High magnification and waterproof! The VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP binoculars with image stabilization and 15x vibration reduction double the fun of watching Hokkaido squirrels and small birds
Written by Saito Titoce
Many people enjoy taking a walk in their local park to refresh themselves. If you take binoculars with you on a walk in the park, you'll be amazed at the variety of animals you can see. I tried taking the VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP binoculars with image stabilization and 15x vibration-proof capabilities on one such walk
table of contents
- What is "VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP"?
- The Cellarto series automatically responds to two types of vibration
- What is the effect of the 15x telephoto magnification that I was most interested in?
- What I felt when I actually carried it around on a walk in the park
- Summary: The desire for a larger, more telephoto lens for clearer observations is irresistible
- Kenko "VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP" details and purchase information
What is "VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP"?
The latest high-magnification model among the latest trend in vibration-proof binoculars
The latest high-magnification model among the latest trend in vibration-proof binoculars
Only serious binoculars enthusiasts would say "Oh, that's it!" when they hear the name "VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP." The "VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP" is the latest model of vibration-proof binoculars from Kenko Tokina, and is a highly functional pair of binoculars with a 15x telephoto magnification, a 42mm objective lens effective diameter, and WP (waterproof) construction
Anti-shake binoculars were a hot topic last year, and they are binoculars equipped with an image stabilization mechanism that prevents the shaking that occurs when a person holds the binoculars and looks through them. Many people may think that if you hold them firmly, it will be fine, but binoculars without an image stabilization mechanism will actually experience a lot of shaking
For this reason, many people find it surprisingly difficult to see through binoculars, so image stabilization binoculars (anti-vibration binoculars) are now considered an essential item for viewing idols' favorite activities such as live shows and concerts, and were a big hit last year and the year before. Naturally, image stabilization is also becoming more common in binoculars for the outdoors
I also regularly use the VC Smart 10x30 Cellarto WP from the same series when photographing wildlife or taking walks in the park, but I had the opportunity to try out the latest model, the VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP, which has an even higher telephoto magnification, so I took it for a walk around the park with me
Recommended points
- 15x telephoto magnification makes distant objects appear larger
- Image stabilization and overwhelming visibility
- The Cellarto series automatically responds to two types of vibration
- It's easier to hold than you'd think
- Completely waterproof for peace of mind when outdoors
Points of interest
- Priced at over 100,000 yen
- Weight over 600g
Main specifications and evaluation
| item | Kenko VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP |
|---|---|
| magnification | 15 times |
| Objective lens effective diameter | 42mm |
| coating | Full multi-coating, phase coating, high-reflection coating |
| Actual field of view | 3.8° |
| apparent field of view | 52.9° |
| 1000m field of view | 66.3m |
| Exit pupil | 2.8mm |
| Brightness | 7.8 |
| Eye relief | 14.0mm |
| Interpupillary distance | 54 to 74 mm |
| Minimum focusing distance | 4m |
| Size (maximum eye width) | 180×70×118mm |
| mass | 610g |
| Anti-vibration angle | ±2° |
| waterproof | ○ |
| Material | Main body: Polycarbonate resin / Main cover: ABS resin / Eyecup rubber: NBR / Wheel rubber: ABS resin |
| Outdoor Gearzine Review | |
| design | ★★★★★ |
| Easy to read | ★★★★☆ |
| Easy to hold | ★★★☆☆ |
| Portability | ★★★★☆ |
| Cost performance | ★★★☆☆ |
The Cellarto series automatically responds to two types of vibration
The powerful image stabilization mechanism is effective even at a telephoto magnification of 15x
Image stabilization is turned on and off with a simple slide switch, and a major feature is that there is no need to switch modes
Kenko's latest vibration-proof binoculars series, including the VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP, are part of the Cellarto series. Their greatest feature is that they automatically adapt to two types of vibration that occur in binoculars
With binoculars, there are "large vibrations" that occur when panning widely to follow an object or when rocking on a boat, and "small vibrations" that occur when looking at a stationary object, and it is said that there is an anti-shake mode that is suitable for each of these
However, conventional anti-shake binoculars only have one anti-shake mode, which can result in unnatural images, and even if it is possible to switch anti-shake modes, the user must make the decision and switch manually
It is equipped with a pilot lamp that lets you check at a glance whether the image stabilization is on or off, and it also features a light-blocking sliding shutter to prevent it from being mistaken for video recording
With the Cellarto series, the binoculars themselves detect any shaking and quickly switch between modes automatically. I currently use the VC Smart 10x30 Cellarto WP, but before that I was using vibration-proof binoculars that were not able to handle these two types of shaking
When I switched to the VC Smart 10x30 Cellarto WP as my main binoculars, which automatically compensates for the two types of shaking, I was surprised at how effective the image stabilization was. However, the VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP has a higher telephoto magnification, so I felt the difference in its effectiveness even more
For example, when observing a Hokkaido squirrel eating something with the VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP, you can not only see the type of food it is eating, but also its facial expression, the movement of its whiskers, the state of the food, etc. This clarity of field is the greatest benefit of vibration-proof binoculars
What is the effect of the 15x telephoto magnification that I was most interested in?
