Don't buy Celestron NexStar 8SE without watching this video first

[MrGrossebobette]

The nexstar mount is good enough for long exposure....like any other scope ,with proper guiding system ! And the built in wedge on the 5 inch is not enough sturdy !

You're and idiot !

[MrGrossebobette]

With a wedge ,and guiding system with a DSLR someone can make very good quality astrophotos of deepsky objects !

I think you are trying to find reasons because you have a 5 inch scope !

5 inch is better than 8 inch my ass ! 8 inch collect 6 times more light than the 5 inch !

[matthewjsharpe]

Shock piece of sales flim flam. No 1. rule of purchasing a telescope is buy a telescope you will use - which does mean it usually has to be well made and portable with good optics - but, the number 2 rule of buying a telescope is BUY THE BIGGEST APERTURE YOU CAN AFFORD! Rule 2 leads back to rule 1, in that, the more you can see with your scope, the more you will use it! If you can afford the 8", for gods sake, get the 8", don't listen to this guy.

[jerryy101st]

I am whit billy210uk, this guy just make this video to try to sell his other telescope. And i am going to buy the 8 inch is better quality in all the aspect of a Telescope. This guy is a loser!!!!!

[danthemanzizle]

i have an $80 telescope that is about 5 inch and supposedly goes to 600X, so far the best I've done is see jupiter's cloud stripes (only just) along with a few of its moons and orions nebula (as a fuzzy grey blob) but by far the best use of this inexpensive telescope is to look at the moon as it tracks across your field of view at full 600X magnification.

[Pizdulina1979]

Check under his house, something about this guy and his extremely well-thought out, efficiency reminds me of John Wayne Gacy...

[Pizdulina1979]

Its obvious: he bought an 8" and now he's selling his 5" and trying to say "he bought 2 - 5inchers" he's playing on the fact that they are the same length and most people wont know that, the difference is in the width and a mere 3" is hard to see on YouTube. So then he makes video to promote the GREATNESS OF THE 5" so that he can lower his overall cost on the 8". Nice try buddy, gotta give you credit though. Bottom line is apeture and 8" buries the 5". Any rookie should learn apeture, then buy

[Alchaeon1]

...right - so if we apply your argument perhaps we can just get a pair of Binoculars - they are far easier to carry and they come with a carrying case

[Squagnut]

The problem with doing astrophotography with either the 5" or 8" is the alt-az mount, not the OTA (though the 8" will be vastly superior in a dark sky setting). Put either on an EQ5 Goto and you're away.

My preferred solution is to have a 5" alt-az for grab-n-go times, and a 9.25" for planned sessions. Half the fun is showing other people space stuff, but that is only half the fun. My (non-astro) friends don't spend time and money on astro tech kit, so I don't buy it for their benefit.

[andrewpmack]

This dude bought two of the same scope, then turns around and sells one. Clearly, not the sharpest knife in the drawer!

The example of polar alignment in the video is a fraud. He clearly used software to align the pictures.

One useful point is the wedge in the mount of the 5", which I wasn't aware of (though that is hardly a main point of his!).

[Astromaster90]

What about the 6SE? It's better than both. Light 40,000 object database, 6 inch aperture.

[tigereye1uk]

Hi guys which is better next star 5SE or 8SE am located in mid populated city and I want to stare at stars and nebula not only planet? Any assistance!!

[wwgeb]

@tigereye1uk For nebulae the 8 inch scope is much better than the 5 inch. You will most likely not see much in the city but if you drive to a dark place you can see a lot more than planets with the 8 inch scope. My argument about the 5 inch being better applies to looking at planets from the city, which I believe is what you will end up using your scope for. If you are willing to take a half hour to an hour drive to a dark place then get the 8 inch.

[Jules7892]

@tigereye1uk Don't forget. The gentleman in this Video/Audio did say he bought 2 5"SE Celestron Scopes. Now with 2 5SE Scopes He does have the $1,399 of the 8"SE. In that case I do suggest the 8"SE Starbright XLT Compurized. Resolution between the 5" & 8" is 0.9"Arcseconds and 0.57"Arcseconds respectively.Your visual Magnitude is 14th for the C8" & 13th Magnitude for the C5".Believe me, I am an Astro-Photographer & having 1.0 FULL Magnitude gain in Light in the C8"SE is much greater than C5"SE!!

