Celestron 21035 70mm Travel Scope

TL;dr: really happy with this purchase. Longer story: my boyfriend has wanted a telescope since he was a kid; I know absolutely squat about them but wanted to surprise him. The research was… intimidating. Between binoculars on a tripod vs a telescope, lens kits (I got the like $35 one from the same brand), oh God does a review saying that kids can use it means it’s way juvenile, I was scared. He was super happy with the purchase, and we used it all the first night he got it. Set up was easy, it was all secure and fit together, all of that stuff was good. The hardest part was finding a damn planet, but that’s a user issue. Once we did, it was good clarity. Yes, this is an intro telescope, not a crazy observatory one, but I’m really happy with it to see if the hobby ... MoreTL;dr: really happy with this purchase. Longer story: my boyfriend has wanted a telescope since he was a kid; I know absolutely squat about them but wanted to surprise him. The research was… intimidating. Between binoculars on a tripod vs a telescope, lens kits (I got the like $35 one from the same brand), oh God does a review saying that kids can use it means it’s way juvenile, I was scared. He was super happy with the purchase, and we used it all the first night he got it. Set up was easy, it was all secure and fit together, all of that stuff was good. The hardest part was finding a damn planet, but that’s a user issue. Once we did, it was good clarity. Yes, this is an intro telescope, not a crazy observatory one, but I’m really happy with it to see if the hobby sticks and take it from there.

Everything about this telescope is garbage. The manual looks like it was written 30 years ago. The manufacturer can't even include clear photos or diagrams. And how hard would it be to make a 90 second video showing people how to assemble it? They don't even have that. At any rate, I was able to assemble it (no thanks to the photos), but quickly realized the tripod was total garbage. It's flimsy and wobbly, and the screws that hold the telescope in place are also complete crap. The movement is not smooth at all, and the telescope will not stay in place when you try to tighten the screws, making your view useless. The topmost extension is especially useless, because no matter how much you tighten it, it wobbles, and will slip down as soon as you make the tiniest ... MoreEverything about this telescope is garbage. The manual looks like it was written 30 years ago. The manufacturer can't even include clear photos or diagrams. And how hard would it be to make a 90 second video showing people how to assemble it? They don't even have that. At any rate, I was able to assemble it (no thanks to the photos), but quickly realized the tripod was total garbage. It's flimsy and wobbly, and the screws that hold the telescope in place are also complete crap. The movement is not smooth at all, and the telescope will not stay in place when you try to tighten the screws, making your view useless. The topmost extension is especially useless, because no matter how much you tighten it, it wobbles, and will slip down as soon as you make the tiniest adjustment to the platform. Once you find the right angle of the telescope for the object you are trying to view (which will take a very long time), adjusting the screw to hold it in place will move it so much, that you'll just fight with it over and over again. Because the tripod legs are so flimsy, if you even just bump one of them slightly, your angle is already off. Finding your object in the viewfinder doesn't help (assuming you can ever tighten the screws and still keep the object on center). You'll never be able to see it through the telescope lens anyway. I don't know if it's just not lined up properly, or if the lenses and/or the telescope are just useless, but after an hour and a half of trying to look at the moon (not a terribly difficult object to start with), I just gave up and started the return. I never saw anything through the lens at all. I even just tried holding the telescope (seriously, that was no worse than trying to use the tripod) and aiming at the moon, and nothing. Don't waste your money. I'd still like to have a telescope, but not sure i'd ever buy from this company. Everything about this purchase was a disappointment.

