For beginner stargazing, not sure whether to purchase this celeston 25-100 x 70 or the celeston 25-125 x 80 ?? Both similarly priced. Any advise?
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my unit is a 20x100x70 with a 20x zoom capability. I am well pleased with the clarity of the objects that the optics provide. It is a matter of opinion regarding the amount of area you want to focus. The only thing I suggest is a hefty tripod to hold it steady for any long periods of time. Do not get a camera tripod for it is not stable enough with this type of unit.
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I called Celestron and yes they are identical. You are paying more for the "Comsos" brand. Get the InfiniView model and save money.
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First you will not see the moons of Jupiter.I have a 8" scope and 3ea 3&1/2" scopes.There is too much light fog in my area so I use the Binocs and enjoy the stars,the moon and I don't have to set up the scops. There are not too many clear nights. If you have a dark sky area You should enjoy star gazing. Also. Binoculars are less costly than scops. your choice. Have fun.
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Rick,I purchased this telescope for my daughter and family in Colorado - so I haven't looked through it yet. However, they are very happy with the ease of use and the abundance of what they can see. I was very confused myself when purchasing - but I feel this is a good choice for a beginner. I did by the accessories as well by the way.
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They're comparable in price and aperture and, since they're both Newtonians, their focal lengths are probably close. Their focal ratios are different, though. The Celestron has a focal ratio of f8 while the Orion has an f4 which translates to a brighter image. Also the Orion is on a Dobsonian mount, rather than the Celestron's slow motion controls, making it easier for a brand new user to point. In my opinion, though, once the slow motion controls are mastered, it's easier to track an object. Also, if you get the Orion, get rid of the red dot finder and get a small finder scope instead. The red dot finders, in my experience, are not reliable. If the battery runs out, it's useless.
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The scope itself or optical tube assembly (OTA) is 20 lbs. The dobsonian base is about 40 lbs. It stands maybe short off 5 foot when upright. I dont know how strong your dad is but its quite hefty and ungainly to move in 1 piece. As a rule, you are more likely to use it if it isn't too much of a hassle to bring out in the backyard. But the good thing is you can separate the base from the OTA quite easily, but you'll just have to make 2 trips :) There is also the issue of bending a lot to use the EZ starfinder. Some people readily upgrade to a finder scope that is angled so you don't need to crane your neck or even get down on your knees to align with your target. Its a good beginner scope, but you have to put in the effort, time and money (for upgrades).
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Don't see a binocular listed at $58 on Amazon. If the questioner could give the name and number, (e.g., Celestron 7332 Nature DX 8X42), I'll take a stab at an answer.
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I cannot, but I can give you my perspective on the StarMax 90 mm by Orion. It is small, portable, and clear, but I wear glasses, and it is hard to see through with the 10x eyepiece. I think all of the small scopes will be. I wish I had spent the extra $100 and bought the 6" Dobsonian mounted reflector, but I wanted to use this during the day for spotting animals from a distance. I gave this as a present to my wife who hasn't worked with the telescope yet, and she may have different opinions. I did get her the camera mount, polar lens, and an extra eye piece that doubles the magnification. I think that you'll find that both are probably one in the same IMO. I do like the table top mount that the Orion has. I think once the weather warms we will be able to give a more thorough opinion. I think I will end up getting the reflector with the Dobsonian mount the color CCD eyepiece from Orion, and a few extras. If you have room I'd suggest the 6" reflector, or this http://www.telescope.com/Orion-XT45-Dobsonian-Telescope-amp-Beginner-Barlow-Kit/p/102027.uts . I feel that we may outgrow the Starmax 90, but I think the 4.5 or 6 with Dobsonian would well used for the lifetime of star gazing.
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Thank you for your response Darrell, this discussion board seems pretty much dead so I thought I would never get answered, but I did, and a great answer at that.I've been thinking about buying the Orion XT4.5 now, I'm aware the image will not be as great as the 8 inch but I'll still be able to see Saturn right? Would this be better than a refractor telescope? Sorry for all the questions! No more questions after this, I promise.
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As listed on the Amazon product description (read the details on any item you buy, especially online)...12 x 8 x 17 inches ; 3.3 pounds and the Celestron brand is well known as a maker of fine instraments in astronomical circles. Personally I found the binoculars a bit heavy for comfortable viewing without a tripod. These binoculars are apparently better suited for stationary work and stargazing. I do not recommend it as a general purpose binocular.
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I can't answer for the Meade version, but I was so pleased with my Celestron 8-24 mm zoom eyepiece I asked the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to also purchase one for their solar telescope. The volunteers who operate this telescope think its performance, reliability and ease of use are great.
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As I understand the tradeoff, the 10x42 L model uses superior optical glass and because of this, images seen through it are virtually free of chromatic aberration ("purple fringing") and also devoid of ghost images when viewing bright objects at night such as the Moon and Jupiter. On the other hand the 15x50 model, whose optics are again of very high quality, but not quite as high as the 10x42L's, gives you a larger image size--each object is larger because magnification is 50 percent greater. This makes the choice difficult, even a toss-up. For a thoughtful comparison of the different Canon binoculars, go to www.garyseronik.com. Gary is an associate editor of Sky and Telescope magazine and he is an expert on binocular observing--has a book on the subject in fact.
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Hey Iggy,Since I wrote, I did end up with the 8" Dobsonian Intelliscope. The answer is, the Orion scope is nicely balanced and with a little practice, you can get good at tracking objects by hand. With a 10mm eyepiece and 2X Barlow, which is a magnification of 240x on the 1200mm scope, you need to move the scope about every 20 seconds or so. You still need a motor driven mount if you plan on taking photographs, though.
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Here is Aleksandr K. again. Look at some pictures I made using Celestron 5 MP (their sizes were reduced).https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.586148731439698.1073741832.100001337299954&type;=1&l;=b176410e3f
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This was my sister's first telescope, and it was a piece of cake for her to use. May be the best beginner's telescope ever. Better yet, it will still serve you after you move up to bigger, more powerful telescopes (bigger telescopes are a bigger pain to carry and set up. The StarBlast 4.5 can sit on a shelf, then be set up in seconds.) It also has a heck of a good price.
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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!
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I could not get my Celestron XCel series 2X Barlow to focus. It was way beyond the focuser's travel and others have noted this but apparently Orion's Shorty 2X Barlow will work with this telescope as well as GSO 2x barlow from Agena AstroProducts. The useful magnification on this telescope is 200X but that is probably counting on optimum conditions. For planetary views with average conditions with a 100mm telescope, magnification of 100X to 120X are probably expected to be the clearest.