Product Review
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This is the perfect example of the kind of scope astronomers warn beginners against.
The first red flag is the ridiculously high maximum magnification of over "675x." Do you know what you will see at 675x in this scope? Nothing but a dim blur. Note that the objective (main) lens is 60mm. All telescope optics have inherent limitations; maximum useful magnification per millimeter of aperture is about 2x. Therefore, with any attempt to use this scope at magnification of over 120-140x, increase in image size will be more than offset by breakdown, and that's even assuming the quality of the objective lens is any good.
The finder is useless: a 6x30 is barely adequate, and this one does not even meet that standard. Using it for anything but the moon will be an exercise in frustration. The eyepieces are of terrible quality, with a very narrow field of view, like looking through a drinking straw.
I do not recommend equatorial mounts for beginners. Their tracking properties are primarily for astrophotography, and for this they require careful setup. The equatorial mount on this scope is provided primarily as a marketing gimmick to impress naïve buyers with its complex "scientific" appearance.
Buy this telescope, and I guarantee that as soon as the newness wears off it will be relegated to a forgotten corner of the attic.
Using an astronomical telescope is not like playing an MP3 file and but rather like playing a guitar. It is a learned skill. And you must do a lot of homework before you buy a telescope. Buying without prior experience is like buying a car without knowing anything about driving. If you want to see the wonders of the sky, contact your local astronomy club and attend one of their star parties. The members love sharing their hobby and can set you straight as to how to get started. The best way is to learn the sky with the unaided eye and 10x50 binoculars (decent ones are available on Amazon), then graduate to something along the lines of a 150-200mm (6-8") Dobsonian; good ones can be found on Amazon starting under $290.
For more information on buying telescopes, see my encyclopedic guide on Amazon: "So you want to buy a telescope."
The first red flag is the ridiculously high maximum magnification of over "675x." Do you know what you will see at 675x in this scope? Nothing but a dim blur. Note that the objective (main) lens is 60mm. All telescope optics have inherent limitations; maximum useful magnification per millimeter of aperture is about 2x. Therefore, with any attempt to use this scope at magnification of over 120-140x, increase in image size will be more than offset by breakdown, and that's even assuming the quality of the objective lens is any good.
The finder is useless: a 6x30 is barely adequate, and this one does not even meet that standard. Using it for anything but the moon will be an exercise in frustration. The eyepieces are of terrible quality, with a very narrow field of view, like looking through a drinking straw.
I do not recommend equatorial mounts for beginners. Their tracking properties are primarily for astrophotography, and for this they require careful setup. The equatorial mount on this scope is provided primarily as a marketing gimmick to impress naïve buyers with its complex "scientific" appearance.
Buy this telescope, and I guarantee that as soon as the newness wears off it will be relegated to a forgotten corner of the attic.
Using an astronomical telescope is not like playing an MP3 file and but rather like playing a guitar. It is a learned skill. And you must do a lot of homework before you buy a telescope. Buying without prior experience is like buying a car without knowing anything about driving. If you want to see the wonders of the sky, contact your local astronomy club and attend one of their star parties. The members love sharing their hobby and can set you straight as to how to get started. The best way is to learn the sky with the unaided eye and 10x50 binoculars (decent ones are available on Amazon), then graduate to something along the lines of a 150-200mm (6-8") Dobsonian; good ones can be found on Amazon starting under $290.
For more information on buying telescopes, see my encyclopedic guide on Amazon: "So you want to buy a telescope."