[Jules7892]

@tigereye1uk Also If you want to do easier Astro-Photography, the 8"SE does bring in 1.0 Full Magnitude Visual Gain over the 5"SE. 1 Full Magnitude is quite large especially in Astro-Photography , the 8"SE can Photograph dimmer Galaxies with ease where the 5"SE will show much smaller scales. The minimum most Astro-Photographers have is an 8"SE StarBright XLT Computerized ,regardless of what this Video/Audio might say.Check with Astronomy Retailers of Telescope Experts of 5"SE Vs. 8"SE Scopes??!!

[Jules7892]

@tigereye1uk Finally with Registax V5.0 and DeepSkyStacker , you can"De-Rotate" the stacked images up to 360 degrees to remove"Field Rotation"on Alti-Azimuth mounts like the SE mounts,so any Field Rotation past the 30 second exposure time can be"De-Rotated"in both FREE Download software as Registax V5.0 or DeepSkyStacker Software,so the theory of SE mounts not exposing for longer than 30 seconds is quite NOT True,you can by De-Rotating on Images until the Stars Align themselves on your Software!

[00Billy]

Clearly yo see objects further away -dimmer light- needs larger apeture... BUT. looking at a fuzzy dot...at your extreme range and magnification....

You want to buy something you will use.

[ahlberto]

Biggest astro idiot on the net.What a fucking looser

[04Stefan07]

the camera panning is pretty cool, nice scope!

[stockscalper]

I agree, but I would recommend the 6" model. It has a lot more light gathering capability than the 5 and is as large a tube that the mount can handle. The mount/arm for the 8 is exactly the same as the 5 and 6 and it simply can't handle a tube of that size and weight. I've seen them come loose and fall off when the telescope was bumped.

[wwgeb]

@stockscalper There is always a trade off. The 6" will probably be more stable because it is on the same mount that holds the 8". The 5" is on a different (wimpier) mount that also holds the 4". I like having the wedge but I realize that most people would never use it. For my use of looking at planets I wouldn't be using the extra light from the 6" but I'm sure other people would want that.

[Deltaworks23]

Why did you even mention magnification between the 5 and 8? It is all about gathering light, not magnification, and clearly an 8" scope will collect more. You're an ass, trying to sell your superfluous telescope.

[combatzonepaintball]

that wedge is a joke... and tu say a 5" is better than a 8" says it all... You know nothing about astronomy and only want to sell your 5" talknig bad about the 8"

[electronicdawg]

No astronomer would say a smaller telescope is better than a big one. The bigger the telescope the batter the light gathering capabilities thus the more you can see , the end.

[robemoor]

which is better Celestron NexStar 6SE Telescope vs Celestron NexStar 5SE Telescope - great video btw - keep up the good work

[stockscalper]

@robemoor the 6 inch model will have something like 40% more light gathering capability, which helps with fainter deep sky objects.

[wwgeb]

@robemoor Celestron makes two NexStar mounts: one for the 4" and 5" that has a wedge and another for the 6" and 8" without a wedge. In general, the bigger the scope the more light it collects. The 5" is sufficiently large for looking at planets from a light polluted city. Most people who have the 8" won't drive an hour to a dark site to look at nebulae. Instead they use it to look at planets. You will enjoy the 5" or the 6" as they are both awesome scopes. I am keeping my 5" scope.

[H8RiD]

Just started getting into Telescopes and stuff and this review/recommendation is great and I'm guessing the prices for Telescopes go down similar to the way Graphics cards prices go down, the new the technology the more expensive and as they get released the ones before go down in price; this being said, I wont be able to get one till the middle of 2012 would the 5SE still be a better choice then? or would there be a better option?

[wwgeb]

@H8RiD I have only been looking for 6 months. I haven't seen the prices drop but they will go on sale for a month or two. Currently the 5 SE is $100 off through the rest of this month, then the price goes back up. SE is for second edition. Maybe there will be a new version and they will discontinue the 2nd edition. You can sometimes get a reasonable deal on eBay, Astromart or CloudyNights classifieds for a used one. Keep watching so you will know what to expect next June.

[Thebrainrahul]

did you use a steady cam for the footage of the telescope... very nice, very steady shots =)

[wwgeb]

@Thebrainrahul Yes, the Steadicam Merlin. I need more practice but it way better than just holding the camera.

[detentocanada]

nice 30 dollars diagonal and 40 dollar eyepiece. Please dont tell me that u can not see diference with a 5 and a 8. Ahhhh. Maybe u have some eye problens, did u go to the doctor recently? u better check your eyes. Have a good one....

[RangerParus]

Also "nice eyepieces, $60" lol.

[RangerParus]

With that mount it is a toy.

[ryevick]

well you are definitely making me reconsider what I am going to buy... thank you for the video, good job

[ahlberto]

Only tree words for this vid- WHAT AN IDIOT!!!

