Binoculars
Celestron Nature DX ED 8x42 review
Same aperture, same magnification, same exit pupil. You are paying for the glass itself.
By Scooter M. · published September 27, 2026
I'm not an astronomer and I don't have a lab. I'm someone who's genuinely into this — I read the manuals, compile the published specs, and do the arithmetic the box doesn't do for you. No lab coat. How we pick.
How this is funded. Lens & Lightyear earns a commission when you buy through a link on this page, at no extra cost to you. It does not change which products we pick or what we say about them — every card below carries a real reason to skip it. Prices are pulled live and were last verified October 18, 2026. Full disclosure.
The short answer
For stargazing, no — buy the standard Nature DX 8x42 and keep the difference. ED glass reduces chromatic aberration, which barely shows on stars against a dark sky. For daytime birding on high-contrast edges, the ED version is a real improvement and the premium is defensible.
This is an upgrade-decision page rather than a conventional review, because the two binoculars are the same instrument apart from the objective glass — and the marketing around ED rarely says what it actually fixes.
Every published difference, in one table
| Nature DX ED 8x42 | Nature DX 8x42 | |
|---|---|---|
| Objective glass | Extra-low dispersion (ED) | Standard |
| Angular field of view | 7.5 degrees | 7.4 degrees |
| Linear field at 1000 yds | 393 ft | 388 ft |
| Eye relief | 17.8mm | 17.5mm |
| Exit pupil | 5.25mm | 5.25mm |
| Prisms | BaK-4 roof, phase coated | BaK-4 roof, phase coated |
| Coatings | Fully multi-coated | Fully multi-coated |
| Close focus | 6.5 ft | 6.5 ft |
| Sealing | Waterproof, nitrogen filled | Waterproof, nitrogen filled |
| Weight | 24.9 oz | 22.2 oz |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime | Limited lifetime |
Celestron's published specifications for items 72332 and 71332. Bold marks the advantage where there is one. Six of eleven rows are identical.
That table is the review. Everything else is a judgment about what you point them at.
What ED glass actually fixes
Chromatic aberration is a lens failing to bring every wavelength to the same focus, and it shows as a colored fringe on a high-contrast boundary. Celestron's published explanation is that ED glass contains rare-earth compounds that greatly reduce it.
- Where it shows most: a dark tree branch against a bright sky, a black-and-white bird in sunlight, a roof line at midday. Daylight, high contrast, bright background.
- Where it shows least: stars. A point of white light on a black background gives chromatic aberration very little to work with, which is why we do not recommend paying the ED premium for astronomy alone.
- Where it shows a little: the Moon's limb — a genuinely bright, high-contrast edge — and bright planets. This is the one night-time case where ED earns something.
- What it does not change at all: brightness, field of view in any meaningful amount, or how steady the view is. The exit pupil is identical.
Quick picks
The ED, the standard, and the night-sky specialist
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Celestron Nature DX ED 8x42 ED objectives, 7.5 degrees of field, 17.8mm of eye relief and a 5.25mm exit pupil. | Daytime detail and anyone bothered by color fringing | |
| 2 |  Celestron Nature DX 8x42 7.4 degrees, 17.5mm of eye relief, the same 5.25mm exit pupil, 2.7 oz lighter. | The same binocular for less, if stars are the point | |
| 3 |  Celestron Cometron 7x50 50mm objectives at 7x — a 7.1mm exit pupil, and the steadiest view of the three. | Pure night-sky value |
Rows link to the full write-up further down this page. Prices come from the live price layer only; where there is no live figure the button reads “Check price” rather than showing a number we remembered.
Is it worth it? A straight answer by use
| What you mostly do | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Stargazing | No. Buy the standard Nature DX and spend the difference on a tripod adapter. |
| Daytime birding | Yes. High-contrast edges are exactly where ED shows. |
| Both, roughly equally | Probably. The ED is a better all-rounder if the budget is there. |
| Lunar observing specifically | A mild yes — the Moon's limb is a bright edge. |
| Deep-sky sweeping | No. Buy aperture instead: a 15x70 or 20x80. |
| Buying for a child | No. Weight and steadiness matter far more — see binoculars by age. |
What we did and did not do
We have not handled these binoculars and we have not compared them side by side. Every figure above was read from Celestron's own published specification pages for items 72332 and 71332, linked below and checked on the date at the top of this page. The explanation of what ED glass does is Celestron's own; where it matters is our judgment, stated as judgment.
No price appears in this prose. Live figures come only from our price feed with the date they were checked. Our full method is on the methodology page.