My daughter got this for her birthday from my stepmom. My husband read the directions and did everything as instructed. Should I mention he has a degree in physics? He did everything right and is very experienced with telescopes. We can't even see the trees in our backyard clearly, much less the moon! The finder scope is okay, but look through the main scope? As blurry as a legally blind guy without glasses! We've tried looking at the moon, the sky, trees, grass on our neighbor's lawn....All incredibly blurry, so much so that I now know what it's like for my husband with his glasses off. My daughter's cheap kid's binoculars are better focused than this telescope. Incredibly, VERY, fantastically.... disappointed. This still cost a pretty penny. Yeah, cheaper than the ... MoreMy daughter got this for her birthday from my stepmom. My husband read the directions and did everything as instructed. Should I mention he has a degree in physics? He did everything right and is very experienced with telescopes. We can't even see the trees in our backyard clearly, much less the moon! The finder scope is okay, but look through the main scope? As blurry as a legally blind guy without glasses! We've tried looking at the moon, the sky, trees, grass on our neighbor's lawn....All incredibly blurry, so much so that I now know what it's like for my husband with his glasses off. My daughter's cheap kid's binoculars are better focused than this telescope. Incredibly, VERY, fantastically.... disappointed. This still cost a pretty penny. Yeah, cheaper than the big toys, but still expensive for the quality. Don't buy.

For background I've never owned a telescope and haven't done much astronomy since high school. I bought this as a gift for our bright 5.5 year old daughter, knowing she may need to grow into it a bit. Before settling on this particular model, I considered paying several times more for a good T-scope the whole family could use for years to come. However, after reading more about beginner scopes, I agreed that a more complicated or powerful scope could discourage her. Further, although she thinks astronomy is pretty neat today and she can name all the planets (including a few dwarfs), there's a chance her interest wanes. In that case, I'm only out $100. It took me about 30 minutes to skim through the instructions and assemble the scope. Adjusting the finderscope was a ... MoreFor background I've never owned a telescope and haven't done much astronomy since high school. I bought this as a gift for our bright 5.5 year old daughter, knowing she may need to grow into it a bit. Before settling on this particular model, I considered paying several times more for a good T-scope the whole family could use for years to come. However, after reading more about beginner scopes, I agreed that a more complicated or powerful scope could discourage her. Further, although she thinks astronomy is pretty neat today and she can name all the planets (including a few dwarfs), there's a chance her interest wanes. In that case, I'm only out $100. It took me about 30 minutes to skim through the instructions and assemble the scope. Adjusting the finderscope was a little more difficult, however. I found myself wishing it had some simple calibration screws that would move the crosshairs left/right and up/down. Instead, the finder scope is held in place by inserting it into a broad ring with three inward facing screws. It was a bit of an effort to get this calibrated (still not 100%) and I can tell it would easily be thrown off if bumped or if I pack and unpack the scope. Basically, you don't want to touch it after calibration (and try to get a 5 year old to not touch something interesting like that).I'd read reviews saying the tripod may be flimsy, but I wasn't concerned given we have two others for our cameras. Nevertheless, it seems to work and I left one segment on each leg unextended so our daughter could reach the viewfinder. I found Jupiter w/o much of a problem, but because the scope is front-heavy, it required a few iterations of sighting, loosening-moving-then tightening the panhandle, and sighting again before I got accustomed to the scope "dipping" after I'd locked things in. Perhaps there is a technique that makes this easier, but I believe some scopes have counterweights to manage this. Perhaps a sturdier tripod would help. That said, these are all things I can deal with and weren't entirely unexpected. I was impressed that not only could we see Jupiter but also its four largest moons. I initially thought they might be a lens flare or a defect, but after looking at on line photos I confirmed it's the real deal, which was pretty exciting. Worth noting that a little kid will have a harder time closing one eye and steadily looking into an eyepiece to see something as small as a planet. I'm hopeful the moon is easier for her. Mom has already joked that Dad has a new telescope.

