The BEST Telescope for Beginners (What You Need to Know)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 มิ.ย. 2024
- What is the best telescope for a beginner wanting to get started in astronomy and stargazing? In this video, I talk about the best telescopes for beginners, from smart telescopes to the telescopes you should avoid.
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ZWO SeeStar S50 Smart Telescope: bit.ly/497MLE2
Vaonis Vespera II Smart Telescope: bit.ly/3VvLbJ5
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Sky-Watcher Dobsonian Telescopes: bit.ly/3TOYFOG
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00:00 Introduction
01:24 Telescopes to avoid
03:21 Smart telescopes for beginners
05:09 Best telescope type
06:39 Best telescope for beginnerss
07:49 Best big telescope for beginners
09:53 Astrophotography - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
I just got into the hobby in August 2023. I had a $300 budget. I wanted to do deep space astrophotography. Everyone said I must buy a Dobonian and aperture is king. So, I bought a 10" Dobsonian. Then found out it was too heavy for me to drag into the back garden and not well suited for photography.
Then, I bought a 150mm Newtonian on a CG-4 mount. Still too heavy and no motor drive.
Then, I bought a 130mm Newtonian on a EQ-3 motorized mount. Great! Not too heavy and could track. But, in my Bortle 6 sky, looking through my cataracts, I could not star hop.
Then, I bought a Sky-Watcher AZ GTi mount and an 80mm ED refractor. Worked nicely. Started taking pictures. But, field rotation kept eating my photos.
So, I recently purchased a Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi equatorial mount, a 6" SCT, a x0.63 reducer and a Hyperstar 4 v6. When the weather clears, I hope to use this setup for most all photographical needs. Oh, and I am over budget.
That's a lot of telescopes! Hope this latest one works out for you - astrophotography is tough but definitely rewarding.
You didn’t rate any of those scopes, did you like any?
@@osamakareem9739
National Geographic 114mm/500 Newtonian reflector with pan handle mount and rickety tripod and poor optics. Not favored. 10%
National Geographic 70mm/700 refractor with pan handle mount and rickety tripod and poor optics. Not favored. 12%
Celestron 102mm/1000 refractor. Very big and awkward refractor. Good for lunar and planetary us. 50%
Celestron short tube 80/400. Very light easy to use pluse 1.25" SvBony 231 color correction filter.. Preferred grab ad go optical tube. 75%
Skyoptikst 90mm/500 refractor plus 2" SvBony 231 color correction filter. Surprisingly good optical tube. 80%
SvBony 80mm ED - very nice takes good pictures easy to focus and use. 85%
Bresser 102mm/460 ED refractor with Founder Optics generic x0.8 reducer corrector runs at f/3.6, my fastest refractor. Lightning fast. Lots of chromatic aberration. Fringe killers don't help. Takes terrible pictures. But, using an SvBony 220 dual band narrow filter on emission nebula, no chromatic aberration, lots of glowing nebula and very small., tight stars. 5%-90%
Will make and post some videos reviewing all my scopes once I figure out how to use my new video camera and my new video editor.
Dobsonians are just a astronomy tax on newbs. They are amazing for people who live with dark skies, but very limiting for those anywhere near a major city. Thus Dobs are commonly found used on craigslist.
@@osamakareem9739 I like the SvBony 80mm ED for a grab and go. I like the 6" SCT for lunar, planetary and with the Hyperstar, very large things. I also like my brand new Sky Watcher Startravel 120 refractor for general work. If I use an SvBony 231 color correction filter and the color correction function in Sharp Cap Pro - no purple fringe. It is the largest refractor I can use with my light mount.
Was out last night photographing galaxies. Used the 120mm refractor. With the x0.8 reducer/corrector, it is quite fast @ f/4.0.
Going out tonight to photograph M27 with my SCT and x0.63 reducer, humidity allowing.
My 6 year old daughter is crazy about astronomy and space and begs me to buy a telescope. This was super helpful. Thnx.
Glad it was helpful! Happy stargazing!!
