The best beginner telescopes need to strike the perfect balance between being user-friendly and affordable, yet still good enough to avoid being a waste of time, money and effort. There’s no point buying a cheap telescope only to end up using it once and then immediately wanting to upgrade, but with many "mega-cheap" unbranded scopes, that’s what tends to happen.

For new astronomers, keen youngsters and anyone on a budget, Celestron has some really great small telescopes that fit the bill perfectly. In this review, we’ll be looking at the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 70AZ — the smallest scope in the StarSense range.

It’s easy to set up, lightweight and portable, and we were impressed with the optics for such a small and affordable telescope. Its main party trick is the StarSense app integration, which is perfect for anyone who doesn’t have any prior knowledge of the night sky. The 70AZ is great for the moon, some planets and brighter targets, but needless to say, you’ll be needing one of the very best telescopes if you want to do any deep-sky viewing. Still, it makes a wonderful telescope for kids or anyone new to the hobby.

Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 70AZ: Design

• Easy to set up
• Good quality build
• Comes with two eyepieces and a Barlow lens

The Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 70AZ is the smallest telescope in the StarSense Explorer range, with a compact, lightweight construction that still feels like you’re peering through something substantial. The optical tube itself, alongside the tripod, accessory tray and accessories, are all excellent quality for an entry-level scope — especially compared to equivalent scopes in the PowerSeeker and AstroMaster ranges that we were testing alongside it. However, that’s not to say you won’t want to upgrade them in time.

The setup process is easy for new users to understand, especially with the printed instructions included in the package, and we were able to get it set up and start observing in no time. The aluminum tripod can extend up to 52 inches (including the mount), which we felt was a good height for most users, but we found it a little annoying that the eyepieces wouldn’t fit in the holes in the accessory tray while still in their protective cases. It’s a small detail, but we’d have liked to keep the eyepieces protected while we were using the scope.

It comes with a red-dot finderscope, an erect image diagonal, two eyepieces (10 mm and 25 mm) and a 2x Barlow lens, alongside the StarSense smartphone dock. To get the best views, we ended up using upgraded eyepieces from the Celestron eyepiece and filter kit, so if you want a simple and affordable way to improve the quality of the views, we’d recommend investing in some better eyepieces.

Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 70AZ: Performance

• Beautiful lunar views
• We spotted the bands on Jupiter and its moons
• Limited for deep-sky viewing

This isn’t a "see everything" telescope; it’s a "see the highlights clearly" telescope. By far the best thing to look at is the moon, particularly with the 10 mm eyepiece and 2x Barlow lens. We were easily able to observe the craters and shadows on the lunar surface, and we thoroughly enjoyed our sessions gazing at the moon.

We were also able to distinguish the bands on Jupiter — although they were quite faint — and we could easily spot three of the four Galilean moons (the fourth was hiding behind the gas giant). Saturn was too low in the sky for us to see before dark, but this telescope should be perfectly capable of showing its rings.

The Pleiades were stunning, as expected, and we were able to make out the Orion Nebula and Andromeda Galaxy — but realistically, at this aperture, you’re unlikely to see much further afield.

It covers a good magnification range for a beginner scope, with the 20 mm eyepiece giving you 28x power, upgradable to 70x with the 10 mm eyepiece — and even more with the Barlow, which takes you closer to the highest useful magnification of 165x power.

The manual tracking means objects drift out of view quickly, especially when using a high-power eyepiece. While the manual alt-azimuth mount is advantageous for its quick set-up and user-friendliness, this is where you see its drawbacks. We did notice some drooping, particularly when we were viewing Jupiter at a very high altitude, and there was some wobbling when focusing, but once it settled, the views were sharp and clear.

Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 70AZ: Functionality

• StarSense app guides you to specific objects
• No prior knowledge of the night sky needed
• Easy focusing of objects

The biggest selling point of the StarSense Explorer range is the StarSense app functionality. Once connected, you pick an object from "Tonight’s Best Objects," and you’ll see arrows on the screen guiding you to where the object is located.

This is an attractive feature for beginners and kids, as it takes away half the battle of knowing where certain objects are in the sky. We found it to be mostly accurate — it’s not perfect by any means, but it got us in the right area and we were easily able to locate the object from there. Once we located our subject with the 20 mm eyepiece, focusing was smooth and easy for us to then switch to the 10 mm for a closer look.

The app requires the latest version of iOS in order to download, so make sure you download it before you head out to use it (we found this out the hard way). It's also compatible with Android users. The app tells you which objects are best to view depending on your location, and it shows whether they are city-viewable, and the rising and setting times for each object. Further down, it shows "challenge" objects that you might see under dark sky conditions, which is a nice touch if you live close to a dark sky reserve (though it doesn’t say what Bortle class you’d need to be in).

There’s also a search function, where objects are separated into different categories depending on what type of object you want to view (planets, brightest stars, Messier objects and more). And the good thing is that you don’t have to use the app if you don’t want to — unlike more expensive smart telescopes.

The app tells you which objects are best to view depending on your location, and it shows whether they are city-viewable, and the rising and setting times for each object. Further down, it shows "challenge" objects that you might see under dark sky conditions, which is a nice touch if you live close to a dark sky reserve (though it doesn’t say what Bortle class you’d need to be in).

There’s also a search function, where objects are separated into different categories depending on what type of object you want to view (planets, brightest stars, Messier objects and more). And the good thing is that you don’t have to use the app if you don’t want to — unlike more expensive smart telescopes.

Should you buy the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 70AZ?

Overall, it’s a very user-friendly scope for beginners to sink their teeth into, and it doesn’t feel like the kind of telescope you’d only use a few times and then get bored with. We found it easy to locate objects and obtain a good focus, the views were impressive, and the whole experience felt very intuitive — which is exactly what you want from a beginner telescope.

It’s compact and lightweight, although you could still go a step further with this class of telescope. It’s at the top end of Celestron’s beginner range, being by far the best entry-level model of the three we tried. But if you are looking for a step-up from your existing telescope, we’d recommend going for one of the larger aperture models in the range for brighter views and to potentially see more deep-sky objects. Its limited deep-sky viewing isn’t a flaw, just a limitation of a telescope of this aperture. But for the price, you absolutely cannot go wrong with the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 70AZ.

If the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 70AZ isn't right for you

The Celestron NexStar 8SE has long been considered to be one of the best telescopes on the market. In our Celestron NexStar 8SE review, our trusted tester Jase Parnell-Brookes awarded it an impressive 4.5 out of 5-star score.

The Celestron NexStar 8SE missed out on the flawless review mostly for its price, which at full MSRP made it a significant investment. However, Jase still highlighted its value for money versus performance, which now that Amazon has knocked $200 off the retail price is even better, taking it down to just $1,499.99.

While there's still a lot of numbers on that price tag, even at this price Jase reckons it's still an ideal option for a beginner telescope. Intermediate or advanced astronomers can also benefit from upgrading to the NexStar 8SE, with its motorized function and scalability being attractive features, making it ideal as a deep space telescope or for viewing planets.

Amazon Prime Day lands later this month, but as this is the lowest price for the NexStar 8SE we've seen this year, you're unlikely to see a better telescope deal than this. You'll have to be quick though — the listing says it's marked as limited stock, and at this price it could sell out fast.

However, Walmart is price-matching the Amazon deal along with Adorama, should you wish to purchase away from Amazon.

The Celestron NexStar 8SE is a Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope design, which is renowned for impressive optical quality, and the NexStar 8SE certainly delivers here. Jase was blown away by the stunning clarity thanks to its 8-inch aperture up front, which simply drinks in light and makes it incredibly easy to see detail in the night sky.

Jase also highlighted the smoothness of the motor, and with the help of the Celestron SkyAlign app, you can align the scope using three bright stars and enjoy automated viewing almost instantly in your stargazing journey.

Although for a beginner the Celestron is a considerable outlay, Jase also noted the build quality and performance make it a telescope that will last for decades, and potentially the only telescope you'll ever need.

There are cheaper and smaller aperture versions available in the Celestron range, including the Celestron NexStar 4SE. That's our top choice as the best small telescope, and is currently discounted on Amazon by 13% to $649.99. Of course, the smaller you go, the less light captured, thus making your views less awe-inspiring with a drop in aperture.

Key features: 8-inch (203.2mm) aperture, 80-inch (2032mm) focal length, f/10 focal ratio, 180x highest useful magnification, 32 lbs (14.48 kg) weight, two-year warranty.

Launched: June 2005

Price history: The best price we've seen on the Celestron NexStar 8 SE telescope was $1,299 during the Black Friday sales of 2024. The MSRP is $1,699, which makes the current on-sale price of $1,499 a significant saving on what is a seldom-discounted model.

Price comparison: Amazon: $1,499 | Adorama: $1,499 | Walmart: $1,499

Reviews consensus: There is no doubt that the Celestron NexStar 8 SE is a fantastic telescope: It pairs Celestron’s legendary orange tube with a fully computerized GoTo system — ideal for those ready to step up from manual scopes and explore more of the night sky with precision and ease.

Live Science: ★★★★½ | Space: ★★★★½

Featured in guides: Best telescopes

✅ Buy it if: You want to view deep space objects and planets, whether you're a beginner or advanced sky watcher. The automated motorized function means this telescope can be used by anyone with any level of experience and knowledge.

❌ Don't buy it if: You are seeking a more budget-friendly option. One of our recommended best budget telescopes might be more suitable, or even one of the best telescopes for beginners.

Check out our guides to the best telescopes, telescopes for kids, binoculars, cameras, star projectors, and much more.

For Sony and Leica users wanting an affordable lens option for wildlife photography, SIGMA offers some attractive options. We spent some time with the SIGMA 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sport lens for Sony E mount — their closest competitor to the native Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS in terms of focal length. You get 50mm more focal length on the wide end, and a slightly wider maximum aperture as a result, plus it’s cheaper than the native Sony lens — although you’ll still be paying over $1,500. That said, for a wildlife lens with such a big reach, that’s not bad at all.

It’s a compelling option for wildlife photography beginners looking to invest in their first big lens, so we put it through its paces to test its sharpness, handling and overall performance out in the field, to see whether it earns a spot among the best lenses for wildlife photography.

SIGMA 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sport review

SIGMA 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sport: Design

• Slightly lighter than the Sony equivalent
• Two custom buttons
• External zoom adds 100 mm to physical length

Getting the obvious out of the way — this is a big lens. It’s long and it’s heavy, but that’s par for the course with this type of super-telephoto lens. What is noteworthy, however, is that it’s actually a few grams lighter than the closest native Sony equivalent.

The SIGMA lens weighs 2,100 grams (approx 74.07 ounces) compared to the 2,115 g (74.60-ounce) Sony. Realistically, 15 g makes basically no difference at all in practice, but third-party lenses are typically substantially heavier (one of the trade-offs of being cheaper), so the similar weight is a point in the SIGMA’s favor.

It features many of the same buttons and design elements as the native Sony — an AF/MF switch, focus limiter, image stabilization switch with two modes and a custom stabilization switch, also with two modes. There are two custom buttons — one on the top and one on the side of the lens barrel (just one shy of Sony’s three) — and a zoom lock switch with options to lock the zoom completely, or set it to a Smooth (S) or Tight (T) level of friction.

One fairly big difference compared to the Sony lens is that the zoom on the SIGMA lens isn’t internal. Even though the SIGMA is fully weather-sealed, it still leaves room for dust or moisture to get inside the lens, not to mention the zoom adds another 100 mm onto the length of an already long lens.

SIGMA 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sport: Performance

• Sharpest wide open (f/5) at 150mm, f/8 at 300mm and f/8 at 600mm
• Struggles with small subjects at 600mm
• Some colour fringing around tree branches

As we directly compared this lens with the Sony, we could easily see the performance drawbacks associated with the cheaper Sigma model. The overall image quality is great, although we found the images weren’t as sharp when we had to crop in on a small bird, even with a 61 MP camera that allowed for a harsh crop. We still got some great images with beautiful sharpness and detail, but our keep rate was a lot lower than when we were testing the Sony. When the subject fills the frame at 600mm, however, the image is a lot sharper.

There was some chromatic aberration around tree branches, and subjects that were photographed against a bright sky, which isn’t wholly surprising with a lens at this price point — but it’s worth noting that we didn’t see any of this with the native Sony lens. Still, the colors are vibrant and true to life, with only minor vignetting and distortion that can easily be corrected by enabling the lens profile corrections in Lightroom.

Looking at the test chart images, the sweet spot is around f/8 at 300mm and 600mm, whereas at 150mm, the sharpness and contrast look best when shooting wide open at f/5.6. Interestingly, the lens seems to perform best overall at f/8 at 300mm, and the sharpness and contrast drop significantly compared to the 600mm f/8 shot. In the test chart shots for the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens, we found it to be sharpest at 600mm. We still took some lovely images with this SIGMA lens at 600mm, but it’s worth knowing if you plan on spending most of your time at full zoom.

SIGMA 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sport: Functionality

• Compatible with Sony E mount and Leica L mount
• Lock switch stops lens creep
• Not a low-light lens

As far as compatibility goes, this lens is somewhat limited. It’s only compatible with Sony E and Leica L mounts, which could be frustrating for Canon or Nikon shooters who might want to save money with a third-party lens. Still, we thought it fit well on our Sony camera, and although a lens of this size is naturally going to feel big, the weight distribution was well-balanced. It suffers from strong "lens creep" if you’re holding the lens vertically, but there’s a lock button to prevent it when you aren’t using the lens.

The f/5-6.3 aperture is actually not bad at all for a lens of this focal length at this price point, but it’s not going to be particularly strong at shooting at dawn or dusk, especially as you’ll likely be spending most of your time at the long end with an f/6.3 aperture. Plus, it’s unrealistic to expect a telephoto lens of this price to have a particularly fast aperture.

Should you buy the SIGMA 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sport?

This lens is certainly good enough as a "first" dedicated super-telephoto lens for wildlife photography. The image quality is sharp, full of contrast and saturated colors, and it’s a great way to save a few hundred dollars if you don’t mind not having a native lens and don’t need to shoot at super-fast speeds.

If, however, you’re at the stage where you want to go pro, you’re going to need a lens with a faster aperture and better image quality than this lens affords. This is where you’re going to need to invest some serious money into a super-telephoto prime lens to take your wildlife images to the next level.

If this product isn't for you

The Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG DN OS Sport is one of those lenses that instantly grabs your attention simply because of how ambitious it is. Covering everything from 60mm all the way up to 600mm with its powerful 10x zoom, it’s designed to handle wildlife, sports, aviation and even some landscape photography without needing to swap lenses.

On paper, that kind of flexibility makes it sound like a serious contender among the very best zoom lenses for wildlife photography, particularly for photographers who don’t want to carry multiple lenses out on shoots. But it has one major caveat: it’s insanely heavy.

We took it to a nature reserve to put it through its paces and test its performance in real-world conditions, and see for ourselves how that hefty weight feels in practice.

SIGMA 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG DN OS Sport review

SIGMA 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG DN OS Sport: Design

• Uncomfortably heavy
• Solid build quality
• Feels very sturdy

The Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG DN OS Sport lens feels exactly like what you’d expect from Sigma’s sport series — big, solid and built like it could survive a few knocks. It’s definitely not a small or lightweight lens, though, and we found ourselves struggling to hold it for long during wildlife sessions, to the point where the 5.5-pound (2.4-kilogram) weight tipped it into "too heavy" territory and it became somewhat of a chore to shoot for long. The weight is especially cumbersome when tracking birds in flight, but the silver lining of the extra heft is that it feels incredibly sturdy as a result.

The zoom ring is smooth. We did notice a tiny bit of lens creep every now and then, but this was nowhere near as severe as it was when we tested the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS lens. There’s no shortage of physical controls, either. There’s an AF switch, stabilization controls and customizable buttons all around the barrel. The removable tripod foot is solid, too, and balances the lens nicely on a tripod.

SIGMA 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG DN OS Sport: Performance

• Lovely image quality
• Good autofocus in reliable light
• Image stabilization helps when shooting handheld

Performance is impressively strong considering the massive zoom range this lens covers. The sharpness is excellent through most of the range, especially through the shorter and mid-range focal lengths, with plenty of detail and contrast straight out of the camera.

The autofocus performance was also better than we expected for such a large telephoto zoom. Paired with Sony’s autofocus and subject detection, the lens tracked birds and wildlife reliably in good light, and the focus was fast and sticky. The image stabilization is a huge help when shooting handheld, and we were able to get sharp shots even at 600mm.

We photographed some test charts to analyze the image quality, and shooting wide at 60mm gave the best result at the wider apertures. Going all the way up to f/11, the image becomes very soft in the center. Zooming in to 200mm improves things, where the image is sharpest with the best contrast at f/5.6. At 400mm, f/5.6 and f/8 are very similar, with f/5.6 having the edge slightly, whereas at full zoom at 600mm, f/8 produced the sharpest images — although the 600mm images were the softest overall.

However, it’s worth noting that although we made these assessments while pixel-peeping at the test chart images, the real-world images we took at a nature reserve were mostly all taken at 600mm, and the image quality is still beautiful, even after cropping.

SIGMA 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG DN OS Sport: Functionality

• Very versatile focal length
• Good close focusing distance
• Overkill if you won’t use the wider focal lengths

In use, this lens’ biggest strength is its versatility. Having everything from 60mm all the way up to 600mm in a single lens makes it much easier to react quickly when subjects move. For wildlife photography especially, we found it useful when birds flew towards us, since we could zoom out instantly rather than miss the shot entirely.

That said, the huge zoom range can feel a little excessive, but this will depend on what style of photography you do. We found ourselves staying closer to the longer focal lengths for wildlife work, which is fine if you’re a dedicated wildlife shooter, but it does beg the question of whether a smaller, lighter telephoto zoom lens would be a more practical option for some photographers, particularly for those who stay at the wider end.

We also liked how close the lens can focus, particularly on the wide end. It’s not a macro lens, but being able to shoot closer to the subject without changing lenses adds even more flexibility when shooting outdoors.

Should you buy the SIGMA 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG DN OS Sport?

The big questions you need to ask yourself here are: "Are you fine with a heavier lens?", "Are you bothered about having a shorter close focusing distance?" and "Do you shoot wide?". If you answered yes, then it makes sense to get this lens.

If, however, you want a slightly lighter lens and you don’t need the wider focal lengths, we’d suggest going for the native Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens instead. For us, the weight of the Sigma felt significantly heavier than the Sony, to the point where it would make us think twice about investing in it, particularly as the Sigma is the more expensive option.

If this product isn't for you

Originating in the late 1990s as Celestron's response to Meade's LX series, the NexStar SE line was designed as an affordable, user-friendly GoTo telescope. The 6SE features quality Schmidt-Cassegrain optics, a 6-inch aperture and a robust mount, earning a strong following among astronomers.

The Celestron NexStar 6SE is the middle child of the NexStar SE Schmidt-Cassegrain series, positioned between the 5- and 8-inch models, with a 4-inch Maksutov-Cassegrain also in the family. Its 6-inch aperture is big enough to provide meaningful, sharp views of both deep-sky and solar system objects while not being too large or expensive. Its portability and small size make it a fantastic beginner telescope if you have a healthy budget, but the larger 8SE still tops our list of the very best telescopes.

Celestron NexStar 6SE: Design

• 6-inch f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain optics, can be used at f/2 for imaging with Hyperstar or for visual/imaging with f/6.3 reducer (sold separately)
• GoTo mount with NexStar+ controller — cannot be aimed manually
• One eyepiece included (25mm yielding approximately 60x magnification)

The NexStar 6SE has been around since 2008, and it hasn’t changed much in that time apart from some minor software upgrades. The Celestron C6 XLT optical tube is sold by Celestron in other configurations such as the NexStar Evolution, and is a 6-inch f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain design. It can also be used at f/2 with a Starizona HyperStar reducer for imaging, or Celestron’s f/6.3 reducer, either of which is necessary for quality deep-sky imaging with the C6. The C6 is primarily designed for planetary viewing/imaging on account of its long focal length, but can be used for deep-sky work as well.

The 6SE has collimation adjustments at the front. Users probably do not need to adjust these, ever. The author has owned hundreds of Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes, and they usually arrive collimated from the manufacturer and stay that way. Swapping the collimation screws for thumb screws just leads to frequent misalignment that would otherwise not occur.

The 6SE’s mount is a simple alt-azimuth GoTo mount. It uses the position of two or three alignment stars to calculate where it is in the sky, and once aligned it can automatically point at over 40,000 objects in its internal database. Unfortunately, the technology in it is rather outdated. It cannot be aimed by hand at all, and attempting to do so will ruin the motorized pointing and tracking accuracy. You can replace the hand controller with Celestron’s SkyPortal WiFi adapter, however, and run it off an app like SkySafari, which is a little easier to learn to use. Regardless of which method you use to control it, it only takes around 5-10 minutes to set up and assemble the 6SE.

A 1.25-inch visual back and star diagonal are included with the NexStar 6SE. These are all you’ll need, as a 2-inch diagonal and eyepieces will vignette substantially and cause stability/balance issues with the mount. Celestron supplies a single 25mm E-Lux Plossl eyepiece yielding approximately 61x magnification and a true field of view of 0.9 degrees with this telescope. While it’s annoying to get only a single eyepiece with this telescope, there are endless third-party options to choose from to get the magnifications you want.

For a wider field of view, a 32mm Plossl or 0.63x reducer would come in handy. For higher power, we’d recommend a 9mm SVBONY "redline" (170x) or even a 6mm (254x) if you have fairly steady sky conditions.

Overall, the 6SE is quite sturdy and the whole telescope can easily be carried around in one trip. It breaks down small enough to fit in the author’s Mazda MX-5 Miata, and the tube is small enough to take on a plane as carry-on luggage.

Celestron NexStar 6SE: Performance

• Sharp planetary details
• Solid deep-sky views
• Good double-star splitting

The Celestron NexStar 6SE is typically optically superb, with quality units such as the review sample reaching ⅙ to ⅛ wave peak-to-valley accuracy at the wavefront (a typical standard commercial scope might be ¼ wave). This is critical when viewing the moon, planets and double stars up close. With only a 6-inch primary mirror, the common issues of image shift and mirror flop are of little concern with this telescope.

The NexStar 6SE delivers impressive performance for its size, excelling for both solar system and deep-sky observations. Within the solar system, it reveals Mercury and Venus phases, intricate lunar craters down to mile-sized features, Mars' ice caps and some dark markings when it’s close to Earth, Jupiter's cloud bands with the Great Red Spot and moon transits, Saturn's rings including the Cassini Division plus half a dozen moons, Uranus as a turquoise dot, and Neptune as a blue point with Triton perhaps faintly visible under dark skies.

Beyond the solar system, the 6SE handles open clusters like M35 and M11 well, though larger ones like the Pleiades are too big to fit in the field. Bright globulars such as M13 show partial resolution under decent skies, while emission nebulae like M42 and M8 are spectacular, especially under dark skies and/or with a filter. The brightest planetary nebulae display hints of color, and structures in bright galaxies (such as M82's dust lanes) begin to emerge under dark conditions — but for the best results, a larger telescope than the 6SE is necessary to reveal up-close details in these faint fuzzies.

The 6SE is also excellent for splitting double stars. The author was able to split Tau Coronae Borealis (2.2 arc seconds) easily with the 6SE and a 6mm eyepiece (254x).

Celestron NexStar 6SE: Functionality

• Quite a simple setup
• Two-Star Alignment mode is best
• Smooth focusing and quick acclimatisation

The NexStar 6SE is pretty simple to set up — just assemble the mount/tripod, take the caps off and power it on (either using AA batteries or a DC 12v extension cord). The controller then prompts the user to enter the time, date and location, and choose an alignment method. The recommended three-star alignment is unfortunately prone to errors, so it’s recommended you use the Auto Two-Star alignment mode instead.

Once aligned, the 6SE will automatically point at any object you choose in its catalog. Sometimes, accuracy can wane over the course of a night, but simply going to the main menu and selecting “sync” to add new alignment points usually fixes this. Focusing the 6SE is buttery smooth even at high magnifications, and the scope takes only a few minutes to cool down to chilly nighttime temperatures on account of its small size and the low-expansion glass used for the optics.

The author used the 6SE for imaging as well as visual observation by simply installing a camera at the back end where the diagonal inserts into the visual back. For planetary imaging, the author added a 2x Barlow lens.

Should you buy the Celestron NexStar 6SE?

This telescope offers a great entry into computerized astronomy with solid optics, portability and performance for visual observing of planets, the moon and brighter deep-sky objects. It's well-suited for those around a $1,000 budget who value automation over manual tracking, ranking highly among similar scopes. However, its mount's limitations for heavy accessories and lack of manual fallback make it less ideal for intensive use or imaging. Buy it if you prioritize ease and balance; skip if you are looking to do serious astrophotography or hunt down faint galaxies.

This is one of the best C6/SE units we’ve seen optically, with extremely sharp optics and very little image shift. Mechanically, the mount had an abnormal amount of backlash compared to previously tested units. This is seemingly a one-off issue, as other 6/8SE units tested previously by the author do not experience this issue.

Normally, one can take exposures as long as 10 seconds for deep-sky imaging with the 6SE, but this particular unit had a lot of backlash in the mount’s gears, so performance was somewhat restricted. The 6SE is best for planetary imaging, not deep-sky, unless you obtain a focal reducer and preferably a more sophisticated equatorial mount with better tracking.

If the Celestron NexStar 6SE isn't for you

How we tested the Celestron NexStar 6SE

The author has owned, as of the time of writing, five Celestron NexStar 6SE units, along with eight NexStar 8SEs, which utilize the same mount/tripod. A new 6SE was sent by Celestron to the author in February 2026 and tested under a variety of sky conditions between Bortle 6 and Bortle 2, at elevations between 2,000 and 7,000 feet. The author is located in Tucson, Arizona. The sky around Tucson is very conducive to amateur astronomy, thanks to widespread adoption of dark sky ordinances, high altitude, and extremely steady/transparent desert skies.

We recently conducted a group test of beginner telescopes from Celestron, including the AstroMaster 70AZ and the StarSense Explorer LT 70AZ. Optically, these telescopes are very similar, but the AstroMaster 70AZ has the edge when it comes to viewing planets clearly, thanks to its longer focal length.

While the StarSense Explorer uses your smartphone to identify stars and point you towards objects, the AstroMaster adopts more of a "learn it yourself" approach. The AstroMaster keeps the set-up quick and simple and offers the more traditional astronomy experience of locating objects manually. Although it has a steeper learning curve, its simplicity makes it a fantastic telescope for beginners, and its compact and portable nature makes it suitable for kids and anyone looking for a small telescope.

Celestron AstroMaster LT 70AZ review

Celestron AstroMaster LT 70AZ Design

• Small and portable
• Easy to set up
• Build quality is acceptable for a beginner scope

The Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ is clearly designed with beginners in mind, and that shows pretty much straight away. It’s lightweight, simple to set up and not intimidating if you’ve never used a telescope before. The alt-azimuth mount moves up, down, left and right using a single handle, which feels somewhat like you’re using a camera tripod rather than anything super technical. That alone makes a big difference if you’re just starting out, or buying for a child.

