Best telescope on Reddit
185 reviews from r/telescopes, r/AskAstrophotography, r/space and 4 more subreddits
185 reviews from
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By Brand
/By Product
#1
Dobsonian
4.7
(37)
"8" Dobsonian: the de facto recommendation."
"An 8in Dobsonian is a good start."
"I would recommend spending some time (days/weeks even) looking for a used 8" dob within that price range."
"8" dobsonian, or bigger."
"An 8” Dob would be a perfect upgrade."
"Check your local used market for an 8" Dobsonian."
"A 6 or 8 inch dobsonian is the best telescope at that price and dobsonians are the best telescopes for beginners."
"The largest dobsonian you can afford, preferably with goto/tracking."
"Look for a dobsonian mounted newtonian reflector - the largest aperture you can budget for."
"My default advice is look into a Dobsonian for eye Viewing."
#2
Apertura
4.5
(16)
"Apertura AD6 for under $500 is even better value IMO, if you are willing to spend closer to your max budget."
"I just got the apertura AD10 and it’s awesome."
"On this subreddit the answer is always a 8" Dobsonian. Specifically the Apertura AD8."
"So far I’m loving it (and have spent way too much money on lenses)."
"Best with equipping worth $300 over others"
"Quick setup, good views."
"The 8" dob would be an ideal purchase."
"If your budget is up to 1000 for the scope, a apertura 75q is amazing."
"8" Dobson available for near lowed limit would max magnifications possible."
"Apertura AD6 or the skywatcher classic 6"."
#3
Seestar
3.9
(18)
"Get them the seestar S50. The can plop it down and go inside the house and run it off their ipad."
"Seestar S30 or S50 sounds perfect for what you’re describing."
"Don't try to build your own setup to do this if you have no idea what you're doing. A Seestar S50 or Dwarf III are the cheapest options."
"I do think dwarf 3 or another Seestar will be the best for your situation."
"How about a “robot” scope like the see star s50 or s30."
"Something that is targeting imaging should be considered - like a Seestar S50."
"Seestar s50. You can hold the iPad / iPhone at any height."
"If it;s for kids, Id suggest: Seestar S30 (the latest) but for 150usd more, I d go forthe Seestar S50."
"Most of the advice here is to get a dobsonian and that may be the best choice."
"I have ordered a Seestar S50 smart telescope ($500) and also backed a campaign on Kickstarter called EduSnap 2-in-1 smart telescope."
#4
Celestron
4.0
(11)
"Got a celestron recently as a gift, the starsense explorer set up is really fantastic."
"Celestron C90 would be my choice, as they're very easy to use and set up."
"A Celestron C90 Maksutov with a steady Phototripod would be a good fit."
"Celestron Travelscope, on Amazon for around £90. I have had one of these for years and it still gets a lot of use."
"The Celestron C5 spotting scope for example can get the job done."
"It can also serve as a decent telescope for viewing the heavens."
"I would absolutely recommend a Dobsonian. They are so much easier to deal with."
"The Celestron Travelscope might be an option to look at."
"Buy used, I picked up a C5 for $250."
"Celestron nexstar evolution 8" can be a good scope for that money if you need some portability with convenience."
#5
Skywatcher
4.6
(9)
"Try a small tabletop dobsonian like these."
"I'd personally recommend a Skywatcher heritage 150p. It's a tabletop dobsonian designed for a table."
"I bought a skywatcher virtuoso gti 150p and could not be happier. Good capabilities, simple to use, great for my 2 kids, goto and tracking, etc."
"I have a 8 inch Dobsonian from skywatcher, absolutely fantastic first scope and can see everything I wanna see."
"With that budget you might be able to get something like the zhumell z100/114/130 or if you can shop used look for a skywatcher heritage 150p."
"Any major brand 8 inch dob will be a good scope."
"Your probably best with a Skywatcher telescope."
"You can get a flex tube telescope from skywatcher 150p which is on a dob mount"
"You can buy a SkyWatcher 150P that's also motorized, like those Virtuoso mounts."
#6
Zhumell
4.4
(9)
"Zhumell z130 for about $270 will be perfect for your budget."
"The best option for a new scope in your $250 price range is the Zhumell Z130."
"I would recommend the Zhumell Z100."
"130p is light years better then the other."
"It is currently $270 and is a great deal."
"Optics are ok, very clear for the price."
"The closest to $100 that's recommendable in any way in my opinion is the $140 Z100."