Thank you for making/posting this!
Thanks for watching, hope it helped!
Thank you for putting together this helpful video!!
Glad you found it helpful - I hope you get to spend some time under the night sky!
I really needed this video thank u!
You're so welcome!
Great video, just wish I had seen it before throwing money away on an EQ scope. The awkwardness of the EQ is spot on! Junk! Thanks again!
Glad it was helpful!
Actually equatorial mount has few tricks like finding Dumbell Nebula in seconds by putting Gamma Sagittae into center of view and moving telescope up on declination axis.
But beyond that it's far more problem than help and especially bad for ergonomics with Newtonian.
Also proper sturdyness equatorial mount costs lot and weights lot making them bad for getting performance for limited budget and reasonable weight.
Upgrading to 250mm Dobson with aluminium base and tube added only handfull of kilograms from 110mm TAL-1.
I really need this! I’m getting myself into astronomy!
Glad it was helpful :)
This was so thorough! I really appreciate your input.
Glad it was helpful. Happy stargazing!
Really great!!
Very Knowledgeable and will surely consider. Thanks for the great insights, appreciate that.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you Ian, great video.
Thanks so much - I hope it was helpful!
Thanks for this!
Of course! Happy to help.
thanks, just bought the exact one you recommended!
wich one ? I want to go into astro observation ( planet and deep sky ) and I've found some other brands but maybe now i'm interested to buy the smart one. Is one of that family you bought? I'm just staring with that. I want something "easy" to set up and remove some pictures of the moon or other planets and try to recognize astral objects. In the past i was taking photos of Iridium flares with very good results and now i want to introduce my son ( 8 years old ) to that amazing world. If you can give me more details it will be nice!
Thanks great video
This was so incredibly helpful
So happy to hear that!
This is my new favorite video to send people when I get the "what telescope should I buy?" question from my friends who are beginners. Agree entirely with everything you recommended. I especially love the GoTo tabletop Dobs like the Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTI 150p. 👍
Thanks so much dude!! I also like those dobs. Appreciate you!
Great, informative video. Despite being rather experienced with telescopes and astrophysics myself, I learned more here. What is your opinion on the Flex-tube vs. traditional Dobsonian? I always viewed the open flex-tube as inviting unwanted light pollution....
Thank you! If you need to travel and have limited space, the flex tube scopes would be my choice because they are easier to transport (being collapsable and whatnot), otherwise the classic dob will get the job done. The open tube is an issue if you're in a light polluted area, but you can always buy a light shroud (a piece of fabric that blocks stray light).
Carroll and Ostlie has to be the only book titled “An Introduction” that is over 1300 pages.
As my professor called it, “BOB” aka the Big Orange Book
I like my Orion 130 EQ, for me the eq mount is useful and well made, one day I will get my hands on a Apertura 12” Dob, probably next year
Nice vid, I am using a Skywatcher 200mm Newtonian ( 200P ), Skywatcher 102mm/f500 ( very compact ) , Teleskop Service 102mm/1100mm refractor with fine dual focuser ( my best lens and view quality for the planets ) and a Bresser 127mm/F9,5 refractor ( nice but not especially better than my other refractors ). All fine scopes for very reasonable prices. But please boys and girls, spend some money on better eyepieces and the mount, it WILL change the hobby! My favorite scope is my smaller 102mm/F500, you know why? Very easy to handle and the setup is done in 2 minutes, the only one that is also possible to travel with without car. Crispy clear views one Jupiter, Saturn, the Moon and some star clusters and yes Andromeda is watchable as well. The best telescope is the one you use the most, simple as that :)
Thanks man 👍😊
No problem 👍
Any recommendations for a telescope that will work well for both dSLR/mirrorless camera via a t-mount and traditional viewing? It also needs to be light enough that I can take it with me to a dark sky location. I’m too close to my city.
If you get an equatorial mount is it possible to get a different mount and move the telescope to that?
Thanks, Man, great video! What about something that records video?
Glad it helps.
Can you elaborate on what your goal is with video?