Set-up is quick and easy and doesn’t require any tools, so you can get it outside and start using it without much effort. The adjustable tripod helps, too, especially if it’s being shared between multiple people. It’s not the most solid thing in the world, though — there can be a bit of wobble when you’re focusing or moving the scope, which is fairly typical at this price. Overall, it’s a straightforward, no-frills design that keeps things simple rather than trying to do too much.

Celestron AstroMaster LT 70AZ: Performance

• The moon is the standout view
• Solid performance for viewing planets
• Not the most suitable for deep-sky objects

In terms of its performance, it’s very much what you’d expect from a 70mm refractor. It’s good at the basics, but you do start to notice its limits fairly quickly. The moon is easily the highlight — it snaps into focus nicely and you can spend a good amount of time exploring the surface without feeling limited.

Jupiter and Saturn are visible too: we saw Jupiter’s moons and the bands on the gas giant itself, although the image itself stays fairly small and you don’t get too much in the way of finer details.It’s only when you start to move beyond that, that the Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ starts to feel a bit restricted. Brighter targets like Orion or the Pleiades show up nicely, but they’re faint and underwhelming if you’re expecting those big, colorful views you see online.

The optics themselves are decent for the price — and reasonably sharp in the center — but pushing the magnification too far exposes the limits. The bigger issue is that the mount can wobble when focusing, which makes it harder to keep things steady at a higher zoom. We also noticed a bit of drooping when we pointed the telescope at Jupiter at high altitude. Overall, it does what a beginner would need it to — just without much headroom.

Celestron AstroMaster LT 70AZ: Functionality

• No-frills telescope
• Everything is manual
• Mount can be fiddly

The AstroMaster 70AZ keeps things pretty simple, which is both a good and bad thing depending on what you expect. Everything is manual — there’s no tracking or electronics, and nothing guiding you to objects, so you’re fully in control of where the telescope is pointing. The upside of this is that it’s straightforward to understand. The downside is that finding things can take a bit of patience, especially if you’re new to the hobby.

The red dot finder helps, but it’s quite basic and you’ll need to spend a bit of time lining it up properly before it becomes useful. Once that’s sorted, it’s fine for aiming at the moon or bright objects, but less helpful when you’re trying to track down anything fainter.

The mount itself is easy to use, with a single handle for movement — but it’s not the smoothest. Small adjustments can sometimes feel a bit fiddly, particularly at higher magnifications where everything becomes more sensitive. There’s no slow motion control either, so keeping objects centered takes a bit of practice.

Should you buy the Celestron AstroMaster LT 70AZ?

The Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ is one of those telescopes that makes sense in certain situations, but it isn’t an obvious recommendation for everyone. It’s cheap, simple and genuinely capable of showing you the moon and planets without much fuss. For a beginner or teenager who just wants to try astronomy without spending too much, it does the job and doesn’t feel overly complicated. It’s all very no-frills — but that’s kind of the point. It gives you the basics without overcomplicating things, even if that means more effort on your part.

That said, it’s also easy to outgrow. The biggest issue isn’t the optics, but how manual everything is — finding objects can be frustrating, and the mount doesn’t always help. If you stick with it, you’ll learn a lot, but some users might find they lose patience.

If this product isn't for you

The Celestron Outland X 10x25 roof prism binoculars are a tiny pair that you can fit in one hand or carry in a small pocket. They are rugged enough to throw in your hiking bag at the last minute, and would also be good to give to a nature-loving or skywatching child. They feel like they could handle a few accidental knocks and bumps.

We've reviewed several of the best compact binoculars, and we're reviewing the Outland X as they sit at a slightly higher price point than the child-friendly Occer 10x25, but well below the likes of the Olympus 8x25 WP II, which are currently our top pick in the compact binocular realm.

While compact models won't typically replace full-sized optics for serious wildlife observation or skywatching, they are always a great portable option to take hiking, camping or boating, especially if they are waterproof like this pair.

Used to reviewing all sorts of binoculars at different price points, we needed to remind ourselves throughout our review that this ultra-affordable pair retails for around $50.

Let's dive in…

Celestron Outland X 10x25 review

Celestron Outland X 10x25: Design

• Great build quality
• Simple design
• Waterproof and fog-proof

If taking a large pair of binoculars on a nature walk seems like overkill, but you don't want to miss an exciting opportunity for a more close-up view should the opportunity arise, the Celestron Outland X 10x25 could be a handy "just in case" companion.

They are small enough to fit in a coat pocket or thigh pocket, and at 10.9 ounces (310 g), they're probably lighter than your smartphone — you'll likely forget you're carrying them.

The protective rubber armor is pretty smooth and doesn't offer much in the way of texture (unlike, for example, the Hawke Endurance 8x25), but given that these binoculars are small enough to grip one-handed, there is no real reason to provide extra texture. A neck strap is supplied, as well as a case with a belt strap that you can utilize between sessions.

The focus wheel turns smoothly, but with enough resistance that it won't slip once you have focused your view. People with larger hands will probably find they can rest the binoculars on their thumbs and turn the wheel with their fingertips, rather than gripping them in their palms.

Celestron Outland X 10x25: Performance

• Best for daylight use to get closer to the action
• No need to wait when moving between temperatures
• Color accuracy is lacking

After spending a couple of weeks taking these binoculars on various excursions, we would deem their performance OK, or good for what they are — a relatively cheap pair of binoculars.

The view is clear enough to get closer to the action for daytime wildlife observation or sports and events, but the color is a bit lackluster. There is noticeable, distracting color fringing when viewing wildlife or objects against a bright backdrop (a bird sitting on a branch in front of blue sky, for example), which is surprising given the multi-coated lens coating that should help minimize this. Aside from this, we often felt the colors looked undersaturated. We needed to remind ourselves that these are a budget pair of binoculars and lower our expectations.

That said, there were occasions where we would have missed out on identifying swooping birds, spotting deer through trees in the woods or closely following the action at our local sports track had we not had the Outland X with us.

On clear nights, we were able to get a good look at a bright moon, including its craters, but they aren't really useful for skywatching beyond that and getting a slightly closer look at some of the brightest objects in the night sky. This isn't really a fault of these binoculars; it's just not what they are made for.

Celestron Outland X 10x25: Functionality

• Close focus could be shorter
• Very limited 9.1 mm eye relief
• Great for grab-and-go use

Surprisingly for a budget pair of binoculars, the Celestron Outland X 10x25 are waterproof and nitrogen-filled, so they can handle wet weather and changing temperatures. We took these binoculars out of our warm house and on walks on cold, frosty mornings without experiencing any adverse effects.

The twist-up eyecups only offer a tiny amount of eye relief adjustment, so we wouldn't recommend these binoculars for spectacle wearers: the eye relief is a mere 9.1 mm. For comfortable viewing, spectacle wearers should generally look for eye relief of 17 mm or more.

There were a couple of occasions when we wanted to do some backyard wildlife and birdwatching. Sadly, with only a small garden, we found the minimum focus of 19.7 feet (6 meters) to be too far away. Something like the Celestron Nature DX ED 8x42 with a 6.5 foot (2 meter) minimum focusing distance would be better for this.

Should you buy the Celestron Outland X 10x25?

Overall, the Celestron Outland X 10x25mm are fuss-free, functional binoculars for users who want something small and lightweight to take out and about, but still value a robust pair with decent glass and weatherproofing.

We can think of models we'd choose over this pair, but if you're not looking for the best and you can pick them up at a reasonable price, they might be just what you're looking for. Something you can sling in your rucksack on long hikes or camping weekends without having to worry about them getting wet or being left out in the cold — and that won't break the bank if you do have an accident with them.

If this product isn't for you:

The Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS is a super-telephoto zoom built for wildlife and action photography, where reach, responsiveness and reliable autofocus are just as important as flexibility in the field. Covering 200-600mm, it’s designed for those moments when you can’t move closer, and the subject definitely isn’t coming to you.

It’s a popular choice with wildlife photographers, often paired with some of the best wildlife cameras for a long-range setup, and it sits comfortably among the best wildlife lenses for this kind of shooting. Despite its position in the super-telephoto category, it still represents strong value for photographers who need long reach without committing to the cost and limitations of prime lenses.

Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS review

Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS: Design

• Lens weighs a hefty 4.66 pounds (2.1 kg)
• Large 95mm filter thread
• Internal zoom keeps the size constant and protects it from the elements

This chunky lens weighs in at a whopping 4.66 pounds (2.1 kg) and has a fixed physical length of around 12.5 inches (318mm) — it’s a beast. Thankfully, the internal zoom means it doesn’t extend out any further unless you attach the lens hood, which adds another 4 inches (10 centimeters). But on the whole, we found the weight to be manageable enough, although we needed regular breaks to avoid arm and wrist strain.

On the lens barrel itself, you’ll find all the usual suspects that you’d expect on a super-telephoto lens. It has an AF/MF focus switch, a focus limiter, an OSS [Optical SteadyShot] on/off switch and a shake compensation switch (labelled as ‘Mode’) with three options. There are also three custom buttons, alongside a wide focus ring and even wider zoom ring. Though somewhat annoyingly, there’s no zoom lock, which meant we sometimes accidentally changed the zoom while shooting. If you want to use filters, the filter thread is a generous 95mm.

Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS: Performance

• Fast and accurate autofocus
• Sharp and detailed images — sharpest at 600mm f/8
• Barely any optical defects

We used this lens to do a lot of bird photography, so the autofocus was really put through its paces with the fast, unpredictable movement of small birds. Considering the birds were small, far away and perched among distractions such as branches and leaves, we thought the lens coped pretty well overall. On less tricky subjects, the autofocus never let us down and easily kept up with moving animals.

We used a test chart to shoot at 200mm, 400mm and 600mm at the widest aperture (in this case, f/5.6 or f/6.3), f/8 and f/11, to test sharpness and contrast and look for any optical defects. At 200mm, central sharpness is best wide open at f/5.6, and while the sharpness is still good at f/8, the most notable difference is the loss of contrast. At 400mm, however, f/8 was noticeably sharper than its widest aperture of f/6.3. F/11 is softer again, but when it comes to contrast, there’s less of a difference between the three aperture settings.

Zooming all the way to 600mm, f/8 is still the sharpest and has around the same contrast as f/6.3. When comparing the two, we found the sharpness and contrast to be slightly better at 600mm f/8 as opposed to 400mm f/8, which is great news for users who want to photograph birds and distant wildlife.

At the corners, there isn’t much difference in sharpness between the three apertures at 200mm. What actually makes the most difference is the increased contrast at f/5.6. At 400mm and 600mm, f/8 performs best in the corners in terms of sharpness.

We noticed some vignetting when shooting wide open, which was improved when we stopped down to f/8, but what surprised us most was that there’s barely any chromatic aberration on any of the test shots we took, thanks to the five ED glass elements. We didn’t see any flare or ghosting during our field test shots, and there was only a tiny bit of distortion — and that was easily corrected in Lightroom. For a non-G-Master lens, this is impressive.

Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS: Functionality

• 200-600mm focal length is excellent for sports and wildlife
• f/5.6-6.3 aperture relies on favorable light or good ISO handling
• Three OSS modes for shake correction

When it comes to Sony’s super-telephoto zoom lenses, the two main players will be the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS that we’re reviewing here, and the bigger (but slower) Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS. Although the extra reach up to 800mm might be tempting, particularly if you specialize in bird photography, the 200-600mm lens has a faster maximum aperture of f/5.6 compared to the longer lens’s f/6.3 — and keep in mind, that’s at the shorter end of the focal range. It may not seem like much, but at fast shutter speeds, you need as much light hitting the sensor as possible to keep your ISO down. We spent a lot of time shooting at 600mm — and therefore at a maximum aperture of f/6.3 — which meant we had to rely on good natural light or bump the ISO up.

But when it comes to the focal length on its own, we had no problems photographing general wildlife with 200-600mm. We also got some beautiful images of small birds outside our house, but in most cases, we did need to rely on cropping the final image — this is where having a good camera comes in.

The image stabilization is generally very good, and the OSS Mode switch on the lens barrel offers three different options to suit various photographic styles. Mode 1 suits general shooting of stationary subjects, mode 2 works best for panning and mode 3 “provides a more stable viewfinder image that makes tracking and framing easier,” according to Sony. We spent most of our time using mode 3 for tracking and shooting unpredictable birds in flight.

Should you buy the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS?

If your most important criteria are price and flexibility for wildlife and action photography, we think this is the best option to go for — particularly if this is your first dedicated wildlife lens. You get a lot of lens for the money, and although it’s never going to compare to the super-sharp prime lenses that the pros use, we were still impressed by its image quality. The versatile focal length allows for near and distant wildlife and sports action, and you could even do a bit of landscape photography at the wide 200mm end.

If this product isn't for you

The ZWO Seestar S30 Pro is the latest of a new generation of smart telescopes designed to remove much of the complexity traditionally associated with astrophotography. Instead of a separate telescope, camera, tracking mount and laptop, everything is contained in one compact unit and controlled entirely through a smartphone app.

For beginners, that automation makes astronomy much less daunting. After just a few minutes, the telescope automatically identifies the stars overhead, slews to a chosen target and begins capturing exposures. The resulting frames are stacked together in real time, gradually revealing galaxies, nebulae and star clusters regardless of urban light pollution.

However, it's what this smart telescope — an update to the ZWO Seestar S30 — does beyond that basic concept that makes it so impressive. By adding a new sensor that allows 8.3MP images and the ability to go into equatorial mode — a feature typically reserved for advanced astrophotography that puts a 'scope in sync with Earth's rotation — the ZWO Seestar S30 Pro becomes a product that can be explored in a lot more depth than the price tag suggests. The ability to deal in RAW image files will also appeal to advanced users.

One of the simplest but also one of the most impressive smart telescopes around, here’s everything you need to know about the ZWO Seestar S30 Pro.

ZWO Seestar S30 Pro review

ZWO Seestar S30 Pro: Design

• Compact and highly portable
• Simple minimalist controls
• Dual-camera system

At first glance, the ZWO Seestar S30 Pro hardly looks like a telescope at all. The entire device measures 8.25 x 5.5 x 3.15 inches (210 x 140 x 80 mm) and weighs just 3.6 lb (1.65 kg), making it small enough to fit inside most camera backpacks. It also comes with a good quality padded bag, complete with a shoulder strap. Unlike most astrophotography rigs, the Seestar can be carried in one hand.

The body is constructed from durable plastic with a simple, minimalist design. Aside from a power button and USB-C port, there are no physical controls on the telescope itself. All adjustments — including slewing, focusing and imaging — are performed through the Seestar smartphone app.

The telescope mounts onto a tabletop tripod (also in the box) using a standard 3/8-inch thread. However, in practice, we found it works best on a full-size photographic tripod: this will improve stability and provide a better view above nearby obstacles in the average backyard.

A key design feature of the ZWO Seestar S30 Pro is its dual-camera system. The main telephoto camera uses a Sony IMX585 sensor (a high-sensitivity sensor typically found in security/night-vision cameras) paired with the apochromatic refractor telescope at the core of this product for deep-sky imaging. Above it sits a wide-angle camera, with a massive 63-degree field of view, that is used for sky alignment, wide-field imaging and Milky Way photography. It's packing a Sony IMX586 sensor that's designed for low-light performance.

There’s also a built-in three-filter system to reduce light pollution and capture specific wavelengths of light to better reveal emission nebulae, but there's sadly no solar filter in the box.

ZWO Seestar S30 Pro: Performance

• Aligns and tracks automatically
• Live stacking reveals faint objects quickly
• EQ mode is easy to use

We tested the ZWO Seestar S30 Pro across multiple nights in February and March, with temperatures ranging between 36 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit (2 and 7 degrees Celsius), under Bortle 6 suburban skies, where light pollution typically makes using an optical telescope challenging.

Set-up was straightforward: mount the telescope on a tripod, power it on and connect to its Wi-Fi network through the Seestar app. There’s an NFC “tap” feature to make it even easier. Within roughly four minutes, we had chosen a target on the app's planetarium-style sky map, and the telescope had automatically plate-solved the stars overhead to determine its position in the sky as it locked onto the target.

Once a target is in the ZWO Seestar S30 Pro's crosshairs, it begins capturing 10-second exposures. These images are stacked together in real time, gradually increasing the signal-to-noise ratio and revealing faint detail. It's a process that's surprisingly satisfying to watch — though you can just as easily set it to stack and come back an hour or two later to check on its progress.

The first target we captured was the Orion Nebula (M42), one of the brightest deep-sky objects visible during March. Using the Seestar S30 Pro in standard alt-azimuth mode, we allowed the telescope to run for 20 minutes, with the resulting image showing strong color in the nebula’s hydrogen clouds. Next, we had the ZWO Seestar S30 Pro spend rather more time on Bode’s Galaxy and the Cigar Galaxy (M81 and M82), during which it revealed the faint spiral structure of M81.

We then returned to the galaxy pair a few nights later, putting the ZWO Seestar S30 Pro into EQ mode and letting it take up to 60-second exposures — instead of the regular 10-second ones — to see what kinds of improvements are possible. However, it’s important to note that using EQ mode requires an equatorial wedge, which Seestar sells as its TH10 Fluid Tripod Head.

It’s possible to export the stacked FITS file into stacking and post-processing software like Siril, PixInsight or Photoshop, but we relied solely on the Seestar app’s built-in editing.

ZWO Seestar S30 Pro: Functionality

• Intuitive smartphone app
• Automatic stacking
• Deep Sky Stack editing software

Much of the ZWO Seestar S30 Pro's appeal lies in its automation, with its excellent companion app adding impressive, enjoyable and easy-to-use advanced features. A great example is its sky atlas software, which shows the current night sky. It’s quick to use, easy to search and has plenty of recommended targets highlighted. Selecting one automatically slews the telescope into position — and it barely ever misses its target. After it’s auto-focused, captured exposures and stacked images, it applies some rudimentary processing. Sure, the only settings that can be adjusted are exposure time and gain, but that’s the point.

For those who like to experiment but are more interested in exploring after data collection, one option for advanced users is to export individual FITS frames for manual processing. However, most will use the app’s Deep Sky Stack editing software, which has several advantages. The most basic is the ability to stack images, being careful not to select those with satellite or airplane trails or other obstructions (such as overhead cables — it happens!). There’s also a built-in AI Denoise feature that cleans up images in about 20 seconds, and, together with a contrast tweak, produces clean-looking, deep-black images of deep-sky objects.

Should you buy the ZWO Seestar S30 Pro?

The ZWO Seestar S30 Pro is that rarest of products — one that is perfect for beginners, yet also offers enough core quality and advanced features to let users journey from easy to more advanced astrophotography. Within minutes of set-up, it can capture images of nebulae and galaxies that would normally require far more complex equipment, but there’s nevertheless enough here — chiefly 8.3MP resolution, EQ mode and the ability to export FITS files — for both instant gratification and sustained long-term interest. However, at its core, the ZWO Seestar S30 Pro’s ability to suppress light pollution does one thing above all — it makes deep-sky astronomy possible for urban skywatchers.

If this product isn't for you

The DwarfLab Dwarf Mini is a compact, beginner-friendly smart telescope that takes direct aim at competitors like the ZWO Seestar S30. It’s essentially a very small 1.2-inch/30 mm refractor telescope controlled by a smartphone, but instead of the user looking through an eyepiece, it takes images of the night sky.

It does that with an image sensor, using its onboard computer and software to first automatically align itself with the night sky to identify objects, and then capture short-exposure images which it stacks into a single, ever-improving image. Impressively, this enables it to capture star clusters, galaxies and even faint nebulae from the middle of a city — something no optical telescope will get you a view of in such a light-polluted environment.

The Dwarf Mini is smaller, lighter and more affordable than its competitors, so not surprisingly, it comes with one significant drawback: it produces only 2 MP images. But these are still plenty good enough for viewing on a smartphone and sharing online, and despite its basic resolution, it adds equatorial (EQ) tracking — an advanced mode, typically found in larger or pricier instruments, that allows the Dwarf Mini to follow Earth’s rotation during longer exposures, reducing star trails and enhancing images.

It may be mostly about the compact design and affordable price, but the Dwarf Mini is adaptable and future-proof enough to appeal to a wide range of amateur astronomers who are in search of a simple-to-use imaging tool.

DwarfLab Dwarf Mini review

DwarfLab Dwarf Mini: Design

• Pocket-sized form factor
• Optional EQ alignment for longer exposures
• Motorized internal filter wheel

Straight out of the box, the Dwarf Mini surprises with its scale. It's just 8 inches (204 mm) long and weighs a mere 1.8 lbs, (840 g), yet it feels just solid enough when in hand. The lens arm pivots smoothly through 225 degrees, while the base rotates a full 360 degrees, providing flexible sky coverage even when used on a tabletop. This wide range of movement is key to its functionality; the Dwarf Mini has no manual knobs or adjustments. Aiming and tracking are controlled through the DwarfLab app.

The internal optics include a 5.91-inch (150 mm) focal length (f/5 focal ratio) refractor lens and a Sony IMX662 CMOS sensor, the latter known for its strong low-light performance but low resolution. It's also got a motorized filter wheel offering dark-frame, astro (anti-light pollution) and dual-band (nebulae) filters that you can switch between depending on your target.

It’s also got two modes — a wide-angle mode, largely for orienting, and a zoom mode for taking images of deep-sky objects, the sun and the moon. However, the wide-angle imager can also capture constellations, and to some extent, the Milky Way (when it’s in season, which it wasn't during this test) as well as take a basic star trail image.

One standout design element for advanced users is the EQ mode. While not physically resembling an equatorial mount, the Dwarf Mini can simulate equatorial tracking once aligned with Polaris, the North Star (in the Northern Hemisphere), using a step-by-step guide in the app. It's a clever solution that makes it technically possible to capture superior images, particularly of faint objects, by enabling long exposures — though for that an equatorial wedge is required (DwarfLab sells its Mini Hydraulic Tripod Head for this purpose, but we didn’t have a chance to review it).

The included solar filter attaches magnetically, covering the lens securely for daytime imaging of sunspots (and the occasional partial or annular solar eclipse). A USB-C charging cable and a basic cleaning cloth are also included — but there is no tripod in the box.

DwarfLab Dwarf Mini: Performance

• Surprisingly capable deep-sky performance
• Real-time stacking works well in light-polluted cities
• Captures sunspots using included solar filter

The Dwarf Mini is ridiculously easy to use. Power on the scope, launch the app, connect your smartphone to its Wi-Fi and select a target from its built-in sky atlas. It then plate-solves the sky to align with the stars, self-correcting itself as it goes.

Used in standard alt-az mode, the Dwarf Mini performs well. When slewed to a faint deep-sky object — a galaxy, a nebula or a cluster of stars — it captures and stacks short exposures (typically 10-15 seconds) to gradually build up an image. If it’s bright, like the Orion Nebula (M42), you can get a decent image in a few minutes. However, the longer you wait, the better the image will be. With a fainter nebula, it’s necessary to wait a long time — an hour or so — before you get anything impressive. Usually, patience is rewarded (the exception being the sun and moon, which can be found and imaged in seconds).

That a device this small can capture the light from a faint nebula in light-polluted urban skies is highly impressive. Stacked images are saved in JPG, TIFF or FITS formats and look great on a phone screen. You can export the files for post-processing in tools like PixInsight or Photoshop, but the built-in Stellar Studio app will be good enough for most users. Its Star Correction tool, in particular, is highly effective, restacking the individual images to align perfectly to create a significantly sharper image.

The moon can be imaged easily, either by selecting it in the app or by using an onscreen virtual joystick. Ditto the sun, which requires the magnetic solar filter to be attached. Once pointing at the sun, the Dawf Mini takes 20 short exposures and stacks them into an image that shows sunspots on the solar surface. The Dwarf Mini also captures 1080p video and time-lapse footage, offering extra value for wildlife and landscape photographers.

DwarfLab Dwarf Mini: Functionality

• Fast and intuitive app-based control
• Real-time stacking with live preview
• Star Correction tool sharpens images

The DwarfLab app controls everything: target selection, exposure settings, alignment, stacking, file saving and more. Just tap your target and the scope centers, tracks and begins imaging.

The star atlas is a wonderful addition, but it does require a little foresight. It’s not uncommon for it to need a significant data download, so it’s recommended to check the app before attaching to the Dwarf Mini — and certainly before leaving for a remote dark area with no mobile data signal — to make sure it’s up to date.

Stellar Studio, while impressive and definitely worth getting to know well, is rather fiddly. You need to be connected to the Dwarf Mini — and to create an account — to use this simple image processing software, and tweaking images can take some time. It also involves a workflow that’s a little repetitive and attention-hungry. However it works well, with Star Correction mode in particular worth using.

Mega Stack is another useful option to have in the app. It allows the bundling of frames from multiple sessions to create an ever-evolving image. For example, you could shoot a faint nebula from your light-polluted backyard over several nights or short sessions, and combine the new and old frames at any time. For some really faint objects, you could arguably have the Dwarf Mini observe for hundreds of hours over a long period of time, or take it to a Dark Sky park to get the best data.

If that sounds tedious, note that the app comes with a scheduler, so you can pre-program what you want it to observe and, in theory, go to bed. However, note that its four-hour battery life means you should consider attaching it to a portable battery if you have grand ambitions during long, clear nights.

Should you buy the DwarfLab Dwarf Mini?

If you're looking for a compact scope that gets around the problem of light pollution and you want to try casual deep-sky astrophotography, the Dwarf Mini is a standout choice. Despite the small sensor size (2 MP), images appear sharp and vibrant on mobile devices.

Serious astrophotographers may hit the ceiling of what this tiny scope can deliver in terms of resolution and dynamic range, but that’s not the audience the Dwarf Mini primarily serves. Although it’s an ideal secondary imaging rig for those who want a compact, travel-friendly package for dark-sky locations, it’s primarily for anyone who wants consistent, enjoyable imaging from anywhere — including light-polluted backyards.

Whether you're an urban astronomer, an educator or simply someone looking for a convenient way to see and share the wonders of the night sky, the DwarfLab Dwarf Mini is a compelling choice — and a valuable addition to any astrophotography setup.

If this product isn't for you

Although May hasn't quite got as much going on as the excitement of April, there's still a lot to look at in the night sky — if you have the right gear.

We're looking at the stargazing events for the month ahead to give you specific product recommendations for binoculars, telescopes and cameras to help you get the best possible views of each celestial spectacle. With two full moons, a meteor shower and a pretty cool solar alignment at the end of the month, there's plenty of action to observe and photograph throughout May 2026.

May 01: Full flower moon

Now that the whole world is utterly obsessed with the moon after Artemis II, we'll all be gazing skyward at the full Flower Moon on May 1. Although the craters and shadows look more detailed during the waxing and waning phases, the full moon will never cease to amaze stargazers new and old. You can certainly view it with just your eyes, but a pair of binoculars or a telescope will allow a closer look, and an astrophotography camera with a long lens will capture beautiful images.

Best seen with:

Binoculars: You can see the moon with pretty much any pair of binoculars, so there are a lot of options here. The view from a pair of 8x25s is surprisingly good (we loved the Hawke Endurance ED 8x25), and they're compact enough to carry around in your pocket for convenience. For a more detailed view, get a pair with at least 12x magnification and 50mm objective lenses and mount them onto a tripod for longer moonjoy sessions.