The magnification is high at 15x, but the effective diameter of the objective lens is large at 42mm, so the brightness is 7.8. Even in a slightly dark forest, the brightness was not an issue
I feel like I have a close field of view equivalent to 800mm
As someone who already loves the VC Smart 10x30 Cellarto WP, a pair of fully waterproof, vibration-proof binoculars that automatically handles two types of shake, I was keen to try out the VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP because of its 15x telephoto magnification
The VC Smart 10x30 Cellarto WP, which I regularly use, has a magnification of 10x. While not exact, for people who are used to taking photos with regular cameras, it's easy to understand if you think of 50mm in 35mm format as 1x, and 10x as a 500mm super telephoto lens. When I actually compared it with a telephoto lens, I felt that it was roughly accurate
This means that the 15x VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP is equivalent to a super telephoto of 750mm. Camera telephoto lenses have also recently become increasingly super telephoto. While 500mm or 600mm used to be considered super telephoto, 800mm or 900mm equivalent lenses are now commonplace, and I often shoot with lenses over 1,000mm
This photo was taken with the OM SYSTEM M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS II, which allows shooting at an 800mm equivalent. This is what an 800mm-class ultra-telephoto lens looks like
For this reason, I thought that the VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP would be a better choice than the 500mm equivalent VC Smart 10x30 Cellarto WP when shooting with an ultra-telephoto lens. So I took it for a walk in the park with the latest 800mm equivalent lens, the OM SYSTEM M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS II, which was just released in March 2025
The results were somewhat as expected, with a strong telephoto effect almost identical to that of the "OM SYSTEM M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS II," and a clearly different telephoto effect than the "VC Smart 10x30 Cellarto WP," which is equivalent to 500mm
I walked my favorite walking route with the VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP
The high telephoto effect, equivalent to 750mm, is supported by a powerful image stabilization mechanism, allowing you to observe birds and animals in greater detail. It's very good. However, just like with any camera lens, I found it quite difficult to handle a telephoto lens of this level handheld without image stabilization
Also, when considering it as a companion for shooting, it seems like it's a matter of personal preference whether to use the VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP, which has roughly the same telephoto magnification as the shooting lens, or the VC Smart 10x30 Cellarto WP, which has a lower telephoto magnification than the shooting lens, to check the overall image and then cut out the details with the shooting lens. I personally like to use different lenses depending on the situation
Furthermore, just like with super telephoto lenses, the better the telephoto performance, the more difficult it becomes to fit the subject within the field of view, so you will need to get used to this
What I felt when I actually carried it around on a walk in the park
The VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP (photo: left) and the VC Smart 10x30 Cellarto WP (photo: right) are placed side by side. The biggest difference is the length
It's easier to carry around than I thought it would be
When I first looked at the specs of the VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP, I was concerned about its size of approximately 180 x 70 x 118 mm and weight of approximately 610 g. Even though they are vibration-proof binoculars with an image stabilization mechanism, I felt that they were a little too big and heavy
Considering that the VC Smart 10x30 Cellarto WP I normally use is approximately 147 x 51 x 124mm and weighs approximately 533g, it still felt a little big and heavy. However, after actually taking a few walks in the park for a little over an hour, I can say that these concerns were unfounded
In terms of weight, the camera I normally carry around is much heavier, so the difference of about 80g doesn't bother me at all. Also, in terms of size, the difference in length is about 3cm, but once you've got it hanging around your neck, it doesn't feel like much of a difference