@@ianlauerastro I mean, if I'm checking something out and want to record it. Is it even possible?
Hey Ian I'm looking for a telescope with a video out feature so I can plug it into a 25 inch monitor I have. This is so a group of people can see the view without having to take turns looking through an eyepiece.
One of the smart telescopes might be the best choice, then you can screen mirror your iPhone or iPad view to the monitor to show the results of the telescope
hey lan
thank you I have learned so much from your video
so I want to get my first telescope but I want some thing that is traditional and smart but not fully smart
I want a telescope that locate the objects in the sky since I don't have any experience in the sky
can you please recommend me some
I have seen many but I couldn't decide what to get ,I want to see if I'm really in to it
It sounds like you’re looking for a go-to telescope (one that will find objects for you). The Celestron nexstar or evolution telescopes are very good for that. Skywatcher also makes go-to dobsonian telescopes, take a look at those.
As an alternative, there are “push-to” telescopes like Celestrons star sense explorer telescopes, where you use a phone app attachment which helps guide where you should manually move your telescope to. Hope that helps!
Can any of those Dobson telescopes connect with the phone (with an app) to help pointing to whatever is now available on sky? I'm looking for a decent telescope for my 13 years old son and affaraid that it won't be used as it will be too complicated. Also, I saw somewhere that pictures can be done with a normal camera, just need an adaptor between camera and telesope..
Good advice! I've had a 4.5" w/ EQ mount. I've had an 8" Dob. I got frustrated with tracking, especially with the Dob. I want to view and photograph things from the moon to deep space objects. I know it's going to cost me, so I want to be smart about it. I've seen some nice "smart" mounts from iOptron and others. I assume I could find a mid-sized Schmidt-Cassegrain (like 8"?) and add a camera, or use an eyepiece?
As long as you have a computerized EQ mount that can handle the weight capacity of your telescope, you'll be in a good place to start in astrophotography. The Schmidt-Cassegrain is a good scope for doing both visual and astrophotography - keep in mind the long focal length will have quite a learning curve if you aren't experienced with astrophotography...but don't let that stop you :)
Me encanta!
EQ mounts can also be used as AZ.
Hey Ian! thanks for this informative video :) what build / telescope would you recommend for someone who wants to do astrophotography + visual as well? budget < $2.5k
i cant decide if i should spend on the Celestron Nex Star 8SE, or a 8" dobsomian ? or build my own?
thank you.
Astro + visual is tough but definitely doable. What type of astrophotography are you most interested in? There’s no one telescope that can do it all (unless you’re willing to dish out some serious cash!)
The SE and dobs are great visual telescopes, and can do some lunar/planetary astrophotography, but they are not suited for deep space.
@@ianlauerastro hmm more for stars + deep space and abit of moon :)
what do you think about the Seestar S50?
@@jzwgrch The SeeStar is great for exploring around the night sky, but it's not a visual telescope - it has a built-in camera. I do recommend the SeeStar because it allows you to see more details in deep space than you could see with an eyepiece!
I think what i am going to buy is the seestar s50 (ive already been looking into buying one) for looking a galaxys and nebulas and ill get 8 dob aptera for looking at planets
That’s a great route to take! Happy stargazing!
Would a Celestron Nexstar Evo 8HD w/ Starsense be a good choice to start with? I have a bigger budget I’m willing to burn though. The Vaonis smart telescope you mentioned looks very cool too!
The evo 8 is awesome! I own the evo 9.25 and I enjoy using it and doing outreach with it.
If you plan on only doing visual observing it’s fantastic. For astrophotography it’s not very good, though the optics can be used but many other pieces of equipment will be needed to make use of it. You can get incredible moon photos with a phone adapter. I used to live stream the moon from my phone with my evo, it worked wonderfully
Hi Ian. Is a Sky-Watcher Flextube 250P SynScan GoTo Collapsible Dobsonian a good choice for a beginner living in the country. Its only 2300.00 canadian.
Would this be good for planets and deep sky as well?
