Celestron Nexstar 8i Telescope Kit w/XLT Coatings
by Celestron
(Click here)
Customers in the UK,
buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: CelestronModel: 11022-XLT
Product features:
- 203mm (8-inch) diameter Schmidt-Cassegrain refractor
- Compass calibration, enabling you to point to true north more accurately
- Electronic controls allows you to move the telescope at six different rates
- 40,000 object database
- XLT coatings
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Celestron Nexstar 8i Telescope Kit w/XLT Coatings
Customer Review: a portable telescope
Summary: 4 Stars
I own a Nextstar 8i and a Meade ETX 125. Comparing the Celestron with the Meade, I have the following conclusions:
1) Meade's computer hand control is better designed than Celestron's. To set up the Meade telescope, all I need to know is where north is. After pointing the telescope to north, entering the time, selecting my location from a database presented by the controller (only once), the telescope automatically goes to two bright stars for star alignment. With the Celestron, I need to enter the time, the longitude (make sure you know whether it is east or west, I was confused the first time) and the latitude (again need to know north or south), then select an alignment star from a list. I happened to know only one star, the Polaris, it was a pain for me to read through the star charts included in the telescope manual to figure where the other named stars were located. I too needed the manual to find my longitude and latitude in the dark. Also when entering the time, Meade's hand control conveniently turns on a small red light, so I can use it to read my watch's display. Celestron's hand control does not have this feature. The ETX comes with a real finder scope (though its optical quality is poor), it is relatively easy to put an alignment star to the center of the cross hair. The 8i has only a red-dot (which I constantly forget to turn off when I am done with my observation). It is much harder use the red-dot. Even when you think the star is aligned with the red-dot, you may not be able to see the star in the telescope. (I almost broke my neck when I tried to align some stars near zenith.) I soon bought a real finder scope for the 8i (it cost about $100 for a mount and a 50 mm scope) and got rid of the red-dot. And I know I had better know the longitude and latitude before I head to a different site. Oddly, Celestron's manual does not include any alignment star charts for the southern hemisphere.
2)In terms of seeing more details in planets and more deep sky objects, the 8i wins as expected.
3)In terms of pointing accuracy, 8i is much more accurate than the ETX (ETX's drive system was poorly designed and manufactured. A star image would drift in the field.) The 8i is able to find some deep sky objects without much of my help. However, the 8i requires full-capacity batteries to operate. When the battery power starts to go down, it may rotate the telescope to dangerous positions, hitting the telescope base with the eyepiece.
4) The 8i is very light (20 pounds); it weighs almost the same as the EXT. But both telescopes' mounts are shaky (ETX's is worse). At higher magnification, a gentle touch (turning the focusing knob), causes the star image to blur, making it hard to get a sharply focused image. An electronic focuser may be needed.
In general I think the 8i is a good telescope. The optics are good and the drive system is solid. I use it more often than the ETX. The only drawback is its star alignment process which requires more work from the user. I bought a binocular viewer for the 8i later. It offers fantastic views of the moon and deep sky objects (globular clusters looked like sugar grains spread on a black velvet.)
Description of Celestron Nexstar 8i Telescope Kit w/XLT Coatings
Amazon.com Review Combining the powerful optics of Celestron's legendary 8 inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and premium XLT coatings with the solid computerized tracking system developed for its popular Nexstar 5, Celestron's Nexstar 8i is a remarkable telescope value. Compared to the Nexstar 5i, the eight inch version is only six pounds heavier and only a little more expensive, yet it delivers more than two and a half times the NX5's light gathering power. The Nexstar 8i's excellent optics easily bring out wonderful detail on the moon, the planets, and on star clusters and galaxies.
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| The computer-driven handset makes it easy to find celestial objects. |
The real genius of the Nexstar 8i is its computerized object location and tracking system. I find the Nexstar system much easier to use than earlier computerized telescopes. You can choose from several different alignment modes, from the traditional two star alignment to the latest GPS aided automatic setup using the optional CN-16 GPS module. I especially like the flexibility of the new "quick align" feature. Starting with "quick align" at a recent public viewing session, I was able to use Venus and the quarter Moon to synchronize my telescope alignment half an hour before sunset. Meanwhile other computerized telescopes were sitting more than an hour, waiting for their alignment stars to appear in the twilight.
You'll want some good eyepieces to take full advantage of Celestron's excellent optics. I'd suggest starting with a set of three, Celestron's 10mm, 18mm, and 30mm Ultima eyepieces or three similar Tele Vue Plossls would be a good choice. These would be ideal for viewing the planets at about 200x, galaxies at about 110x, and open star clusters at about 68x magnification. My only disappointment with the eight inch Schmidt-Cassegrain design is its limited field of view; some of my favorite objects like the Pleiades don't quite fit, even with a low power eyepiece. Also be aware that you'll want an external power supply; the computer may crash after only a few hours when the on board AA batteries start to run down. The Nexstar 8i is a delightful telescope for visual observing or even web-cam images of the planets; for deep space photography, however, you'll want the greater stability of the Nexstar 8 GPS . ?Jeff Phillips
Pros:
- Excellent optics with XLT coatings
- Light and portable
- Easy-to-use computerized finding and tracking
- GPS upgrade option
- Short battery life
- Limited field of view
- Not optimized for photography
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