Telescope: Again, pretty much any telescope will give you some type of moon view, but that doesn't mean all of them give you a good view. You don't necessarily need a massive telescope — we got some pretty great views when we tested the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 70AZ, which is a great telescope for kids and beginners. What matters more is the power and quality of the eyepieces.

Camera and telephoto lens: The trick to getting a dramatic and impactful photo of the full moon is to zoom in as far as you can — think a super telephoto lens of around 600mm and thereabouts. You want to plan and capture your shot at moonrise, and it makes for an especially great shot if you can line it up with some type of building, bridge or natural object for scale. We tested the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS recently and were impressed by how sharp it was at the 600mm end.

May 5-6: Eta Aquariids Meteor shower peak

This meteor shower runs from April 19 until May 28, with the peak — and best night for photographing it — occurring on the night of May 5-6, with up to 50 meteors per hour. However, the 75.5% full moon might throw a spanner in the works, depending on your location and the moonset time where you are.

It's best seen with the naked eye, but meteor showers are a great target for photographers. You'll want a camera with good ISO handling and a wide-angle prime lens, like the SIGMA 14mm f/1.4 DG DN ART lens, to get as much of the sky in the frame as possible.

May 13 to 15: Crescent moon close to Saturn and Mars

One for early risers here. In the dawn hours, just before sunrise on May 13, you'll see a slim crescent moon to the right of Saturn. The next morning, the moon sits between Saturn and Mars, before moving to the left of Mars on the morning of the 15th. You don't typically get much detail on Mars, but you might be able to get a decent look at Saturn through a telescope. But keep in mind, the low altitude and nearly rising sun will make for more challenging views. For quick views, a pair of 10x50s will give a nice view of the crescent moon.

May 16: New moon

The new moon takes place on May 16, so this week is the perfect time for Milky Way astrophotography and deep-sky stargazing without any moonlight. A pair of 10x50 binoculars will give you a beautiful glimpse at stars you can't see with the naked eye, and a large telescope is ideal for deep-sky stargazing. Plus, now that we're at the start of peak Milky Way season, it's the ideal time to invest in a wide-angle prime lens.

May 18-21: Crescent moon close to Venus, Jupiter and Beehive Cluster

Across four nights, from the 18th to the 21st, you'll be able to see the slim crescent moon close to Venus, Jupiter and the Beehive Cluster in the early evening just after sunset. If you want a closer look at the Beehive Cluster or you want to pick out Jupiter's moons, a big pair of astronomy binoculars like the Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 is an affordable favorite of ours, but if you want to see the bands on Jupiter itself, you'll need a telescope. Even a small telescope will do the job — we got great views of Jupiter with the Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ, which is perfect for beginners. To resolve even more detail, investing in something like the Celestron NexStar 8SE (known as the world's most beloved telescope) will last you for years to come.

May 30: Manhattanhenge

Not technically a night sky event, but it's still a pretty cool thing to photograph. Manhattanhenge occurs when the setting sun lines up with the grid of the streets of Manhattan, New York, on May 30. (You can also see it the day before, on the 29th, but the 30th is when it'll be perfectly aligned).

The best viewpoints are "14th Street, 34th Street (where the Empire State Building is located), 42nd Street (where the Chrysler Building and Tudor City Bridge are located), 57th Street and 79th Street", according to PhotoPills.

Like moonrise images, you'll need a long telephoto or super telephoto lens to zoom in for a more dramatic perspective and sense of scale. Plus, it'll give you some practice ahead of the total solar eclipse in Europe in August — provided you can get your hands on some of the best solar viewing equipment.

May 31: Full blue moon

The second of May's full moons, and a nice bookend to the initial Flower Moon on the first day of the month, the full blue moon takes place on May 31. If you're looking to invest in the very best equipment for moon-gazing, we can recommend the Swarovski NL Pure 8x32 for just about everything, a smart telescope like the Vaonis Vespera II for effortless stacked images of the moon, and a super telephoto prime lens for the sharpest and most detailed images with your astro camera.

As the winter constellations sit lower and lower in the night sky, April sees the arrival of some pretty exciting night sky events. The full moon at the start of the month provides an excellent target for beginners, and not only is there the breathtaking Lyrid meteor shower to enjoy (in new moon week, no less), but there are also two comets to see in April — although one of them will fly too close to the sun to be enjoyed with the naked eye.

Read on to discover our recommendations for the best cameras, best binoculars and best telescopes for each event throughout April.

Apr 01: Full Pink Moon

April kicks off with a full Pink Moon on the night of April 1 into April 2. The full moon is always a crowd pleaser, regardless of whether you're a beginner or a seasoned astronomer. The moon can easily be viewed with the naked eye, as we all know, but if you want to get a closer, more detailed view, pick up a pair of binoculars or a small telescope to observe the craters and lunar surface in more detail. The evening moonrise is also an excellent time to photograph the moon, especially if you can capture it rising over a bridge, monument or tower to add drama and scale.

Best seen with:

Camera: Provided your camera works well in low light, your lens choice is actually more important for photographing the moon. You’ll need a long focal length to zoom as far in as you can, so the moon appears bigger in the frame (a tripod or monopod will also help steady your shot). Alternatively, smart telescopes can track and stack images of the moon, which is a great alternative if you don’t have an astrophotography camera.

Binoculars: You can see the moon in pretty much any pair of binoculars, but it depends on how much detail you want to see, and whether you want to go handheld or use a tripod. We’ve had lovely views of the moon even with compact binoculars, but if you want the best views, we’d recommend sizing up to a pair of big astronomy binoculars — 12x50 and above is a good place to start.

Telescope: You can certainly get decent views of the moon in a small telescope, but, as you’d expect, the bigger tubes are going to have better light-gathering ability. In fact, the eyepiece will probably make the most difference for lunar viewing.

A 20mm eyepiece will give lovely full moon vistas, but a high-power 6-10mm eyepiece is great for picking out surface details. That said, the moon is an excellent first target for your kids to observe with a child-friendly telescope.

Apr 03: Mercury at greatest western elongation

Most casual observers will be better off viewing Mercury with the naked eye, thanks to its magnitude. But if you have a beginner telescope handy and don't mind getting up before dawn, you can actually see Mercury in its phases — although don’t expect to see any surface detail. Plus, you'll need to manage the bright pre-dawn light and Mercury’s low altitude, so we wouldn’t recommend spending too much time on it.

Apr 4: Sungrazer Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS)

Although not technically a night sky object, there's the potential to see a "sungrazer" comet at the start of the month. Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) makes its closest approach to our star on April 4, and if it survives the close encounter, it could shine up to several times brighter than the full moon. Unfortunately, due to its close proximity to the sun, the safest way to view it is on your computer, via the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO).

Solar viewing can be dangerous, and although it would be tempting to use specialist solar viewing equipment, these are designed to block out over 99% of the sun's harmful light, so a pair of solar binoculars would block out the comet entirely.

Apr 13: Mars/Neptune conjunction

In the pre-dawn hours of April 13, Mars will conjunct with the distant planet Neptune, and if the conditions are right, you might be able to see it with your telescope. However, there are some caveats here.

First, you'll need a large-aperture telescope to be able to see Neptune due to its distance from Earth — you'll want at least a 6- to 8-inch telescope. Second, the conjunction will take place when the planets are very close to the horizon, so the seeing conditions won't be ideal at that low altitude. Third, as it'll happen just before sunrise, you won't have long before it becomes too faint.

It's a cool occurrence to try for, but we'd recommend waiting until the new moon week to get any meaningful observations of the ice giant.

Apr 17: New moon

This week is the optimum time for dark skies. With a new moon on the 17th, the few days surrounding this will be perfect for stargazing without any moonlight spoiling the view. Spring is also prime galaxy season, giving you the opportunity to see and image some faint fuzzies you don't normally get to see.

Best seen with:

Camera: If you want to photograph galaxies, there are two ways you can go about it. The first (and by far, the easiest) is to use a smart telescope, which will locate, track and stack the images for you. The second way is to use a camera (even a beginner astro camera will work), a long telephoto lens and a star tracker. This method requires more know-how — and more patience — but will be more rewarding when you get it right. If you want a bonus third method, you can mount your camera to your telescope, if you have both.

Binoculars: Binoculars are great if you want a portable way to observe more stars than you can see with the naked eye, without having to fuss around with a telescope — although you won't be able to see many galaxies. All you need is a pair of 10x50s to sweep across the sky to observe star clusters and constellations, or you can size up to larger magnification to see the Andromeda Galaxy and Jupiter's moons.

Telescope: New moon week is the ideal time to head out with a telescope, and perhaps one of your last chances to see some of the winter constellations before they disappear. As there's no moonlight, you can use anything from a small beginner scope up to a large Dobsonian and still get good views.

Apr 17: C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS)

During the dark new moon week, you might be able to get a glimpse of the second of April's comets, Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) — the "great comet of 2026" — just before sunrise. We don't yet know how bright it will be, but some researchers have predicted it could reach a magnitude of anywhere from 8 (and therefore only visible with a telescope or large astronomy binoculars) to 2.5, where it would be visible to the naked eye.

You can spot the comet right now with a telescope, and it'll only get brighter as the month progresses until its closest approach (perihelion) on April 17. Then, on April 27, it'll make its closest approach to Earth, giving you another favorable opportunity to see it.

Best seen with:

Camera: To photograph this comet, you'll need a decent astrophotography setup with a telephoto lens to capture the nucleus and tail of the comet. A smart telescope is an alternative option, especially if you live in a light-polluted city, and will give you a closer view than a camera would.

Binoculars: It's very likely you'll be able to spot the comet with binoculars, but its magnitude will determine what specs you need. To be safe, you'll want the largest objective lens diameter you can afford to let in the most amount of light.

Telescope: You should only need a small telescope to see the comet, although, as expected, larger aperture instruments will yield brighter results.

Apr 21/22: Lyrid meteor shower peak

While the Lyrid meteor shower will be active from April 15-29, it is expected to peak on the night of April 21/22, with the best viewing being after midnight until the predawn hours. The moon phase will also be working in its favor, with only around 27% illumination, and as it's due to set just after midnight, the majority of the night won't see any moonlight at all. Meteors will be visible all over the sky, originating from the constellation Lyra, near the bright star Vega.

Best seen with:

Camera: Meteor showers are a very rewarding event to photograph for astrophotographers. You'll need a camera that can handle high ISO levels (this, too, is helped out by the lack of moonlight) and a fast, wide-angle prime lens to fit as much of the sky and foreground in your shot as possible.

The OM System OM-1 Mark II would be fantastic for meteor showers, as you can see exactly what's being recorded on the screen with Live Composite mode — proof that even APS-C and Micro Four Thirds cameras can work well for astrophotography.

Binoculars: Although the naked eye is typically best for meteor showers, binoculars can help you pick out faint meteors and dimmer tails that you can't usually see. Plus, while you're waiting, you can check out other favorite nighttime targets like star clusters, planets and the Milky Way with a pair of 10x42s. As it's one of the more prominent showers, however, binoculars — which often struggle to keep up — aren't a necessity.

While full-frame cameras dominate the conversation for astrophotography, many APS-C and Micro Four Thirds (MFT) systems punch far above their weight, and the smaller sensor sizes mean they’re lighter to carry when out and about. Despite their small size, some models can certainly compete with the best cameras for astrophotography.

Choosing the right APS-C or Micro Four Thirds camera for astrophotography is less about headline specs and more about understanding how you shoot at night and what you want to get out of your images. Sensor size plays a role: APS-C generally offers cleaner high-ISO performance than Micro Four Thirds, but stability, usability and lens choice matter just as much. Plus, they're often more affordable than full-frame models, making them a good choice as a beginner astrophotography camera.

Here are some standout APS-C and MFT bodies for astrophotography, each with its strengths depending on your priorities.

The quick list

The best APS-C and Micro Four Thirds cameras for astrophotography we recommend in 2026

Best overall

Sony’s A6700 brings the benefits of a modern APS-C back-illuminated sensor and refined handling into a body that’s versatile and happy to take on a range of different types of photography. The 26-megapixel BSI sensor delivers low noise at high ISO, which is critical for night sky work, especially if you’re shooting wide panoramas where dynamic range and clean shadows matter. Built-in 5-axis IBIS (stabilization) is a boon for those “between” shots that can be accomplished handheld, such as twilight landscapes or moments when you’re switching between tripod and handheld work.

From an ergonomics perspective, the user interface and menus are comfortable to navigate in the dark, and the electronic viewfinder makes focusing on bright stars a breeze with focus magnification. It’s also nice to see a vari-angled touchscreen, which is a great addition if you’re pointing your camera at the night sky but still want a good handle on your settings. While there’s no dedicated astrophotography mode or built-in tracking, the overall imaging performance and flexibility make this camera a high-value choice if you want great star photos plus everyday photography in one body.

• Read the full Sony A6700 review on our sister site Space.com

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Best for deep-sky

Canon’s EOS R7 sets itself apart primarily through its 32.5-megapixel sensor, which gives you lots of headroom when cropping into star fields or capturing large panoramas without losing fine detail. The high pixel count means you can isolate constellations or nebula regions while retaining enough resolution for prints or tight crops. If you’re adamant about printing large reproductions of your photos, this is the setup we’d investigate. The stabilization here is also noteworthy: when paired with compatible RF-S or RF lenses, Canon quotes up to eight stops of correction.

Autofocus performance, especially Canon’s Dual Pixel system, isn’t usually top of the list for astrophotography, but as a strong everyday shooter, it works well. High pixel density demands precise focus, as tiny errors in focus show up quickly in star images. Also, a quick word on ergonomics — Canon’s dial and joystick system isn’t for everyone, and we also don’t love the fact that it does away with a top dial, which means navigating different modes can be tricky. Perhaps not a dealbreaker for night sky photographers, but some may find it annoying in day-to-day life.

While we awarded it an impressive 5 stars in our full Canon EOS R7 review, it's worth noting that Canon's wide-angle lens lineup is extremely limited, making it a tricky purchase if you're solely focused on wide-angle astrophotography. If, however, you're a deep-sky enthusiast and want to take advantage of the extra reach from the 1.6x crop factor on a full-frame long telephoto lens, the R7 is well worth it.

• Read our full Canon EOS R7 review

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Best battery life

The Fujifilm X-S20 quietly ticks all the boxes for astrophotography and more. Its APS-C X-Trans sensor captures clean, detailed night skies, and its excellent battery life, with an estimated 800 shots per charge, means you can comfortably plan lengthy night sessions without constantly swapping power packs. A real plus when you’re out in the wild, away from mains chargers.

Fujifilm’s renowned color processing also means more pleasing base files to work with, which is great if you like to share astrophotography without heavy post-processing. Its aesthetic might not be for everyone, and Fujifilm’s color science has a distinctive look that won’t suit every astrophotographer straight out of the camera.

Fuji’s lens lineup, especially the fast, wide primes that are ideal for astrophotography, can be more expensive than those of its rivals, so budget carefully for glass. If you’ve already partially invested in a different lens ecosystem, we’d perhaps recommend looking elsewhere, as you might find yourself reaching a dead end quite quickly in terms of availability and finance.

Generally, though, there’s a lot to recommend this option, and we especially like the crisp, limited noise images and how the camera deals with low-light scenarios across the board.

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Best for enthusiasts

The Nikon Z fc won plenty of attention for its retro styling, but beneath the classic dials lies a modern APS-C mirrorless camera that can handle most of what an astrophotographer can throw at it. It’s a small camera and its 20.9-megapixel sensor won’t match some of its rivals for sheer dynamic range or noise control at very high ISOs, but it’s plenty capable for a range of different nightscapes.

There is a trade-off to be had in the lack of in-body stabilization. Most modern astrophotographers work primarily with a sturdy tripod for long exposures anyway, so the absence of IBIS isn’t a dealbreaker, but it does remove the flexibility for handheld low-light frames that other cameras in this guide offer. Adding to that, there’s nothing in the way of a grip or any other ergonomics that make it easy to use in the dark. It’s a small device and it can sometimes be a bit clumsy to operate. It’s also worth doing your research on lenses, too — Z-mount lenses can be found, but there are fewer on the market than with other systems.

Where the Z fc shines is in its handling experience. If you love physical dials and control layouts, and a design that invites you out shooting, this camera is rewarding and fun to use. Just be prepared to pair it with fast glass if you take astrophotography seriously, and be aware of its relative lack of weatherproofing compared to other options.

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Best entry-level APS-C

With a 20.9-megapixel APS-C sensor and classic Nikon color science, the Nikon Z50 is an excellent starting point for budding dark sky photographers, and it sits at an appealing price point, too. It produces images with good detail and noise performance when used on a stable tripod for long exposures, and for Milky Way and landscape astrophotography, it does the job well, especially when paired with a fast, wide prime. It’s worth noting that it doesn’t ship with any form of stabilization, which could be a factor if you plan on doing handheld low-light work.

One of its biggest advantages is value for money, and this lets you invest more in lenses or support accessories like tripods and star trackers. For beginners or those building their first astrophotography kit, we think that this balance between performance and affordability makes it a very good entry point.

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Best astro features

The OM-5 Mark II is one of the most practical cameras for astrophotographers who like to step into the backcountry. Its weather-sealed body and impressive stabilization (quoted up to 7.5 stops) mean you can confidently shoot in all conditions.

Micro Four Thirds sensors don’t compete directly with APS-C for high-ISO noise performance, but the OM-5 makes up for it with portability and handling. Compact wide-angle lenses are among the smallest and lightest available, letting you carry a complete astro kit without weighing you down too much. We’d have liked to see a double SD card slot and slightly better battery life (it’s rated for about 310 shots per charge), but the size and lack of weight of the camera mean its strong suit is portability

For astrophotographers who value flexibility and enjoy travel photography too, this is a great option — the OM-5 Mark II strikes a superb balance between performance and real-world practicality. Plus, it has Live Composite, Starry Sky Autofocus and a Night Vision mode, all of which are fantastic for astrophotographers.

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Best for handheld low-light work

The Panasonic Lumix G9 II is the brand’s flagship Micro Four Thirds body on the market now. With a 25.2MP sensor and excellent IBIS (up to eight stops), it handles night sky shooting and everyday photography with equal confidence.

Combine excellent resolution and color rendition with advanced autofocus and excellent usability, and you get a camera that feels more modern across the board than many rivals.

The body is larger than some compact options we’ve listed here, but that can be a plus at night as more substantial cameras often balance better on tripods and feel more secure under gloves and in poor weather.

If you want one MFT camera that handles astrophotography, landscapes, wildlife, timelapse and video without compromise, the G9 II should be right at the top of your list.

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Best for video

The Panasonic GH6 is a powerhouse for astrophotographers who think in both stills and motion. It has a high-resolution sensor and plenty of rich video options, including 5.7K and 4K 10-bit shooting, making it ideal for night timelapses, astro documentaries and immersive night footage. If you’re a content creator or like to combine stills and video, we’d look no further than this.

While its body is larger and more complex than many stills-focused MFT models, this is precisely why creators who shoot motion love it: you don’t have to compromise on either side of your workflow. For astrophotography stills, the sensor delivers enough detail, and for video, it provides superb dynamic range and color depth, as well as internal recording in Apple ProRes 422 HQ and 422, pre-installed V-Log/V-Gamut and 13+ stops of dynamic range via Dynamic Range Boost.

If part of your astro process includes long night timelapses, behind-the-scenes night videos or content creation alongside still images, the GH6 is one of the most compelling cameras on offer today.

• Read our full review of its successor, the Panasonic Lumix GH7

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Best budget used model

Although it uses slightly older tech now, this remains a strong astrophotography option thanks to its excellent stabilization and handling. Its 20.1MP sensor isn’t the latest available from OM System (formerly Olympus), but the combination of a good choice of sharp lenses and in-body correction makes it comfortable to use both on tripods for long exposures and handheld for dawn/dusk scenarios.

We also like the body’s ergonomic design, and its excellent weather sealing gives you confidence if you often shoot in the wild — a frequent reality at dark sky locations. The reliability and build quality are why many outdoor photographers still choose this model long after its release, and we’d be happy to forgo the latest tech in favor of great performance when on location.

Plus, with OM System's 'Starry Sky Autofocus' up its sleeve, you don't have to worry about ending up with blurry, out-of-focus stars. We tested this feature out when we reviewed the OM-1 Mark II, and we found it to be surprisingly effective. Plus, Live Composite shooting enables you to effortlessly create star trail images.

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Best APS-C and MFT cameras for astrophotography: comparison

Best APS-C and MFT cameras for astrophotography: Frequently Asked Questions

Latest updates

How we test

We test astrophotography cameras by focusing on the factors that matter most in low-light shooting. That includes high ISO noise performance, dynamic range in dark scenes and how well the sensor retains color and details in shadows.

We also assess long-exposure reliability, heat management during extended shooting sessions and in-camera features that either help or hinder astrophotography.

Handling is equally important. We consider the ergonomics in cold conditions, menu clarity in the dark, battery life and lens compatibility, which is particularly important with APS-C and MFT cameras.

The bright stars and constellations that dominate the night sky around the turn of the year are much-loved, from Orion and its spectacular M42 nebula, super-bright Sirius and the Pleiades open cluster. However, all of these jewels exist in the Orion Spur of the Milky Way — the same spiral arm that our own solar system calls home. But as the sky turns and the stars of March rise in the east, they bring with them a clear view away from the Milky Way — and into the realm of the galaxies.

While there are galaxies visible across the night sky, there’s a dense concentration within (though, ultimately, behind) the constellations of Leo, Virgo and Coma Berenices. Add Canes Venatici and Ursa Major nearby in the northern sky, and the scene is set for galaxy season — when all you need is one of the best telescopes or best beginner telescopes, observing when your target is 30 degrees or more above the horizon. Or you can invest in one of the best smart telescopes to see these faint yet spectacular targets in real-time images sent straight to your smartphone.

From a string of galaxies and distant spirals to edge-on views and more, here’s everything you need to know about galaxy season — the best targets, the best time to see them and what kind of optics you’ll need.

1. Whirlpool Galaxy (M51 and NGC 5195)

31 million light-years from the Milky Way, M51 in Canes Venatici is a great example of a faint galaxy (magnitude 8.4) that’s accessible in modest apertures, but truly shines in larger scopes. It looks spectacular in the best smart telescopes. For example, train the ZWO Seestar S50 smart telescope on it, and you’ll get a clear view of this grand-design spiral galaxy popping up on your smartphone after just a few seconds. You’ll immediately see its face-on spiral structure — it was the first to be classified as a spiral galaxy — but if you have the patience for some more image integration, you’ll also see the tiny galaxy NGC 5195, which sits at the end of one of M51’s spiral arms.

2. Bode’s Galaxy and the Cigar Galaxy (M81 and M82)

These two neighboring galaxies in Ursa Major are icons of the northern night sky. Best observed in spring, Bode's Galaxy (M81, a spiral galaxy at magnitude 6.94) and the Cigar Galaxy (M82, a starburst galaxy at magnitude 8.41) are typically observed and photographed together. As a bonus, they’re a great target for beginners, with a 660 mm focal length refractor — such as the Celestron Inspire 100AZ — enough to give you a glimpse under dark skies.

3. Pinwheel Galaxy (M101)

Large but low in surface brightness, M101’s sprawling arms demand dark skies. The Vaonis Vespera II smart telescope excels at automatically stacking faint deep-sky targets, even in light-polluted areas. If you want to get a little more serious, the Celestron Advanced VX 8 Edge HD is well-suited to teasing out faint structure when paired with a DSLR or dedicated astro-camera for stacked exposures.

4. Leo Triplet (M65, M66 and NGC 3628)

For any observer dusting off a telescope or astrophotography rig to glimpse seasonal deep-sky objects, the Leo Triplet is always near the top of the list. Visible below the belly of Leo, the Lion, it’s a unique opportunity to get three galaxies in one frame. The Celestron Origin Intelligent Home Observatory produces sharp, colorful deep-sky images with minimal set-up, making it ideal for capturing the full trio in a single composition.

5. The Whale and the Hockey Stick (NGC 4631 and NGC 4656)

Here’s an elongated, edge-on spiral in the constellation Canes Venatici that resembles a breaching whale (NGC 4631), with a flatter-looking galaxy (NGC 4656) close by to add interest. The Celestron NexStar Evolution 9.25 provides the aperture needed to show its stretched profile, while the Unistellar eVscope 2 will stack images to reveal structure even from suburban skies — though you will need to let it do its thing for at least an hour.

6. Markarian’s Chain and the Virgo Cluster

Found on the border between the constellations Virgo and Coma Berenices, this cluster of a dozen or so galaxies seemingly on a string spans about 1.5 degrees of the night sky — a little more than the width of your little finger at arm’s length. The brightest are M84 and M86, while the Eyes Galaxies (NGC 4435 and NGC 4438) are seemingly linked, interacting galaxies. The Skywatcher Evostar 80ED is a good choice for both observing and astrophotography, the latter when paired with a dedicated astro-camera.

7. Sombrero Galaxy (M104)

About 28 million light-years from the Milky Way in the Virgo constellation, we see this iconic galaxy almost edge-on, with noticeable starlight from its core. It’s best seen in May, with a small telescope like the Celestron NexStar 127SLT, which delivers crisp, high-contrast views of its luminous central bulge.

The ‘Messier Marathon’

Galaxy season is also when to try the annual Messier Marathon — an intense, dusk-to-dawn observing challenge. The aim is to locate as many of the 110 deep-sky objects in 18th-century French astronomer Charles Messier’s catalog as possible in a single night. Many of the galaxies listed above — from M51 to M104 — are essential stops along the way.

Something of a rite of passage for amateur astronomers, the sweet spot typically falls between mid-March and early April, with the best weekends in 2026 being March 14-15 and March 21-22. Observers begin in the west with views of M74, M77, M33 and M31 (the Andromeda Galaxy) before they set, and work east towards the Virgo Cluster, finishing in the east before dawn. A GoTo or smart telescope will make the task much easier and quicker, but for purists, it’s a great opportunity to get to know your telescope and the night sky.

More magnification means better views, right? That’s the received wisdom among buyers of beginner’s telescopes, and it’s easy to see why. Telescope packaging often shouts about “300x power” as if bigger numbers automatically guarantee sharper, more dramatic sights. It’s an appealing idea: more zoom equals more detail. The reality, though, is way more nuanced.

Many beginners assume that cranking up the magnification will unlock breathtaking close-ups of planets and craters, but in practice, the opposite is often true — even in the very best telescopes. Chasing high magnification too soon can lead to dim, blurry, shaky views. Understanding what really determines image quality — and why prioritizing quality eyepieces typically produces better results — is the difference between frustration and a genuinely awe-inspiring first look at the night sky.

This guide breaks down how telescope magnification and eyepieces really work, why aperture matters more than raw power, and how to choose eyepieces without overspending or overcomplicating things.

Telescope magnification explained

If anyone tries to tell you that one telescope is more powerful than another, walk away. A telescope is powerful for three reasons, the most important of which are aperture (how much light it lets in) and resolution (limited by aperture and by atmospheric turbulence). The least important is magnification — how much larger an object appears through your telescope compared to the naked eye — and yet this is the number almost everyone prioritizes.

Magnification is the focal length of a telescope (the distance from the primary lens or mirror to where light is focused — the focal plane) divided by the focal length of an eyepiece (the distance from the lens to the focal plane), so it’s not a fixed number; it changes depending on which eyepiece you use.

