View the Latest Catadioptric Telescope Reviews

The Fun Has Just Begun.....
No 8SE reviews on this site since '09....time for a fresh look. Looks like this scope is a favorite of folks returning to the hobby.....that's my story as well. I've owned an 8SE for well over a year (or is it two?). Having up to that point in my...

Celestron Nexstar 8SE
I purchased my Nexstar 8SE approx two years ago. It is my second scope. I am very happy with my purchase. Celestron had a $200 rebate in effect when I purchased but even if they hadn't I feel the scope would still be a great value. I would consider m...

Good Imaging Scope
I owned my Vixen VMC200L for about a year and used it quite often. I bought it mainly to use for planetary imaging with a webcam. The VMC uses a 200mm diameter fixed F2.5 primary mirror and has a 3.9x magnifying secondary mirror with a meniscus corre...

Great value, maximizes aperture for weight/size
It's pretty amazing that you can get a Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, diagonal, eyepiece, cheap finder, tripod, and a computerized goto mount for what they charge. All right, so the software is clunky. (You have to hit "undo" to set time???!!). An...

C8I SE Alignment
I too have purchased one of these after a long hiatus from astronomy. The optics are satisfactory, a little soft at higher powers due to the large central obstruction, but all in all, it is quite good. The system's strong point is its portability. ...

OK scope
This was the first scope I have had in several years. It has good optics but the 3 star alignment procedure doesn't work very well. It generally takes several tries to get it to properly align. Also the battery plug to hook up an external battery ...

Good Imaging Scope
I owned my Vixen VMC200L for about a year and used it quite often. I bought it mainly to use for planetary imaging with a webcam. The VMC uses a 200mm diameter fixed F2.5 primary mirror and has a 3.9x magnifying secondary mirror with a meniscus cor...