A sturdy tripod is a must for this set of binoculars. It is heavy because it's big. But when combined with a sturdy tripod it is excellent for it's low price. What a bargain!

After reading several review regarding the Apogee 25x100mm binoculars (mostly positive, although there were reports of hit or miss quality control), I made the decision to purchase the binocs from Optics Planet after seeing the company's impossible to beat pricing and free shipping offer. The binoculars arrived a few days after completing the purchase. First impression... These things are huge! Much, much larger than my Celestron 11x80 binoculars. A suitable, heavy duty mount is a requirement. Fortunately, I had one, and was able to try out the binoculars soon after receiving them. Wow! The performance of the binoculars exceeded all my expectations. A small amount of color around the rim of the moon, but not overly distracting. With these binoculars I can easily identify the four major moons of Jupiter as well as see several cloud bands on the planet. (And this was in horrible seeing conditions -- I can't wait to get these binoculars out on a nice, clear night.) The ...
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I have been an amateur astronomer for more than 35 years, and I can say that now I´m using the Apogee 25x100 more frequently than my 10 inch reflector. These binoculars are really nice for observing star clusters and nebulae in the Milky Way. Get a good sky atlas, you will need it to identify the thousands of objects you will see in the sky. Even some galaxies may be glimpsed in my light poluted skies (within a 4M metropolitan area). Optical: Although there is some coma in the borders of the field and a bit of residual chromatic aberration, the image is surprisingly good and bright. When observing star fields, those small defects are irrelevant. Mechanical: Very solid and easy to make focus. Set-up: A heavy-duty tripod is absolutely necessary. Take some time during daylight to understand the set-up, focusing and pointing procedures. It may help if you have some previous experience with smaller binoculars, which are still useful as companions for this big one.