The author holds the VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP in the park's forest. The photo was taken with the AI drone HOVERAir X1 Smart
As an adult male with relatively small hands, I was worried that the binoculars would be difficult to hold if they were larger, but since they were mainly just longer, I didn't notice a big difference in ease of holding them
The VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP has an eye relief of 14mm, so it's not a high eyepoint where 15mm is the standard, but I'd like to point out that even I, who wears glasses, found it quite easy to see through
Furthermore, there was a time when it started raining very wet sleet while I was out walking, and even in times like that, the fact that it was completely waterproof gave me a great sense of security. It's safe to say that this is an essential feature when outdoors
Summary: The desire for a larger, more telephoto lens for clearer observations is irresistible
It also runs for 28 hours on a single AA alkaline battery, which is nice
It is very convenient and reassuring that the image stabilization can be powered by easily available and versatile AA alkaline batteries
While not strictly accurate, the VC Smart 10x30 Cellarto WP has a telephoto magnification equivalent to a 500mm class ultra-telephoto lens, while the VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP has a telephoto magnification equivalent to a 750mm class ultra-telephoto lens
It's difficult to say which is better, but the truth is that we can't suppress our fundamental desire to observe things farther away, more clearly, and in larger dimensions. It's the same as when you have a 500mm super telephoto lens, but no one can resist wanting an 800mm super telephoto lens
And once you get your hands on binoculars with image stabilization, there's no going back. The difference in clarity of the view with or without image stabilization is clear, and when people who have been using binoculars without image stabilization try anti-vibration binoculars with image stabilization, they are shocked at how shaky their view has been
Therefore, once you start using image stabilization binoculars, it's natural to think of turning off the image stabilization function. While it's normal to have it on all the time, the VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP's image stabilization function can run for approximately 28 hours continuously on a single AA alkaline battery, which can be easily purchased at convenience stores
The "WP" in the product name "VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP" stands for waterproof, which is a major advantage when outdoors
With approximately 28 hours of continuous operation on a single AA alkaline battery, I always leave the image stabilization on and enjoy a clear view to my heart's content. Because of its long operating time on a single battery, the VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP deliberately eliminates the auto power-off function that conserves battery life. I find this more convenient than the automatic shutdown feature. However, I do keep a spare AA alkaline battery in my binocular case in case the battery runs out unexpectedly
The Cellarto series automatically detects and corrects two types of shaking that occurs when using binoculars, ensuring a clearer and easier-to-see view than ever before. The addition of the waterproof 10x "VC Smart 10x30 Cellarto WP" and the waterproof 15x "VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP" further expands the range of options
It's very difficult to say which one I prefer, but if my budget allows, I would honestly like to have both. I recommend carefully choosing based on your intended use. But even so, I'm sure I'll want both..
Kenko "VC Smart 15x42 Cellarto WP" details and purchase information
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Chitose Saito
A former editor of a monthly camera magazine, he became immersed in the outdoor lifestyle of campervans and car camping while pursuing Hokkaido's spectacular scenery and wildlife. He is currently a photographer and writer who travels all over Hokkaido with his wife and two-year-old son, capturing and writing about everything he experiences, from cameras and lenses to outdoor activities, camping, child-rearing, PC gadgets, cooking, and even dieting. For OUTDOOR GEARZINE, he plans to write a variety of articles, primarily for the "QOCL (Quality of camping life) Improvement Committee," which aims to improve the quality of life while camping and in a campervan
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