"Z130 if you can go $240"
"Most affordable telescope I could remotely recommend would be a Zhumell Z100 at $150."
#7
Seestar S50
4.3
(4)
"SeeStar S50. Above your price range.... Amazing images, almost too easy."
"U/icy_Access8225 have ordered a Seestar S50 smart telescope ($500)..."
"I have ordered a Seestar S50 smart telescope ($500)..."
"I have ordered a Seestar S50 smart telescope ($500) and also backed a campaign on Kickstarter called EduSnap 2-in-1 smart telescope ($180)."
#8
Heritage
4.3
(4)
"The heritages are pretty much the best you can get for the lowest investment."
"The Heritage is a great all rounder that offers portability without sacrificing too much on quality."
"Provide some great views and they're as cheap as a quality telescope can get"
"Also recommended, it is also a good value"
#9
Sky-Watcher
4.3
(4)
"I would recommend getting a 150p200p Sky-Watcher dob as they are easy to use and great for looking and planets the moon and some deep sky objects."
"I have the Sky-watcher 8-inch dobsonian."
"A dobson is an excellent choice!"
"I would recommend getting a 150p200p Sky-Watcher dob as they are easy to use and great for looking and planets."
#10
EduSnap 2-in-1 Smart Telescope
4.0
(4)
"...backed a campaign on Kickstarter called EduSnap 2-in-1 smart telescope ($180)..."
"EduSnap also comes with an eyepiece so I can do both Visual Observation and Astrophotography."
"...check out this EduSnap 2-in-1 smart telescope, newly launched in Kickstarter..."
"Hey, you can probably check this smart telescope for kids education called EduSnap 2-in-1 smart telescope."
#11
Askar
5.0
(3)
"The 71f since its very cheap for what it delivers"
"Seems to be the right beginner scope."
"If you can stretch your budget $100 more, the Askar 71F is a fantastic choice."
#12
SkyWatcher
4.3
(3)
"Very good optics for the price range, very easy to get set up with and even easier to use"
"Is a good choice if the price is right"
"I would recommend nothing larger than the Skymax 102 for that mount"
#13
ZWO
4.0
(3)
"I personally love my Seestar S50, on sale for $399... It's smart telescope that does all the hard stuff so you can focus on looking at the sky and get a decent picture of nebulas and galaxies."
"Look at a SeeStar S50. Allows you to do limited astrophotography, and learn processing techniques with free software."
"The best you will do for that money is a ZWO SeeStar S50."
#14
Dobsonian 8in
5.0
(2)
"Me personally, I will be purchasing an 8in Dobsonian real soon."
"I'm an absolute noob & absolutely loving my Dobsonian."
#15
Nexstar
5.0
(2)
"This will do you well for Jupiter and forever."
"If you want something computerized that will find things for you and be a bit more compact than a dob, get a Nexstar 6SE."
#16
Skywatcher Heritage 130p
5.0
(2)
"Skywatcher Heritage 130p/zhumell z130 or similar."
"For Australia Heritage 130p is likely the best for that price level with good optics."
#17
StellaLyra 8" f/6 Dobsonian
5.0
(2)
"It has FAR better accessories than Sky Watcher."
"StellaLyra has well over £200 better equipping than other Dobsons."
#18
Takahashi
5.0
(2)
"Highly regarded, very compact astrophotography telescope"
"Takahashi FSQ-85 with that camera is a great combination."
#19
Askar 71f
4.5
(2)
"The Askar 71f is phenomenal, especially for the price."
"The Askar 71f has been great for me and it's 600 before tax."
#20
Tabletop Dobsonian
4.5
(2)
"This is fantastic. https://a.co/d/aEhPM71"
"At that budget level tabletop Dobson would give the most performance."
#21
StellaLyra
4.5
(2)
"The stellalyra is better. More accessories, better dob base, better finder, etc."
"I'm looking at the StellaLyra 8 inch dob for myself at some point next year."
#22
Zhumell Z100
4.0
(2)
"Try to get a zhummel Z100, or if you can stretch, a Z114. Both are great scopes."
"If you can get a Zhumell Z100 in budget, that. It's not perfect but it wins on ease of use."
#23
Dwarf
4.0
(2)
"Maybe one of those wee smart telescopes? A Dwarf 3 or a Seestar S30/S50 could be cool."
"Seestar S30 ($350), Seestar S50 ($400 used), or Dwarf 3 ($500)."
