giant

I live up on a hill, with a nice view of city lights from about three to fifteen miles away. These binoculars are excellent for this range, although you have to know what you're looking at in order to fully appreciate what you see 15 miles away. And as others have said, A TRIPOD IS MANDATORY, as is a firm surface with which to place it. There is no ZOOM, but anything further than about 25 feet comes into focus well.

And at 25X, you are not going to be tempted to spy on your neighbors unless they live right next door. These binoculars give you good terrestrial viewing, but if you want to make out fine details from about a mile or so, you won't get it with this. You'll need 50X or more, but be prepared to pay dearly for that in a pair of binoculars. 25X, at least at this price, is a very good combination, especially considering the wide field of view this provides.

These binoculars are very large (1 foot long and almost 5 kg). Difficult to hold and almost impossible to focus if held by hand. A tripod is needed, and this item is all set for this. Once mounted, the view is very nice. With a 25x magnification, this is close to a telescope (which generally offer 50x to 100x), but with superior view because you are looking with both eyes. Also somewhat more portable and simpler to handle than a telescope. The carrying case is OK, no more, but this monster isn't meant to be taken on hikes.

Overall, one must be aware that at this price, some quality is sacrificed for high magnification. Image and finishing quality are inferior to regular sized binoculars (like 10 x 50) of similar price. I would buy a high quality 10 x 50 first, and then this inexpensive 25 x 100 to see what the 10x can't show.