual design and materials used for the soft carry case on these is the same as that used on the 8x42 Trailseeker model,so I will not repeat all these details here again, so please take a look at the Accessories section of the 8x42 Trailseeker Review here.

I would just like to add that the bins fit perfectly within the bag, so there is enough room for you to store them and easily close the lid even with the eye-cups extended and all the lens covers on without it being too loose otherwise. This fit does get a little tighter when you include the neck strap, but is still a lot better than on many I test.

I would also like to highlight that this bag looks to be the same as which Celestron use with their more expensive Granite series, which I thought was good at their price, which in turn means that you are getting a much better quality bag than many within this cheap price range.

Binocular Harness included with the Celestron Trailseeker 8x42 BinocularsBinocular Harness

The fact that Celestron include a really good quality binocular harness with this binocular is excellent and is something that I rarely see with a full sized bin and have never had included on smaller sized optics like these.

The harness that you get is exactly the same as the one that you get with the 8x42mm Trailseeker, so for more info please take a look at this part of that review here.

Neck Strap

Neck strap on the Celestron Trailseeker 10x32 BinocularsHere once again Celestron have used what looks to me to be exactly the same neck strap as that which you get on the 8x42 Trailseeker, so as it was more than comfortable enough for the larger version, comfort was never going to be an issue.

What is more, this is also the same strap that you get with the more expensive Granite series and whilst it is not the most luxurious strap in the world, it is as good as the best that I have seen within this price range.

For full details, once again please just take a look at the accessories section of the previous review I wrote, the links to which are above in the harness and case sections.

Lens Covers

Lens Covers on the Celestron Trailseeker 10x32 BinocularsThe objective lens covers are fashioned from a soft rubber/plastic and the cups themselves fit nicely over the ends of the barrels.

They are attached to the binocular via a couple of loops, meaning that when glassing, they just hang down below and out of the way. I really like this as they are always handy and easy to replace, helping to ensure that you don't get lazy and leave your lenses exposed when they don't need to be.

However the fit of these loops was quite loose and I found that when the cups were not on the ends of the barrels, they would sometimes slide down and the whole cover could fairly easily fall off the end of the barrel. This was something that did happen to me whilst I was out testing them on a long walk. Luckily I saw this happen and so they were not lost.

I guess this could quite easily be fixed using some tape or something, but it is something that you really should not have to worry about.

The rain-guard or ocular lens cover is fairly standard in that it is also made from a soft rubber/plastic and has a flexible bridge between the two cups to allow you to attach them to the binocular no matter how close or far you have set your eye-pieces apart.

The fit on these is good, meaning that it is easy to take off and replace, but does not easily come away by accident. The right hand cup has a loop which you can use to thread the neck strap through to keep them handy when not in use.

Cleaning Cloth
Not all cheaper bins like these come with a cleaning cloth and whilst this may not be the best quality one in the world, it is also far from being the worst and is plenty good enough for out in the field cleaning.

But as with almost all bins, I still recommend that you grab yourself a proper lens cleaning kit so that you can make sure your lenses and their coatings are not marked when cleaning and remain in tip-top condition.

Instructions & Warranty Information
A generic instruction booklet is included that gives you some basic information on setting up, cleaning and caring for your bins in a variety of different languages.

What is more impressive is the section within the instruction manual that states that Celestron will cover repairs or replacement of these bins in cases of defective components or damage from normal wear and tear for their lifetime. I think you will agree that within this price class, this excellent and really goes to show their confidence in their product.