For example, a refractor telescope with a 4-inch aperture and a 900 mm focal length, used with 20 mm and 10 mm eyepieces (standard issue with telescopes), yields 45x and 90x magnification, respectively. You use the wider field-of-view eyepiece (20 mm) to find the objects, then switch to the 10 mm eyepiece to take a closer look — and hope the air is still (known as “good seeing” to amateur astronomers).

Why bigger isn’t always better

It’s tempting to chase higher magnification, but doing so comes at a cost. Switching from, say, 20 mm to 10 mm results in a dimmer image because the same amount of light is now spread over a larger area. Any atmospheric turbulence also becomes much more noticeable, often making the view blurry or unstable.

Magnification is limited by the physical design of a telescope, which can only magnify what its optics and aperture can resolve. According to Sky & Telescope, “a telescope’s maximum useful magnification is twice its aperture in millimeters, or 50 times its aperture in inches”. So for a 4-inch/102 mm telescope, around 200x is as far as you’re going to get — and that’s with good seeing. If you try to go beyond this limit, you’re not seeing more detail; you’re just enlarging a fuzzy image.

Understanding aperture

While magnification affects how large things appear, a telescope’s aperture will determine how well an object can be seen. The diameter of a telescope’s main lens or mirror — the aperture — establishes how much light your telescope can collect.

A larger aperture gathers more light, resulting in brighter images, greater detail, and the ability to detect fainter objects such as galaxies, nebulae and distant star clusters. This is why experienced stargazers often recommend focusing on aperture, not magnification, when choosing a telescope — and it’s also why physically larger telescopes will generally allow bigger, brighter views of faint objects.

Magnification may let you zoom in on something, but it’s the aperture that decides whether that zoomed-in view is sharp, detailed and, essentially, worth looking at.

Understanding eyepieces

Eyepieces are essential gear for a telescope owner. They attach to a telescope’s focuser and determine its magnification. Switching between eyepieces is how you zoom in or out — but which one is best?

Once you have a telescope and know its focal length, you can calculate the range of eyepieces worth considering. When you buy an entry-level telescope, you’ll typically get two eyepieces: one with a focal length of 20 or 25 mm, and one with a focal length of 10 mm. Sometimes you’ll also get a Barlow lens, an accessory that usually doubles the power of any eyepiece. Mostly, anything in the box is very basic and should be upgraded in the medium term. However, many telescopes come with no eyepieces included.

The higher the focal length, the wider, lower-magnification and brighter view you’ll get. Longer focal-length eyepieces are ideal for finding and centering objects in a telescope’s field of view. Then you can switch to a shorter focal-length eyepiece, which will produce a narrower, higher-magnification and usually dimmer view.

Choosing the right eyepiece

The best eyepiece does not exist. Which is best for you depends entirely on what you want to observe.

If you’re interested in the moon and planets, shorter focal lengths (typically 5–10 mm) will give you the close-up views you want. For galaxies, star clusters, and nebulae, longer focal-length eyepieces — such as 20 mm or even 30 mm — provide a wider, brighter view that’s ideal for deep-sky observing. That’s because objects differ in brightness and apparent size. For example, a 6 mm eyepiece may give you a close-up of a double star, but it will show only the center of the Andromeda Galaxy, which requires a low-power eyepiece, such as 20 mm.

As a general rule, it’s smart to start with two or three eyepieces that give you low, medium and high magnification options — and it’s likely the mid-range eyepiece, around 20 mm, that you’ll use the most.

Barlow lenses explained

A Barlow lens is an easy way to upgrade the performance of any eyepiece by effectively changing the telescope's focal length. An accessory that goes between a telescope’s focuser and eyepiece, it increases the magnification of any eyepiece you use with it, usually by 2x or 3x. This means that a 10 mm eyepiece with a 2x Barlow will behave like a 5 mm eyepiece, allowing you to reach higher magnifications without buying more eyepieces.

However, while Barlow lenses can be a great value, you always get what you pay for. A good quality Barlow can effectively double your eyepiece collection, but a poor quality product will merely amplify the negatives associated with high magnification — such as a narrower field of view, dimmer images and a tendency to make poor atmospheric conditions seem even worse.

Dos and don’ts when buying eyepieces

Here are some dos and don’ts when buying eyepieces for your new telescope:

• One great eyepiece is better than 10 poor ones, so avoid large sets of eyepieces — they're overkill and likely to be of only average optical quality.

• Don’t go straight to high-magnification eyepieces. If the view is blurry or dim, it may well be the “seeing” — astro-speak for a turbulent upper atmosphere — rather than the eyepiece. Besides, there’s only so much magnification a telescope can handle.

• Whichever eyepiece you are using, large reflector telescopes (such as a Dobsonian) should be left outside for about an hour before you use them. This will allow them to cool down, which will mean sharper views.

• Choose an eyepiece that’s comfortable to use and has plenty of eye relief (the distance your eye can be from the lens), particularly if you wear glasses.

• A good way to try out eyepieces is to attend a star party organized by your local astronomy club or society.

Amazon's Spring Sale is now fully underway, and it's actually...really good!? After a relatively dry Black Friday and Prime Day last year, we are pleasantly surprised to see many of our stargazing favorites offering genuine discounts, with some of them being the cheapest we've seen in a long time. So far, it's mostly telescopes and binoculars, although we expect to see cameras and lenses discounted later on in the sale. The Spring Sale finishes at 23:59 ET on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, but we'll be keeping track of the best stargazing deals on telescopes, smart telescopes, binoculars, cameras and lenses to bring you the very best prices.

Just because the nights are getting shorter, there's still much to see in the night sky. The April Lyrids, August Perseids, Milky Way and the total solar eclipse on August 12 are all great reasons to buy new gear while it's discounted. But if you're more into observing wildlife than exploring space, head over to our Amazon Spring Sale: Wildlife Edition deals hub for more savings.

Plus, if you sign up to Nord VPN, you can get up to 77% off their plan prices, and you'll also get either a $20, $40 or $50 Amazon gift card, depending on the package you get. A very convenient deal if you're planning on taking advantage of the Amazon Spring Sale.

• 🔭 Amazon Spring Sale: Save on stargazing gear
• 🔎 Best Buy deals: $$'s off our favorite stargazing equipment
• 🌙 Walmart rollbacks: Save on cameras, binoculars and telescopes
• ✨ B&H deal zone: Early deals on stargazing gear
• 🪐 Adorama deals & specials: Our favorite stargazing equipment discounted

Spring Sale Telescope Deals

• The best deals on the best telescopes, best beginner telescopes, best smart telescopes, best telescopes for kids and best small telescopes.

Spring sale binocular deals

• The best deals on the best binoculars, best binoculars for stargazing, best compact binoculars, best image-stabilized binoculars and best binoculars for kids.

Spring sale camera deals

• The best deals on the best astrophotography cameras, best beginner astrophotography cameras, best cameras and best beginner cameras.

Amazon's Spring Sale is now fully underway, and the deals so far have genuinely impressed us. We've found tons of legitimate deals on binoculars and spotting scopes, some of which are cheaper than we've seen in a long time. The sale ends at 23:59 ET on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, so this is the perfect time to get your hands on some wildlife observation equipment while the prices are low. So far, the best deals are on binoculars and spotting scopes, and we are expecting there to be more cameras and lens deals later on as the sale progresses.

If you're more keen on stargazing, we've searched the internet for all the best deals (which, again, are surprisingly good) on telescopes, astronomy binoculars and astrophotography cameras over in our Amazon spring sale stargazing deals hub.

What's more, Nord VPN is currently giving away $20, $40 and $50 Amazon vouchers when you sign up to one of their packages (where you can also save up to 77%) — a great way to protect yourself online and get even more money off in the Amazon Spring Sale.

• 🦅 Amazon Spring Sale: Save on wildlife observation equipment
• 🦉 Best Buy deals: Our favorite binoculars and cameras discounted
• 🐋 Walmart rollbacks: $$'s off the best wildlife gear
• 🦋 B&H deal zone: Save big on binoculars and cameras
• 🦌 Adorama deals & specials: Binoculars and cameras discounted

Spring sale binocular deals

• The best deals on the best binoculars, best binoculars for bird-watching, best compact binoculars, best image-stabilized binoculars and best binoculars for kids.

Spring sale spotting scope deals

• The best deals on the best spotting scopes

Spring sale camera deals

• The best deals on the best cameras for wildlife photography, best beginner wildlife cameras, best cameras and best beginner cameras.

Spring sale lens deals

• The best deals on the best lenses for wildlife photography, best wildlife lenses under $1,000 and best macro lenses.

Most amateur astronomers, and even people with only a casual interest in stargazing, have heard of smart telescopes or “smartscopes” — small-aperture robotic telescopes that take images of sky objects with little human intervention. Smartscope users view the astrophotos they capture on smart devices, phones or tablets; there is no eyepiece for visual observing.

The ZWO SeeStar S50 is a small, all-in-one smart telescope that aims to take the stress out of deep-sky astrophotography. Made by ZWO, it combines the optics, tracking mount and camera into a single, portable unit that's controlled through an app. Astrophotos only used to be made possible by mounting your astrophotography camera onto a telescope, but smart telescopes, like the SeeStar 50, make astrophotography easy and accessible for anyone.

ZWO SeeStar S50 review

ZWO SeeStar S50: Design

• A compact and lightweight package is ideal for travel
• Works in either alt-azimuth or equatorial mode
• Everything is controlled via the accompanying app

The SeeStar S50 smartscope is an apochromatic (color-free) refractor with an aperture of 50 mm and a focal length of 250 mm. The heart of the S50 is its built-in camera, which features a Sony IMX462 2.1-megapixel, 1920 x 1080 color sensor that is well-matched to the SeeStar’s 0.73 x 1.3-degree field of view. There is 64GB of internal memory for storing astrophotos. Like other smartscopes, the S50 takes multiple short exposures and stacks them into finished astrophotos.

The S50’s features include GoTo and tracking motors that can work in either altazimuth or equatorial mode, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support. It has a built-in light pollution reduction (LPR) filter for imaging from light-polluted locations. There’s even an internal dew heater to keep the optics clear on damp nights. All this comes in a compact, lightweight package weighing 5.5 pounds (2.5 kilograms) and measuring 5.6 x 5.1 x 10.1 inches (142.5 x 130 x 257 millimeters).

When a new owner opens the SeeStar box, the first item they'll encounter is a carrying case. Though it’s made of a Styrofoam-like material, it holds up well. Inside is the black, plastic-bodied S50, which looks more like a coffee maker than a telescope. Also in the case is a carbon fiber tabletop tripod. It only raises the telescope 14 inches (355 mm) off the ground, but is usable. Finally, there’s a USB charging cable, a press-in solar filter and a brief instruction pamphlet.

Unlike conventional computerized telescopes, the S50 has no hand control. Everything is done from a phone or tablet, so the first step in getting it ready to take astrophotos is downloading the free SeeStar app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. There is no PC version, but the app will run on newer Apple computers with M-type processors.

ZWO SeeStar S50: Performance

• App has easy-to-follow instructions
• "Tonight's Best" offers a simple way to locate objects
• Bright objects like M42 are easy to see with brief exposures

The S50 doesn’t need much in the way of a manual, because the app has step-by-step instructions and tutorials. Turn on the SeeStar by holding down the power button until the scope beeps twice, then release the button. When this talking scope announces, “Power on, ready to connect,” open the app and follow its instructions.

The SeeStar app offers several ways to select targets, including by selecting from a list of Tonight’s Best. An easy way to locate other objects is by using the built-in and comprehensive star atlas, which is accessed by tapping the SkyAtlas icon at the bottom of the home screen. To image the Orion Nebula, M42, for example, select “Object” and enter “M42” in the atlas search field.

After the nebula is on the atlas screen, pressing “go-to” sends the SeeStar to M42. When the telescope arrives at its destination, it takes images of the star field and compares them to charts in its memory (“plate-solving”) to ensure it’s on the correct spot. It is quite accurate.

Next, the app shifts to a “live” camera display and autofocuses. A bright object like M42 is easy to see in the brief exposures. After the telescope has focused, tapping the red “shutter” button at the bottom of the screen starts it taking 10-second exposures (the default). The target object will begin to “develop” as exposures are added together.

In less than a minute, the SeeStar can produce a color image of the Orion Nebula that shows far more detail than can be seen visually in large telescopes.

ZWO SeeStar S50: Functionality

• Connection via Bluetooth and WiFi
• App can feel overwhelming at first, but you soon learn the ropes
• Can be connected to your home network

The first time the S50 is used, it must be paired to your smart device with Bluetooth. Once Bluetooth is active, the scope will connect directly to the phone or tablet with Wi-Fi. The next time the SeeStar is used, Bluetooth will not be required.

At first, the SeeStar app seems overwhelming, with many selections and options in unintuitive places. However, with a little experience, the process of taking astrophotos becomes easier. It would help if ZWO didn’t keep changing the app to the point where it frequently needs to be relearned. However, the telescope’s outstanding pictures are worth a little practice. The SeeStar itself is remarkably problem-free for such a relatively inexpensive instrument.

This direct Wi-Fi connection works well and is handy for use at dark sites. At home, however, it’s best to use “Station Mode.” That allows the telescope to connect to a home network instead of directly to a phone or tablet. In Station Mode, your smart device can be used as normal and doesn’t need to remain close to the scope.

Should you buy the ZWO SeeStar S50?

Is ZWO’s SeeStar S50 perfect? Of course not, no telescope is; there are a few problems. The major one is that ZWO updates the SeeStar app so frequently. While adding new features is great, bugs — sometimes serious ones — are often introduced as well.

The SeeStar produces impressive out-of-the-box results in altazimuth mode, but 10-second exposures (the scope can expose for as long as 60 seconds) are practically mandatory. Going to 20 seconds, which produces less noisy pictures, results in dropped frames and trailed stars. There is a solution, however: equatorial or “EQ” mode.

In EQ mode, the SeeStar is tilted over so its body points roughly at the north (or south) celestial pole. The app includes a built-in routine that allows the S50 to be precisely polar-aligned. Using EQ mode requires the purchase of additional gear, however: either a full-sized camera tripod with a tiltable head, or one of the equatorial wedges sold for the SeeStar. Under most conditions, EQ mode produces markedly superior pictures.

Who is the SeeStar specifically not for? Those who are most interested in the moon and planets. While it can produce nice whole-disk images of the sun (with the included solar filter) and the moon, planets will look very small with only 250 mm of telescope focal length.

If this product isn't for you

For anyone who enjoys hiking, birdwatching or just exploring the great outdoors, finding the best compact binoculars can make all the difference between a fleeting glance and a truly immersive view. Compact models like the Hawke Endurance ED 8x25 are designed to be lightweight and portable, yet still provide the sharp, detailed images that larger binoculars are known for. While they won’t replace a full-size optic for extended wildlife observation, they hit the sweet spot for convenience, versatility and ease of use — and they’re excellent value for money.

Despite their small size, these binoculars can deliver surprisingly capable performance in everyday situations. Whether you’re scanning the treetops for birds, following fast-moving wildlife or simply taking in a scenic landscape, they show why a well-designed compact can be a serious contender when looking for the best binoculars. Lightweight, easy to carry and ready at a moment’s notice, they make it simple to enjoy nature without compromise.

Hawke Endurance ED 8x25 review

Hawke Endurance ED 8x25: Design

• Very lightweight
• Compact folding design
• Waterproof and fogproof

The Hawke Endurance ED 8x25 binoculars are clearly built with portability and convenience in mind. They use a compact dual-hinge system that folds down small enough to easily fit into a coat pocket, making them perfect to carry around on walks or day trips where full-size binoculars might feel like overkill.

At 10.9 ounces (310 grams), they’re light enough to forget you’re carrying them, but they still feel solid rather than toy-like, thanks to the magnesium alloy chassis. In the hand, they feel light but not flimsy, and the hinges have a decent amount of tension, so they stay in place once you’ve set the interpupillary distance.

The rubber armor gives the binoculars a slightly textured grip that feels secure, even with gloves or in damp conditions. The finish isn’t overly premium-looking, but it feels practical and tough enough for regular use. The focus wheel turns smoothly and sits centrally, although the compact body does mean your fingers could feel a little cramped if you have large hands.

The twist-up eyecups click into place firmly, with three viewing positions, which is helpful for glasses wearers, and the overall build feels sturdy considering the small size. They’re also waterproof and nitrogen-filled, so they can handle wet weather. Overall, the design feels well thought out — simple, functional and built for people who want something that’s lightweight without feeling disposable and cheap.

Hawke Endurance ED 8x25: Performance

• ED glass ensures minimal chromatic aberration
• Sharp views in the center of the frame
• 25 mm is not optimal for low-light viewing

In real-world use, the Hawke Endurance ED 8x25 delivers solid optical performance, especially for such a compact binocular, with a view that is bright enough for daytime wildlife observation, birdwatching and general outdoor use. In good light, images look sharp through most of the frame (though mainly in the center), with decent contrast and natural-looking colors that don’t feel overly saturated.

The ED glass helps keep color fringing under control, although you’ll still notice a little around branches or bright highlights if you’re paying close attention. We enjoyed viewing robins, goldfinches and blue tits in excellent detail, with any color fringing occurring mainly on the slim tree branches.

The image is generally clear and pleasing to the eye, but like most 25 mm compact binoculars, performance drops a little as light levels fall — which is to be expected. During overcast afternoons or in shaded woodland, the view isn’t as bright or forgiving as a larger 8x32 or 8x42 model, which is the trade-off for the smaller, more compact size. That said, detail remains good for casual birdwatching or scanning landscapes, and the 8x magnification feels steady enough to use without noticeable hand shake.

However, we were out with the binoculars after dark, and when we pointed them skywards, we were surprised by how capable they were for casual stargazing. The waxing gibbous moon looked crisp and detailed, and we could even pick out the Pleiades despite their close proximity to the glare from the moon. We couldn’t make out finer details like Saturn’s rings or Jupiter’s moons when we tested them, but that’s hardly surprising with a pair of 8x25s. They’re not going to replace a proper astro setup, but for something this compact, they’re still perfectly enjoyable under the stars.

The sharpness softens towards the edges of the frame, but not enough to distract during normal use. Overall, the optical quality is reliable and surprisingly good for a compact binocular. You can enjoy the view without being limited by the small size, which is exactly what you want from a compact model.

Hawke Endurance ED 8x25: Functionality

• Wide field of view for a compact binocular
• Limited 13 mm eye relief
• Excellent for grab-and-go use

In everyday use, the Hawke Endurance ED 8x25 feels straightforward and largely fuss-free. The 356 foot (119 m) field of view feels wide enough for a compact binocular, making it easy to track moving subjects without constant repositioning. Focus changes are quick, so shifting from nearby details to distant subjects doesn’t feel awkward, and the 6.6-foot (2 m)close focusing distance adds flexibility for viewing insects or plants at close range.

They use high-resolution phase-corrected prism coatings, which help maintain clarity and definition. Eye placement is fairly forgiving for a compact model, although the 3.1 mm exit pupil takes a moment to settle into the right viewing position when bringing the binoculars up quickly.

Eye relief is more of a compromise. At just 13 mm, it’s a little short for glasses wearers, so some users may struggle to see the full field of view without careful positioning. It’s workable for short observations, but not especially generous compared with larger models.

Overall, the functionality feels practical rather than feature-packed. Everything works as expected, with no fuss or fiddling involved, which suits the grab-and-go nature of a compact binocular designed for quick, casual use in the field.

Should you buy the Hawke Endurance ED 8x25?

If you’re after a truly portable pair of binoculars that you won’t mind carrying everywhere, the Hawke Endurance ED 8x25 is worth considering. It doesn’t deliver the absolute best optical performance you’ll find — especially once light levels drop — but in normal daylight, it gives clear, sharp views with a generous field of view that feels easy to live with on walks or short outings. The build and handling are practical rather than premium, yet the overall experience feels solid and dependable — we’d certainly invest in a pair.

That said, they’re not perfect. The 13 mm eye relief is a little short for anyone who wears glasses, and the limits of the smaller objective lenses will become apparent if you spend a lot of time observing at dawn, at dusk or in shaded woodland. For many users, though, those are acceptable compromises for a binocular this lightweight and easy to carry. If you value convenience and simplicity, and don’t need pro-level performance, this is a sensible compact option that won’t let you down.

If this product isn't for you

The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 5-inch Schmidt Cassegrain telescope is one of the most compelling beginner-friendly telescopes on the market — and with the total lunar eclipse happening on March 3, 2026, it's an ideal choice for anyone wanting dramatic views of the moon beyond what astronomy binoculars can offer. Plus, it's now the cheapest it's been since before Black Friday, so it's worth taking advantage of this deal now so you can make the most of the blood moon eclipse.

Get the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 5-inch Schmidt Cassegrain telescope for $479.97 at Amazon right now. Don't forget to add the coupon at checkout.

Its 5-inch aperture and long 1,250mm focal length deliver bright, high-contrast views with plenty of detail on the moon's craters and surface features. The included 25mm and 10mm eyepieces give a good range for moderate (50x) to strong (125x) magnification for both wide and more detailed lunar viewing — although for even better views, we'd recommend upgrading the eyepieces.

The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 5-inch Schmidt Cassegrain telescope arrives ready to observe straight out of the box with everything you need to get started. In this deal, you get the optical tube, a tripod with accessory tray, a dual-axis alt-azimuth mount, two eyepieces (25mm and 10mm), a red-dot finderscope and erect image diagonal.

This telescope also comes with a StarSense smartphone dock. Once your phone is in place and the StarSense Explorer app is fired up, it determines exactly where the telescope is pointing and guides you to celestial objects with on-screen arrows, showing a green bullseye when you're perfectly aligned. This system is perfect for beginners who might not yet know their way around the night sky, and ideal for a quick setup if you want to catch the total lunar eclipse on March 3.

Key features: 5-inch (125mm) aperture, 1,250mm focal length, f/10 focal ratio, total kit weight 14.6 pounds (6.62 kg), includes 25mm and 10mm eyepieces.

Product launched: 2021.

Price history: This is almost the lowest price we've seen it. Last November, it went down to $475 before Black Friday, and it usually retails for around $579.99.

Price comparison: Amazon: $479.97 | B&H: $579.99 | Adorama: $579.99

Reviews consensus: We haven't tested this specific model, but we love Celestron as a reliable telescope brand that consistently delivers excellent quality optics that are user-friendly and good value for money. Amazon users rate this telescope 4.1 out of 5 stars.

✅ Buy it if: You're a beginner wanting to invest in a decent first telescope that you won't get bored with after a few uses.

❌ Don't buy it if: You're a seasoned astronomer and want to observe faint deep-sky objects and resolve fine planetary details.

March is a great month to step outside and look up. As winter gives way to spring, the night sky offers a mix of bright planets, seasonal star patterns and easy-to-spot deep-sky targets — ideal whether you’re a casual observer or are hoping to capture some stunning astro images. The standout event is the total lunar eclipse on March 3, when the full moon passes through Earth’s shadow and turns a deep red, creating one of the most photogenic sights of the year.

It’s also a month that highlights how the right gear can transform your view. Big astronomy binoculars reveal surprising lunar and star field detail, the best telescopes bring planets and nebulas into focus, and the best astrophotography cameras make it easier than ever to capture wide-field nightscapes or eclipse close-ups.

March 2: Moon/Regulus occultation

In the hours before sunrise on March 2, the moon — just ahead of full phase and about 99% illuminated — passes close to Regulus, the brightest star in Leo. From some locations, it will briefly occult as the star slips behind the lunar edge before reappearing minutes later. Because the nearly full moon brightens up the sky, binoculars or a small telescope will help separate Regulus from the glare and make the event easier to observe.

March 3: Total lunar eclipse

On March 3, the full moon will undergo a total lunar eclipse visible across much of the U.S.. As it passes through Earth’s shadow, the moon will gradually darken and take on a deep red hue, with totality occurring around 4:04 to 5:03 AM EST, peaking at 4:33 AM EST. The eclipse is safe to watch without any specialist equipment, but binoculars or a telescope enhance the view, and it’s also a fantastic photographic opportunity.

Best seen with:

Binoculars: For quick, handheld glimpses of the eclipse, a pair of 8x42 or 10x50s will do the job nicely. If you want a bigger, tripod-mounted setup, you’ll want something like the Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, where the moon fills more of the frame.

Telescope: For the best views, a 6- or 8-inch Dobsonian is your best bet — the Celestron NexStar range is fantastic. You can get a decent view with a beginner telescope, like a 4- or 5-inch, but you won’t be able to see as much detail. Although the eclipse is in the middle of the night, the full moon is still a great target for kids to admire with one of the best telescopes for kids.

Camera: For moon photography, the lens matters more than the camera. You’ll want a long telephoto lens to zoom in on the moon, and you can get really creative by using the buildings and landmarks around you to add context and scale. As far as cameras go, the best astrophotography cameras perform the best in low-light conditions — the Nikon Z8 and Sony A7 IV are favorites of ours.

March 8: Saturn makes a close approach to Venus

Just after sunset on March 8, at around 18:11 EST, you’ll see Saturn conjunct with Venus in the early evening sky. While this is probably best seen with the naked eye due to both planets' brightness, a telescope will provide you with a more detailed view of Saturn and its rings. That said, due to its placement in the sky, it won’t be the best seeing conditions.

March 18: New moon

The new moon on March 18 brings the darkest skies of the month, making this week the ideal time for astrophotography and deep sky observation. As we’re now at the start of galaxy season, you can get a great view of the Leo Triplet, the Needle Galaxy, the Pinwheel Galaxy and more.

Best seen with:

Telescope: The best telescopes for viewing galaxies are large-aperture Dobsonian reflectors — 8 inches and above is your best bet to capture the “faint fuzzies”.

Binoculars: Binoculars won’t give outstanding views of galaxies, but the week of the new moon is a great time to view all the usual suspects without the light of the moon. 10x50s are good for handheld observations, but something beefier, like 20x80, will be fantastic for a variety of celestial objects.

Camera: To photograph galaxies, you can either mount your camera to your telescope or use one of the best smart telescopes to do all the heavy lifting for you. The Vaonis Vespera II is incredible for this purpose, and is a lot more beginner-friendly than a telescope/camera setup. If you're more of a beginner astrophotographer and are still learning the techniques, new moon week is a great time to get out with your camera and wide-angle astro lenses to shoot the Milky Way.

March 20: Crescent moon close to venus

On the evening of March 20, a slim, 5% crescent moon will hang just above the bright planet Venus in the western sky. Binoculars or a telescope won’t resolve much detail on Venus, but the crescent moon will be a great target for viewing contrast and detail in its craters during this phase — and you might even see some Earthshine.

Best seen with:

Telescope: A small, beginner scope will be sufficient for basic observations, although apertures of 4 inches and above are best for lunar detail, especially given its slim profile.

Binoculars: Bigger binoculars are better here, to detect the finer details on the moon’s surface — look for something with at least 15x magnification.