The picks in full
Pick 1
Celestron Nature DX ED 8x42
Daytime detail and anyone bothered by color fringing
The arithmetic
Set against the standard Nature DX 8x42 the differences are small and specific: the field widens from 7.4 to 7.5 degrees (388 ft to 393 ft at 1000 yards), eye relief grows from 17.5mm to 17.8mm, weight rises from 22.2 oz to 24.9, and the exit pupil is identical at 5.25mm because the aperture and magnification are identical. Everything you are paying extra for is in the glass itself — Celestron's own description of ED is that it contains rare-earth compounds which greatly reduce chromatic aberration, the color fringing on high-contrast edges.
ED stands for extra-low dispersion. In Celestron's own words the glass contains rare-earth compounds that greatly reduce chromatic aberration — the color fringing you see on a high-contrast edge, like a dark branch against a bright sky.
The rest of the specification is the standard Nature DX with small improvements: the field widens from 7.4 to 7.5 degrees (393 ft at 1000 yards against 388), eye relief grows from 17.5mm to 17.8mm, and everything else — 42mm objectives, 8x, BaK-4 phase-coated roof prisms, waterproof nitrogen-filled body, 6.5 ft close focus — is unchanged.
The exit pupil is identical at 5.25mm, because aperture and magnification are identical. Nothing about brightness changes.
The honest cost is weight and money: 24.9 oz against 22.2, for a benefit you are most likely to notice in daylight. For astronomy alone, the standard model is the better value.
Skip it if
Stargazing is the only use. ED glass fixes chromatic aberration, which is a high-contrast daylight problem far more than a star-field problem — and this pair is 2.7 oz heavier for it.
| Item number | 72332 |
|---|---|
| Magnification | 8x |
| Objective diameter | 42mm (1.65") |
| Objective glass | Extra-low dispersion (ED) |
| Prisms | BaK-4 roof, phase coated |
| Coatings | Fully multi-coated |
| Angular field of view | 7.5 degrees |
| Linear field of view | 393 ft at 1000 yds (129 m) |
| Exit pupil | 5.25mm (0.21") |
| Eye relief | 17.8mm (0.70") |
| Close focus | 6.5 ft (2 m) |
| Weather sealing | Waterproof, nitrogen filled |
| Interpupillary range | 56mm-74mm |
| Tripod adaptable | Yes |
| Weight | 24.9 oz (705 g) |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime |
| What the box does not do | No tripod adapter in the box though the barrel is threaded for one. It is 2.7 oz heavier than the standard Nature DX for a difference you are most likely to notice in daylight on a bright edge rather than on a star field at night, which is the honest case against paying the premium for astronomy alone. |
Specifications from Celestron — Nature DX ED 8x42 specifications. We have not handled this one — everything above is the published spec sheet plus our own arithmetic on it.
Pick 2
Celestron Nature DX 8x42
The same binocular for less, if stars are the point
The arithmetic
Objective divided by magnification gives the exit pupil: 42 / 8 = 5.25mm, which is what Celestron publishes. That is wider than a dark-adapted adult pupil needs on most nights and far wider than the 4.2mm of the 10x42, which is why this pair looks brighter in the same sky. It also holds 17.5mm of eye relief against the 10x42's 14mm, and shows 388 ft at 1000 yards against 304 ft — 28 percent more sky in the circle.
For a night sky, this is the one we would buy. Stars are point sources against a dark background — close to the least demanding target there is for chromatic aberration.
The differences you give up are genuinely marginal: 5 ft of field at 1000 yards and 0.3mm of eye relief.
It also holds the same phase-coated BaK-4 prisms, the same waterproof nitrogen-filled body and the same lifetime warranty.
Skip it if
You use them mostly in daylight on high-contrast subjects, where the ED glass earns its premium.
| Item number | 71332 |
|---|---|
| Magnification | 8x |
| Objective diameter | 42mm (1.65") |
| Prisms | BaK-4 roof, phase coated |
| Coatings | Fully multi-coated |
| Angular field of view | 7.4 degrees |
| Linear field of view | 388 ft at 1000 yds (129 m) |
| Exit pupil | 5.25mm (.20") |
| Eye relief | 17.5mm (.69") |
| Close focus | 6.5 ft (2 m) |
| Weather sealing | Waterproof, nitrogen filled |
| Interpupillary range | 56mm-74mm |
| Tripod adaptable | Yes |
| Weight | 22.2 oz (629 g) |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime |
| What the box does not do | No tripod adapter in the box, though the barrel is threaded for one. 22.2 oz is heavy for small hands, and at 8x it will not pull in as much detail on the Moon as a 10x or 15x pair. There is no image stabilization at any price near this. |
Specifications from Celestron — Nature DX 8x42 specifications. We have not handled this one — everything above is the published spec sheet plus our own arithmetic on it.