#24
EduSnap
4.0
(2)
"You can check out this campaign on Kickstarter called EduSnap 2-in-1 smart telescope ($180 after pre-order discount)."
"Seestar S50 and EduSnap 2-in-1 smart telescopes are good for amateurs as they are comparable in specs and beginner-friendly."
#25
Bresser
4.0
(2)
"It's good enough to see distinct stripes on Jupiter and rings of Saturn."
"Consider 130-150 tabletops like Bresser or Heritage."
#26
AD10
5.0
(1)
"If you want the most bang for the buck in terms of aperture, get a 10 inch dob like an AD10."
#27
SkyWatcher Heritage 150
5.0
(1)
"A collapsible tabletop dobsonian would be much better suited for a beginner."
#28
80mm Refractor
5.0
(1)
"The easiest to use are my 80mm refractor that I found on eBay for $80."
#29
Orion
5.0
(1)
"Portable and good views of the planets."
#30
GSO
5.0
(1)
"You should buy the GSO/Apertura/Stella Lyra version because of a lot better accessories"
#31
Starsense
5.0
(1)
"Easy to use mount, tall enough to be used, and simple to use!"
#32
AWB
5.0
(1)
"AWB OneSky was my first scope, $250 (in the US)."
#33
FRA
5.0
(1)
"FRA600 plus reduced or 500 are really nice with that camera."
#34
Hadley
5.0
(1)
"Check out the Hadley; it's a 3D-printed design by a member of the community and pretty affordable for a starter scope."
#35
GSO/Apertura
5.0
(1)
"That's the perfect budget for a GSO/Apertura 12" + accessories."
#36
Astronomers Without Borders
4.0
(1)
"It's very good."
#37
FLO
4.0
(1)
"Have a decent part on beginner telescopes."
#38
Gskyer
4.0
(1)
"We've been able to observe and photograph planets - they are loving it."
#39
Maksutov
4.0
(1)
"A Maksutov is a great one to see the planets."
#40
Heritage 150
4.0
(1)
"Heritage 150 is a good all-around telescope and should work well."
#41
GSO 6" F/8 Dobsonian
4.0
(1)
"New, that would be a GSO 6" / 150mm F/8 Dobsonian package."
#42
SkyWatcher 150P 6"
4.0
(1)
"What does everyone think about the Skywatcher 150P 6"?"
#43
SkyWatcher Classic
4.0
(1)
"Get an 8 inch dobsonian, maybe like the sky watcher classic."
#44
Apertura AD8
4.0
(1)
"Apertura AD8 has 300 USD worth better equipping."
#45
Celestron CG-4
4.0
(1)
"I like Celestron CG-4 / Sky-Watcher Eq3-2 (steel leg version) a lot."
#46
Inspire 100AZ
4.0
(1)
"I have the Inspire 100AZ which is essentially the same and find it a very nice beginner scope."
#47
Goto 8" Dob
4.0
(1)
"If you have 1k, I would suggest buying a goto."
#48
Omegon
4.0
(1)
"Omegon would be the best performer for beginner"
#49
Dwarf 3
4.0
(1)
"Dwarf 3 is great for astro photography but I still feel a good dobsonian telescope should be the first telescope."
#50
Svbony
4.0
(1)
"Svbony 503 80 ed I heard is pretty decent for the price."
#51
Zhumell Z130
4.0
(1)
"I would check a closed tube tabletop dobsonian like the Zhumell Z130."
#52
Skywatcher 100P
4.0
(1)
"The Skywatcher 100P is the better telescope."
#53
Apertura AD6
4.0
(1)
"That budget would get classic 6" f/8 Dobson..."
#54
GSO 8" Dobsonian
4.0
(1)
"For visual observing that would get easily good telescope capable to showing lot."
#55
Redcat 51
4.0
(1)
"Used Redcat 51 can be got for around $600."
#56
SkyProdigy
3.0
(1)
"What strikes me with the SkyProdigy 130 is its price for what it is."
#57
Celestron Z130
3.0
(1)
"Its good, but the focuser is kinda iffy. Id try and spring for a Z130."
#58
Virtuoso
3.0
(1)
"The Virtuoso is the only scope that checks all your boxes within your budget."
#59
Celestron AZ70
3.0
(1)
"Celestron AZ70. Bought mine second hand."
#60
Celestron Travelscope
3.0
(1)
"The Celestron Travelscope might be an option to look at."
#61
Levenhuk
2.0
(1)
"The mount is very wobbly and I don't see any specs about the primary mirror."
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