March 26: Moon close to Jupiter/Castor/Pollux

On the late evening of March 26, the waxing gibbous moon will appear near Jupiter, Castor and Pollux in the constellation Gemini. The moon will be around 57% illuminated, making it a good target for binoculars and telescopes. You’ll be able to spot Jupiter’s moons with a pair of 15x70s (and bigger), and a telescope will be able to resolve its cloud bands and Great Red Spot.

Best seen with:

Telescope: To make out Jupiter’s moons, a 50-90mm aperture telescope is needed, at minimum. To make out better detail on the planet's surface, you’ll need at least 6-8 inches of aperture.

Binoculars: A pair with at least 15x is needed to spot Jupiter’s Galilean moons. If you want the best view, opt for a pair of binoculars with ED glass to eliminate chromatic aberration. Binoculars won't give you any planetary detail, however — you'll need a telescope if that's what you're looking for.

March 27: Moon/Beehive Cluster occultation

If you’re happy to stay up late, the moon will conjunct with the Beehive Cluster at around 23:03 PM EST. The moon will be 69% illuminated, so there’s lots of detail to see. As the Beehive Cluster isn’t visible to the naked eye, you’ll need binoculars or a telescope to see it.

Best seen with:

Telescope: You don’t need a huge scope here — a small 4-inch will be more than enough, but if you want more detail, you’ll need to use a larger aperture.

Binoculars: You can see the Beehive Cluster best through a pair of binoculars with 8x or 10x magnification due to the wider field of view. If you want more detailed moon views, level up to a pair of 15x or 20x.

Artificial intelligence is already embedded in most modern cameras, from autofocus tracking to in-camera noise reduction, but with the speed of AI advancement ever-increasing, it’s now possible to use AI before you even pick up the camera.

So-called "agentic AI", where AI positions itself as an assistant in everyday life, is becoming increasingly popular. Naturally, we were curious to see if its usefulness extended to life as a photographer, and what we could therefore learn about how AI positions itself as a companion across every walk of life.

In this article, we’ve detailed the results after a week using AI as a photography assistant from start to finish. AI was used during pre-shoot planning, suggested camera settings when out and about, checked AI-driven weather forecasts for low-light landscape photography and was incorporated into our post-processing workflow for noise reduction and sharpening.

The results were mixed, but our time with AI as a photographer’s assistant revealed a clear picture both of where it genuinely earns its place in a photographer’s toolkit alongside the best cameras and lenses — and where a photographer’s eye still matters the most.

Using AI for pre-shoot planning

Last fall, we had an idea to take some landscape images on a hill near us — a short walk away. If we did it in the right weather at the right time of day, we knew we could capture excellent results. By feeding our AI assistant details such as location, subject matter, time of day and equipment, we wondered whether we could quickly generate an idea of how we might tackle the location, and what kind of images we’d look to capture.

First things first: we fed it the coordinates of where we wanted to shoot. First error — it got the location completely wrong! But with a bit of guidance, it narrowed the location down to pretty much where we were planning to shoot. Our AI assistant then came up with suggested viewpoints, likely focal lengths, optimal shooting windows based on sunrise and sunset and, quite helpfully, reminders about access constraints or considerations around parking.

Although this wasn’t a nighttime scenario, for astrophotography, we can see AI proving especially useful at summarising complex planning variables into something digestible. If you gave it a location, it would certainly be good at letting you know where in the night sky, and at what angle, the object you wanted to shoot would be.

One thing that stood out was speed. Rather than hopping between apps, image libraries and Google searches, AI condensed the information into a single response. It can’t replace specialist planning apps, but it worked well as a fast first pass and gave a generalist viewpoint, providing a way to sense-check whether a shoot was worth attempting before committing more time to planning.

Because it was being given prompts about a known area, we could also cross-check and measure its responses. Fortunately, and reassuringly, most of what it came up with was accurate.

Camera settings

Next, AI was used to recommend camera settings for different shooting scenarios at different times of day, with different objects in focus: a shot of the town below the hill, a picture of the landscape around the hill, and so on.

Camera model, lens, subject and time were all specified, and we received suggested starting points for ISO, aperture and shutter speed, with helpful reasoning behind each suggestion. This was one of the nicest elements of this part of the test — AI outlined its thinking as part of the results, and even managed to point out some landscape-specific features (such as the limestone rooftops in our chosen vista) which gave some reassurance that it knew where we were and what we were asking.

Its recommendations were generally sensible. It tended to prioritize safe shutter speeds and conservative ISOs, producing usable images straight out of the box, but didn’t think particularly creatively, pointing out that some experimentation would be required for different scenarios. It provided a use case for normal conditions, if there was more sunlight, more clouds or different weather conditions. For beginners, this kind of guidance could be genuinely confidence-boosting.

Understandably, where AI struggled was in cases that simply can’t be predicted. This left us thinking that AI can suggest technically sound settings, but it can’t base its responses on intent. It doesn’t know whether you’re willing to accept noise for a decisive moment or sacrifice sharpness for atmosphere, for example — these decisions must be made on the fly.

Shooting conditions

One of the most promising uses we found for AI was in interpreting weather and atmospheric data. Rather than just presenting forecasts, AI could explain why certain conditions mattered.

Given a simple prompt ("Can you look at the weather forecast for tomorrow and suggest what we need to take into consideration at 11:00am"), it came up with a comprehensive (and, according to weather apps, accurate) interpretation of the weather, what the prevailing conditions meant for how the landscape would look, how this would affect camera settings and even what we’d need to pack in our bag to circumvent the effects of passing rain showers. It sounds simple, but we found that having this as a checklist helped us ensure we had everything we needed with us. Sometimes, you need someone to point out the obvious.

Testing AI for night-sky work, it summarised satellite imagery and seeing predictions along with forecasts, which was genuinely helpful. It translated technical metrics into plain language, making it easier to decide whether a marginal forecast was worth the effort.

However, it’s worth pointing out that AI cannot really replace specialist tools here. Dedicated astronomy apps and meteorological services remain more precise scientifically, but also more transparent about uncertainty. AI has a habit of rushing past or smoothing over ambiguity, presenting what should be done in different conditions with more confidence than is truly justified.

Post processing

Post-processing is where AI feels most mature, and many image-proceessing tools now have AI embedded into their software for tasks such as noise reduction, sharpening and spot removal.

In a landscape setting, the biggest advantage was selectivity. AI could reduce noise aggressively in flat areas while preserving detail and texture where it mattered. Sharpening algorithms are similarly nuanced these days and could dramatically enhance detail without introducing artefacts.

In our experience, though, it must be said that AI can be heavy-handed. Images can take on a synthetic look when AI is over-used: Too smooth, too crisp and oddly lifeless. If shot correctly, most images need only subtle tweaks in post-processing, and the human eye is still far better than AI at doing this.

Where AI helped, and where it failed

After using AI for pre-, during and post-shooting over the course of a week, some patterns became obvious. It was excellent at technical optimization, preparation and organization. After a bit of prodding, with the right background information and the right prompts, it knew the desired location, it knew the weather forecast, it knew what time of day would be best for the shots we were after and it even knew what landscape features we’d be able to focus on at a given location. It also helped with issues around logistics, such as parking and access.

However, AI doesn’t yet understand why a photographer might break the rules. Sometimes, imperfect conditions work. AI can’t deal with emotion — it just knows a set of technical "rules." AI also doesn’t understand local nuances such as microclimates and real-world unpredictability, which are exactly the kinds of things photographers want in their shots.

Overall, using AI as a photography assistant for a week didn’t improve our imaging output, but it did make us more efficient. We ended up thinking of it as a desk-based assistant, and it helped in planning and refining technical decisions like what kinds of lenses to pack. Having a gear checklist that was specific to the weather conditions was also surprisingly useful.

One thing we found particularly helpful was asking our AI assistant to shorten its responses. AI has a habit of trying to cover all bases and coming up with rather long-winded explanations for things that don’t really need to be decided in advance. It somewhat takes the magic out of the process, but if you ask the right things of it, it can present the information it provides well.

AI was a tool for asking better questions, not answering them. We did find that its responses sometimes included things we hadn’t even thought of, but then that is the point, really. If you engage with these responses and ask questions of yourself and your own photography, it can be very useful.

If you’re hoping that it will replace leg work, real-world experience and human judgement, then — thankfully! — you’re likely to be disappointed.

In accordance with Live Science's artificial intelligence policy, while the use of AI is the subject of this article, it was not used in the article's creation or production.

Astrophotography — the craft of capturing the night sky — is a captivating blend of art and science, and a hobby that rewards patience and technique. For many photographers who are just getting started or upgrading their gear, a core question is what kind of camera gear they invest in.

Astrophotography is a photographic discipline that rewards a careful understanding of your gear, so we’ll be looking at whether you should buy a new or used camera when investing in equipment. The choice of course has implications for your budget, creative potential and long-term satisfaction, but in 2026, with technology advancing fast, there are some excellent deals to be had on some fantastic camera gear of yesteryear that can offer very satisfying results.

In this guide, we’ll unpack the key differences between new and used gear, why those differences matter for night-sky shooting, what models you can find good deals on right now and how to pair your camera body with the right lenses to get the most out of your astrophotography.

• Buy used gear from:
• MPB
• KEH
• B&H Photo
• Adorama
• Amazon Renewed

The basics: Differences between new and used

At its simplest, the difference between new and used gear is condition, but the implications run deeper and may have ramifications for your buying decisions.

New cameras and lenses come with full manufacturer warranties, the latest features and untouched sensors with maximum lifespan. They offer peace of mind, whereas with used gear, you’ll always be taking somewhat of a calculated risk.

But you’ll also be spending a lot less — sometimes 30–60% below retail value — and this lets you stretch your budget further, into the lenses, tracking mounts or accessories that are often vital for making the most of your astrophotography. If you can take the risk of a potentially shorter remaining lifespan and any associated cosmetic wear that comes with a device being used, these savings can be very worth looking into.

It’s also worth pointing out that the more reputable used marketplaces (like MPB or KEH) grade gear carefully and often include return policies or short warranties that mitigate some of the said risk, so if possible, we’d recommend buying from one of these platforms.

What to look out for in used equipment for astrophotography

Astrophotography pushes cameras to their limits in ways that everyday photography doesn’t. Here are a few things that are worth considering or investigating further if you’re looking at used gear.

Noise and sensor health: Astrophotography involves long exposures at high ISO settings, which exacerbate sensor noise. New cameras typically have fresher sensors with minimal wear, tighter pixel performance and more advanced noise-reduction algorithms. Older or heavily used sensors may show more hot pixels and uneven calibration, which complicates stacking and post-processing.

It’s also a question of technology, as older devices won’t have such advanced sensors, so if you’re buying brand new and spending money on the latest tech, you’ll likely notice a difference when it comes to noise levels.

Battery Life and reliability: Long astro sessions drain batteries fast, especially when using live view or other monitoring equipment. New gear generally delivers better battery life and more reliable electronics, which matters when you’re miles from home in the dark. If you are buying used, we’d recommend stocking up on a few new batteries from reputable providers (try to buy authentic brand stock if possible) to keep the kit going.

Features for night sky shooting: Modern cameras, especially if they’re of the mirrorless variety, increasingly include features that make astrophotography easier. These include things like silent shooting modes to eliminate vibration, advanced noise reduction, higher dynamic ranges and on-sensor stabilization. While not essential, these features can improve workflow and outcomes if efficiency is a priority for you.

• Best astrophotography cameras
• Best beginner astrophotography cameras

Used gear bargains

Most of us photographers don’t have the luxury of buying new every time, and even the most seasoned professional will have purchased their fair share of used devices over time, so it’s worth doing a bit of research to find out what strategies you can use to get capable astrophotography gear without breaking the bank.

Most classic DSLRs and early mirrorless bodies that are now a generation or two old remain solid performers — the key is using them correctly and pairing them with the right lenses.

Full-frame mirrorless bodies like the Sony A7 III have become staples on the used market, offering excellent dynamic range and low-light performance for deep-sky and Milky Way work. Expect to pay around $600-$800 for a decent A7 II or III that will still deliver great performance.

If you don’t want to go down the mirrorless route, older DSLRs are always worth looking at. Canon’s 5D range is still a mainstay — although not particularly trendy — and something like the 5D Mark IV will deliver wonderful value. It’s still one of the best cameras around, with great weatherproofing for nights outside. The Canon 6D and Nikon D750 have brilliant low-light performance, with the Mark I version of the former available for well under $500.

Look out for used marketplaces running seasonal promotions or discounts for new buyers, providing extra savings on certified gear.

New gear worth considering

If budget allows, many newer cameras offer features that benefit astrophotographers. Full-frame mirrorless bodies like the Nikon Z series or Canon EOS R8 combine modern sensor technology with lightweight bodies, making them great for both astro and travel photography. With newer models, you’ll also notice the difference when it comes to weight and portability.

Advanced models such as the Sony A7 IV deliver improved noise performance and processing power straight out of the box, which can make a noticeable difference for low-light captures, but are probably unnecessary for first-time astrophotographers.

Pairing with the right lens

Buying the right camera body is only part of the equation, and in many cases, perhaps the least important one. For astrophotography, especially wide-field nightscapes, lens choice is critical. Here’s where you’ll want to spend a bit more money, if you can.

The basic science of how lenses work means that astrophotography typically benefits from wide-angle, fast lenses. Faster lenses (low f-numbers like f/1.4–f/2.8) let in more light, reducing noise and exposure time. Wide fields of view (14mm–35mm on full frame) capture broad swathes of sky, including constellations and the Milky Way.

Look for wide prime lenses to start with. Try an f/2.8 and then, when you’re done with that, spend a bit more and invest in the more expensive f/1.8 or f/1.4 versions. These will set you back around $1,000 used or somewhere between $1,500 and $2,000 new. Not for the faint-hearted, but the Sigma f/1.4 DG lens is one of the best available for wide-angled low-light photography.

It’s worth mentioning that manual focus lenses can also be cost-effective used options, giving good sharpness and control without premium pricing — sharp, fast and accurate autofocus is less important for astrophotography.

Your camera’s sensor size impacts lens behavior. Full-frame sensors capture broader scenes with less noise, while APS-C bodies crop tighter, which can be an advantage for telephoto astro work but mean narrower shots.

• Best wide-angle prime lenses for astrophotography
• Best telephoto zoom lenses

What's the verdict?

So, should you buy new or used gear for your astrophotography? In summary, the key question isn’t always “new vs used” — instead, consider what combination of features and cost gives you the most astrophotography value.

If you value peace of mind, longevity and the latest low-light features, buying new —particularly a modern, mirrorless body — can be worth the investment and most modern setups will last a very long time. For many photographers, however, buying used gear represents a smart way to get more capability for less, freeing up cash for lenses and other accessories that will ultimately make your final images more rewarding. If you’re just starting out and want to find a simple setup to learn the ropes and start capturing impressive images, our money would definitely be in used gear.

Regardless of your choice, the key to great astrophotography lies not just in the price tag but in understanding your specific gear, even if a previous owner has used it before. Know your camera, understand your lenses, and you will be mastering long exposures and creating stunning images of the night sky before you know it.

A new telescope can be a doorway to the universe — that is, until you actually take it outside and nothing looks the way you imagined it. Telescopes aren't necessarily difficult to use, but they do require a little preparation, a bit of patience and an understanding of how the night sky moves.

If your first few sessions have been more frustrating than awe-inspiring, you're not alone. Here are five of the most common mistakes, plus how to avoid them so you can spend less time fiddling and more time actually enjoying the view.

1. Neglecting the planning stage

Many beginners grab their telescope on a whim, head outside and hope for magic. The problem is that astronomy doesn't work on impulse — it works on timing. Moon phases affect how bright the sky is, and local light pollution can wash out fainter objects. Even the time of year dictates what's actually visible.

Before heading out, take a moment to observe what's above the horizon, when the moon rises and whether your sky conditions are cooperating. Free apps make this easy — Stellarium is a favorite of ours — and a quick look at a cloud forecast can save you a wasted session.

Planning isn't a chore; it's the difference between hunting blindly and having a solid target list. When you know when are where to look, observing the sky with a telescope becomes far more rewarding.

2. Expecting Hubble-like views

It's completely normal to hope for swirling nebulas and razor-sharp galaxies like the images you see online. Unfortunately, those are long-exposure photographs taken by spacecraft or huge professional observatories. A backyard telescope shows the real sky, and it's much more subtle.

But that doesn't mean it's disappointing. The moon looks incredible through even a small telescope, Jupiter and Saturn show details and star clusters sparkle beautifully. What tends to trip people up is expecting colors and drama rather than appreciating the delicate, natural brightness of what can be seen with the eye.

Think of visual observation as seeing the universe with your own eyes, and once you adjust your expectations, you start to notice far more. If you do want to experiment with imaging space, you can mount one of the best astrophotography cameras directly onto your telescope, or invest in one of the best smart telescopes.

Another thing that often catches beginners out is that not all telescopes excel at the same targets. Not only are there different types of telescopes, but some designs are better suited to deep-space objects like galaxies and nebulas, while others are better suited for crisp planetary and lunar viewing.

Wide aperture, low focal-ratio scopes (like Dobsonians) gather lots of light, making faint objects easier to spot. On the other hand, longer focal length telescopes naturally deliver higher magnification, which is perfect for observing the details on Jupiter, Saturn or the moon's craters.

3. Not letting the telescope acclimate

One of the least glamorous but most important steps is simply letting your telescope cool down (or warm up) to match the outdoor temperature. If you take a scope from a warm living room out into the cold night, turbulent air currents swirl inside the tube, softening the view. The result looks like your optics suddenly went blurry.

Give your telescope 20-40 minutes outside before you start observing — maybe even a bit longer for bigger scopes. During this time, you can align your finderscope, set up a star chart or choose your targets.

Once the air settles inside the tube, things improve dramatically. Planets snap into focus, double stars separate cleanly and lunar details show the crisp edges it's meant to. Acclimation isn't sexy or exciting, but it's one of the easiest ways to upgrade your observing without spending a dime.

4. Choosing the wrong eyepiece or magnification

A common assumption is that more magnification automatically means better views. In reality, pushing the zoom too high will result in a dim, wobbly image.

Every telescope has a highest useful magnification. This is essentially the upper limit where the view will still look sharp, and it's determined by the scope's aperture and the viewing conditions. The general rule of thumb is that the highest useful magnification is roughly 50x its aperture in inches, although this does depend on the overall quality of your telescope. For example, a 6-inch telescope will have a highest useful magnification of around 300x.

Start with a low-power eyepiece, like the 20mm which typically comes with beginner telescopes. This will give you a wider field, making objects a lot easier to find and track. Only once you've centered your target should you then switch to a higher-power eyepiece — and even then, it's best to increase in small steps. On nights with poor viewing conditions, high magnification will just make objects look blurrier.

To determine the magnification of an eyepiece, divide the telescope's focal length by the measurement of the eyepiece. For example, on a 1,000mm scope, a 20mm eyepiece will provide 50x magnification. Over time, you'll instinctively know which eyepiece works best for the moon, planets and deep-sky objects.

When magnification is chosen well, everything suddenly becomes sharp, steady and a lot more impressive.

5. Expecting the telescope to do everything

Modern telescopes can be surprisingly smart — some align themselves, some slew automatically to targets and others use your phone to guide you around the night sky. These features are awesome, especially for beginners, but they can create a false expectation that the telescope will do all the work.

In reality, even the most automated systems will still need some input and understanding from the user. Motorized GoTo mounts, for example, won't magically know where they are. They need accurate setup, which requires a level tripod, the correct date and time and a proper alignment on a couple of bright stars. If any of that is off, the telescope will miss every target.

Smart telescopes and app-driven models make navigation easier, but they're not a substitute for knowing what's actually visible or why certain objects won't appear on a bright, hazy night. Plus, smart telescopes often produce the best view by stacking images over a longer period, so they're better suited to photographing the cosmos as opposed to observing it.

On a clear winter night, the sky can look like a blanket of stars, but it isn’t a blanket — it’s a map. Constellations are the signposts to the stars, simple stick-figures that turn a random scatter of points of light into something you can recognize, remember and navigate by. Learn just a handful, and the whole winter sky begins to fall into place.

December is the ideal time to start stargazing in the Northern Hemisphere. Yes, it’s cold, but the long nights allow you to start early and give you hours of darkness, while the northern winter sky is packed with bright, easy patterns. Orion dominates in the southeast, with Taurus above and Gemini following behind, while together they form the vast Winter Circle of bright stars. High above, Cassiopeia’s crooked W and the Great Square of Pegasus mark the route to the Andromeda galaxy and the rich Milky Way fields of Perseus and Auriga.

You don’t need any equipment to get started — just patience, warm clothes and a willingness to look up for more than a few seconds. However, a pair of the best binoculars for stargazing, one of the best telescopes, or a smart telescope adds depth. They turn faint smudges into clusters, clouds and galaxies, and give you a reason to keep coming back.

With a few winter constellations under your belt, the Universe stops being abstract and becomes somewhere you can actually learn your way around. Here are the easiest constellations for beginners to spot in the Northern Hemisphere’s winter night sky.

1. Orion, the Hunter

Hidden target: M42 (Orion Nebula)

On December and January evenings, Orion rises early and dominates the southern sky by mid-evening, making him the easiest winter landmark. Look southeast for three bright stars in a short, straight line — Orion’s Belt, made from the three equidistant stars Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka.

Above is reddish Betelgeuse, and below is blue-white Rigel. On the Rigel side of the belt stars, there's a fuzzy patch that appears brighter when viewed slightly to its side. This is Orion’s Sword; binoculars or a small telescope aimed at its middle will reveal the Orion Nebula (M42) as a glowing cloud lit by newborn stars.

2. Taurus, the Bull

Hidden target: M45 (Pleiades)

After dark, look east, above the constellation Orion, for orange Aldebaran, the eye of Taurus. It’s set in a V-shaped cluster — the Hyades open cluster — marking the Bull’s face. Below are its horns, stretching to the stars Elnath and Tianguan.

Above Taurus is a tiny misty patch that looks like a miniature dipper — the Pleiades, also known as the “Seven Sisters” and M45. One of the easiest star clusters to see with the naked eye, through binoculars the Pleiades appear as many skywatchers see them — the night sky’s most beautiful object.

3. Gemini, the Twins

Hidden target: M35 (open cluster)

Close to Taurus and Orion, find two bright stars standing side by side — Castor and Pollux, the heads of the Twins. In December 2025 and January 2026, they are easy to find because a very bright Jupiter shines close by. From them, fainter stars form stick-figure bodies.

Aim binoculars or a small telescope near the foot of the northern twin to uncover M35, a young open cluster of gravitationally bound stars that also has the name the Shoe Buckle Cluster, according to NASA.

4. Auriga, the Charioteer

Hidden targets: M36, M37, M38 (open clusters)

High in the northeast to overhead, bright Capella blazes like a lantern in the winter sky as soon as it gets dark. The “Goat Star” marks one corner of Auriga, a roughly pentagonal constellation whose constituent stars are easy to see even from a city.

Sweep the southern area below Capella with binoculars or a small telescope, and you’ll come across M36, M37 and M38: three bright, open clusters that turn an apparently empty sky into anything but.

5. Winter Triangle asterism

Hidden target: The colors of Sirius

Constellations are a great way to learn the night sky, but so are asterisms — easily recognizable patterns of stars. Look to the southeast after dark during winter for three bright stars — reddish Betelgeuse in Orion, Procyon in Canis Minor and dazzlingly bright Sirius in Canis Major. Together, they form the large Winter Triangle.

Point binoculars or a small telescope at Sirius, and you’ll notice it flashes in a rainbow of colors. Why? It's so very bright and so very close — just 8.6 light-years distant — that its intense starlight gets twisted by turbulence in Earth’s atmosphere, which bends starlight and makes stars twinkle. Sirius is the ultimate example.

6. Winter Hexagon

Hidden target: Jupiter

Step back and join the dazzling stars of the southern sky — Rigel in Orion, Aldebaran in Taurus, Capella in Auriga, Pollux in Gemini, Procyon in Canis Minor and Sirius in Canis Major. Together they form the huge Winter Hexagon (or Winter Circle). It’s a vast shape that takes a while to find, so take your time and repeat your star-hops again and again until you’ve memorized it. It will stay with you forever and make you look forward to winter.

As a bonus this winter, put a pair of binoculars on bright Jupiter, shining brightly near Pollux in Gemini, to see four points of light — its giant moons Ganymede, Europa, Callisto and Io.

7. Cassiopeia, the Queen

Hidden target: M31 (Andromeda Galaxy)

Look high in the north for a crooked “W” or “M” of five stars — the constellation Cassiopeia. It circles the North Star all night — more or less opposite the Big Dipper — and stays prominent through winter, making it a handy signpost from any site.

From the central V of the W, sweep outward toward the south with binoculars or a small telescope to find M31, the Andromeda Galaxy. This spiral galaxy, 2.5 million light-years distant, appears as a soft, elongated glow, though the darker the site you stargaze from, the brighter it will look.

8. Ursa Major, the Great Bear

Hidden target: Mizar and Alcor (double star)

In late December evenings, the Big Dipper portion of Ursa Major sits low in the north-northeast, climbing higher after midnight. Look for a bright saucepan shape — three stars in the handle and four in the bowl. Mizar, the middle star in the handle, looks slightly fuzzy to the naked eye.

If you have great eyesight, you may even notice that there are actually two stars. To check that your eyes don’t deceive you, aim any pair of binoculars or a small telescope and you’ll split Mizar and Alcor cleanly into two distinct points of light. Called the “Horse and Rider” by stargazers, splitting Mizar and Alcor with the naked eye was a test of eyesight used by the ancient Arabs, according to Space.com.

9. Great Square of Pegasus

Hidden target: Saturn

On early winter evenings, look west for a large, almost empty square of four medium-bright stars — Markab, Scheat, Algenib and Alpheratz — which form the vast Great Square of Pegasus. It’s sinking by late December, but still visible in the first half of the night.

In December 2025 and January 2026, it’s above something else that’s worth your attention — Saturn. Its pale golden light isn't much to look at with the naked eye, but its fabulous rings can be seen with a small 3-inch telescope at 50x magnification.

10. Perseus, the Hero

Hidden target: Double Cluster (NGC 869 and NGC 884)

Look between Cassiopeia in the north and Capella in the northeast for a ragged, curved chain of stars — the constellation Perseus. It runs through the pale band of the winter Milky Way at this time of year and contains many riches.

One of these is the Double Cluster, NGC 869 and NGC 884, a faint, fuzzy patch halfway between Perseus and Cassiopeia that’s just about visible to the naked eye in a very dark sky. These two overlapping swarms of stars look terrific in binoculars or a small telescope.

Winter in the Northern Hemisphere is the best season for stargazing with binoculars. The nights are long, the air is cold and the stars seem brighter than in summer.

Naked-eye stargazing in winter is a joy, but lift a pair of binoculars to your eyes and the whole experience changes. The sky stops being a flat backdrop and suddenly has depth. It’s layered with stars, open clusters and nebulas that you never knew were there. Galactic immersion is yours.

That’s the magic of binocular astronomy. Sweeping the sky with both eyes open, holding a pair of binoculars up to the night sky, feels natural and relaxed, yet you’re seeing so much more than with the unaided eye. It’s also easy and affordable to do — all you need is a warm coat, a dark corner and a steady pair of hands.