[TheCHUCKY1992]

@ahlberto You failed you said tree hahahaha who's the idiot,

so I have three word's to say about your comment-LEARN TO SPELL!!!

[ahlberto]

@TheCHUCKY1992 Chucky,spell this...mama-me o caralho ó puto de merda .

[waterfordjim]

A case of telescope envy. Like PENIS envy, but different. :-D

[notubeplease]

interesting and most of it true, what you are saying in this vid. i use a 4" mak from Orion, for "taking it out to my friend's house" (actually, the roof-top, or the balcony). but for DSO and planet shooting i chose the C8 :) the little "Apex" is doing ok for visual (up to 270-300x), afocal (with compact camera) and webcam focal shooting, however, nothing can beat aperture, in spite of the cost(s). well, except maybe for the seeing... :D that can make a big diference

[Portal2Rulez]

Ya know how /I/ carry around my 4 SE? I take the optical tube off of the mount and carry that around with me and put the mount in the trunk. Tada. :D

[billy210uk]

Did you make this video and advocate the benefits of a 5 inch telescope just because you wanted to sell it?! And then probably buy an 8 inch one?!

[wwgeb]

@billy210uk I am keeping my second NexStar 5SE for the reasons I mention in the video. It is very easy to set up and to haul around. I can show off the planets to other people and they see them as well as with a larger scope. I now also have a CGEM 800 that I use for astrophotography. It takes me 30 minutes to set it up. The 8SE has its place. I just think that most people who buy one would be better off if they had bought the 5SE instead. Most 8SE scopes stay in the closet.

[ahlberto]

@wwgeb Totally wrong..The 8se ts been considered the best grab`go anywere.I have one....so..the 8se dont offer much more than the 5"?!?!?.ha ha ha ho men ROFL ROFL ...If you have 1200 doll to spent you dont buy nexstar 5se,NEVER,NEVER,NEVER.You can buy easely a CPC 8" OR a NEXSTAR 8"SE on astromart for around 800 to 1000 and you will save money to eyepieçes...Dude,all that talk to sell a 5" scope? All of this is snake talk...not a hint of true in what have been said in the video.Peaçe

[itaki7]

Hi wwgeb,

could you please tell me with model is the equatorial adapter you use for NexStar 8 in this video.

Where could I buy it? Thank you very much.

[wwgeb]

@itaki7 The wedge that Celestron used to sell for the NexStar 6 and 8 is item number 93658. They now sell one, item 93664, but that one is very expensive and may not work. CloudyNights has one in the classifieds right now for $100, under the mounts/tripods category. It is a wedge for the older C8 telescopes so it also may not work with the NexStar. If you get one you will also want to get the latest firmware for your hand controller. The instructions are in the user manual for the CGEM scopes.

[DeadmanXX08]

Whats a good Webcam

[wwgeb]

@DeadmanXX08 I have the Orion StarShoot Solar System Color Imaging Camera IV. I have not used it much but it seems to be nice as long as you are nearly in focus. If you are a little out of focus the screen goes black. The Celestron NexImage is very popular and there are many YouTube videos of Jupiter, Saturn, and the Moon made with that webcam. If you're patient you can get a used one on eBay, Astromart, or CloudyNights classifieds. A webcam cannot be used to take pictures of nebulae.

[tompa666]

Two 5 inch telecope weighs more than one 8-cm telescope .Think u bye wrong scope and only wont to sell

[appie640]

Haha, he bought two, and now he thinks it's a waste of money... NO SHIT! Of course it is, you can operate two scopes at the same time

[gronki1]

that's totally not true that planets and moon will look exactly the same. 8 inch shows MUCH more detail than 5 inch, except if used from a balcony. please don't mislead people, saying that they won't notice much difference. the only advantage of 5 inch telescope is that it's easier to transport and carry in a bag with a tripod. both are NOT designed for long exposure photography. one uses fast newtons or refractors or RC systems for that.

[elainelightseeker]

this guy is an absolute idiot!! I liked it so much i bought 2???? why would you need 2? tool! the 8inch is better and that is it! they make them better not the other way around nobody spending that kind of money is worried about carrying it around! this guy could bore the paint of the walls...

[detentocanada]

please, keep your 5 that i keep my 8. have fun with your lilte 5

[gder01]

@detentocanada spoken like a clueless noob.

