Review for Celestron Omni XLT 120 mm Refractor Telescope - 21090

Author: steveicarus {!} , Advanced beginner at astronomy., from Oakland, CA on Apr 12, 2009
Pros:  Fine telescope, good price, nice features, expandable
Cons:  Not for the uninitiated
Would recommend:  yes

steveicarus wrote:

If you are after a point-and-view experience and know nothing about how telescopes work, this telescope is not for you. The EQ mount alone can be disorienting, and don't expect hand-holding from the documentation. But if you have a basic understanding of telescopes and why they are the way they are, then this is the kit that you want. I'm quite pleased with the optics. With the bundled eyepiece I got a nice, sharp (albeit small) view of Saturn. With a 6mm eyepiece I can see some of its moons. And this from my (sturdy) deck overlooking downtown Oakland CA. The focuser is a little stiff, but handles 2" eyepieces. The package includes an adapter for 1.25" eyepieces (and camera T-rings) including the bundled star diagonal and 25mm eyepiece. In spite of its stiffness, the focuser does work. Depending on your climate, you may want to replace the grease. The EQ mount is solid, and works. If balance is off, it can be a bit wobbly, but it's easy enough to balance; and you will need to rebalance on the R/A axis if you add/remove your camera. With a little practice, you can balance on both axis in less then 8 seconds. It is this mount that separates the men/women from the boys/girls;-) There is plenty of room to grow into this telescope. I happen to have some eyepieces already, but I see that I'll be needing a variety of filters, a tracking motor, a barlow lens, etc. There are after-market focuser assemblies that I'm planning to look into as well. In all, I'm highly pleased. I spent a disgusting amount of time agonizing over what I really want out of a telescope, and how much I'm willing to spend. I also worried that the relatively low price of this telescope for the given specs was an omen, but it turned out well. Instead of a fully tricked out beast, you'll get a good foundation, and plenty of opportunity to spend more money later as you add to it.