That’s a great visual telescope for planets, moon, and if you’re away from light pollution, deep sky. I used one regularly for outreach years ago, and it’s quite heavy, but we mounted it on a custom roller base and it was great
Thaks for sharing. Full disclosure question: Were you sponsered or were you benefited in any way by any of these companies you recommended?
I wish! Maybe one day I can get sponsored :)
I live in NYC and have a roof deck so that’s where most of my gazing will occur for now. Is the tabletop dob what you would recommend? What do you think?
The skywatcher 130 tabletop dob is a great place to start. It’s lightweight so it’s easy to bring in and out, and the large mirror will give excellent details on the moon and planets. Unfortunately Deep space targets will not be visible from NYC. Hope that helps!
Nice one, Ian. I get asked this question all the time so now I can refer people straight to your video!
It’s amazing now much choice there is available nowadays. My folks bought me my first telescope in 1991 and back then the options were so limited. It ended up being a Tasco 4.5” eq Newtonian, from a department store (and yes it had all the amazing photographs on the box of things not shot with that scope!), and whilst it definitely wasn’t Planewave quality, I dare say it was better than the equivalent cheap ones today and it certainly got me hooked on foregoing sleep to look at barely discernible smudges of possible-light while freezing my lower half off!
Thanks dude! Everyone starts somewhere, and with so many options it can definitely be hard to choose.
Hi Ian , I’m new to telescopes and stuff and I was wondering about the skywatcher heritage at 7:29,if it is good for looking at starts, planets and galaxies and if it is also good for taking pictures, what store do you also recommend me buy it from😊
It depends where you live - if you’re in the US, major retailers like Adorama are great. Keep in mind it’s not amazing for photography unless you’re just looking to snap photos of the Moon/planets like with your phone (though you can get good images but it requires a lot of additional accessories, time, patience, and practice)
@@ianlauerastrook thanks, I live in New Zealand then what telescope do you recommend that are good for looking at the moon and galaxies that you can take good photos with(I have a 500$ budget).
How does the Sky Watcher Virtuoso GTi 130p compare for a beginner. Thank you!
It’s a great telescope! I’ve not used it personally but it’s reasonably priced for what it does
What would be a good telescope for teaching a HS astronomy and exoplanet class?
It all depends on your budget. Actually collecting data on transiting exoplanets will require a very large telescope and accessories.
But if you want to show change in light curves, you can collect data on variable stars with very a modest setup. The SeeStar or, if you have the budget, the vaonis smart scopes, can do the job without the complexity of an telescope imaging system.
I’m all-in on astrophotography. I have zero interest in optical observations. I can’t hold my body still enough to look through the eyepiece. Moreover, I want to see the stuff that is so faint you can’t see it with the human eye. So, I’m all-in for EAA.
I already have a SeeStar S50. And I think that is the best starting point for EAA. But I want to step up from there. More importantly, I want to be able to select what camera I attach to the system. I want to be able to select my own filters, and camera rotation. So, I might well buy a Vaonis as my next smart telescope, but it’s not going to be enough. I’m going to need to build my own EAA system.
I also dislike diffraction spikes. So, a Newtonian wouldn’t necessarily be a great choice for me. And I’d like something that has a glass or other method of sealing the OTA from the outside atmosphere, so that I don’t get dust or dew on the internal workings. So, that tells me that a Schmidt Cassegrain or a Maksutov Cassegrain OTA might be the best choices here. The SCT has the advantage that you can remove the secondary mirror and replace that with something like the Starizona Hyperstar, if you want to turn your SCT into something like a RASA. But then you could replace the secondary mirror assembly and turn it back into an SCT. There are more factors here, but so far I’m strongly leaning towards something like an Edge HD SCT.
So, I know in another video you said that the mount was really the most important thing. Everything else can be easily changed, but the mount is the hardest part of the system to fix. And I believe you. So, what would be a good high quality mount for an eight inch SCT? Perhaps with a really high resolution camera, like one with an IMX571 (21 megapixel) sensor, or even an IMX455 (61 megapixel) sensor?
