Celestron C5 spotting scope

Gear OPTICS
CLOTHING Gear
Páramo Halcon
Celestron C5 spotting scope
When a jacket is claimed to be
waterproof, our tester David Chandler
really puts it to the test
Chunky scope designed for Dipper and Big Dipper alike, says Matt Merritt
S
OMETIMES, WHEN TESTING
binoculars and scopes, different
models start to blur into each other.
There’s not really any danger of that
happening with Celestron’s C5.
Its looks immediately set it apart from,
say, Celestron’s own Ultima and Regal
ranges of scopes. The latter has
impressed us greatly, but the C5 aims to
fill a quite different niche, claiming to
tackle anything from close-quarters
wildlife-watching to star-gazing.
Once you’ve unpacked it from its
soft-sided, heavily foam-packed carrying
case, you’re left with a quite different
set-up task to usual. Rather than just
slotting in the eyepiece and
commencing watching, you need attach
the Erect Image Diagonal – this allows
you to view earthbound objects
comfortably, and to ensure that they’re
the right way up. Importantly, of
course, it means that when you’re
birdwatching, you can follow an object in
motion easier.
That done, there’s a 6x magnification
finderscope to attach, too. It allows you
to find objects more quickly than might
be possible through the main eyepiece,
whose field of view is more restricted.
Finally, you are going to need a
reasonably heavy-duty, stable tripod. I
found it quite difficult to balance the
scope, but it gets easier as you get used
to using it.
Once you’re ready, you can begin to
appreciate the light-gathering capacity
of a 127mm aperture. At dawn and dusk,
for example, it performed well, while in
full daylight it’s terrific.
Colour reproduction is good if not
FACTFILE
Men: S-XXL
(38-49in, 97-125cm)
Women: XS-XL
(34-44in, 86-111cm)
Average weight: 967g
RRP: £330
Guarantee: Lifetime
T
A wide variety of
eyepieces can be fitted
to the scope, for
birdwatching,
stargazing and
photography
exceptional, producing a pretty
natural-looking image, although I did
find myself struggling with colourfringing at times. This, I suspect, was at
least in part down to getting used to the
eyepiece – there’s no rubber eyecup, so
Though the
finderscope is
very useful, the
main viewfinder
can be tricky to
get used to – as
can the focus
wheel, which
takes a lot of
turning
The Celestron
C5 is a bit of a
whopper and,
although lighter
than you might
think, is
probably not
best suited to
being lugged
around in
the field
48 Bird Watching 2014
Neat 6x magnification
finderscope allows
you to find what
you’re looking for a lot
faster than with the
main eyepiece
Huge 127mm aperture
performs well in low
light conditions
it can be quite tricky to find and hold
exactly the right eye position.
Resolution and sharpness are
excellent, but again the focusing is
something you’ll have to give yourself
time to get used to. The focus knob is
easy to use – positioned on the back of
the scope, it’s large and well-textured
enough to be easily found and gripped
– but moving from close up to infinity
takes a lot of turning (around 30 turns).
That said, close focus is really rather
good, at around 6-7m – you’re probably
not going to use it for close-up work too
much, but it’s good to know that the
option’s there.
There are a variety of compatible
eyepieces, with magnifications ranging
from 31x to 125x, so you can really
cover all bases.
It’s actually not as heavy as its looks
might suggest, but nevertheless I think
most people would baulk at carrying it
around in the field. There’s the issue of
how well it would stand up to knocks –
there are a couple of plastic ‘bumpers’ to
help protect the metal body, but no
rubber armouring, and its bulk would
make it prone to bumps.
But of course, that’s really not what
you’d be buying it for. Where it really
shines is when you’re able to leave it set
up, overlooking a wide vista such as an
estuary or a lake.
You can well imagine what a boon it
would be for regular watchers of gull or
wader roosts, for example, where the
brightness of the image and the punch
offered by high-magnification eyepieces
can pick out a wealth of detail.
You can get a camera adapter and
T-ring to turn it quickly and easily into a
1250mm (25x) telephoto lens, so
photographers might well also find it a
good option.
Finally, I had a go at using it in
astronomical mode – I’m no Patrick
Moore, but there’s an undeniable thrill in
being able to pick out Jupiter’s moons
clearly!
FACTFILE
Close focus: 6.1m
Eye relief: 22mm
Dimensions:
330mm (optical tube
only)
Weight: 2721g
Price: £489
More information:
celestron.co.uk
David Hinds Ltd,
Unit R, Cherrycourt
Way, Leighton
Buzzard, Bedfordshire
LU7 4UH
Fabrics, performance and ethics
Wear a Halcon in the rain, and you won’t end up like a drowned
rat. I wore it under a cold shower for 10 minutes and watched
the water beading and running off the coat. It kept me dry –
impressive stuff. You can renew its waterproofing again and
again by washing it with a Nikwax aftercare product. Away from
the shower, in the more natural setting of Burwell Fen, the
Halcon provided good protection from the wind, too. And for a
coat that is this capable, it packs down surprisingly small.
On the down side
Verdict
It’s not the sort of all-round scope that’s
going to suit your average birdwatcher,
but then it doesn’t pretend to be.
For the more serious birder, it’s a
powerful and, at under £500, affordable
option to have, and most of the
criticisms above would, I suspect, be
ironed out in extended use. You just
have to get used to the idea of a scope
like no other!
HE HALCON IS a deluxe version of Páramo’s Pájaro. It has
four more pockets, and an RRP of more than £300, so you
would expect a quality item. This jacket is exactly that. It is not
just another outdoor coat. It is thoughtfully designed, very well
made and feels good to wear. The hood can be pulled in tight
around the face, has a wired peak, and a volume adjuster. Set it
up right and it moves with your head.
The two-way zip has a poppered storm flap on the inside.
When the zip is open and the storm flap in use, it provides
ventilation and access to the three internal pockets. A zip on
each arm, from armpit to elbow, provides extra ventilation. With
the Velcro cuffs unfastened, I found the sleeves a bit long, but
you can roll them up in warmer conditions, or tighten the cuffs
when it’s cooler. And the extra length protects your arms when
you stretch.
There are waist and hem drawcords, and six external pockets
– two chest pockets with zip-closing vertical access, two lower
flapped pockets, and two lovely zip-up hand-warmer pockets
behind them. The tail is scooped, providing a bit more
protection, and the collar is fleece-lined. Then there are two
removable lengths of foam inserted into the back from the
inside to allow more air between your back and a rucksack.
Now
watch the
video. See
birdwatching.
co.uk/
celestronc5
This is not a coat for the warmer parts of the year, but it’s not
designed for that. I have two gripes with the Halcon. The ‘rustle
free fabric’ is not silent. But if the rain pours down or the wind
picks up you won’t notice the fabric noise. It’s also a slippy
fabric – my strap-borne lightweight scope and tripod slipped
off the shoulder within 10-30 metres of walking. A different
strap may be the answer.
So...
If you want a wonderfully made coat to protect you from the
elements, check out the Halcon. This thoughtfully designed
jacket is designed to last.
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