Extras & Attention to Detail Rating: 8/10

Celestron Trailseeker 10x32 Comparisons

For some quick comparisons and to give a sense of perspective, I have included some of the most important features and specs of these Celestron binoculars as well as that of some similar devices that I have also fully reviewed in the table below:

  Celestron Trailseeker 10x32 Celestron Granite 9x33 Pentax 9x32 DCF BC Snypex Knight ED 10x32 Swarovski EL 10x32 Swarovision
Approx Price: $230 / £180 $400 / £300 $260 / £300 $460 $2200 / £1400
Weight: 16oz (454g) 20.1 oz (570 g) 17.6oz (500g) 13.4oz (380g) 20.5oz (580g)
Length: 4.8in (12.2cm) 5.4in (13.8) 5.0in (12.5) 4.25in (10.8cm) 5.3in (13.8cm)
Width: 4.8in (12.2cm) 4.9in (12.5) 5.4in (13.8) 4.64in (11.8cm) 4.3in (11cm)
Eye Relief: 14.4mm 14.1mm 16mm 17.5mm 20mm
Min Focusing Dist: 8.2ft 8.2ft 8.2ft 3.9ft 6.2ft
FOV at 1000yds: 325ft 378ft 351ft 288ft 360ft
Chassis Magnesium Magnesium Polycarbonate Magnesium Magnesium
ED Glass No Yes No Yes Yes
Phase Correction Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
High Reflective Prism Coatings Dielectric Dielectric Silver Silver Dielectric
Lens Coatings Fully Multi-Coated Fully Multi-Coated Fully Multi-Coated Fully Multi-Coated Fully Multi-Coated
Waterproof Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Fogproof Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Tripod Adaptable Yes Yes No Yes Yes


Review Conclusions:

Whilst you can't expect a mid-sized bin to compete with an equal quality full sized one in every single area, the level should be close and good enough to justify sacrificing a little brightness and view quality for the convenience of having a smaller, more lightweight bin.

Thus before using and testing these Trailseeker binoculars, I was a little concerned that in trying to deliver an economical priced binocular, but pitching it as a product "for high-level outdoor performance", Celestron were trying to stretch too far with the 10x32 version which because of it's increased magnification and smaller objectives has a more difficult job to achieve a high level of performance than the 8x42 version and thus I was going to be left disappointed.

So whilst they have had to cut costs in some areas, I feel that they once again have been very smart in the areas that they have done so. So whilst they may not optically match the 8x42 Trailseeker completely, they do match and indeed exceed the optical performance of any 10x32mm binocular within this price point.

Strong Points: Not only are they a comparatively compact and lightweight mid sized bin, but you have the added satisfaction of knowing that with the magnesium frame, Celestron not used plastic to achieve this. This great build and component quality is a theme that continues throughout much of the device with features like metal eyepieces, dielectric and phase corrected prisms, fully multi-coated optics and a good quality carry case are a few that really stand out from the pack.

Whilst neither their FOV, close focus nor their eye-relief is chart topping, they are all up there and so this combination means that in terms of optical specifications they are nicely balanced, making them useful in many situations, for many different people and uses.

The high standard of optical glass and coatings and the obvious skillful application of them translates to an excellent image that is of an equal calibre to that I would expect to see on more expensive bins than these.

The rather surprising addition of a binocular harness is an extra bonus and one which I have never seen included with a similar sized and priced bin.

The limited lifetime warranty is also something that is really impressive. Whilst I almost expect this on high end expensive binoculars, for ones in this class you usually only get a couple or perhaps five years at best.

Weak points? Whilst it is great to have tethered lens covers, the loose fitting of them meant that they can easily come away which not only means that they can be lost, but will also expose your lenses to potential harm.

It is inevitable that in producing a low cost product, cuts have to made somewhere so whilst I fully understand why they have a polycarbonate focus wheel and diopter ring, both of which worked well enough, but it would have been great if they could have matched the quality of the metal eye-piece.

Overall - Costing you well under $250 / £200, I really do feel that you are getting a great deal with the Celestron Trailseeker 10x32 binoculars and as I said they are an equal or better than any 10x mid-sized bins that I have used at this price level.

Ideal Uses: As with most mid-sized bins these do a really good job of creating a smaller, more lightweight package than what you get with a full sized 42mm binocular, yet you don't compromise as much in terms of image quality and low light performance as you would with a similar level compact binocular.