I just got a 6 inch dobsonian telescope im building a custom base the factory base is too heavy
Hey Ian , just curious why you didn't mention SCG style scopes like those in Celestron's Nexstar series? Is there a fundamental problem with them that should be avoided?
They’re great telescopes and nice optics, and if it was a few years ago I would have suggested nexstar (and similar) scopes no problem. But the price of the telescope has skyrocketed to the point that I can’t recommend it for someone’s first telescope. But if someone has their eyes set on one and is fine with the cost, go for it!
@@ianlauerastro I forgot to mention that I love your and Cat's content. You guys should write a book on astrophotography
@@corewarriorreally appreciate the kind words! We’ve talked about it :)
@@ianlauerastro credit card is at the ready! All the best
what about the abotech 80090?? I just bought it on Amazon for my daughter
It's not the greatest telescope but it can still get the job done when viewing the moon, and you can see the rings around saturn and moons around jupiter. The best telescope is the one that gets used the most!
I think i found the right telescope is it the Dobson telescoop N 130/650 Heritage FlexTube DOB, but the naming is a little different. Is it still the same one?
Also i have heard about the cleaning. What should i get for cleaning the mirrors?
That's the telescope! That's a great one to get.
Dirt and dust on the mirror is not a big deal - the mirror can be dusty without affecting performance. If you want, you can use a simple lens air blower to remove a lot of the dust. However, if there is a thick layer of dirt caked on, or water spots/fungus/etc., you can follow these instructions: www.planewave.eu/fileadmin/Daten/produkte/astrographen/CDK12_5/downloads/Cleaning-mirrors-on-CDK-telescopes-2014-10-06.pdf
@@ianlauerastro after carefull consideration i came to the conclusion that i want a movable telescope that i can take with me into the fields of grass close to my home. I found the Maksutov telescoop MC 127/1500 SkyMax-127 AZ-5, would u recommend it? And is it good for planets and some DSO’s?
@@noahstump24 that’s an excellent scope for the moon and planets. It has a small field of view so you’ll need additional eyepieces as you get more comfortable using it. It’ll do great for the smaller DSOs like the ring nebula or getting close up into Orion
I bought a 16" F=1830mm from meade in 1997 it's the best l ever bought and I still have it 🔭 but it is very heavy with the peir mount it takes 4-persons to carry it big monster but it's great 👍 observatory research grade 🌠🌌🔭
Great optics on those big Meade telescopes!
Hi I was thinking to buy a telescope for my son. Is celestron powerseeker 80AZS a good place to start ?
Hello there. If you are searching for a good first telescope, I would recommend increasing your budget from 300$ - 500$, as only 100$ will not give much when it comes to overall quality, eyepieces, durability, and comfort. Because your son may be young, he needs a telescope that is not very heavy to move, but has enough light-gathering to see hundreds of objects in clear detail. The Powerseeker 80AZS may not be your son's best option. I recommend tabletop telescopes like the Orion Starblast, Zhumell 130z, and the Heritage 150p. If you think he can handle bigger, go for the Skywatcher Classic 150P Dobsonian, or the Classic 200P model. I believe Skywatcher's 6" Dobsonian is on sale for around 300$.
Thank you, and Clear Skies!
@@jordanjonescelestialwaffle1698 the issue is the area we stay in the city with lots of light pollution. A table top might not help him to see anything. So i was thinking something which can be carried to a darker spot. Will celestron 100az will be a better option that 80
👍
What do you think of Celestron? do you think they are any good?
Celestron has some great telescopes and some terrible ones. Their tabletop dobsonians are great and they have good advanced level telescopes. I would avoid their cheap, low cost telescopes
Chinese owned Celestron rebrands some of the absolutely worst hobby killers with Astromaster/Powerseeker lines including many complete scams and rest being mediocrities.
Really unless wanting Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope (mostly not beginner models) don't see much reason to get Celestron.
StarSense Dobsons simply have stripped to naked, caustics leached skeleton level equipping needing $300+ worth of extras to reach level of cheaper Apertura ADs.
