Reviews - Page 3 - Celestron C130mm Mak Spotting Scope 52275 (C130 mm Maksutov scope) Reviews - CI-SS-52275

Author: Jasmina from Toronto, ON on Nov 8, 2007
Pros:  great clarity, many useful functions
Cons:  occassional slight fogging of lens
Would recommend:  yes

Jasmina wrote:

I am a student and have been into astronomy, etc. for some time. However, my budget does not permit me to spend $600 on a spotting scope. I had the Celestron 90mm Mak before and was very happy with it, so I upgraded with the 130mm. My 90 Mak was great, but this one is so much better! I've had no issues with it, and get awesome land and sky views anytime of day or night. I agree w/Flyman-- it's a great firt time scope or for those on a budget. Awesome clarity and quality for the price.

Author: jaylu15 from phoenix, az on Sep 4, 2007
Pros:  Great for terrestrial use
Cons:  Not good for Celestial
Would recommend:  yes

jaylu15 wrote:

First let me say I paid $349 with the tripod. If I had bought the scope for the over $419 price most vendors are sell it for, I would be a let down. The scope is awesome for bird watching and as a spy scope but really didn't impress me as a night sky scope. Works ok on the moon and I did pick up Jupiter but it was very small. The big problem for that kind of viewing is the focusing isn't that precise. But the over all package is quite nice and for land viewing is great. If you want to look at the sky I would suggest spending a little more and get a light bucket. Optics Planets was great.

Author: madisonastro , IT Manager, from Madison, WI on Jul 25, 2007
Pros:  Excellent value for the money, dual use, fantastic clarity
Cons:  None
Would recommend:  yes

madisonastro wrote:

I have the Celestron C130 mm Spotting Scope already and bought another one for my father-in-law as a present, since he is an avid astronomer. The clarity is fantastic on the C130 Mak, I can clearly see even small features on the Moon, planets, nebulae, other deep sky objects. Aperture size is very good and it can also be converted for day time use to scope things out from your balcony and bird-watch or just get fantastic looks of the skyline. The dual-purpose use is what really makes this one stand out as a good value. I could finally get rid of my other spotting scope and just use the Celestron C130 for both needs.

Author: flymanwms {!} , New to astronomy with computer skills., from Starkville, MS on Jul 25, 2007
Pros:  Very portable, clear images, easy focuser
Cons:  Glass under eyepiece holder sometimes fogs up
Would recommend:  yes

flymanwms wrote:

Since this is my first and only scope, I don't really have any prior experience to compare with. However, I believe this to be an excellent scope for its size. It is very light and portable and images of the moon and planets seem very clear to me. Once I knew what to look for, I viewed many Deep Space Objects with this scope including the Ring Nebula, some star clusters, and Andromeda galaxy. I did not like the finder scope included, so I purchased a 1x red dot finder which made objects much easier to sight in. In damp conditions, the glass protector for the eyepiece hole sometimes fogs up on the inside enough to create a glowing orb around bright objects such as jupiter. If this glass piece could be removed without damaging the scope I believe I would want to. Other than these two issues I haven't had any other problems and would recommend it at least for a starter scope!

Author: DaveB {!} , what's to know?, from 60640 on Jul 13, 2007
Pros:  Easy to use
Cons:  Heavier than I thought
Would recommend:  yes

DaveB wrote:

This is my first spotting scope. I love the high magnification. It will definitely come in handy both for astronomy, for my grandkids, and for wildlife observation for myself. I love the case! Despite being heavier than I thought it'd be, the case makes traveling and carrying the scope a breeze.