Is this the same telescope as the 4.5 Astro? I was recommended the Astro, but rather have the tripod than that short stand. Thanks.
1865213
Dear Jackson Bray : Yes, the 4.5" optical tubes are the same, only the mounts are different. All the best.
1865214
Yes. I have the 4.5 StarBlast and it is a great beginning scope. Add some filters and 2.5x Barlow and it's even better.
761907
Hi David, I had a similar problem when I ordered one of these off amazon. It arrived without the mount so I had to look for one. turns out, unless you buy the telescope straight from Orion, they will not sell the mount separately. However, if it was bought off of amazon you should be able to send it back. I contacted amazon and they gave me a full refund including shipping and they paid return shipping. Hope this helped =]
60427
The Dolica 68" tripod is the best tripod I own and I own a lot of them! It is an all-around great tripod. I use the Celestron 15x70 binoculars on it and it handles them wonderfully even when the tripod is extended all the way up and you're looking straight up at the night sky. What you really need, however, is a decent binocular to tripod mount because the plastic one that comes with the Celestron binoculars is no good at all and it causes an uncontrollable amount of image shake. It is hard to believe that such a thing would make much difference but it makes a HUGE difference. I bought the Barska tripod adapter on Amazon for $9.95 and it is solid. Hope this helps.... Clear Skies! The Dolica 68" tripod is the best tripod I own and I own a lot of them! It is an all-around great tripod. I use the Celestron 15x70 binoculars on it and it handles them wonderfully even when the tripod is extended all the way up and you're looking straight up at the night sky. What you really need, however, is a decent binocular to tripod mount because the plastic one that comes with the Celestron binoculars is no good at all and it causes an uncontrollable amount of image shake. It is hard to believe that such a thing would make much difference but it makes a HUGE difference. I bought... » Read More The Dolica 68" tripod is the best tripod I own and I own a lot of them! It is an all-around great tripod. I use the Celestron 15x70 binoculars on it and it handles them wonderfully even when the tripod is extended all the way up and you're looking straight up at the night sky. What you really need, however, is a decent binocular to tripod mount because the plastic one that comes with the Celestron binoculars is no good at all and it causes an uncontrollable amount of image shake. It is hard to believe that such a thing would make much difference but it makes a HUGE difference. I bought the Barska tripod adapter on Amazon for $9.95 and it is solid. Hope this helps.... Clear Skies! « Show Less
72106
I just ordered the Celestron Nexstar SLT 130, as recommended by a friend who has been into astronomy for years..as a beginner myself I would definitely recommend this telescope...I've used it every night since I've gotten it...the computer makes it really easy to set up and find planets and stars right away!
704470
Well, that all depends, what does your telescope come with? what kind of scope are you getting? I would just go out on a limb and suggest thinking about getting a decent finder scope, maybe a nice equatorial mount if you are talking about catadioptric or refractor type telescope, if you have a reflector it should come with a dobsonian mount. If you plan to take pictures think about a camera adapter. Other than that think about a nice folding chair, maybe some refreshments and a red lensed flash light will prove handy.
815383
No camera tripod is going to hold a 2 foot spotting scope steady with no motion, until you get into a telescope style tripod. Iv'e bean down this road also. I bought a table top SILK & excepted it.
177101
You can see them fairly clear, i'll put a link at the bottom of my comment to a guy who takes photo's with his 4se. Keep in mind, when you're looking through the scope, the view is not as fuzzy as his photos and video. You can't magnify much more than 150x with the 4se but you can see Saturn with it's rings, and Jupiter very clearly. I'm not sure what the other person is talking about the motors jumping, mine tracks beautifully. This is a great starter scope, but, I also agree there are way better ones out there. For a first scope just to get you familiar with the sky and Astronomy, the 4se works great. If you're like me though, you'll probably want something bigger and faster within a year. I'm actually thinking about selling my 4se to step up to a much higher end scope for Astrophotography. May I ask where you're from? https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7LIfGL0G50jj7sP_aktkHA
359471
Not to my knowledge. The 4.5" has a tripod that will support it's entire Dobsonian or tracking mount but the 6I does not. I think it would almost be too bulky and heavy to mount to a tripod without undue motion when in use. Orion has a" dob pod" that could be used with this, that is like a stool, to set it on. This only lifts it 12" higher, about 40", total height to the eyepiece and would work ok if you set on a stool to view. I built a small sturdy, table for mine to set on, to raise it to a comfortable height for me. It works fine off a picnic table but is too low for setting or too high for standing, for me. You could easily build a concrete pier out of cinder blocks with an 18"-20" circular stepping stone on top, for little cost. **This is an excellent little scope, with great views, that works great for identifying clusters, messier objects etc. But it is a bit bulky.
