Celestron Green Laser Optical Kit

I only paid $10 dollars (after promotional discounts) for the kit, so I can't complain. But for the people about to pay full price, I write this review.

The binoculars are worth about $25, because they are not multicoated and they have very noticeable blurriness around the edges of the view field. I have a pair of Bushnell $60 binoculars that work very well at night and put the Celestron set to shame.

The metal, 5-LED, red flashlight is worth around $5 dollars and functions very well.

The green pointer works well for about the first 15 minutes of use, then the batteries need to be changed, because the beam gets weak. While the batteries are fairly fresh, the pointer works about as well as a 5mw green laser can. In order to see the laser beam stretch into the sky, you have to be within 2-3 feet of the pointer. That is fine for showing a small group of people what you are looking at, which is exactly what I wanted it for.

Knowing what I know now, I would not have paid the full price of $40 for the kit, but for the $10 I did pay, I feel like I stole it. The pointer alone is worth more than the $10, and the flashlight is just an extra value. The binoculars could have been left out of the kit in my humble opinion.

If you look at this product on other vendor sites geared towards astronomy you will find this EXACT kit going for close to a hundred dollars. I was originally looking for just the binoculars that come with this set and was ready to pay just about the same cost. I am glad I checked amazon before I ordered.

The laser works good. The flashlight is amazingly bright (by the way, Celestron's website plainly states that batteries aren't included so I don't understand why the other person gave it a bad review for that reason.)

I havent had much chance to check out the binoc's yet but from what I did see earlier they are great.

If you are just getting started in astronomy this is a great deal.

I was very happy with this purchase. The red LED light is very sturdy and gives off plenty of light (without blinding you). Also, I was surprised at the quality of the binoculars - everything I've observed has been crystal clear and free of any optical defects. The laser is fairly powerful, but it can be tough to spot if there is ambient light (like the moon). I had some trouble at first but it was related to the battery; always make sure you bring a few fresh batteries as this laser can drain them like crazy! Also, if the laser does not power up the first time, let go of the button, wait a bit, then fire it again. If this doesn't work, check your batteries.

Laser was shipped to me in non-working order...
Flashlight had no batteries...
Binoculars seemed okay...
Contacted company to return item because it did not work and they told me I had to pay return shipping...
After a 20 minute phone call I finally convinced the supervisor to have fedex pick the item up, no charge to me....
Will never do business with Beach Camera again....
Charge is still on my card...

This is a great buy and it complements a telescope very well. In fact you could buy this first and then if you find you are interested you could get a telescope and you will continue to use this package extensively even with your telescope.

Laser pointer works great in dark skies. The beam extends all the way to the star or object you are pointing to. However in light polluted skies don't expect it to work.

10 X 50 Binoculars have 7 degree field of view and are excellent to use with a telescope to locate the object you want to see and familiarize yourself with the immediate vicinity before looking through the finderscope of the telescope.

The flashlight is great to use at a dark site when you are walking around or hunting for something you may have dropped. For looking at maps, it may be on the bright side and I prefer the flash light with the 2 red LED's that has a dimmer switch on it.

All in all a great deal for the $49 I paid for it and it sees a lot of use.