Celestron Nature DX 8×32 Binoculars: Our Review

At A Glance

PROS:

• Relatively bright and sharp image at this price
• Good close focus
• Wide, eye-filling view without tunnel vision effect

CONS:

• Not as bright as the top-performers in this review
• Some fuzziness at edge of image
• Slight distortion when panning

STATS:

• Price: $150 MSRP at press time. Prices often fluctuate, so check with retailers
• Close focus: 6.6 feet (200 cm)
• Field of view: 7.4° (388 ft at 1,000 yds) More about field of view 
• Weight: 19.2 oz (545 g)—that’s about 1.5 oz (43 g) heavier than the average for compact binoculars in our review. Compare binocular sizes and weights
• Eye relief: 17.5 mm

Viewing Experience: Celestron offers several options for binoculars in the sub-$500 “affordable” range, including the impressive TrailSeeker ED and TrailSeeker models. The Nature DX is aimed at a lower price point, and though it doesn’t perform up to the TrailSeeker level, it does provide a good image that is sharper than several similarly priced binoculars in our test. The view is clear and colorful though it was a few notches less bright than the top-tier group, with some testers noting a slight yellowish cast to the image. Some people also noted considerable glare when viewing backlit or reflective objects, such as as shiny grackles roosting among glossy leaves in a sugar maple. There was a slight, not severe, sense of distortion when panning. Still, they performed admirably on a day with shifting light conditions and flat light, rendering well the details of a skulking Cooper’s Hawk perched high in the shadowy canopy of a field edge. As a Red-eyed Vireo fed a young Brown-headed Cowbird in a treetop, the binoculars resolved the cowbird’s fine breast streaking and brought out subtle tonal variations in the olive and white of the vireo.

Feel and Build: The Nature DX binoculars are housed in a basic but comfortable rubbery armor. The focus wheel spins easily, with thick ridges for grip, but comes very close to touching the housing on one side—a possible concern as the binoculars age. The eyecups are sightly beveled for a comfortable fit against the face, and click lightly into four positions. The neck strap was thin and unpadded.

Comments From Testers:

• Nice color and sharpness
• Nice-looking
• Focus wheel “slip-and-stick”

This article is one in a series of mini-reviews. To see how these binoculars compare to others we’ve tested, see our full review of affordable compact binoculars.