796196
for the moon, this telescope is awesome and would be even better if you buy the "shorty" piece for this scope. Yes u can see craters pretty good
1063901
It is ok. it is a little tripod and a bit loose. I did upgrade mine so i can use it standing. it really is to small for me to sit and use from the ground. I couldnt ask for a better scope though. It is so clear and light weight.....good buy but the pod is not the greatest.
508331
In short you can use this telescope for simple astrophotography like getting photos of moon and brighter objects like Jupiter and Saturn. You can't use this for faint objects because it needs tracking mount for long exposure. The manufacturer also mentioned that this scope is optimized for visual use rather than for photography. Visually it is superb. Clear Skies....!
2121603
Being the same size scope, the mount is driving the price and the 5se appears sturdier then the slt (I own the 5se that I got on Amazon). The 5se can also be set up as Equatorial using the built-in wedge (which is useful for astrophotography). If you don't need or want the wedge feature, bump up to the 6se if it fits within your budget. Also, Celestron lists the slt series as beginner telescopes and the se series as intermediate. I quick search on youtube will find several before-you-buy videos. Hope that helps.
529134
Be absolutely sure it does what you wznt. It's not really for astrophotography. It's a great scope for deep sky. A bit heavy
1879054
With the supplied telescope, it is decent, but subject to any normal obstructions you might encounter in a building. I would rate it above average for other portables I've owned. With an external, it is quite good and compares well with mid priced table units.
821883
Mine works just fine. I don't understand "too good". The mirror is what matters. The telescope has a great mirror for the price. 3X is what I have. I like the zoom lens best. It is the easiest to work with.
730729
Yes and no. It depends on what you want to do. This is a great starter scope. If your ideal night is looking out and seeing nothing more than planetary objects, then this will be the scope for you. If you have no experience with other telescopes, and this'll be the scope for you. I enjoyed this telescope however there are two big drawbacks. One is the telescope will only hold a 1.25 inch eyepiece. Once again this is ideal if you're just looking at planetary objects, however larger objects like Andromeda will require at least a 25mm to 35 mm eyepiece. The other drawback is the tripod, unfortunately it's very shaky despite what you do. When trying to look at things through the eyepiece a simple bump or even a little wind will knock it around, this is something that you would adjust to overtime. The upside are that it is very portable, Gives you a fundamental idea of how to use a telescope if you have no idea, and it has good imaging. I would highly recommend investing into new pieces as the two that come with it are very poor. Remember, your telescope is only as good as your eyepieces. If you are newer to telescopes then I would suggest this one, it's a cheap way to get an idea of what you're doing and will give let you know if you want to invest more into this fairly pricey hobby.
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The site http://www.garyseronik.com/?q=node/25 has a very nice comparison of all of Canon's IS binoculars for stargazing. In summary, these are not the authors favorites (he prefers the 10x42 Ls or 15x50) but they will certainly work. I am considering these due to their combination of high magnification, decent (not great) optics, and light weight.By going to a telescope (and I mean a decent sized reflector, not a tiny $50 refractor from a department store) you are not necessarily getting a large increase in magnification; it depends on the eyepiece being used. But you are getting a lot more light gathering power to see faint objects. Many people into stargazing will have both binoculars and a larger telescope. The site http://www.garyseronik.com/?q=node/25 has a very nice comparison of all of Canon's IS binoculars for stargazing. In summary, these are not the authors favorites (he prefers the 10x42 Ls or 15x50) but they will certainly work. I am considering these due to their combination of high magnification, decent (not great) optics, and light weight.By going to a telescope (and I mean a decent sized reflector, not a tiny $50 refractor from a department store) you are not necessarily getting a large increase in magnification; it depends on the eyepiece being used. But you are... » Read More The site http://www.garyseronik.com/?q=node/25 has a very nice comparison of all of Canon's IS binoculars for stargazing. In summary, these are not the authors favorites (he prefers the 10x42 Ls or 15x50) but they will certainly work. I am considering these due to their combination of high magnification, decent (not great) optics, and light weight.By going to a telescope (and I mean a decent sized reflector, not a tiny $50 refractor from a department store) you are not necessarily getting a large increase in magnification; it depends on the eyepiece being used. But you are getting a lot more light gathering power to see faint objects. Many people into stargazing will have both binoculars and a larger telescope. « Show Less