This immediately makes them the ideal choice for uses like camping, hiking, traveling and safari holidays where you will be going out on game drives in the early morning and late afternoons where how they perform in sub-optimal light is important, yet you still need an instrument that is easy to pack away in your luggage.

These attributes as well as their tough, water and fog proof body lend them to being good as general wildlife bins and for hunting, especially where you will also be carrying a lot of other gear like a camera or rifle. Here their smaller size will once again be an advantage that may be more important to you than the slight drop in performance than what the 42mm Trailseeker would give you.

These more compact dimensions and lower weight also flag them as a good choice to take to most outdoor sporting events, although if this is your primary interest, you may be better off with the wider FOV that you get with the 8x32 Trailseeker, or perhaps go for a full compact binocular if portability is of uttermost importance.

Genuine Review
Celestron Sport Optics kindly sent me this binocular to test and review, afterwards it was returned to them and as is the case with EVERY review I write on BBR, I was in no way compensated or asked to write in a particular way or with any sort of bias: The thoughts and opinions on this page are honest and completely my own.

I believe all the facts to be true and correct, however sometimes mistakes are made either by myself or are reported incorrectly by the manufacturers. If this is the case with any and you spot them, please drop me a line to let me know so that it can be corrected.

Celestron Trailseeker 10x32 Binoculars with neck strap, carry case and rain-guard

Reviewed by Jason Whitehead for Best Binocular Reviews

Best Binocular Reviews Ratings:

Body Construction Quality: 7/10 78%
Excellent
Body Stats: 8/10
Optical Components Quality: 8/10
Optical Stats: 8/10
Image Quality 8/10
Extras & Attention to Detail: 8/10

Compare Prices & Where to Buy the Celestron Binoculars

Main Specifications & Features:

  • Size: Mid Size Binoculars
  • [explain prism types]Prism Type: Roof Prism Binoculars
  • Magnification: 10x
  • [explain objective lens]Objective Lens Diameter: 32mm
  • [explain waterproofing]Waterproof: Yes
  • [about fogproofing]Fogproof: Yes

  • [explain exit pupil]Exit Pupil: 3.2
  • [explain twilight factor]Twilight Factor: 17.89
  • [explain eye relief]Eye Relief: 14.4mm
  • [explain IPD]IPD Max: 7.3cm
  • IPD Min: 5.6cm
  • Close Focus Distance: 8.2ft

  • Weight: 16ozs (454g)
  • Length: 4.8in (12.2cm)
  • Height: 1.9in (4.8cm)
  • Width: 4.8in (12.2cm)
  • Eyecup Diameter: 39mm
  • Ocular Lens Diameter: 18mm
  • Focus Wheel Diameter: 30mm
  • Focus from Near to Far, focus wheel rotates: 540°
  • Objective lens inset: 9mm

  • [explain real field of view]Real field of view: 6.2°
  • [explain apparent field of view]Apparent field of view: 62.0°
  • [explain field of view]Field of View: 108m at 1,000 meters
  • [explain field of view]Field of View: 325ft at 1,000 yards

  • Chassis Material: Magnesium
  • Image Stabilization: No
  • [about Lens Coatings]Lens Coatings: Fully Multi-Coated
  • [about Phase Correction]Phase Correction Coatings: Yes
  • [about Prism Coatings]High Reflective Prism Coatings: Dielectric
  • [about ED Glass]Extra Low Dispersion Glass: No
  • Locking Diopter: No
  • [about tripod adapters]Tripod Adaptable: Yes
  • Auto Focus: No

Celestron 10x32 Trailseeker Binoculars Video Review

2023-03-29 https://img.youtube.com/vi/MA6eG-7IkAU/mqdefault.jpg

More Information:



About Celestron | View all Celestron products I have written reviews on

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Mid Size Binoculars | Roof Prism Binoculars | General Use Binoculars | Safari Binoculars | Outdoor Sports Binoculars | Mid Price Binoculars


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General Price Range: (3/6) Mid Price Binoculars

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