Celestron - Nature DX 12x56 Binoculars – Powerful and Bright for Long-Range Viewing – 56mm Objective Lenses – 12x Magnification – Fully Multi-Coated – Waterproof and Fogproof – Tripod Adaptable

I wear glasses and have far more experience with rifle scopes. That being said what little bird watching i have done along with squirrels and other botanical looking about it seems to have a pretty darn clear sight picture with spot on focus and fairly good color. You can spend more for some ED glass. However i am on a budget & if i am shelling out $$$ for ED optics it is going to be for a camera lens as 8 of 10 times i will be switching to a camera & i do not hunt or even target shoot any more so binoculars are what i am carrying with my camera. I have owned just a few cheap binoculars and used a few others and these seem to be the best i have used in this size class and yes some lower power with VERY close focus and better glass. Everything is a cost and quality compromise & i would say these are a very solid choice for serious nature watching and even come close to being pretty good for looking at the moon, but that's what my 15x70 are for. I am a big person though and the weight is no issue though for some people who plan on all day use a less heavy set of binoculars or better glass if these are more integral to your plans for them. For me though i like the power and eye relief & seemingly rugged construction and the light transmission seems quite good as well as i have not noticed many serious light issues and without going into much boring detail i have used some rifle scopes & binoculars that are much worse as well as camera lenses though most of those are far better and cost much more. Bottom line you might get lucky with some more obscure brand and find a better buy, but i have found like with everything else you should do your own research. Or you can just take the recommendation of bird watchers who say these are good and just buy these and see if they are what you want. The reason you have so many choices is that preferences in optics can be quite individual. So whatever you choose i wish you sucess in finding what is best suited to your needs.

I have been needing a new pair of binocs for a long time, yet every time I "looked" into them... the price tag of good ones scared me off. Well thanks to Amazon's sale the other day, I finally got what I needed at a good price. After reading the reviews, I knew these must be a good pair... but I was not expecting them to be AMAZING! I kid you not, these are incredible.... & they are truly the perfect pair of binoculars for me...as they are just right in every regard... They are powerful enough to get face to face with whatever you are looking at, yet not too big & heavy so that the image becomes hard too stabilize. And any smaller, they would not be powerful enough... and the green color is spot on for me...like I said, they really are perfect. I have never seen such a clear image in ANY binoculars...ever. That's not to say I am an "expert" in bino's... but I have seen enough to know exceptional quality when I see it. There is just something about them, that makes looking into the forest on a sunny summer day magical...as the image seems to be in HD, like it has extra clarity... it really is something that has to be seen 1st hand to fully understand what I am trying to impart. I am glad I waited so long to get a pair.... as these were worth the wait! The Celestron 71333 Nature DX 10x42 is a solid 5 star general... highly recommended.

Excellent glass but the eyecups fell off and had to be reglued.

Really good quality. The 12X power is about the highest power I can effectively handhold, and the 56mm is still fairly bright. Image is sharp and clear. Large ocular with long eye relief means they a great for people with glasses. UPDATE: I have had these now since May 2020. and they have replaced my still perfectly good Nikon Monarch 10 X 56 binoculars (due to 2X more magnification, slightly less weight and bulk) as my GoTo binoculars. They have been on many field trips and as checked baggage on planes for Birding. They still look new, though the strap was replaced with a harness and the case is a bit worn.

I am happy with these Celestron – Nature DX 10x42 Binoculars. They collect light well and provided a clear, sharp picture. There was some color loss in strong light near sunset and they had just a little blurring near the edges of the view. I can feel their weight when hung around my neck, but would be lightweight to carry in a backpack or in a hip pack. I recommend these field glasses.

I have the 10x42 size which is good but my wife wanted a pair too so we got the 12x56. They are fantastic. The 12x56 is brighter with great magnification for birding. Even in my backyard it's not "too close" or too hard to hold. The 12x56 has a nicer strap than the 10x42. Tip: Put it around your neck with one arm through. Then it is like a sling to the side. More comfortable that way and easy to use. Very high quality. Firm controls, not flimsy in any way. Works good with my glasses (there's a turn adjustment knob.) Comes with a nice case and covers for both sides of the binoculars.

Clear picture, easy controls to adjust, very sturdy & comfortable to hold. Not super light but not clumsy. I’m sure that these are an incredibly good price for what you are getting

This review is for the Celestron - Nature DX 12x60 Binoculars. (Purchased for terrestrial and celestial viewing). Having had no luck with the Celestron Porro style SkyMaster Series (Poor Collimation, everything from double vision to Kaleidoscope images, 3 pairs returned. 1 set of 25x70's two sets of 12x60's). I decided to try a Roof Prism style, Enter the Nature DX 12x56 Binoculars... Build Quality: The Celestron Nature DX 12x56 Binoculars are constructed from high quality materials Housing: Rubber-armored polycarbonate body for impact resistance and secure grip (5 out of 5 stars) Prisms: Premium BaK-4 prism glass with phase coating (3 out of 5 stars, image is soft and hard to focus) Lenses: Fully multi-coated optics for maximum light transmission (2 out of 5 stars, there is a minimal difference between a 50MM lens binocular and the 56MM lens of the Nature DX 12x56. However the difference between 56MM and a 60MM is very noticable, with the 60MM lens binoculars being much brighter and having better color representation.) Exterior: Forest green rubber armoring for protection against bumps and weather (5 out of 5 stars, well built and covered.) Lens Caps: Objective and eyepiece covers are made of a silicone rubber and attach to the barrel and neck strap respectively. (5 out of 5 Stars, they fit well and stay in place) Weight: All that nice coating comes with a cost, at a diminutive size of 7" L x 6" W x 2.75" H. These binoculars weigh in at a heavy 2.5 lbs. Managing the 12X magnification by hand only observation can be difficult. A tripod will be needed for observation over anything more than 15-20 minutes unless you are sitting (1.5 out of 5 Stars) Final Verdict for Built Quality: 3.6 out of 5 stars. Functionality Hinges: Strong and hold their position well, However the binoculars require a slim style Tripod adapter. This could be a problem for some with a narrow IPD as the binoculars may not close enough for correct viewing. This and the objective lens covers have to be removed to achieve the minimum IPD which is nominally 57MM. Unfortunately, this is a byproduct of the Roof Prism design. (2 out of 5 stars) Focus: It is difficult to find a sweet spot, the binoculars tend to blur or move out of focus by the slightest of movement up and down. The FOV is very good for a binocular of this magnification. Sadly, it is lost to all but perhaps 30% of the total FOV. 1 out of 5 stars. Overall impressions: The Nature DX 12x56 binoculars are constructed very well and are made to last. However, for their impressive build quality, the lack of clear vision and difficulty in finding a suitable focus point, makes these binoculars hard to recommend. The Nature DX12x56 Binoculars have a retail price of 289.95 and their current sale price of 229.99 (with coupon) opens up the opportunity for a lot of competition. They are nice looking and come with a quality carrying case and comfortable neck strap. This doesn't help much if your product is difficult to use and doesn't provide a good viewing experience. My hope was that the 12x56 Nature DX Binoculars would have the size and magnification to replace a comparable pair of porro binoculars. But in the end, when you add everything up, they are a weak 3 out of 5 stars with the best features being the outer shell and neck strap. Neither of which will provide a clear detailed view of a swan gracing the surface of a lake, or the moon's surface and all of its craters. I really wanted to like this product, but it's not for me, not at this price. I have owned in the past and currently own Celestron Telescope products. They have served me well, however I think it is time to move on to a different company in regard to binoculars.