CELESTRON UPCLOSE G2 10x50 BINOCULAR
Large objective lenses and 10x magnification help this affordable piece of kit appeal to anyone wanting to start stargazing
How much should you pay for a binocular? Though some of the best binoculars go for low prices, you would do well to find many astronomy-centric binoculars as affordable as the Celestron UpClose G2 10x50. The pandemic has sparked an interest in home-bound activities like stargazing, and there are plenty of reasons why binoculars with the exact specifications of the UpClose G2 10x50 are just what the budding amateur astronomer needs.
All binoculars are a balance between magnification, or power, and aperture – the amount of light they collect. The Celestron
UpClose G2 10x50 boasts 10x magnification, which is just about perfect for a wide field of view of the night sky, while the 50mm diameter objective lenses let in enough light at night. Whether they actually deliver on those theoretical advantages is down to the optical design, which in the Celestron UpClose G2 10x50 consists of a Porro prism – wide with tapered barrels – as opposed to a roof prism, which are H-shaped with narrow barrels. Porro prisms are generally favoured for astronomy because they’re simpler optical systems and are more affordable. That’s the case with the UpClose G2, which boasts such a low price that it could be an option for astronomy groups and star parties as an affordable and dependable binocular for long-term use. However, since the build quality is best described as basic, we’re not convinced the Celestron UpClose G2 10x50 will last as long as pricier options.
If you do decide to buy the UpClose G2 10x50, be careful when choosing because Celestron sells a dizzying array of different products in the UpClose G2 range. There are various magnifications, objective lens sizes and prism types, with even a monocular and zoom lens offered.
The UpClose G2 10x50’s design and build quality are best described as simple. Fashioned from aluminium with a matte rubber covering, they’re water-resistant rather than waterproof. They’re not nitrogen-purged, so it’s possible they could get fogged up on occasion. Such niceties are for higher end products. We also noticed a slight looseness to the eyecups that could easily prove a weak point if this binocular were to be dropped.
Optically speaking the Celestron UpClose G2 10x50 is a compromise, with the Porro prisms dovetailing with BK7 glass, which plays second fiddle to BaK-4 for light transmission in the world of binoculars. That’s also standard at this very low price.
In practice, there are a few downsides to the Celestron UpClose G2 10x50’s design.
The model isn’t as light to hold as some roof prism binoculars, and despite the presence of some useful thumb indents and finger ridges, it is noticeably wider, too.
However, in use what the UpClose G2 10x50 mostly lacks is eye relief. The distance from your eye to the glass of the eyepiece is important to
be able to see everything in the field of view, especially if you wear spectacles. That distance is called eye relief, and it’s typically between 10 and 20mm – and often adjustable within that range – in pricier binoculars. Here it’s fixed at just 12mm, while the static eyecups also feel a little narrow. If you wear spectacles, avoid the UpClose G2 10x50. However, if you don’t you’ll see enough of its 6.8-degree field of view, though the eyecups aren’t particularly comfortable over long periods of time.
The affordable price also means low-quality accessories, which here comprise very simple detachable lens caps for both the eyecups and the objective lenses, and a basic carry case that includes a shoulder strap but lacks padding. Overall it’s a very budget-conscious package, but optically speaking, there’s much to like about the Celestron UpClose G2 10x50.
Is the Celestron UpClose G2 10x50 the perfect affordable choice of binocular for observing the night sky? The 10x50 specification is the sweet spot for astronomy, but a few design and image foibles at night make the binocular less than ideal. The poor lens caps are to be expected at this low price, while the static eyecups’ lack of eye relief should bother only glasses wearers.
The chief issue with the UpClose G2 10x50 is consistent sharpness, which is easy to achieve in the centre of the field of view, but less so at the edges. A slight blur is detectable, although it’s not a huge issue when stargazing at celestial objects. In our tests, the G2 gave us excellent views of the
Pleiades star cluster, Jupiter and its giant moons and the intensely bright red star Aldebaran in Taurus. With the Celestron UpClose G2 10x50 on a tripod we even managed to pick out the tiny asteroid Ceres close by, and even Uranus on the night of its annual opposition. On the bridge between the objective lenses there’s a standard binocular tripod thread, though an L-shaped tripod adapter bracket is also required.
What we didn’t notice – and had expected to – was chromatic aberration, which often shows up in affordable binoculars as a purplish line around high-contrast objects like the Moon. Kudos to Celestron and the multi-coated lenses in use here. However, we did notice that a bright Moon – and any artificial lights – do tend to cause some glare within the prisms.
Although the rubber-armoured aluminium housing is water-resistant, the Celestron UpClose G2 10x50 isn’t waterproof, and the model hasn’t been nitrogen-purged. As a consequence, the lenses could fog up slightly in the cold, though they were fine during our two-hour session in near-freezing conditions.
The 10x magnification gives a very wide field of view that’s ideal for looking within constellations and scanning the Milky Way without going too deep, but it’s hardly surprising that the UpClose G2 10x50 does feature a few imperfections.
Stargazers just starting out too often overlook binoculars, instead purchasing a telescope as soon as they possibly can. That’s a huge mistake. All experienced amateur astronomers sing the praises of a good pair of binoculars, and though the
“Optically speaking, there’s much to like about the Celestron UpClose G2 10x50”
Celestron UpClose G2 10x50 does little more than meet the minimum requirements, the model will suit beginners well.
In theory it’s perfect, with the UpClose G2 10x50’s exact optical specifications favoured by amateur astronomers. The UpClose G2 10x50 is best thought of as a great-value entry-level binocular for all-round use and for occasional night-sky views. If you’ve never looked at the night sky through a pair of reasonably powerful binoculars then the UpClose G2 10x50 will give you that ‘wow’ moment as you scan the star fields of the Milky Way. It’s also really easy to set up, adjust and use. As such, it’s a reasonably good choice for astronomy groups on a budget, though we do worry about the longevity. However, if you know the night sky well and you’ve used many different binoculars, the Celestron UpClose G2 10x50 is unlikely to impress you. Slight foibles include some poor lens caps, a lack of eye relief and some glare from bright light.
If you can live with these slight issues then the Celestron UpClose G2 10x50 is worth considering, but don’t expect the ultimate in build quality, comfort and convenience.
There’s no doubt that 10x50 binoculars are the ideal specification for stargazing, being both portable and able to let in enough light in the dark, but you can – and perhaps should – spend a bit more than Celestron is asking for its UpClose G2 10x50 if the night sky is your primary target.
The Opticron Adventurer II WP 10x50 is a roof prism binocular with higher quality optics, as is the Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42, which offers a slightly wider field of view. For a real treat head straight for the Canon 10x42L IS WP, which comes complete with image stabilisation, or the Celestron SkyMaster 25x100 binocular, which needs to be mounted on a tripod but will give you exceptional close ups of deep-sky objects.
“the G2 gave us excellent views of the Pleiades star cluster and Jupiter and its giant moons”
For
Ideally sized for astronomy Reasonably lightweight Very affordable Easy to adjust
Against
Minor image distortion Poor objective lens caps Minimal eye relief Narrow eye cups
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