celestron Ultima 65 - 45° (1 Viewer)

anyone have an experience with this scope its available pretty much everywhere for around £100

http://www.celestron.com/c3/product.php?CatID=84&ProdID=197

just looking for a general use scope dont expect wonders from it, just dont have any experience with celestron or refractor scopes

thanks

DS

It's a decent first scope or bird feeder watching scope for $100.

Plenty of ways to improve it (rubber eyecup?).

And it does fall below the $200 No-name Vortex (Nomad) scopes or straight Sandpiper in view so if you can extend that far it worth the effort.

The one issue people have pointed out is that there are sample to sample variations.

The other interesting point is the zoom that comes with the ED version (a better zoom, I thnk with a lower magnification ... longer focal length .. too) can be had as a spare from Celestron for $60 (I asked them).

Don't forget a semi-decent tripod ... it makes all the difference! That's at least $100 and up (unless you can find one second hand). Makes the $200 scope look more attractive.

thanks kevin

i have a tripod but dont want to spend more than a 100 on a scope due to the fact of how much time id get to use it. an everyday usable scope is all im after be interesting if anyone else has anything to say about the sample to sample quality control issues that seems to be mentioned

DS

Hi DS:

a friend of mine has the 65 Ultima, and i have had a chance to view with the scope a couple of times. nice and lightwt., with a very smooth single focus knob. fairly decent image, but as you might expect nothing stellar but quite usable esp considering the price. the zoom does begin to show noticable CA at around 35X or so, and can be detected even at minimum power, but is not really that distracting. not the last word in sharpness either, but not bad esp at lower powers, up to say around 25X. offhand as mentioned i would say for near to moderate range, say at feeders, in trees around the yard or where 25 and under in the way of magnification will get you there, for $100 you cant go wrong, but YMMV,

regards,
UTC

One attraction of this scope is that the eye piece is easily exchanged for something better.
Given the proliferation of good used astronomy eyepieces at very attractive prices, that opens the path to upgrade the view greatly and without being locked to one supplier. It would be great if all spotting scopes had a standard fitting for the ocular just as most astronomy telescopes do.