Celestron NexStar 8i Telescope
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- Optical Diameter: 203 mm
- Max Useful Magnification: x 600
- Finderscope: Red-Dot
- Mount Type: Altazimuth
- Focal Length: 2032 mm
- Optical Design: Catadioptrics
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Celestron's Nexstar 8i and 8i SE
Pros
Bright contrasty image, very portable, easy to setup, easy to align, accurate goto feature.
Cons
poor clearance of eyepiece and base, no way to balance tube, wimpy altitude gear
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Great visual scope rated high because of image quality and portability and accuracy of goto feature.
Good Points: This is a wonderful scope optically. I have used lots of telescopes with a similar aperture. This is the brightest and sharpest image of any 8 inch I have ever used. Alignment takes some practice to get right. Once I read the instructions several times and realized that 1.) the top of the tripod must be level before you start and 2.) you must approach your alignment stars from the same directions every time (up and to the right), then the scope really showed its power. The goto feature will drop objects into the eyepiece over and over. I could look at 10 or 20 objects in an hours. If I wanted to go back to an object – still no problem. Learning to drive a car takes a little practice. Learning to drive a goto telescope requires some practice, too. Where this scope shines is its portability. The telescope, drive base and computer weigh only 24 pounds together. You can seatbelt that assembly into any passenger seat of your car. Toss the lightweight (10 pounds) tripod into the back seat. In 20 minutes I can both drive to a dark sky site AND have the telescope setup and aligned starting an observing session. It is the perfect "grab and go" scope. It is by far the lightest and most portable 8 inch telescope manufactured for sale in the world.
Drawbacks:
1.)The telescope eyepiece section is too close to base when telescope is pointed straight up.
2.)There is no way to balance the scope if you add a camera or big eyepiece to the back end.
3.)The altitude (up and down) gear is "wimpy" brass instead of strong steel and some people have had it strip teeth. Celestron fixes it for free, but it should not happen.
Drawbacks:
1.)The telescope eyepiece section is too close to base when telescope is pointed straight up.
2.)There is no way to balance the scope if you add a camera or big eyepiece to the back end.
3.)The altitude (up and down) gear is "wimpy" brass instead of strong steel and some people have had it strip teeth. Celestron fixes it for free, but it should not happen.
