Celestron Regal LX Binoculars

The name of Celestron is well known to optics aficionados, but maybe not so much so among birders. Celestron has been making high quality astronomical telescopes for years. Perhaps less well known are their spotting scopes and binoculars, though many birders may own binoculars made by Celestron without actually knowing it, courtesy of the old Eagle Optics “Ranger” line. But in addition to manufacturing for other companies, Celestron has a series of binocular lines under their own name, and the Regal LX is their finest birding binocular. We received both configurations of the Regal LX 8x42 and 10x42 models for review. Regal binoculars are classic roof prisms with all that seems to go with them: fully multi-coated and phase-coated, sealed so as to be weatherproof and so on. Regals are made with BaK-4 glass, pretty much the industry standard for a high-end optic these days.

If you’ve been reading a lot of these reviews here, this is going to all start to sound the same. So before we describe all those same characteristics by which we analyze a binocular, let’s start with something different. The Regal is a low-cost binocular. That’s right! This top-of-the-line binocular actually falls into the low-cost bracket in today’s optics market. Although they list for $669-$692 (the 8x model being cheaper), they are discounted to $429-$439, which puts them at the low end of the cost scale. So your next thought is, “Well, they’re probably not as good as those $1500 binoculars!” and in fact, that’s correct. Sadly, in this business, it remains true that you get what you pay for (and you don’t get what you don’t pay for!) which leads to the oft-repeated observation that you should buy the best binocular that you can afford. Once you accept that you may not be able to afford a $1500 binocular at this point in time, the question you should be asking is “How do I get the most for my money?” And once you’re there, the Regal LX begins to come back into focus (so to speak...).

Regal LX binoculars have a pretty classic look: slender and compact at 4.5 inches wide by 5.75 inches tall. At 24.9 oz. for the 8x and 25.3 oz. for the 10x, the Regals are definitely lighter than the average roof prism binocular as well. Coated in black rubber armoring that gives them a no-slip feel, Celestron has used the subtlest of contours: a raised ridge on the outside, just a bit of a swelling to the lower end of the barrels to significantly improve their feel in the hands. Celestron did a good job with this aspect of the design.

Optically, the Regals don’t disappoint. The view is crisp and bright overall, and pretty sharp. We compared the Regals with a few other mid-priced binoculars that we had available and they outperformed a number of the higher priced models, some of which surprised us (and no, we won’t say which so don’t ask!). The Regals feature a 344-foot field of view at 1000 yards for the 8x, and 314 feet on the 10x, which is average performance for these magnifications. The real question of course isn’t just the size of the field of view, but its sharpness. Like most binoculars, the Regals show some edge effects. There is a bit of chromatic aberration on high-contrast objects under bright light, and the edges of the field aren’t quite as sharp as the center. In this, it was a trade-off. We felt that the sharp portion of the field was slightly smaller proportionally than on some of our comparison models, but that it was also sharper in the center. The slightly constricted “sweet spot” was more notable on the 10x model than on the 8x, which had a proportionally bigger sweet spot. The Regals also edged out the competition in brightness under low-light conditions. To put these observations in perspective, remember that these are higher priced binoculars that we compared the Regals to. Overall, you have to like the optical performance that you get for a binocular in this price range.

The focus knob is central, ridged for a better feel, and turned just a bit stiffly, but not objectionably so. This may just be because they’re new. Regals go from minimum close focus to infinity in just under 1.25 turns of the knob, which is about average for this trait. Speaking of which, minimum close focus on the Regals is exactly the 6 feet claimed by Celestron. This is better than average even for a very expensive optic. The Regals have a relatively modest depth of field, but this is typical for a binocular with excellent close-focus capability. You should be detecting a theme here: Regals consistently perform like a more expensive optic in a variety of categories. Interpupilary distance ranges from 58-74 mm.

Eye relief on the 8x model is 20 mm, which is excellent. The 10x model however, is a bit on the skimpy side at just 16 mm. The eyecups pull straight out to adjust, with one firm detent between fully in and fully out, and they don’t collapse during use. Diopter adjustment is in twisting ring on the right eyecup. While it doesn’t lock, the diopter adjustment goes through dozens of closely packed click-stops, and it is marked with little raised dots on the eyecup with about 2 clicks per dot, so a position setting for unequal eyes can be easily marked. This is an unusual and rather effective mechanism, so we give Celestron good marks on this.

The rainguard is the usual one: flexible rubber cups joined by a bending bridge segment. These fit on the oculars so tightly that they aren’t dislodged when the binocular is inverted. The strap is the usual hybrid of narrow cord joined to a 1.25-inch wide neoprene segment that goes round the neck. It’s comfortable enough for a 25-oz. binocular! The case is nicely padded and roomy, so the entire binocular, with straps and rainguard, fits easily inside, and it has an outer pocket for binocular cloths or lens cleaning devices. It’s a good case. We’re tired of cases where getting the binocular in or out is a 5-minute struggle, so we grade Celestron highly on this little feature as well.

Overall, we give the Celestron Regal binoculars very high marks for a low-cost optic. If you’ve already decided that you aren’t going for that $1500 piece of eye candy (and you know what we mean!), the Regals are an excellent choice for the budget-minded birder.

Celestron Regal LX Binoculars - current price and availability