Reviews

Reviews of high-quality optical equipment is our bread and butter here at Optical Mechanics. We aim to provide accurate, up-to-date, and honest reviews.

Meade LX-90

Meade LX90 ACF Telescope: An Honest Review About Value

google.com, pub-3944954862316283, RESELLER, f08c47fec0942fa0 The Meade 8” LX90 ACF is one of several flagship telescopes from Meade’s lineup. The lightweight LX90 fork mount can trace its origins all the way back to the late 1970s when Meade started selling their 2080 8” Schmidt-Cassegrain. The 8” LX90 ACF shares a lot with those original scopes but …

Meade LX90 ACF Telescope: An Honest Review About Value Read More »

skywatcher 150P GTI

Sky-Watcher Heritage GTI 150P: Cheapest 6″ Dob Out There

google.com, pub-3944954862316283, RESELLER, f08c47fec0942fa0 The universe is a vast and mysterious place, and stargazing is one of the most exciting ways to explore it. Sky Watcher GTI 150P is a telescope that offers an excellent viewing experience for both beginners and experienced astronomers. With a 150mm aperture, this telescope is perfect for observing deep-sky objects …

Sky-Watcher Heritage GTI 150P: Cheapest 6″ Dob Out There Read More »

meade etx90

Meade ETX-90: A Classic, But Don’t Buy the Wrong One!

google.com, pub-3944954862316283, RESELLER, f08c47fec0942fa0 Meade’s ETX-90 was a flagship of the company’s product line for decades. Offering high-quality Maksutov-Cassegrain optics in a portable and affordable package, the ETX-90 was originally designed to compete with the Questar, a widely revered premium telescope that continues to cost over $5,000 USD new. The Questar debuted in 1958 and …

Meade ETX-90: A Classic, But Don’t Buy the Wrong One! Read More »

Close up of the Celestron Nexstar 8se telescope

Celestron NexStar 8SE Compound Telescope Review [Update]

google.com, pub-3944954862316283, RESELLER, f08c47fec0942fa0 Have you been searching for a new telescope to blow your mind, but to no avail? Look no further than here, with our review of the Celestron NexStar 8SE Compound Telescope. This telescope is truly ˜out of this world’ and perfect for beginners and avid astronomers alike. If you’re unsure whether …

Celestron NexStar 8SE Compound Telescope Review [Update] Read More »

StarSense Explorer DX 102 review

Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102 Review

google.com, pub-3944954862316283, RESELLER, f08c47fec0942fa0 Celestron’s StarSense Explorer line is the latest in Celestron’s revolving door of low-cost, oddly designed and often computerized beginner telescopes. Celestron has previously tried to make using a telescope as easy as possible in the form of the NexStar telescopes (which sadly lost their extremely simple Level North alignment feature in …

Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102 Review Read More »

Orion SkyQuest XT12i Review

google.com, pub-3944954862316283, RESELLER, f08c47fec0942fa0 The Orion SkyQuest XT12i is a massive instrument designed for demanding observers, and one of the less expensive 12” Dobsonians available, mainly due to its simple build. The XT12i costs only a bit more than its non-computerized competitors, but its Intelliscope mount makes it a bit easier to use – and …

Orion SkyQuest XT12i Review Read More »

Celestron Advanced VX

Celestron Advanced VX Review

google.com, pub-3944954862316283, RESELLER, f08c47fec0942fa0 Celestron’s Advanced VX is frequently cited as a great multipurpose mount for astrophotography, but in actuality, it’s ridden with problems in its design which make it less-than-optimal – a product of cost-cutting measures.  The Advanced VX is great, however, if you want a big dumb mount for planetary imaging and visual …

Celestron Advanced VX Review Read More »

Sky Watcher HEQ5 Pro Review

google.com, pub-3944954862316283, RESELLER, f08c47fec0942fa0 Sky-Watcher’s HEQ5 Pro mount is arguably the single best equatorial mount you can buy for astrophotography. It’s not too expensive, it can carry a variety of instruments, and it performs well enough out of the box that it won’t drive you crazy. The HEQ5 Pro is portable enough to serve as …

Sky Watcher HEQ5 Pro Review Read More »

Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro Review

google.com, pub-3944954862316283, RESELLER, f08c47fec0942fa0 The Skywatcher EQ6-R-Pro is a Go-to German Equatorial mount that finds itself in something of a price and weight-bearing sweet spot. It’s relatively affordable in a hobby that will never be cheap, but expensive enough an investment that you won’t want to replace it for many years. It’s a well-known true-ism …

Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro Review Read More »

1
Scroll to Top