Review for Celestron 39-100x90mm Maksutov Angled Spotting Scope w/Tripod 52268-OP

Author: Jim Leslie {!} , Technical person who likes nature, optics and computers, from Marriottsville, MD on Jan 29, 2010
Pros:  great resolution and magnification
Cons:  a little heavy
Would recommend:  yes

Jim Leslie wrote:

This scope is very nice and very well made - pretty heavy duty. It is very sharp and the focus operates very smothly. It is quite a good deal at the package price of $139. The included eyepieces give 39X and 100X and the lack of multicoating on the eyepieces and correct image diagonal seems to make no difference with daylight viewing. (The eyepieces seem to have single layer coating.) It shouldn't make any appreciable difference at night either on fairly bright objects such as the moon and planits and was a reasonable way to cut cost. (The scope itself is multicoated.) With additional eyepieces you can boost the power a lot more. The included backpack is a good way to cary this scope and has enough room for accessories - including a small tripod of up to almost 14 inches tall. The scope has a standard thread bracket for mounting on the tripod. The tripod that comes with the package is much too large to fit in the backpack and is too flimsy to hold this scope as steady as it needs to be held - even at the lowest power (about 40X). I would have preferred a smaller sturder tripod that would fit inside the backpack instead of the one they provided. I would have liked a bit more padding in the backpack also but what is there is adequate if you take reasonable care.