Choose a good pair of the best stargazing binoculars — something like 7x50, 8x42 or 10x50 — and you’ll unlock a second layer of the winter night sky with almost no effort. Here’s what to look at in a pair of binoculars from the Northern Hemisphere this season.

If you want to get even closer to the night sky, the best telescopes will give you that extra bit of power.

1. Sirius, the kaleidoscope star

It's the brightest star in the night sky, but Sirius in the constellation Canis Major also appears to be one of the most colorful. Although it’s a blue-white star, Sirius shows a rainbow of colors as it twinkles.

Its high brightness and the fact that it is low in the sky during the Northern Hemisphere winter make Sirius shimmer in multiple colors as its starlight is refracted by Earth’s atmosphere. Put your binoculars on Sirius and you will see a kaleidoscope of colors.

2. Jupiter at opposition

The best time to look at an outer planet is when it is at opposition. At that moment, the Earth is between the planet and the sun, making the planet both closest to Earth and fully illuminated by the sun.

On Jan. 10, 2026, Jupiter will come to opposition, something that happens once every 13 months. For a few weeks either side of this date, put a pair of 8x42, 10x42 or 10x50 binoculars on Jupiter and you will see its four Galilean moons — Europa, Callisto, Ganymede and Io — as dots either side of the giant planet.

3. First quarter moon

Ask someone when the best time to look at the moon is, and they will almost always say when it's a full moon — but that’s bad advice. Through binoculars, the moon looks better at almost any other time of month, with perhaps the most intriguing (and convenient) coming at first quarter moon, when dramatic shadows can be seen along the terminator — the line between lunar night and day.

Use any pair of 10x binoculars and you'll get a spectacular close-up of shadows cast by the craters, valleys and mountains on the moon. As a bonus, a first-quarter moon is up from dusk until midnight.

4. The Owl Cluster

A particularly bright open star cluster in the constellation Cassiopeia, the Owl Cluster (or NGC 457 , if you prefer) is over 9,000 light-years from the solar system and contains almost 100 stars.

Its name comes from its yellow and blue stars, which are said to resemble the eyes of an owl. If you see Cassiopeia as a ‘W’ shape, NGC 457 is just beneath the first ‘V’.

5. A supermoon rising

As we've already said, the full moon phase is not the best time to look at the moon through binoculars — with one very specific exception.

If you can catch the full moon as it rises in the east during dusk, there are a few better sights than the lunar surface cast in an orange light. It looks that way because the sunlight being reflected into your eyes is traveling through the thickest part of Earth's atmosphere, which scatters away short-wavelength blue light, while the longer wavelengths of red and orange light pass through easily.

See the full moon rise on Dec. 4 (Cold Supermoon), Jan. 3 (Wolf Supermoon) and Feb. 1 (Snow Moon), researching the exact time of moonrise for your location and looking east a few minutes after.

6. Auriga’s star clusters

The constellation of Auriga dominates the autumn and winter sky, but tends to get overshadowed by the rising stars in the constellation Orion below. Auriga’s brightest star is Capella, the goat star — the brightest in a rough pentagon of five stars.

However, within the constellation, there are some deep sky delights in the form of three star clusters — M36, M37 and M38. Find M36, and all three will be in the field of view of a pair of most 10x50 binoculars.

7. Winter Milky Way

Stargazers and astrophotographers rave about capturing the Milky Way during the Northern Hemisphere summer months, but the dense star fields of our galaxy's spiral arms can easily be seen in winter. All you need to do is scan your binoculars between the constellations of Orion in the south and Cassiopeia high in the north, and you will see many thousands of bright stars.

Looking its best between December and February, it's not as bright as the summer Milky Way, but the crisp and cold nights can give it a gorgeous, glittering look.

8. Caroline’s Rose

In the constellation Cassiopeia there is an open cluster, NGC 7789, whose stars and the dark lanes between them are said to resemble a rose. A great target for binoculars, the name comes from its discoverer in 1783, Caroline Herschel — a noted comet-hunter and the younger sister of astronomer William Herschel, who discovered Uranus.

If you see Cassiopeia as a ‘W’ shape, NGC 7789 is close to the final point, marked by the star Caph.

9. Earthshine on the moon

It is one of the easiest and most spectacular sights of all to see through a pair of binoculars, but Earthshine doesn't get the attention it deserves. When the moon is a slim crescent, put your binoculars on the night side of the moon, and you will see detail on the lunar surface. This is Earthshine, sunlight reflected from Earth's icecaps, oceans and clouds, gently illuminating the dark side of the moon.

You'll see it for two or three nights, either side of the new moon phase, initially during a waning crescent moon visible in the east just before dawn, and later during a waxing crescent moon in the west just after dusk. New moons occur on Dec. 19, 2025, and Jan. 18, 2026.

Here at Live Science, we have created a guide to 22 gifts for nature lovers to give you some ideas of what to buy other people, but what about you?

Items like cameras, binoculars, and telescopes aren't impulse buys, and certainly not stocking fillers. They are also very personal purchases, and often expensive. Trusting someone else to make the right choice on your behalf is a gamble, and frankly, we wouldn't always recommend it.

If you're a skywatcher, you'll have a preference for what you like to look at; some telescopes will be more suitable for deep space explorations, and others will be best for planets. Similarly, photographers will know the subject matter they want to capture, which will dictate what the camera needs to be good at. Handling ISO well, a reliable autofocus? Mirrorless or DSLR? 12MP versus 61MP?

Nature spotters and birders will know what magnification and objective lens size they need for their binoculars, whether they need a waterproof or nitrogen-purged model, and whether they prefer coated or multi-coated lenses or Bk7 or BaK-4 glass. The list goes on.

There's a good chance someone buying a pair as a gift won't consider what you would if you were buying for yourself. But skywatching and camera equipment are often expensive, and deserve careful consideration. This is why self-gifting makes sense. Besides, we all like to splurge on a "me-to-me" every now and then!

That is why we created this self-gifting guide, which lists the binoculars, telescopes and cameras that we are more than happy to recommend this season. Each item below links to an in-depth review conducted by our staff writers or experienced freelance contributors.

We do, of course, have individual guides to the best cameras, best binoculars, and best telescopes, but this guide has been curated based on what our editors would buy for themselves — and have, in some cases — in each of the categories below.

Binoculars

This first section is for skywatchers who don't want a telescope, as well as wildlife watchers and birders. Other people might think they know what you want, but it really pays to do the research for yourself. Binoculars aren't just about how powerful they are.

Binoculars vary depending on their purpose. Stargazing, birding, wildlife spotting and sports viewing will all require different objective lens sizes, have more suitable fields of view, and require different quality glass and coatings. For example, a pair that is ideal for astronomy might be too heavy and impractical for long walks, while compact travel binoculars might fall short under dark skies.

Comfort is also a crucial consideration. Weight, balance, eyecup design, interpupillary distance (will you use them whilst wearing spectacles?) and grip all affect how long you can comfortably use a pair of binoculars for. These are things only you can judge.

Comfort aside, optical preferences are personal, too. Some people might prioritize brightness, whereas others prefer edge-to-edge sharpness or excellent colour accuracy.

Binoculars are typically a long-term investment. A well-chosen pair can last decades. It’s worth making sure they suit your needs now and into the future. Here is a list of binoculars that we believe strike the perfect balance between performance, versatility, and ease of use. Each one is a standout choice in its category.

Telescopes

Next up, we have telescopes — and as previously touched on, which is the right telescope for you depends on exactly what you want to observe.

Do you want to see local planets and the moon, or deep-sky objects? Do you want to use it for astrophotography? Do you need to move it from A to B often? Do you have space to store it in your house, assembled or not? There are lots of things to consider. Things which others might not think of.

Telescopes also have different experience requirements. Some are usable right out of the box, whereas others are reserved for advanced users. A well-meaning gift can be too complex, causing the recipient frustration, or too basic, making it difficult for a budding astronomer to advance. Only you know your experience and/or patience level.

When so much money is being spent on telescopes, whether it is your own or not, there should be no compromises. You want something that will provide enjoyment on every clear night you can be outside. Here are some of our recommendations.

Cameras

A camera is another (and probably the most important) purchase in this guide that is best made by you, rather than guessed at by someone else. You want something that matches your skill level and ambition. Plus, photography is intensely personal, and it is difficult to buy a camera for someone else.

Each style of camera, and even each manufacturer, will have its own particular strengths. Ergonomics also matter. Button layouts and menu styles are a matter of personal preference. Specs like autofocus systems, number of megapixels and ISO handling will depend on the style of shooting. Even questions like how your computer handles image files are things only you will know the answer to (and the frustration of your computer not being able to cope!). If you're already a photographer with an ecosystem of lenses and accessories, you don't want to have to change that because someone thought they were doing the right thing by getting you an "upgrade".

Finally, it goes without saying that cameras are expensive. Buying your own camera gives you the exact tool to suit your vision as a photographer. Here are some of our recommendations for self-gifting.

If you’ve ever shopped for binoculars as a beginner, you’ll have probably noticed that they all look similar, they’re packed full of jargon about coatings and prisms, and the price tags range from “that’s cheaper than going out for dinner” to “I could buy a used car for that”. This is particularly apparent in the world of 10x42 binoculars — the Goldilocks size that’s just right for just about everything, from spotting birds in the garden to sweeping across the night sky.

So why should you go for a 10x42? In short, it’s the jack-of-all-trades of binocular specs; ideal if you want to look at a variety of general subjects without necessarily specializing in a particular niche. The 10x magnification gets you close enough to see detail without resulting in too much shake, and the 42mm objective lenses gather plenty of light without weighing you down. It’s no surprise that this size is the best seller across almost every brand.

But here’s the catch: not all 10x42s are created equal. The glass, coatings and materials can be the difference between “hey look, there’s a bird” to “wow, I can see every feather”. Celestron offers six models across four different ranges in this size — Outland X, Nature DX (plus an ED version), TrailSeeker (plus an ED version) and Regal ED. These range from budget-friendly to “treat yourself,” with each step up adding a little more sophistication (and a little more strain on your wallet).

We took all six models to a nature reserve to compare them side by side, to determine which one you should invest your money in and which ones to avoid.

Meet the contenders

How the tech evolves as you spend more

We've all heard the saying "you get what you pay for." This is particularly true when it comes to optics. At first glance, all of these models wear the same 10x42 badge. But binoculars are like cakes: it's the same flour and sugar, but you get different results based on the quality of the ingredients.

Coatings
The Outland X makes do with basic multi-coated lenses, which are fine for daytime use but lacking after dark. Nature DX upgrades this to fully multi-coated optics with phase-coated prisms, which sharpen the contrast and reduce glare. TrailSeeker and Regal ED both combine phase and dielectric prism coatings with fully coated lenses, delivering the clearest, brightest view of the lot.

Glass
ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass keeps different wavelengths of light focused together, reducing the purple or green fringing that appears around bright edges. The Outland X series has no ED option, while the Nature DX and TrailSeeker offer both standard and ED models. The Regal is only sold as an ED version, and its flat-field technology also maintains edge-to-edge sharpness.

Build quality and materials
The Outland X and Nature DX models are built with polycarbonate bodies clad in rubber armor — durable enough, but can feel a little plasticky. The TrailSeeker and Regal series upgrade to a magnesium chassis and rubber armor, which feels tougher yet lighter in extended use. However, all six models are waterproof and nitrogen-purged to prevent fogging.

Results

6th place: Celestron Outland X

The Celestron Outland X series is designed for outdoor enthusiasts who want a rugged, durable pair of binoculars that won't cost the earth. If you aren't too bothered about having amazing detail, contrast or overall image quality, the Outland X will fit the bill if you absolutely cannot stretch your budget.

During our tests, they unsurprisingly performed the worst in most cases, but that's to be expected in a budget pair of binoculars. If you were to look through them on their own, they appear to do the job at first glance, but when you compare them directly to the other 10x42 models, it becomes obvious where they fall short.

There was noticeable chromatic aberration around high-contrast subjects, and the overall picture was softer and duller than the rest of the lineup. The build quality feels solid yet lightweight, although it lacks some of the premium features you'll find on the more expensive models. Still, it's waterproof and nitrogen-purged to prevent fogging, which is important for an outdoor binocular. The focus wheel is fairly smooth, although the diopter is noticeably stiffer than the other models.

Overall, we'd recommend the Outland X series if you just want to get a closer look at subjects without spending too much money, and you aren't bothered about having highly detailed views. We're not sure we'd pay $119 for the 10x42, so it might be worth waiting for Black Friday to take advantage of a deal, or downsizing to the 8x25 or 10x25 if you don't need to use them in low light.

Would we buy them? No.

• Read our full Celestron Outland X 10x42 review

5th place: TrailSeeker

In the TrailSeeker, we see the introduction of phase and dielectric-coated prisms. The latter enables more light to be reflected off the prism, resulting in a brighter image than the Nature DX and Outland X, which only have phase coating. The combination of phase and dielectric maximizes light transmission, making this pair better suited for wildlife observation in low light and stargazing. The differences in brightness, sharper image quality and reduced glare compared to the Nature DX are small, but noticeable. The build has also been upgraded to lightweight and durable magnesium alloy.

When we tested them out at a nature reserve, we noticed a fair amount of chromatic aberration when observing ducks on a pond, which was completely eliminated once we switched to a pair with ED glass. There's a bit of fringing around the moon, and we enjoyed using them for stargazing as they are comfortable to use for long periods.

Putting the TrailSeeker in fifth place does feel a bit harsh, because they are undoubtedly a fantastic pair of binoculars. Before we introduced the ED models into our group test, the TrailSeeker was initially our favorite. However, the addition of the Nature DX ED, in particular, has presented a better option for a lower price, so it's hard to justify placing the TrailSeeker any higher.

Overall, the TrailSeeker performed very similarly to the Nature DX, and although they were slightly better in terms of sharpness, brightness and overall clarity, we didn't notice enough of a difference to make the price jump worth it. At the end of it, it came down to value for money.

Would we buy them? No, but only because there are better options — not because there's anything wrong with these ones.

4th place: Celestron Nature DX

It's easy to see why the Nature DX is a bestseller. They offer a great balance of decent performance and affordability, making them good for beginners and hobbyists who want to get their money's worth without having to spend too much on exceptional optics.

We took them to our local nature reserve and struggled to make out finer details when observing waterfowl. There was also noticeable color fringing on birds and trees, both near and in the distance. For this reason, we wouldn't recommend them for birdwatching, specifically, but they performed quite well for stargazing and general purpose viewing.

In many of our tests, the Nature DX actually performed very similarly to the more expensive TrailSeeker, with only a fraction of a difference in sharpness across the frame, chromatic aberration and overall brightness. For more casual users, these differences certainly won't warrant spending the extra $100-$140 to upgrade to the TrailSeeker.

The Nature DX is the lightest of the six models, and the weight difference is particularly apparent when compared to the Regal. They're perfectly suited to throwing in your bag on a hike or taking on camping trips where you'll want to view a whole range of subjects, and we think they're good value for money overall — but we would pay the extra to upgrade to the Nature DX ED.

Would we buy them? No, we'd pay the extra for the ED variant.

• Read our full reviews of the 8x42 and 12x56 variants

3rd place: TrailSeeker ED

This is where the fun starts. The TrailSeeker ED are bright, sharp and excellent in low light, and we have no complaints about them at all. So, why have we placed them third, you may ask? Well, the pricing makes them a bit redundant when the Nature DX ED and Regal ED are on the table. Although the TrailSeeker ED are slightly better than the Nature DX ED, we don't think they're worth the extra cost, so we'd recommend the Nature DX ED for beginners or anyone on a budget.

On the other end, the Regal ED has everything the TrailSeeker ED has, plus flat-field technology to improve edge-to-edge sharpness, but the TrailSeeker ED are more expensive, so it's a no-brainer there as well.

The TrailSeeker ED is fantastic, but the problem is that the price prevents our being able to recommend them, as there's always a more attractive option.

During our group test at the nature reserve, we noticed the TrailSeeker ED was definitely brighter, sharper and clearer than the Nature ED, but again, not by the kind of margin that might warrant such a huge price jump. The trees in the distance had more definition, so the TrailSeeker ED would be better for long-distance viewing, specifically, in addition to low-light observation. The TrailSeeker ED was also much more detailed than the standard TrailSeeker when we were looking at leaves on a pond. They're fantastic for both birdwatching and stargazing, but we just wish they were priced better.

The TrailSeeker ED was one of two pairs where we felt truly immersed in the scene we were observing. With the other four pairs, it felt obvious that we were looking through binoculars.

Would we buy them? Currently, no. If they were cheaper, yes.

2nd place: Nature DX ED

Financially, the Nature DX ED seems to make the most sense out of Celestron's lineup. While they don't quite have the optical power of the Regal ED, the Nature DX ED still excels in comparison to the Nature DX and TrailSeeker, and packs a lot of punch for the price.

We noticed a big reduction in chromatic aberration when comparing them against the normal Nature DX and TrailSeeker models, both for close-up viewing and objects in the distance. This was particularly apparent when observing birds in flight, and when peering at a bright moon, where we barely noticed any color fringing whatsoever.

For birdwatching, there wasn't a huge amount of difference between the Nature DX ED and the TrailSeeker ED, despite the latter having dielectric coatings. While the TrailSeeker ED had the edge overall, the Nature DX ED give more bang for your buck and are fantastic overall.

Despite their polycarbonate build, we think they're an excellent choice that combines substance with affordability.

Would we buy them? Yes.

• Read our full Celestron Nature DX ED 10x42 review

Winner: Regal ED

Regal by name, regal by nature. These powerful 10x42s seem to tick all the boxes, and after spending some time with them, we are impressed — particularly after we spent a couple of nights stargazing with them in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park in Wales, enjoying sights of Andromeda, the Summer Triangle and the Coathanger asterism.

The feature that sets them apart from the other models, which could arguably make it a little unfair to compare them, is their flat-field technology. This eliminates the natural curvature that typically occurs with standard convex lenses, to ensure edge-to-edge sharpness across the entire field of view. As you can see from the graphic further up the page, we found these to be the sharpest binoculars by far.

They also come with ED objective lenses as standard, whereas the other models don't. They offer the same prism and lens coatings as the TrailSeeker models, along with the same field of view and body materials.

The views were tack-sharp throughout, with bright, contrasty views in any light. The moon looked perfect with no color fringing, and we could easily follow a Kingfisher dancing above a pond with no issues at all. Like the TrailSeeker ED, we felt truly immersed in the scene as opposed to feeling like we were looking through binoculars.

If we're being picky, their weight could potentially deter users who are looking for a more lightweight and compact pair of binoculars. Not only is the Regal the heaviest of the lot, but the eyecups are the biggest, and we found them to be bigger than our eye sockets (yet another unrealistic beauty standard!). This meant we couldn't, for lack of a better term, get our face in them properly without being a little uncomfortable.

This shouldn't deter you, as this is just a personal preference, but it's small details like this that can make a big difference in finding the right pair of binoculars for you.

Would we buy them? If we were serious about birding, yes.

• Read our full Celestron Regal ED 10x42 review

There are few better sights in nature than December’s night sky. Bright stars like Betelgeuse, Capella, Aldebaran, Sirius and the stars of Orion’s Belt dominate the night sky after dark, but over the two weeks from Dec. 20, 2025 to Jan. 4, 2026, you can follow some unique astronomical events.

As seen from the Northern Hemisphere this year, a crescent moon will curl up in the western sky just before Christmas Day, before gliding past Saturn and the Pleiades. Meanwhile, Jupiter shines as a bright “Christmas Star” in the east right after dark.

Add two meteor showers and a full “Wolf Supermoon”, and ’tis the season to be outside looking up! Here’s how to follow the show night by night…

1. Jupiter shines as the ‘Christmas Star’

When to see: Dec. 25, 2025–Jan. 10, 2026

Head outside about 90 minutes after sunset and look east. The brightest “star” climbing into the sky is Jupiter, shining with a steady light. It will be your planetary companion for the rest of the year — a seasonal lantern that gets higher and more obvious each night.

If it looks like the “Star of Bethlehem” or “Christmas Star,” that’s because it’s closest to its opposition — the brightest it ever gets — on Jan. 10, 2026.

2. Ursids meteor shower

When to see: Dec. 21-22, 2025

Today marks the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere — the shortest day and the longest, darkest night of the year. After dusk, a 3%-lit waxing crescent moon hangs low in the southwest in twilight, sinking below the horizon soon after to leave the sky wonderfully dark for the peak of the Ursids.

It’s not a particularly strong meteor shower, but the chance of about 10 “shooting stars” per hour in moonless night skies makes it a good opportunity to go stargazing, or to head out with your astrophotography camera if the skies are clear. Wrap up well, head out after about 11 p.m., and stay for an hour or two if you can.

• Read more: How to photograph a meteor shower

3. ‘Earthshine’ on a crescent moon

When to see: After sunset, Dec. 22-24, 2025.

The highlight in the few evenings between the winter solstice and Christmas Day is a waxing crescent moon in the western sky shortly after sunset. On Dec. 22, a 7%-illuminated crescent moon will display “Earthshine,” sunlight reflecting off Earth’s clouds and oceans and gently lighting up the moon’s night side.

On Dec. 23, it will be 13%-illuminated and shine close to the star Fomalhaut, the brightest star in the constellation Piscis Austrinus, the Southern Fish. Christmas Eve brings a now 21%-illuminated waxing crescent moon forming a lopsided triangle with Fomalhaut to its lower-left and Saturn to its upper-left.

• Read more: Beginner's guide to astrophotography

4. ‘Santa’s sleigh’ on Christmas Eve

When to see: Dec. 24-25, 2025

Check NASA’s Spot The Station page or apps to see if a pass of the International Space Station is visible from your location. If you get lucky, it will appear in the west as a brilliant, steady point of light that glides across the sky in just a few minutes, brighter than almost any star. To younger observers, it makes a perfect “Santa’s sleigh”, racing around Earth every 90 minutes while stockings are being hung and presents wrapped.

• Read more: Best binoculars for kids

5. The Christmas Tree Cluster

When to see: After dark, any time in December and January

For those gifted a large telescope today, there’s a tempting festive target. Buried within the faint constellation Monoceros, the Unicorn — east of Orion — is the Christmas Tree Cluster (NGC 2264).

It’s not visible to the naked eye, but if you’re under dark skies and have binoculars or a small telescope, you can hunt for the small triangular patch of stars that give this region its festive nickname. This young star cluster is about 2,500 light-years from the solar system.

• Read more: What are the different types of telescope?

6. Saturn and the moon in conjunction

When to see: Dec. 26, 2025

Boxing Day brings a beautiful pairing of the moon and Saturn. As darkness falls, look high in the south to find the bright moon, which is now at first-quarter phase and so about half illuminated. Close by, within a few finger-widths at arm’s length, sits Saturn as a steady, golden point of light.

7. Orion

When to see: After dark, any time in December and January

It’s one of the most famous constellations in the night sky, but only in winter is Orion at its best. Best known for Orion’s Belt — also called the “Three Kings” — there’s more to find besides Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka. Either side has four stars ranged in a loose rectangle around the belt stars — Saiph and reddish Betelgeuse on one side and Bellatrix and bluish Rigel on the other.

Use any pair of binoculars to find Orion’s “snake” — an S-shape curl of stars between Alnilam and Mintaka — then point them at the fuzzy patch close by. This is the Orion Nebula (M42), a stellar nursery where stars are being created.

• Read more: Best beginner telescopes

8. The Pleiades and the moon

When to see: Dec. 31, 2025–Jan. 1, 2026

New Year’s Eve brings a close encounter between the most beautiful cluster of stars in the night sky and an almost-full moon. As darkness falls, look east to see a nearly full Moon rising in Taurus, with the Pleiades — also known as the Seven Sisters — nestling just to one side.

From mid-northern latitudes, the moon may appear to skim past the cluster during the evening, its bright halo almost wrapping around the tiny glitter of stars, although moonlight will wash out the fainter members of the Pleiades.

9. A full Wolf Supermoon rising

When to see: Saturday, Jan. 3

Tonight’s full Wolf Moon is the fourth and final supermoon in a row. Best seen rising in the east around sunset, this full moon coincides with perigee, when the moon is at its closest point to Earth in its monthly orbit.

About 30% brighter than the average full moon, it will dominate the sky all night and appear slightly larger than normal, especially when it’s low on the horizon and framed by trees, rooftops or distant hills. The time to catch it is when the moon rises where you are.

While the best astrophotography lenses are ideal for wide-angle shots of the Milky Way, the best lenses for moon photography are actually big zoom telephoto lenses that are typically used more for wildlife photography.

• Read more: How to photograph the moon

10. Quadrantids meteor shower

When to see: overnight on Jan. 3-4, 2026

In the pre-dawn hours of Jan. 4, the Quadrantids meteor shower reaches its official peak. Conditions are not ideal this year because the moon will be very bright, but if you’re awake before dawn and the sky is clear, it’s worth giving the shower a short watch.

Find a place to observe where you can keep your back to the moon, or where it’s hidden behind a roofline or trees, then look overhead and toward the northeast. Even with the glare, a few bright meteors may slash across the sky every so often, appearing to radiate from a point near the constellation Boötes.

• Read more: Astrophotography settings 101

A good wildlife camera needs to keep up with moving subjects. While there are many ingredients that make up the best wildlife cameras, the two main things beginners should focus on are burst rate and autofocus. A good burst rate gives you more chance of nailing the timing of your shot — for example, when a bird comes in to land — and accurate autofocus ensures your subject is pin-sharp.

Spring is a great time to start learning wildlife photography, too, with more wildlife emerging in your backyard, local parks and in nature reserves.

We’ve chosen these models as good entry-level wildlife cameras, while also keeping in mind that most beginners don’t want to spend thousands on the very best models right off the bat. It's definitely possible to find a good starter camera on a budget, and there are also some great wildlife lenses under $1,000 to pair with them.

If, however, you do have a healthy budget and are in the mood to splurge, the best cameras for wildlife photography make no sacrifices on speed, resolution or efficiency out in the field.

These cameras will serve you well while you're learning the basics of wildlife photography, and as long as you avoid the common mistakes beginners often make, you'll get some fantastic shots and progress your skills.

The quick list

The best beginner cameras for wildlife photography we recommend in 2025

Best Canon

Design: With its sleek, lightweight body, the Canon EOS R7 is a breeze when paired with larger lenses, and its weather sealing protects it against the elements. The rear control dial is located to the right of the EVF, making it slightly less accessible than if it were positioned lower on the body. Not a dealbreaker if you shoot in auto or one of the priority modes, but it could become annoying for manual shooting.

Performance: We were incredibly impressed with the autofocus during our Canon EOS R7 review, noting that it was able to recognise the head, face and eyes of any animal we pointed it at. It rattles off shots at a very impressive 30 FPS, but you are somewhat limited by the buffer depth of only 46 RAWs or 184 JPEGs. We definitely appreciated the 32.5 MP resolution over its 24 MP rivals.

Functionality: In body image stabilization keeps things steady with up to five steps of stabilization, which can be boosted to eight steps when paired with an image-stabilized lens. The APS-C lens lineup from Canon is very limited, but we'd recommend investing in a full-frame telephoto lens to take advantage of the 1.6x crop the camera affords you. This way, a 100-400mm lens becomes an effective 160-640mm lens.