[ahlberto]

@gder01 Right on!!Must have this on mi facebook page for all the folks have a laugh.ROFL

[gunkgrifter]

or better, but the Celestron C8/ on the EQ mount

[gliderrider]

Why did you buy two 5SE's? For that you could have gotten the 8SE and the more expensive case and other options. On another note, You are REALLY good at doing this you tube thing. Hope you keep at it. More astrophotography please. I'd like to see more of what a 5SE can do. See? You still are convincing. lol

[jambi99]

The 8 will collect twice the amount of light of the 5.... the 8 is only 30 pounds. If you can't carry 30 pounds on 20 feets distance then you're in a wheel char or totally dysfunctional ... You can't compare the view from 5 " inches scope to a 8 ". In don't see your point of the 5" being better than the 8...

[wwgeb]

@jambi99 The 8 is better than the 5 in many ways. The benefits of large aperture are higher resolution and more light. For looking at planets the 5 provides sufficient light and the atmosphere often limits the resolution such that your highest power would be 200x to 300x. Both telescopes will give you this. Of course you would need a different eyepiece to get the same power from each telescope. Looking at Jupiter at 250x would be about the same with both scopes. Nebulae are a different story.

[Shiby102]

@wwgeb which version of the celestron nexstar would be best at looking at nebulae.

[wwgeb]

@Shiby102 For nebulae you want the largest one you can get, and you will want a really dark observing site.

[Shiby102]

@wwgeb Would getting the Celestron NexStar 6se be good or the 8se? which telescope brands would you recommend besides Celestron?

[wwgeb]

@Shiby102 In the more info section of my video Best Beginner Telescope Under $200 there are links to other telescope makers. Before buying a telescope you have to ask yourself a few questions. How much money do you want to spend? What do you want to use the telescope for? How much time/dedication do you have for the telescope? Ask questions on CloudyNights. com. Subscribe to Sky & Telescope magazine. Visit your local astronomy club where you will find people thrilled to answer your questions.

[rcflex]

@Shiby102 Meade makes really good telescopes... I prefer Mead over Celestron

[verhaegenconstruct]

good , and thanks for the info ;-) greats from belgium

[epiphoneplayer]

I bought the 8se last month and love it. I had the 4se first. The difference made my friends go from that's cool to jaw dropping. The 8se is big sure but the light captured by it makes images extremely vivid and great for astrophotography. Even with the celestron eyepiece kit it came with works very well so far. My vote is still for 8se. I don't have a case im just extra careful and look like a nerd at parties. Until they look through the eyepiece xP

[kirkster501]

Fantastic video wwgeb. I think I will take your advice - all the points you make are the issues I have been battling with.

[cosmiclight]

Nicely done video. I can tell you that as a free recipient of the Nexstar 5i several years ago, as the Celestron people donated a brand new one to me while I prepared to go overseas to the South Pacific Fiji islands to teach astronomy, I still employ that Nexstar 5i almost nightly for at least every two weeks of the month while the new to full moon is in the sky with planets; I provide free local sidewalk astronomy to all the general citizens on the PDX streets, see Mark Seibold in Youtube.

[jerzeydolphins]

this was nothing more than a infomercial for ur ebay

[jerzeydolphins]

GOTTA LUV IT WHEN YOU POST THIS WHEN ITS BEEN OUT FOR YEARS !!!!!!!!!!

[terawattz]

thanks,your logic is valid,i bought the nexstar 4se,

[davesworld85100]

you thin an 8 sc is bad you want to get a cpc 800 is havey

[bsgtrekfan88]

As someone who own's a 6SE...I did enjoy this video but I can see why the 8 might be a tad better than the 5 in some cases..but in general...your points make sense :) I love showing people what they can see in my neighborhood.

[gerheardtg]

Seller is correct! My first scope is this unit. My second was the Meade lx200 in 10 inch followed by a Meade Lx200 in 8 inch. Using all units side by side with televue eye pieces, I decided to keep my 5 inch due to portability and ease of use.

The others have been resold on ebay! PS favorite eyepiece is a click zoom televue. No longer offered but othe companies have similar units.

Enjoy

[HUTCHOOZLE]

Nice video and some valid points made. However the deal-breaker with Celestron is the firmware upgrades are only possible on a PC - with a serial port no less! I borrowed a NexStar scope and went through the go-to learning process but I will hold off buying one until they catch up with an interface for my iMac.

[123alfaman]

@HUTCHOOZLE no need to wait. Just get yourself a serial to usb cable converter. Nearly every lower end GOTO scopes come with serial cable interfaces, including skywatcher and my meade lxd 75 ar6. It does amaze me how these excellent next generation telescopes, still come with last generation pc interfaces... Still, just get a serial to usb converter cable, and you are away...