Pick 3
Celestron Cometron 7x50
Pure night-sky value
The arithmetic
Exit pupil is objective divided by magnification: 50 / 7 = 7.1mm, which matches Celestron's published figure. That is the single most useful number here. A fully dark-adapted young pupil opens to around 7mm, so a child uses nearly all of that 7.1mm cone and the view is as bright as the optics can make it. An adult over about forty typically dilates to 5mm or less and simply cannot use the extra — this is one of the rare cases where a child gets more out of the hardware than the grown-up does.
The reminder that for astronomy specifically, aperture and exit pupil beat glass quality at this price level.
50 divided by 7 gives a 7.1mm exit pupil — wider than any human eye can fully use — so the binocular never limits brightness, and 7x is the most forgiving magnification there is to hold.
What it gives up is daylight versatility, close focus and the weather sealing of the Nature DX line. Full review.
Skip it if
Daytime use matters, or you want a compact pair. This is a big-eyed night instrument and bulky in a bag.
| Magnification | 7x |
|---|---|
| Objective lens | 50mm (1.97") |
| Prism glass | BK7 porro |
| Lens coatings | Multi-coated |
| Angular field of view | 6.6 degrees |
| Linear field at 1000 yds | 344 ft (105 m) |
| Exit pupil | 7.1mm (.28") |
| Eye relief | 13mm (.51") |
| Close focus | 26.2 ft (8 m) |
| Weight | 27.3 oz (774 g) |
| Tripod adaptable | Yes |
| Environmental | Water resistant |
| What the box does not do | 27.3 oz is heavy for small arms held up at the sky — plan on leaning against a wall or lying on a blanket, or add the tripod adapter. BK7 prisms are the cheaper glass and show slight softening at the edge of the field. Water resistant is not waterproof. |
Specifications from Celestron — Cometron 7x50mm specifications. We have not handled this one — everything above is the published spec sheet plus our own arithmetic on it.
Questions people actually ask
- Is the Celestron Nature DX ED worth it over the standard Nature DX?
- For daytime use on high-contrast subjects, yes — ED glass reduces color fringing. For stargazing, no: stars are point sources against a dark background, which gives chromatic aberration little to work with, and the ED model is 2.7 oz heavier.
- What does ED glass do in binoculars?
- Celestron's own explanation is that extra-low dispersion glass contains rare-earth compounds that greatly reduce chromatic aberration — the colored fringe visible on a high-contrast edge. It does not change brightness, exit pupil or field of view meaningfully.
- What is the difference between the Nature DX ED 8x42 and the Nature DX 8x42?
- The glass, plus three small numbers: field of view 7.5 degrees against 7.4 (393 ft against 388 at 1000 yards), eye relief 17.8mm against 17.5mm, and weight 24.9 oz against 22.2. Exit pupil, prisms, coatings, close focus, sealing and warranty are identical.
- Are the Nature DX ED 8x42 good for astronomy?
- They are good binoculars for astronomy — 5.25mm exit pupil, 17.8mm eye relief, waterproof — but the ED glass specifically adds little at night. A 7x50 gathers more light for less money if stars are the only use.
- Do you need a tripod for 8x42 binoculars?
- No. At 8x, hand tremor is magnified eight times, which most people hold comfortably. The barrel is threaded for a tripod adapter if you want one for long sessions — see our tripod adapter guide.
Sources
Read next
Where to go from here
- 8x42 vs 10x42: the same binocular, one number apart
Celestron publishes both versions of the same binocular, so the comparison is unusually clean: 5.25mm exit pupil against 4.2mm, 388 ft of field against 304 ft, 17.5mm of eye relief against 14mm.
- The best binoculars for stargazing with kids
The exit pupil calculation that decides which binoculars suit a child, and what a 7x50 actually shows on a first clear night.
- One pair for birds and stars: what to give up
Birding and astronomy want opposite specifications. What a single pair can honestly do, and which compromise suits a child best.
- The best stargazing binoculars under $100
Three pairs under $100, judged on exit pupil, prism glass and steadiness rather than on magnification claims — plus the two corners this budget always cuts.
- Putting binoculars on a tripod: adapter, tripod, and the height nobody checks
The cheapest fix for the most common binocular disappointment. Which binoculars accept an adapter, what tripod height actually matters for looking up, and what this will not fix.
- Celestron Nature DX 8x32 review
A third lighter than a 7x50, waterproof, and it focuses down to 6.5 feet. What that buys by day, and exactly what it costs you at night.