• Read our full Canon EOS R7 review

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Best OM System

Design: The OM-1 is clean, sleek and compact, with a satisfyingly chunky grip that gives you a good hold of the body when it's paired with a long lens. The body is weather sealed to an IP53 standard, meaning it can still operate even with three minutes of continuous water being sprayed on it from a 60° angle — a fantastic feature for a wildlife camera, as we noted in our full OM System OM-1 review.

Something to note — the power switch is on the left side of the top plate, and we found when using the identical Mark II that we were slower off the mark than when using a camera where the power switch surrounded the shutter button. A small detail, but in wildlife photography, every second counts.

Performance: The OM-1 is technically capable of blistering burst speeds of up to 120 FPS, but not with autofocus. It can still reach 50 FPS with autofocus when using specific lenses, though, which is very impressive. Plus, Pro-Capture records up to 70 frames before you press the shutter, which is an advantage for wildlife if you're not quite quick enough off the mark. The autofocus and subject detection are also amazingly accurate, which is the main reason we chose the OM-1 over the OM-5 Mark II for beginner wildlife photography.

Functionality: It has a bunch of extra functionality with its Computational Photography mode, but there aren't many that are useful for wildlife specifically. Starry Sky AF makes timelapses effortless, and Live ND mode enables you to shoot flowing waterfalls. If you want more than just the 20 MP resolution, the Pro Res mode can achieve 50 MP or 80 MP images, but the caveat is that your subject has to be completely motion-free, which, wildlife generally is not.

• Read our full OM System OM-1 review

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Best Nikon

Design: The Nikon Z50 II is Nikon's newest APS-C model, and this camera delivers a great quality build for a camera at this price point. The grip is nice and deep, making it comfortable to handle when paired with longer lenses, although its small and compact nature could throw the balance off with some heavier lenses. That said, by the time you get round to using really big and heavy lenses, you may have already upgraded to a bigger body.

It features a dedicated ISO button so you can easily adjust this setting alongside the two other dials, which is useful for manual shooting out in the field. The Z50 II is weather-sealed: not as robustly as the more premium models like the Nikon Z8 or Z9, but it will be able to handle light rain.

Performance: If you want speedy, accurate autofocus — you got it. There have been big upgrades on the autofocus compared to the original Z50, thanks to the new Expeed 7 processor. You have both animal and bird modes with excellent subject detection and eye autofocus. As long as you have a clear shot of your animal, the autofocus latches onto the eye straight away and stays locked on as the animal moves. As expected, it switched to track the head or body if the animal turns away, but then it snaps right back on when the eye is visible again. We haven't reviewed this camera ourselves yet, but some of the images we've seen taken with the Z50 II are stunning.

Functionality: It doesn't have the fastest burst rate compared to others in this list, but 11 FPS is perfectly fine for beginners. Plus, the Pre-Release Capture can provide a safety net for any missed shots. It can shoot up to 30 FPS using the electronic shutter, but you're limited to JPEGs, which don't have as much editing potential.

It doesn't feature IBIS, which is a shame, so you'll need to ensure your wildlife lens is stabilized to help with both image sharpness and a steady view when composing your shot. Still, it's an excellent beginner wildlife camera for the money, despite its drawbacks.

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Best Sony

Design: The Sony A6700's small and compact body keeps things lightweight, with a fully articulating screen and a generously sized grip to ensure a secure hold when paired with a long lens. One downside is that the 2.36-million-dot EVF is quite small and situated in an odd location, which makes it awkward to look through.

There are three dials on the body, which is a rare feature for crop-sensor cameras — most only have two. This means you can adjust all three exposure settings independently and intuitively without taking your eyes off your subject to access the menu. Beginners will likely start in aperture or shutter priority, but this makes life a lot easier if you later switch to manual as your skills progress.

Performance: The hero here is Sony's best-in-class autofocus, particularly this newer AI-powered generation with bird and animal modes and real-time face and eye tracking. When our optics writer reviewed the Sony A6700 over at our sister site, Space.com, it even kept track of our subject's eyes when it looked away from the camera.

The burst rate of 11 FPS is decent for a beginner camera, but it may struggle when capturing particularly fast-moving or unpredictable subjects.

Functionality: As a result of the powerful autofocus, the battery life is a lot lower than its predecessor. Sony claims it can capture around 550 shots with the EVF or 570 shots with the LCD screen. In practice, we shot a lot more images than this, but it's a good idea to stock up on spare batteries to keep in your bag.

The A6700 has up to five steps of image stabilization, which is exceptionally handy for wildlife photography, if only to keep your view steady when composing your shot. Plus, you can even do focus bracketing, which you could sink your teeth into if you want to learn the basics of macro photography.

• Read the full Sony A6700 review on our sister site, Space.com

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Best Fuji

This was a hard toss-up between the X-T50 and X-T30 II, and although we've gone for the X-T50 due to it outperforming the X-T30 II in almost every metric, the X-T30 II is exceptional value for money for budget-conscious beginners.

Design: The Fuji X-T50 is the younger sibling to the X-T5, with which it shares a lot of the same features. It's small and compact due to its APS-C nature, and has the classic retro styling we've come to expect from Fuji. The new film simulation dial is great fun to get creative, but it doesn't add anything for wildlife photography specifically.

Performance: The Fuji X-T50 features face and eye detection for a range of subjects and has separate animal and bird modes. With its 40 MP sensor, it produces stunning images that allow for extra cropping without losing as much detail. Additionally, when using the electronic shutter, you can achieve speeds of up to 20 FPS, which is impressive considering the file size.

Functionality: Image stabilization helps to keep things steady, although the X-T50 isn't weather sealed, so you'll need to be careful when taking it out into the wild — particularly to wet or dusty locations.

• Back to the top ⤴

Best DSLR

Design: If your priority is a rugged and durable camera that can hold its own out in the field and won't mind a bump or two, a DSLR is the way to go. The Nikon D500 has a robust build and weather sealing to protect it against the elements, although it's not fully waterproof. Plus, the buttons on the body illuminate in the dark, which is useful when you're shooting at dawn or dusk.

Performance: During our full Nikon D500 review, we thought it was an absolute workhorse. For a DSLR, the autofocus is excellent, and although it doesn't have subject detection like newer mirrorless models, it does have 3D tracking mode to help lock on to moving subjects. We found it even kept focus when the animal was in dense foliage, which is impressive. It's worth noting that the autofocus doesn't carry over into video, so keep that in mind if you want a hybrid wildlife camera.

Functionality: The 10 FPS burst rate may not seem like much to shout about compared to other wildlife cameras, but for a DSLR, that's very impressive. Especially considering the buffer can hold up to 200 uncompressed RAW images, ensuring you don't miss a second of the action. Although it doesn't have a silent shooting mode, it does have a quiet shutter release mode. This mode doesn't silence the shutter altogether, but it reduces the sound of the mechanical shutter to avoid scaring your subject off.

• Read our full Nikon D500 review

• Back to the top ⤴

Best beginner wildlife cameras: Comparison

Best beginner cameras for wildlife photography: Frequently Asked Questions

Latest updates

How we tested the best beginner wildlife cameras

We test these cameras by taking them into real-world field conditions, including parks, coastal areas, zoos and nature reserves, to see how they perform when tracking unpredictable subjects such as birds or small mammals.

We evaluate the autofocus speed and accuracy, especially with fast-moving subjects, and test the burst shooting speed to assess how reliably the camera keeps focus over multiple frames.

Low-light performance is measured at dawn and dusk, when animals are most active, as well as in shaded forest areas. We assess the image quality straight out of the camera, dynamic range and color accuracy alongside battery life and lens compatibility.

We also consider the price point for each model, as beginners typically don't want to invest a huge amount into their first camera.

While reviewing the Canon EOS R6 II, we also had the Canon EOS R8 in hand. Armed with a wildlife lens almost as big as our optics writer, we were keen to see how these two cameras stacked up in the field. On paper, they share a lot of the same talents, but out in the field, the difference is like night and day. The R6 II felt smooth and dependable, while the R8’s sluggish buffer and limited controls were enough to make us want to fling it across the nature reserve (we didn’t, of course).

These two cameras prove that specs aren’t everything. Handling, ergonomics and layout can make or break your shooting experience. With the Canon EOS R6 II and Canon EOS R8, the proof isn’t necessarily in the pudding; the proof is in how enjoyable the process of making the pudding is.

On paper, they look very similar

At first glance, the two cameras share many similarities. They have the same 24MP resolution and Digic X processor, the fully articulating screen is the same size and resolution, and they share the same 40 fps burst rate. From looking at specs alone, you’d think the R8 would be made for wildlife photography.

But out in the field, the Canon EOS R6 II quickly proves why it’s worth the extra money.

Why is that? Well, there are two reasons.

The first is the buffer. The R8’s buffer fills quickly and clears too slowly for fast-paced wildlife action — even when we were using a Lexar Gold Series 1800x UHS-II SDXC memory card with a 210MB/s write speed.

When using the mechanical shutter, the buffer is “unlimited” — but only at 6 fps in RAW. If, however, you’re shooting with the electronic shutter, you’ll get 54 RAW or 98 cRAW files at 40 fps. That sounds fine in theory, but in drive mode, we found that the buffer fills up incredibly fast and takes a long time to clear. In the real world, this could potentially mean missing “the shot” — the exact moment your subject takes flight or makes that perfect leap. We often had to stop shooting altogether to wait for the buffer to clear.

The R6 II, on the other hand, can hold roughly 75 RAW images or 190 JPEGs before slowing down at 40 fps. More importantly, you can easily keep shooting in high-speed continuous mode even while the buffer clears. Technically, you can do this on the R8 too, but it’s so much slower in practice that it feels like you’re waiting forever for the camera to catch up. For wildlife photography, where timing is everything, that’s a huge difference.

The second major difference is the button layout. The R6 II has three dials — one at the front, one on the top and one on the back. The R8 only has two. It sounds like a small detail, but when you’re out photographing wildlife, it matters a lot.

If you’re photographing crepuscular animals (active at dawn or dusk) or shooting in changing light conditions, you’re constantly adjusting your aperture, shutter speed and ISO as the light changes. On the R8, with only two dials, you’d need to dive into the menu to change the ISO manually unless you leave it on auto. That’s fine for beginners who mostly shoot in aperture or shutter priority, but it’s clunky for anyone wanting full manual control.

The R6 II makes these adjustments seamless — you can change exposure settings instinctively without taking your eye off the viewfinder. When wildlife moments happen fast, those extra seconds count.

Additionally, the Canon EOS R8 doesn’t have image stabilization. That’s not a total dealbreaker — most of Canon’s wildlife lenses have optical stabilization — but it’s still a disadvantage compared to the R6 II.

To sum it up

The R8 isn’t a bad camera — far from it — but it’s not built for the wild. For beginners who are happy to stay within the auto and priority camera modes, or if you just want to take photos of your pets, it’s a great little camera body. But when you take it into a wildlife setting, its limitations become obvious.

The R6 II, however, was a dream to use for wildlife photography, and, considering it’s only around $400-$600 more expensive than the R8, we think it’s worth stretching your budget to get the R6 II if you want to take your photography more seriously. It’s a camera you can grow with, and will serve you well long after you’ve moved past the beginner stage. Plus, with the recent announcement of the R6 III, the R6 II might come down in price over the next couple of months and we're already seeing a Black Friday and Cyber Monday deal on the Canon EOS R6 Mark II over at Walmart, which is better than Amazon.

In short, the R8 gets you started. The R6 II keeps you shooting.

Stargazing and wildlife observation are fun and fulfilling hobbies to get into, but it’s important to find the right tool that ticks all the boxes and is right for you. If you haven’t used binoculars or a telescope before, it might not be so obvious what their differences are aside from the way they look. Without knowing much about what each optic is best suited to, you could end up setting up an 8-inch telescope to observe birds in your garden or using an 8x42 binocular to look at Saturn’s rings — neither of which is ideal.

To choose the right optic, you need to know what kinds of subjects you want to look at, how often you’ll be using it, your environment and your budget. We’ll be breaking down their pros and cons and what kind of activity each option is best suited to.

When it comes to optics, you get what you pay for, and good quality glass can be expensive, so many of the best telescopes and best binoculars aren’t particularly cheap. But Black Friday is coming up on November 28, and we’re expecting to see some great deals during this event, particularly as this year's Prime Day deals left a little to be desired.

Binoculars v telescope: What’s the difference?

While telescopes and binoculars both give a magnified view of things far away from you, that’s basically the only similarity they share.

Binoculars are compact optical devices you hold up to your face and look through with both eyes (hence ‘bi-nocular’). They’re typically used more for wildlife observation and birdwatching due to their portable nature, although they can be used for stargazing, too.

Binoculars are typically used handheld, but many can be mounted on a tripod for steadier views. Bigger astronomy binoculars need to be mounted on a tripod because their weight, combined with the powerful magnification, results in a shakier view that requires some kind of stabilization.

Telescopes, on the other hand, are a long optical tube that you fix to a mount and a tripod, and are primarily used for stargazing. They are mostly used for nighttime observations, although small telescopes can be used for daytime observations, but it's extremely important that you don't look at the sun through a telescope.

There are different types of telescopes, different mounts and a variety of eyepieces that can be used to utilize different magnifications in order to get detailed close-ups or wide-field views.

Telescopes are more technical and require more setup than binoculars, but binoculars are much more portable and beginner-friendly, so each optic has its own pros and cons.

Who should buy binoculars?

Wildlife watchers and birders

Whether you're visiting a wildlife reserve or spotting birds from your backyard (or just spying on your neighbors), binoculars are much better suited for wildlife observation than a telescope would be. This is for a number of reasons.

First, they’re a lot more compact and less conspicuous than a telescope, so there’s no faffing around and you can blend in with your surroundings much more easily. Secondly, they’re much more portable than even a small telescope: many compact binoculars even fit in a large jacket pocket, making them a lot easier to carry around with you. Finally, handheld binoculars enable you to follow your subject as they move much more easily than you could with a telescope.

If, however, you want to go a step further and observe wildlife from further afield, you could consider a spotting scope instead. Spotting scopes offer a higher magnification than binoculars (usually 20x-60x), and they require a tripod, but they’re better for observing fine details from afar with their narrow field of view.

Image-stabilized binoculars are incredible for wildlife observation and birdwatching, but they don't come cheap. Black Friday could be the perfect opportunity to save on these more expensive optics.

Hikers, campers and globe-trotters

Due to their compact and portable nature, binoculars are perfect for popping into your bag during a hike or on your travels. Plus, as they're generally more versatile than telescopes, they're ideal for family camping trips where you can observe a range of subjects like wildlife, nature and the night sky away from city lights.

Binoculars are also a good way to get your kids interested in the world around them, with many of the best binoculars for kids being specifically designed for small hands and faces.

Casual stargazers

Binoculars are versatile enough that you can do both casual and more dedicated astronomy, depending on the pair you buy. A good all-rounder, like a 10x42, is perfect for getting a closer view of the moon and viewing constellations, but you're unlikely to get decent views of anything further afield. For dedicated astronomy, you need a high magnification of at least 15x, and large objective lenses to let in more light — we'd recommend 50mm and above.

A bigger pair of astronomy binoculars, like the Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, is still a smaller and more portable alternative to a telescope, but they need to be mounted on a tripod due to their weight and higher magnification. With a pair of large astronomy binoculars, you’ll be able to explore details on the surface of our moon, spot all four of Jupiter’s Galilean moons and observe some deep sky objects like the Andromeda Galaxy and Orion Nebula.

Who should buy a telescope?

Astronomy enthusiasts

If you want to get the best possible glimpse of the cosmos, a telescope is definitely the way to go. Although on the whole they’re more technical than binoculars and require more set-up, most beginner models are easy to set up and get your head around if you have no prior knowledge of the subject.

They vary in size and difficulty, so there will be something to suit every type of user, whether you only want a compact telescope that’ll take you five minutes to set up in your backyard for detailed views of the moon, or you want something a bit meatier that you can transport to dark-sky sites for the best views. But passionate astronomers will want one of the very best telescopes that can provide stunning views of a variety of celestial objects and won’t mind investing in the best gear.

Either way, Black Friday is the perfect time to invest in either your first telescope or a better model than you already own to level up your astronomy journey.

Astrophotographers

Although you don’t need a telescope to do astrophotography, it can take your space photos to the next level. With the right adapter, you can attach your astrophotography camera directly to your telescope to capture photos of what the telescope sees.

Another way to photograph celestial objects is with a smart telescope, which can provide a much more accessible way for beginners to take space photos, but smart scopes are typically a much more expensive option. That said, we saw some great discounts of up to $1,000 off smart telescopes last year.

Families and kids interested in science

Smaller telescopes for kids are a great educational tool to get your youngsters interested in science and astronomy, and many of them are good enough for adults and the whole family to get use out of, too. Most kids' telescopes are best suited for looking at the moon and planets, but there are plenty of models suitable for older kids and teens who want to continue the hobby and move up in size and power.

Choosing based on your environment

Urban dwellers

Binoculars or smart telescope ✅

An observational telescope would be wasted in a city due to the light pollution, so go for the versatility of binoculars or invest in a smart telescope that can eliminate light pollution.

Rural/remote areas

Either! ✅

If you’re lucky enough to live in a remote area, binoculars will be ideal for spotting wildlife in their natural habitat, and you could make the most of the dark skies with a telescope.

On the go

Binoculars ✅

Even the most compact of telescopes will still be too cumbersome to take traveling, but binoculars will fit comfortably inside a backpack or large pocket to use on the go.

Backyard observers

Either! ✅

You can easily set up a telescope in your backyard or observe with binoculars, but be aware that the amount of light pollution wherever you live could hinder stargazing conditions.

What to expect this Black Friday

When it comes to big-ticket items like binoculars and telescopes, the very best deals are usually reserved for Black Friday. We saw a few good deals during Prime Day, but nothing we haven't seen before.

Last year, the Celestron NexStar 8SE was reduced to $1,299, which is the cheapest we've seen the world's most beloved telescope. If, however, you're interested in investing in a smart telescope, the Unistellar eVscope 2 was down to $3,919 (almost $1,000 off), with other smart scopes in their range being up to $500 off. Plus, the excellent Leica Noctivid 10x42 were on sale for $2,249, which is still not cheap, but the $983 saving isn't to be sniffed at. But if you're looking for more of an entry-level binocular, the Nikon Prostaff P3 10x42 were less than $100 last Black Friday.

We're expecting to see some big savings again this year, and we'll be keeping track of all the Black Friday deals on binoculars, telescopes, cameras, star projectors, and health and fitness gear over in our Black Friday Deals Hub, so keep this page bookmarked to ensure you don't miss out on the very best deals.

Cyber Monday offers a great opportunity to find genuine deals on outdoor tech and skywatching gear, including binoculars. But with so many options available, you don't want to be rushed into buying a pair just because the price has dropped — you want a quality pair that will work for you.

Our experts have put together these five tips on how to choose the right pair of binoculars for you and your personal needs, whether you need them for birdwatching or stargazing, or even need an image stabilized pair.

We will cover how to determine your primary use, how to make sense of specifications, eye relief for glasses-wearers, objective lens size and durability. If you follow these expert-curated tips, you can be confident that you will be investing in a pair that delivers value and performance long after the sales event is over.

Once you know what to look for, head over to our Cyber Monday hub for all the best deals.

1. Understand magnification and objective lens diameter

• Understand what the numbers are and what they mean
• Establish which numbers work best for your hobby

When you're shopping for binoculars, you'll notice that binocular specifications are typically written as two numbers, like the "10x42" of the Nikon Monarch HG 10x42 (which happens to sit at the top of our Best Binoculars guide) or the "20x80" of the Celestron SkyMaster Pro 20x80, which takes the number one spot in our top picks for stargazing guide.

The first number represents magnification. A 10x magnification makes an object appear 10 times closer to you than it does with the naked eye. While higher magnification might seem better (after all, you're looking for instruments that will help you see things that are further away), you also need to consider that it magnifies the movements of the binoculars too, so if you're handholding any movements or shake become magnified, making it hard to see the stars in detail.

Binoculars with very large magnifications typically have a tripod mount to help steady the image, and some newer (and more expensive) models, such as the Canon 10x42L IS WP, have built-in image stabilization. These have a gyro sensor that compensates for any exterior movement of the device, keeping your views wobble-free.

A higher magnification also means a narrower field of view: You'll see less of the sky at any one time than you would with binoculars with a smaller magnification. Larger magnifications are better suited for observing star clusters, close-ups of the lunar surface and nebulas (rarely do binocular magnifications get high enough for decent planet viewing). Whereas, smaller magnifications are better for constellations and asterisms and other wide-field observing, like sweeping through the Milky Way.

The second number is the diameter of the objective lenses (the ones closest to the object you're viewing) in millimeters. The larger the lens, the greater its light-gathering ability, resulting in brighter images — ideal for wildlife watching at dawn or dusk, and skywatching. Bear in mind, though, that larger lenses use more glass, which adds to the overall weight.

2. Determine what you actually need them for

• What size is the object you are observing?
• How quickly does that object move?
• In what environment will you be using the binoculars?

Different activities and hobbies have different binocular requirements and, although you can get a "good all-rounder" like the Celestron Regal ED 10x42, certain binoculars lend themselves better to more specific needs.

If you're a birdwatcher, you'll want a wide field of view to track the fast movement of flying birds. As we have already discussed, the larger the magnification, the smaller your field of view; therefore, you'll want to keep the magnification fairly low. 8x is known as the sweet spot for birding.

For skywatching and stargazing, you need something that lets in a lot of light — anything 50mm and above is ideal. The magnification level you want will depend on what you want to observe in the night sky and whether you want to use a tripod or not. We've compiled a comprehensive list of the best binoculars for stargazing, but the Celestron Skymaster Pro 20x80 (huge magnification and huge objective lenses) are perfect, with a tripod.

For watching occasional sports or music performances, something small and lightweight that you can keep in a pocket to pull out whenever needed is probably more suitable. You could even consider a monocular for this purpose. The Nocs Provisions 8x32 is one of our favorites.

3. Check for waterproofing and durability

• Good quality binoculars should be waterproof and nitrogen-purged (fog-proof)
• Ensure the binoculars have a rubber-armored coating for protection

You'll largely be using your binoculars outdoors, so durability is key. Ensure your binoculars have a waterproof rating and are fog-proof. Not only is waterproofing essential for use in the rain or snow when you're nature spotting, but it also protects the binoculars in humid environments. Waterproofing isn't essential if you're only going to use them for stargazing — as you can't stargaze in the rain — but it's a much more important feature for birdwatching, where you're more likely to be caught out in a sudden downpour.

Fog-proofing (often written as "nitrogen-purged") means the internal lenses won't fog up when you move between temperatures, for example, when getting out of a warm car into the cold. This means you don't have to wait for the binoculars to de-fog before using them. Time better spent observing.

Most weatherproof binoculars will have some level of rubber-armored coating, adding protection against small bumps and knocks, and making them less slippery to hold, especially when you have wet or cold hands.

4. Don't ignore the quality of the optics

• Look for BaK-4 or ED (extra-low dispersion) glass.
• Make sure the glass is multi-coated or fully coated, with phase correction coatings on roof prism binoculars.

When it comes to binocular optics, quality matters. Typically, cheaper binoculars use lower-grade glass (like BK-7) and coatings, which can affect image quality. Look for deals on models from well-known, reputable manufacturers, as they will have put in the research and used the best quality materials (including the glass) for a given price point, ensuring good value for money.

While the specs of a mid-range pair and a budget pair from an unknown brand may look similar on paper, we can pretty much guarantee it's worth spending that extra bit and opting for the name you know (or that we've recommended).

Regarding glass, if you're after a quality pair of binoculars, you will want to seek out lenses that use BaK-4 glass as a minimum standard, not BK-7. BK-7 will give you a disappointingly low-quality image. Even better glass will be listed as "ED". This means extra-low dispersion and reduces color fringing, otherwise known as chromatic aberration, whereby colored outlines appear around contrasted edges like bright stars against the night sky, or the dark undersides of birds silhouetted against the bright sky.

Key things to look out for to ensure lens quality include whether they are listed as "multi-coated" or "fully coated" lenses. Without getting bogged down in the details, lens coatings reduce internal light loss and glare and ensure even light transmission across the lens. This results in greater image sharpness and contrast.

If you want to buy roof prism binoculars (which resemble the shape of the letter H, unlike Porro prism binoculars, which resemble the letter M), ensure they have a phase-correction coating to maintain the integrity of resolution and contrast.

More expensive models also have dielectric-coated prisms for increased light transmission.

5. Check the eye relief if you wear spectacles

• Glasses wearers should look for eye relief of 15mm and above
• Remember, you might want to use your binoculars with sunglasses

Eye relief is another term you will often come across when shopping for binoculars. In short, eye relief is the distance you can hold the binoculars away from your eyes while still seeing the full field of view. Insufficient eye relief can make viewing uncomfortable and limit your visual range, particularly if you wear glasses.

It's a good idea to try the binoculars out physically if you can, though we know this isn't always possible. As a good rule of thumb, glasses wearers should look for models that offer a minimum of 15mm of eye relief for a comfortable viewing experience. We think 17mm (or more) would be ideal.

You can see the eye relief length in the statistics before each description in our best binoculars guide. The Celestron Regal 10x42 has a very generous 20.2mm eye relief, whereas the Canon 10x20 IS has just 13.5mm.

Our experts have been keeping an eye on all of the best telescope deals this Black Friday weekend, and we expect several of them will continue for Cyber Monday.

Black Friday is usually a great time to splurge on tech, as companies compete to offer the best prices and shift their stock. Companies don't want large items like telescopes sitting around taking up space for too long — they want to buy them in and sell them on quickly. Black Friday Weekend offers a good opportunity to do this. Unlike Prime Day, it isn't exclusive to Amazon either. Adorama, BestBuy, Walmart, Unistellar and more will all be slashing their prices.

If you've been telescope shopping for a while, you'll know that there are hundreds of models, lots of specs to get to grips with, and lots of words you've probably never heard of describing your prospective new skywatching instrument.

Our experts are here to help you cut through the jargon and help you choose the right telescope for you. There are different types of telescopes, different apertures (light-gathering ability) and different set-up complexities. Not mentioning the plethora of accessories on offer: mounts, tripods, eyepieces, red dot finders and more.

Here are five tips for choosing the best telescope for you. In short, you need to consider the type of telescope, what you will be looking at and in what environment, how much space you have and what accessories you will need. Explore our advice below, and once you know what to look for, head over to our Black Friday hub for all the best deals. Our expert tech reviewers and deal-finders will be updating this regularly.

1. Decide which type of telescope you'll need

• Know the difference between refractors, reflectors and compound telescopes
• Decide which telescope is best for your hobby

We have a whole Live Science article dedicated to types of telescopes, but we'll cover the pertinent details here:

Refractor telescopes

Ask a child to draw a picture of a telescope, and this is what they will draw. A refractor is essentially a spyglass, a tube with lenses at either end that work together to make faraway objects appear closer to you, the viewer. This type of telescope was famously used by the great scientist Galileo to observe craters on the moon, sunspots and discover the four largest moons of Jupiter. They are best for viewing planets and moons, but shouldn't be used for viewing galaxies and nebulas.