(and in Europe Starsense dobson prices are just rape and robbery)
@@ianlauerastro Are there any telescopes that can be used for looking through that can also take decent pictures?
@@BruceWayne-us3kw yes there are many but it depends on what your goal is. Astrophotography will require a lot more accessories, but it can be done. Keep in mind no telescope is perfect for doing everything
@@ianlauerastro What are your thoughts on Unistellar Smart telescopes? I'm in the process of writing a blog post about the best telescopes for beginners. I've looked at the specs and images taken from them. They seem like they would make pretty good smart telescopes and their citizen science program sounds like one of the pros as well. They cost a fortune though and are relatively big for smart telescopes. I'm just looking for an opinion from someone who is better versed in telescopes than I am.
Im Happy To Say I Never Want A Smart Scope,Seeing Saturn’s Rings With Your Own 2 Eyes,Cant Do That With Smart Scopes..And Seestar Is Not Good For Processing..Shame On You Zwo,Happy To Have Never Owned A Dob Either..Ill Stick With My 6se For Visual,And Evostar72 For Shooting…Good Video Ian,Clear Skies🙏🏻🔭🌎❤️
Maybe I’m just old fashioned but I don’t get the appeal either. What’s the point of exploring the sky on your phone? Might as well just google JWST images. I like the ease of use and the option for easy astrophotography but also would like the option of looking through it with a traditional lens.
Best adorable telescope for viewing and taking pictures?
do you think we'll ever have a smellescope?
I’m predicting we’ll get one around the year 3000
What’s the point of smart telescope if your just going to look through an iPad or phone? Might as well just google the images then…
Some people like explore in different ways. Whatever gets them outside, looking up and interested in astronomy.
I bet you all they’re doing is downloading photos from the Internet. LOL
If smart scopes were just downloading the images, the images they produce wouldn't look so amateurish.
I can see both sides of this argument. There's no way I'd personally use a smart telescope for observing BUT if that's what it takes to get someone outside and interested in the Hobby then so be it!
What a narrow minded take on technology. For the people with limited mobility/stability, like me, Smart telescopes are a God send. My ZWO Seestar S50 is also light enough to carry and set up. While images are building I use that new thing called the INTERNET to research what I'm trying to capture. Best part is being able to share my efforts with friends and family no mater where they live. Traditionalist equates to deniers.
nice but as a beginner I will not want to spend this kind of money to start with. in my case I think 200$ will be a stating point and see if i like it. still dot waht is the best for looking at jupiter or planets in general. but no smart one
I'm not trying to give you a hard time but I can't believe that you would suggest a table top telescope for someone just beginning! How are you going to comfortably get views and be able to navigate the sky with a table in the way? With portability to dark skies being the main reason it's suggested it seems counterintuitive given the fact that you will also need a table or some other object to sit it on that you'd have to presumably carry to your dark sky location. I'm sure there's some situation where the tabletop aspect could be useful but honestly I can't think of one. I'd suggest a reasonable sized dob (like an 8 inch is all around perfect for great views with decent portability) OR go with something a little smaller on a tripod to save weight. That's what I'd suggest for a beginner. In theory, sure tabletop SOUNDS like a great option but in practice there's just no way. Otherwise awesome video and I'm sure you have a ton of great knowledge to share!!
equatorial is professional... idk what youre talking about... it was my first andd id never have it another way.... theres only two knobs.... theyre sooo simple... and its already lined up with the rotation of the earth so everything stays lined up... just move the one knob to follow stuff... couldnt be simpler...
This video is akin to a food critic being asked to recommend restaurants to new foodies by speaking derogatory toward the michelin star restaurants he personally eats at, but points new foodies toward Chipotle. Many new amateur astronomers will have all the money, patience, and time, as us more experienced hobbyists. Its not our job to be gatekeepers. We should just explain the options and let them choose what works best for them.
You from hawaii?
Here after seeing cathrin's tweet 😅
Awesome 🙌