The key advice if you're considering a refractor telescope is to buy the best one you can afford. The Celestron Inspire 100AZ is perfect for amateur astronomers looking to get a closer look at our nearest celestial neighbors.

Reflector telescopes

Reflectors use mirrors to collect light (instead of lenses), and they are now the most popular type of telescope. They act as both a good general-purpose telescope, but can also be used for viewing many solar system and deep-space objects.

You'll typically get better value for money with a reflector. Even an entry-level reflector will provide wonderful views of the spiral galaxies and the misty blossoms of nebulas (under a dark sky, of course). The downside of them is that you have to maintain the optics to keep them clean and aligned.

Catadioptric (compound) telescopes

As you've probably guessed, these use a combination of mirrors and lenses, utilizing the best parts of the above styles. They are often short and stubby (so stowable), but they are usually fairly heavy and, yes, expensive. Probably not the cheapest choice as your first telescope, but you can find them for under $500, like the Celestron AstroFi 102.

2. Focus on aperture, not magnification

• Do you want to be able to see intricate features?
• How much light does your telescope need to gather?

You might think magnification is the most important factor — you want to bring objects closer to you so you can see them in more detail, after all — but it isn't. The most critical factor is its aperture.

Aperture determines the telescope's light-gathering ability (a larger aperture collects more light) and resolving power (the ability to see finer details). Magnification simply enlarges the image, but if there isn't enough light, you will see a disappointingly blurry image.

You might see the phrase "useful magnification". As a good rule of thumb, a useful magnification is about 50 times its aperture in inches. For example, for a 4-inch aperture telescope, this would be 200x magnification. Any higher magnification than that would result in a poor-quality image.

The more light-gathering power a telescope has, the better it will be for seeing galaxies. Our experts would typically recommend a telescope with an aperture of at least 8 inches (200 millimeters). Larger apertures of 10 inches or more will give even better results, depending on the "condition" of your sky, which leads us nicely onto our next point.

3. Where do you plan to observe?

• Are you in an area with lots of light pollution?
• Are you observing during a full moon or new moon?

Where you plan to observe is a major consideration. City skies are affected by light pollution, which can wash out faint celestial objects.

If you live in a town or a city, it's likely that light pollution will be a challenge. Larger aperture telescopes can help by gathering more light from the celestial objects, but even they have limits.

Smart telescopes, like the Unistellar eQuinox 2, use built-in technology (namely Smart Light Pollution Reduction technology) to filter out city light electronically, revealing objects that would otherwise be invisible. These are excellent but can set you back a couple of thousand dollars. Check out other smart telescopes with this functionality.

If you're lucky enough to have access to dark skies, you don't need to worry too much. A reflector telescope with a large aperture is your perfect dark sky companion.

It isn't only the quality of the sky that you need to consider when thinking about your environment, physical space comes into play, too. Which brings us to...

4. Portability and storage

• How long do you want to spend setting the telescope up?
• Where will you store your telescope when it isn't in use?
• Will you be trekking to dark sky locations, or driving?

Always consider the telescope's ease of use. Some telescopes, such as a tabletop Dobsonian, can be used right out of the box, whereas a computerized telescope can take time to set up, align and link to a remote, app or laptop. Some also require more maintenance, like collimation, than others.

Storage is also worth considering. We aren't all blessed with enough space in our homes to leave our telescopes out, and larger telescopes, obviously, require more space to store. Consider where this will be before you splurge on a large model — you don't want getting your telescope in and out to be a chore. We've listed our favourite small telescopes in this guide.

As well as the telescope's physical footprint, weight must also be considered. We've already mentioned that even small catadioptric models can be weighty and depending on the model and your general health and fitness, you might need to consider something more lightweight. Perhaps instead of the excellent Unistellar eVscope 2 smart telescope, you might want to consider the Celestron AstroFi 102 (16 lbs / 7.25 kg) instead.

5. Don't fall for cheap bundles

• Eyepieces are important; those bundled into deals might not add any extra value
• Mounts are also crucial to a pleasant experience. You need a reliable mount

As with a lot of products, if a bundle looks too good to be true, it probably is! The packages on sale will likely include a decent telescope, but to sweeten the deal over their competitors, retailers might throw in something extra. Sometimes, cheaper bundles like these can include additional third-party eyepieces, lens cleaning cloths, a flimsy tripod or other accessories that we would not recommend purchasing or using.

Our friends at Space.com have listed their favorite telescope eyepieces and telescope mounts. Check there first before being drawn into bundled items.

The Nocs Provisions 85mm spotting scope is a new product from Nocs, and it's clear that it's been well thought out, with plenty of rigid, rubberized casing material. It has an IPX7 waterproof rating, for the body only, and we thought it appears to be robust enough to withstand some abuse.

For users who can't decide between binoculars or a telescope, the best spotting scopes are a fantastic middle-ground optic that can be used for both astronomy and wildlife observation. We loved observing the craters and fissures on the moon, as well as spotting Little Egrets at a local nature reserve.

We've compiled a list of other optics to use whilst observing wildlife in our best wildlife observation equipment guide, and, as you can see, it's a tough market with plenty of top-quality alternatives.

Nocs Provisions Long View 85mm spotting scope review

Nocs Provisions Long View 85mm Spotting Scope: Set up

• The product box employs a resource-saving approach by printing the setup instructions on the inside of the case
• Simple three-stage instructions with images
• No website address included in instructions

The instructions for the Nocs Long View spotting scope are printed on the inside of the box. They are straightforward to follow. The diagrams are self-explanatory with arrows to highlight the written instructions. However, it would have been helpful to include a link to additional online instructions for further assistance.

The unit would be easy for a beginner to set up, and most people would have the unit working in a few minutes.

The scope has too large a magnification to be used without a tripod, although it is possible to use it if it can be rested on a stable surface.

The carry bag is compact and appears to keep the unit safe, although the zip on the objective lens of the case is quite tight to undo with the unit in situ. Putting the unit back in the bag is also quite tricky due to the lower zip, and we feel the design could be improved here.

Nocs Provisions Long View 85mm Spotting Scope: Design

• The outer casing has a good grip and feels of good quality
• Focus ring and eyepiece adjustments are smooth and precise
• The glare hood feels flimsy and cheaply made

The scope is encased in a rubberized material, which we found pleasing to use. There is plenty of grip, even in wet weather, including when using gloves. The chassis is made of aluminum, with the eyepiece adjuster also made of aluminum. The tripod mount is made of plastic, but it is strong enough.

The tripod mount is well-balanced in the middle part of the unit, but, as with all scopes, a careful choice of a tripod is essential. At these magnification strengths, any vibration is amplified through the glass. Therefore, we wouldn't recommend using a cheap tripod with this unit.

The case has a handle and a shoulder strap that need to be attached. The body of the unit is rated at IPX7 waterproof, but the eyepiece has no waterproof rating, which is something to be aware of whilst in use.

The device comes with a body-shaped bag for transporting it to the location. There are two zips on this. The lower zip fits around the objective lens, and we found this a very tight fit. The scope has to be pulled through the end of the bag to remove it, and invariably, it was challenging to sit in the case. Not something that would be easy to do if you were trying to pack the scope away in a hurry.

There is a shoulder strap that attaches to the bag, not the scope. This is disappointing as it means the scope has to be put in the bag when carrying. We would have preferred the strap on the actual scope.

The scope weighs 3.86 lbs. This is relatively lightweight for a spotting scope, making it easy to carry to and around your chosen location. You will also need a tripod, so this needs to be factored into your trip planning.

Nocs Provisions Long View 85mm Spotting Scope: Performance

• Fully multicoated
• 85mm objective lens
• Body waterproof and fog-proof

The 85mm objective lens on the extended scope is large enough to produce decent images during daylight hours. Still, if used at anything but its minimum focus, there's the usual drop-off in quality and light transmission. This is because magnification reduces the exit pupil, which is the amount of light getting through the eyepiece. When this becomes smaller than the pupil, it becomes difficult to see light and image through the scope.

With the scope mounted on a tripod, to reduce vibration and shake from our hands, we were able to gather decent images of the blood moon. All magnification ranges performed well, and a significant amount of detail was captured. At 60x magnification, observing the moon was an absolute delight. The moon was clear and we were able to see craters and fissures clearly. Further afield, the conjunction of the moon with the Beehive cluster was captured with the scope. We were able to distinguish between the larger red giants and white dwarfs here with the scope at its maximum magnification.

The air at night is just starting to cool down, making lens fogging an issue with some scopes, but the Nocs remained clear even in these conditions.

Using the scope on a recent trip to Hurst Castle Spit Nature Reserve in the New Forest, UK, views of Little Egrets were clear, and there was minimal chromatic distortion. Although at full magnification, moving birds were difficult to find until we started with the scope at its minimum magnification and therefore greater field of view, and worked up the magnification once the target was in view. The scope has a wide field of view, but even with this, the suggested technique is still proper.

Using the scope to watch birds at the very start of the day proved tricky, even with the 85mm objective lens. The lack of light transference made for somewhat soft images, but there didn't appear to be too much blurring around the edge of the view.

The scope takes two hands to focus. One on the eyepiece and one on the barrel focus. This meant that we quickly became accustomed to using these two controls simultaneously, making tripod use particularly useful.

Should you buy the Nocs Provisions Long View Spotting Scope?

Overall, we were impressed with the Nocs Provisions 85mm spotting scope. Its entry-level pricing hasn't meant that the scope performs poorly. We enjoyed the scope's ability to focus clearly in good light conditions, and the rubberized casing gives the scope a feeling of quality. We'd happily recommend the Nocs Provisions 85mm spotting scope for beginners and entry-level to intermediate users, both for birdwatching and astronomy.

The glass used is of reasonable quality, with valuable additions of multicoatings to extract as much detail as possible, given the constraints imposed by the low price point.

The Nocs Provisions 85mm spotting scope is a really nice addition to this end of the spotting scope market. Its overall performance on our test was pretty good considering its low price, and if it had been slightly sharper, it would have received a higher star rating.

If this product isn't for you

If the Nocs Provisions 85mm spotting scope is not for you, then how about the top-quality but much more expensive Swarovski Optik ATX/STX/BTX modular spotting scope. Or if good nighttime performance is on your list, then the Zeiss Victory Harpia 85 may be up your street. For those who are budget-conscious, the Bushnell Trophy Xtreme 20-60x65 is a good option.

How we tested the Nocs Provisions Long View spotting scope

We tested the scope during the summer, for over two months. For our birdwatching test, we went to the Hurst Castle Spit Nature Reserve in the New Forest, where we rose early at 05.45 in order to catch the dawn wake-up period of the native and migratory birds. To test the Astronomy side of the scope, we went to St Alfred's tower in the Cranbourne Chase Dark Sky Reserve with low-level sky pollution and a Bortle score of 4.

The Nocs Provisions Lite view spotting scope is marketed to new users in the world of spotting scopes. It has a toy-like look and size, but has pretensions of ability beyond its size. With a 56mm objective lens and a short length of 7.56-in, there's plenty of light getting through the unit, enabling use during low-light conditions. The 6.6 ft close focus is particularly beneficial for a spotting scope, allowing the users to focus on bird tables and feeders located close to a hide, further demonstrating the scope's beginner-friendly credentials.

The best binoculars for stargazing include binoculars not necessarily associated with stargazing. However, this spotting scope would fit into that category, due to its small size and high magnification range.

Nocs Provisions Lite View spotting scope: review

Nocs Provisions Lite View Spotting Scope: Design

• Simple attachment of straps and removal of lens caps
• All instructions are printed on the inside of the box, with further website instructions
• Easy to set up for a beginner with minimal assembly needed

There's very little to set up on this scope; you just remove the two lens caps, and it's good to go. There's a strap on the shoe-shaped bag that fits over the shoulder, and all of this was installed in a few minutes. The unit weighs only 1.2 lbs, making it easy to carry. Children would find this scope very comfortable to use.

As with the larger 60x spotting scope that we recently tested, the instructions are printed on the inside of the box, making the whole process very straightforward. The scope takes a little getting used to in practice — due to its small size, the focus ring doesn't fall naturally to hand. You have to take the unit away from your face to find the ring first. We found we were missing moving birds while attempting to find the focus, which was a shame. After a while, this did improve, and we found that holding the focus ring in the left hand, with the right on the eyepiece for fine focus, worked well.

The eyepiece is made of metal with a rubber cup, while the body is covered in a wave design rubber material, which feels pleasant to the touch and provides a good grip.

The tripod mount is covered with a shoe-shaped rubber mount, which is held on by an allen bolt. This was a slightly awkward system, where the loss of the bolt was a very real concern for us.

However, this spotting scope was very easy to transport, as it weighs only 1.2 lbs and can easily fit into a large pocket. The unit comes in a textured carry case with a shoulder strap for added convenience.

Nocs Provisions Lite View Spotting Scope: Performance

• Useful 9x27x magnification range
• IPX4 waterproofing
• Large field of view of 234 ft - 117 ft at 1000 yds

Although the sound of higher magnifications is tempting, in reality, the 9x27x range of the Nocs is perfect for most cases. Any more than this, and the need for a tripod to stop blurry images becomes essential. The body of the scope is only 7.5-inches long, which makes it quite difficult to hold steady at its max magnification, although this does make it child-friendly. The range of magnification is far greater than that of the equivalent binocular or monocular, and with its small size, the Nocs is an excellent addition to your toolset.

We would have preferred the unit to have higher waterproofing, but it does have multiple coatings on the lenses, which will provide some protection from scratches and water ingress.

With its 56mm objective lens and the field of view at 234 ft - 117 ft at 1000 yds, we found the scope to have more power and clearer images than other units of this size. The image is reasonably sharp, and there is minimal edge distortion, although some is apparent at full magnification with the scope. The color representation is reasonably accurate and consistent with other optics at this price. Though the optics are nothing amazing.

Using the scope at night to view the blood moon, it performed excellently when used on a tripod, although its size made it awkward in this situation. We found it challenging to turn the body-mounted focus wheel when it was attached to the camera. When focusing on more distant celestial objects, we found it necessary to use a lower magnification to locate and then focus in fully.

We were able to use the scope's full range of magnification whilst in our dark sky reserve testing area. The light pollution and Bortle scale of four didn't have a significantly negative impact on the viewing experience, and the scope would be enjoyable to use for both beginners and experienced observers returning to the night sky.

Nocs Provisions Lite View Spotting Scope: Functionality

• Good observation of the blood moon
• Able to see the rings of Saturn and the planet
• Good viewing of water birds

The scope was able to reveal craters and fissures on the moon's surface at its 27x magnification. The viewing night had low-level light pollution of 21.4 and a Bortle scale of 4, making for some impressive views of the natural satellite. Recent views of Saturn allowed us to discern its rings to quite a good amount of detail, too.

Comparing the scope to its bigger brother, the recently reviewed Nocs Provisions long-view scope, which boasts an impressive 20-60x magnification, we found the Lite View's magnification range more than adequate for gathering fishing Egrets on a nature reserve's marshland.

The scope is also well-suited for watching sporting activities, such as windsurfing and jet skiing, as it can be used handheld, enabling swift tracking similar to some binoculars.

Overall, the compact size and significant magnification ability of the scope make it suitable for replacing a pair of binoculars and a larger spotting scope, as long as you can cope with the lack of ultimate quality views.

Should you buy the Nocs Provisions Lite View Spotting Scope?

The Nocs Provisions Lite View spotting scope is an excellent choice for beginners. With high-quality casing and capable glass, we found it capable of providing clear and reasonably sharp views of both bird and animal activity, as well as being suitable for astronomy. With its focal range of 9-23x, it's more than capable of taking the place of both a binocular and a larger scope if you are carrying your equipment over long distances on a hike, etc. and don't want to lug heavy equipment to your viewing site.

Its lack of full waterproofing is a shame, but if reasonable precaution is taken, it shouldn't be too much of an issue. During testing, we didn't experience any fogging issues and the scope remained clear even in damp early morning conditions. We didn't experience any heavy rain showers whilst testing the scope, but it would be able to tolerate a light shower, just not full immersion.

The Nocs Provisions Lite View spotting scope is a small yet capable spotting scope that initially appears to be a toy, but as you use it more, you soon realize that it's more than just a gimmick. We were impressed with the unit overall and would recommend it to beginners.

If this product isn't for you

If the Nocs Provisions Lite View spotting scope isn't for you, try the high-quality Zeiss Conquest Gavia 85, which offers fantastic views as you'd expect from this renowned camera manufacturer. Or what about the Vortex Viper HD with an adapter, if you're keen on taking images with your camera through the scope? Budget concerns shouldn't limit your enjoyment of your new scope so what about the Bushnell 20x60-65 prime? There are cheaper options, but this scope is comfortably able to cater to a beginner while still having headroom when the user becomes more demanding.

How we tested the Nocs Provisions Lite View spotting scope

We tested the Nocs Provisions Lite View scope in a Bortle scale 5 dark sky reserve and a hide-equipped local nature reserve. We also took the scope on walks and outings to get a general feel for its quality and performance, while using it with little warning or preparation.

Photographing a comet isn’t so different from shooting the moon or a meteor shower, but it’s far more thrilling, since comets are often once-in-a-lifetime sights — comet Lemmon won’t be around again for another 1,150 years! We’ll be going through what gear you’ll need to capture the comets and recommending our favorite models for all budgets, plus what settings to use and composition tips to get the best shots possible.

What you'll need

Which camera should I buy?

Technically, any camera can do the job if you know what settings to use. That said, some are better suited to astrophotography than others. Some high-end cameras — like our favorite astrophotography camera, the Nikon Z8 — have a dedicated astrophotography mode designed for low-light shooting, with other models like the Sony A7 IV boosting the brightness of the monitor to help with composing your shot in the dark. We also love the OM System OM-1 Mark II for comets and meteor showers specifically, where Live Composite really comes into its own for long exposures.

The two most important factors you need to have in a camera are good noise handling (which, annoyingly, is something you can only really find out from actually using it), and enough controls on the body to adjust the aperture, shutter speed and ISO independently to avoid having to dive into the menus. This is a small but useful thing to have, as it makes manual shooting ten times easier when you’re out in the field and need to make adjustments. Most full-frame models have enough physical controls to make manual shooting much easier when you’re out in the field, but it’s something to be aware of if you’re buying a beginner astrophotography camera.

Most newer cameras have in-built intervalometers to shoot multiple exposures without having to press the shutter continuously, but if you’re using an older camera or a DSLR, a separate intervalometer or shutter release remote is also a handy accessory to have.

Which lens is best for photographing comets?

The best astrophotography lenses are those that let in plenty of light, and two features that make this possible are a wide focal length (around 20mm and wider is ideal) and a wide (or fast) aperture of around f/2.8 or faster. Most astro lenses are prime lenses, but wide-angle zooms will also work (provided they have a wide aperture) and open up more composition possibilities with the ability to zoom in and out. Plus, because of the 500 rule — which determines how long you can expose before stars start to trail — a wider focal length lets you use longer shutter speeds.

Tripod

As astrophotography requires long exposures, it’s not possible to do this handheld, so a sturdy tripod is required. You don’t need to spend a fortune, but if you can afford to invest in a good quality tripod, it’ll last you longer and be constructed from sturdier and more rugged materials. We loved the Benro Mach3 when we reviewed it.

Photography accessories that make comet photography easier

There are plenty of useful accessories that make photographing comets easier, which can also be utilized for other styles of photography. A good headlamp with a red light will preserve your night vision and help navigate remote trails, and a power bank ensures your electronics don't run out of juice.

How to find the comet

Each comet appears in a different part of the sky depending on your location, its trajectory and how far it has traveled, so astronomy apps are incredibly useful for locating your subject. There are plenty available, and you can search for your subject and the app will show you when and where to look.

Stellarium is a favorite of ours, but Sky Safari and Star Walk are also excellent choices. It’s also a good idea to check light pollution maps to find a dark spot away from city lights.

Camera settings

Shooting a comet is very similar to most other types of astrophotography, which is great news if you already know what you’re doing. Shoot in manual mode so you can adjust all your settings yourself, and you’ll need to set your lens to manual focus. Set your aperture to as wide as it can go in order to let the most light in, and divide 500 by your lens’ focal length to determine the best shutter speed to prevent unwanted star trails.

Your ISO should be somewhere between 800 and 3,200, depending on the brightness of the comet and the amount of light pollution or ambient light. Start around ISO 800 and increase gradually — it’s better to take a few test shots than risk too much noise. Finally, you want to make sure you’re shooting in RAW so you can process the images afterward to bring the most out of them without destroying the original file.

Composition tips

To give your comet photos a sense of place and scale, include a foreground element. This can be anything — a mountain, a tree, bridge or a landmark works beautifully. Try to capture the coma (head) of the comet as well as the tail, and you can also experiment with time-lapse photography or shooting multiple calibration frames to stack them together afterward.

Watching without a camera

Are binoculars good enough to view a comet?

Binoculars aren’t a must-have for astrophotography, but they’re incredibly handy for spotting a comet that’s too faint to see with the naked eye. With a pair of the best stargazing binoculars, you can spot the comet and compose your shot around it, rather than having to rely on trial and error. Plus, you can spend time enjoying the view for the 20-or-so seconds your camera is taking the photo.

If you want to use binoculars handheld, go for 8x42, 10x42 or 10x50. If you have a second tripod, you can power up to a 12x,15x or even 20x magnification. Or, if you really want to invest, image stabilization is surprisingly effective for stargazing, but the best image-stabilized binoculars don’t come cheap.

What sort of telescope do I need to view comets?

If you’d like an even closer look, a telescope is a fantastic tool. A small telescope with an alt-azimuth mount will be the easiest option for beginners, while a telescope with a bigger aperture and EQ mount will suit more experienced users. If you’re more confident with telescopes, you could even mount your camera to it using an adapter to take even better astrophotos.

Comets don’t come around often, but when they do, they offer a rare chance to capture something truly spectacular. With the right preparation and a bit of patience, you’ll be ready to make the most of the next one that streaks across our skies.

Recommended products

In a world where camera sensors are improving all the time, we need lenses that are capable of resolving vast amounts of detail, and that’s exactly what the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE is capable of. This professional-quality prime lens is perfect for astrophotography and landscape photography, thanks to its ultra wide-angle field of view and fast maximum aperture.

What makes this lens so special, alongside the aforementioned attributes, is the fact that it’s available for a bargain price of just $464 / £533 and produces stunning image quality. Have a look around, and you will struggle to find a similar prime lens at this price. This full-frame lens is available in Nikon Z-Mount and Sony E-mount.

Despite being a full-frame lens, the 16mm f/1.8 can also be used with APS-C cameras to provide an equivalent focal length of 24mm, which is also a useful focal length for both landscapes and astrophotography. The advantage here is that if you currently shoot with an APS-C camera and plan to upgrade to full-frame later, this lens will keep working for you.

For a prime lens, the 16mm does have some interesting and useful features that further increase its attractiveness. Like most primes, it doesn’t feature Image Stabilization, but it does have a manual aperture ring with stepped and stepless control and a couple of programmable Fn buttons alongside its excellent build quality.

Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE: Design

• Compact design
• Weather sealing
• Excellent build quality

Fast ultra wide-angle primes can be quite hefty pieces of glass, but a focal length of 16mm combined with an f/1.8 maximum aperture seems to be something of a sweet spot in terms of size and weight.

The 16mm f/1.8 is a fairly compact and lightweight lens at just 3.35 x 4.06 in / 85.2 x 103 mm with a weight of 19.4 oz / 550 g, so it balances well with full-frame and even APS-C camera bodies.

The lens is made up of 15 elements in 12 groups, including four ED glass and three aspherical lenses. This design aims to deliver sharpness, detail and high contrast while minimizing distortion at wider apertures, and the lens undoubtedly achieves this.

The front element features an HD Nano multilayer coating with a water-resistant and antifouling coating. The front element isn’t bulbous, which is great, and the filter thread size is 77mm, so you don’t have to spend a fortune on circular filters.

One thing we did notice when using 100mm square filters is that the filter holder adaptor ring was difficult to remove from the front of the lens, even when it was 100% screwed on correctly.

The minimum focusing distance is just 10.6 in / 27 cm, which will be most useful for landscape photographers when focus stacking. This is, of course, of no use for astrophotography.

The aperture is made up of nine blades rather than 11, but this doesn’t produce any problems despite being slightly less circular than 11-blade apertures.

The build quality of the lens is impressive with its all-metal body and weather sealing, giving the 16mm f/1.8 a premium look and feel. The manual focusing ring is wide enough for gloved use.

The lens is designed for both photo and video capture, so the manual aperture ring can be set to stepped and stepless operation via the switch on one side of the lens. Other controls include two customizable Fn buttons and an AF/MF switch.

Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE: Functionality

• Customizable Function buttons
• Digital color screen
• Average AF speeds

As far as prime lenses go, the 16mm f/1.8 alongside Viltrox’s Pro and LAB series lenses is surprisingly feature-packed compared to much of the competition. There’s no optical Image Stabilization; you’ll have to use IBIS if your camera features it, but this lens, which is designed for photo and video capture, has a few tricks up its sleeve that you won’t see available with other lenses.

Since this is a third-party lens, firmware updates can’t be applied in the same way as OEM lenses, but Viltrox has come up with a clever fix for this using a combination of Bluetooth and the Viltrox Lens app.

With the lens unattached from a camera, there’s a USB-C port on the lens mount that’s used to power the lens. Once powered, it can be connected to the Viltrox Lens app, where you can update firmware, customize the Fn buttons and customize the digital screen’s welcome screen.

The color digital screen shows the focus distance and the aperture setting, as well as showing the active Fn control. It’s an interesting feature that’s in essence a digital version of the focusing distance scale window on older DSLR and SLR lenses. It’s most useful when you want to adjust settings quickly without looking at the camera LCD screen or the EVF.

Autofocus is far from the fastest we’ve experienced, and it’s quicker with the aperture wide open at f/1.8 than it is at f/11, for example. It slows as you stop down. With the lens at f/11 or f/16, it takes about half a second to lock onto subjects, while wide open, it’s roughly twice as fast.

Autofocus is driven by an SMT stepping motor, which is claimed to be virtually silent, and this is correct. AF is quiet, but it is audible. Autofocus is absolutely fine for landscape photography, while astrophotographers will exclusively use manual focus, which is comfortable to use.

Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE: Performance

• Fantastic image quality overall
• Excellent sharpness at f/1.8
• Great corner sharpness

There’s no getting around the fact that fast prime lenses are the best option for astrophotography. And while many focal lengths provide ideal fields of view for this type of photography, it’s ultra wide-angle lenses like this that allow you to capture more of the sky and to enjoy greater light-gathering capabilities.

Wide-angle lenses, by their nature, allow more light to reach the sensor. Combined with a fast maximum aperture of f/1.8, you’re onto a winning combination. Of course, image quality is a hugely important factor, and the 16mm f/1.8 is incredibly sharp at f/1.8 and produces excellent corner and edge sharpness to match.

Wide open sees the most vignetting, which is almost gone when you stop down to f/2.8 and completely gone at f/4. There is an Adobe Lightroom Lens Profile available for this lens, which removes the vignette and also the tiny, pretty much unnoticeable amount of barrel distortion that the lens produces.