A decent starter telescope, but, as others have said, the tripod is a piece of junk, and the spotter scope is diffiult to use. We went up to Joshua Tree Nat'l Park to see the "new" comet and even with the tripod on the hood of the car, using the telescope required crouching almost onto one's knees. Very wobbly and hard to keep trained, esp. when one's fingers are freezing cold! Also, the fasteners for the tripod legs almost guarantee that you'll pinch your finger at least once every time you extend a leg. To use the telescope at all, even if you have a low chair it'll crick your back. Sadly, I'm betting many beginners will become so frustrated they'll give up and return the whole thing. Get a decent tripod, one you can stand up to use, or even sit comfortably in a ... MoreA decent starter telescope, but, as others have said, the tripod is a piece of junk, and the spotter scope is diffiult to use. We went up to Joshua Tree Nat'l Park to see the "new" comet and even with the tripod on the hood of the car, using the telescope required crouching almost onto one's knees. Very wobbly and hard to keep trained, esp. when one's fingers are freezing cold! Also, the fasteners for the tripod legs almost guarantee that you'll pinch your finger at least once every time you extend a leg. To use the telescope at all, even if you have a low chair it'll crick your back. Sadly, I'm betting many beginners will become so frustrated they'll give up and return the whole thing. Get a decent tripod, one you can stand up to use, or even sit comfortably in a normal camp chair. The telescope DOES give a good look at stars/planets however. The instructions should also tell you which of the eye pieces you should use, depending on what you're looking at. As it is, this may be best used for peering into neighbors' windows. No, don't be a creeper. Don't do that.

TL;DR Review: Great portable scope. Get a separate tripod - tripod wobbles. Definitely recommended for anyone who would like to take a scope with them on a trip, for someone who doesn't have the space for a permanently mounted scope, for a student whose interested in astronomy, or as a fun add-on to keep in the trunk on trips to anywhere. It’s small, lightweight, and priced right. It’s light enough that a five-year old could carry it for an entire trip without effort, giving them direct participation in the setup process. This is an amazing little telescope which you can easily take anywhere you're going. Looking at the moon, you'll be able to see the moon in fantastic detail, clearly seeing the ridges of the craters peaking above the moon's northern pole. Aimed at ... MoreTL;DR Review: Great portable scope. Get a separate tripod - tripod wobbles. Definitely recommended for anyone who would like to take a scope with them on a trip, for someone who doesn't have the space for a permanently mounted scope, for a student whose interested in astronomy, or as a fun add-on to keep in the trunk on trips to anywhere. It’s small, lightweight, and priced right. It’s light enough that a five-year old could carry it for an entire trip without effort, giving them direct participation in the setup process. This is an amazing little telescope which you can easily take anywhere you're going. Looking at the moon, you'll be able to see the moon in fantastic detail, clearly seeing the ridges of the craters peaking above the moon's northern pole. Aimed at any patch of the sky, stars will become visible when before you saw nothing but darkness. As with all telescopes with this magnification, you will not see the individual rings of Saturn, but you will be able to make out the halo of the rings. Jupiter's moons, though, will be easy to spot, but speaking of spots, you won't see Jupiter's red-spot. Mars and Venus are indistinctive. As for galaxies, if you know where to look, Andromeda can be seen. As for using this scope for daytime viewing of birds and bees, it's perfect. My recommendation is to pair this scope with a Gosky Cell Phone Adapter Mount (you can order one here on Celestron - see my review for photos and videos take with it) and use your phone's camera to capture some amazing shots. Note positioning the Gosky is tricky, so prepared to be frustrated as you try to get the phone's camera and the telescope aligned. It’s not a defect and it's not something you're doing wrong - it's just worth it, but difficult. And if you want to get photos of objects you can't even see through the telescope with your phone, Google "android [or iphone] astronomy photo stacking", "NightCap Pro," or "iastrophotography".What makes this scope a winner it how easy it is to carry around. The included backpack has enough extra space that you can easily toss a laptop or Chromebook in it - I have. It also comes with two high-quality eyepieces (20mm and 10mm) which allow you toquickly switch them up as needed. Each lens also comes with a cap (a needed feature), though I wouldn't fret too much if I lost one. The side finderscope is well aligned and will make targeting much simpler. But the tripod! The tripod! It's OK, but because it's tiny and lightweight, it's not stiff and suffers from touch-wobble. You'll repeatedly find yourself aiming for an object and then when you let go of the telescope or tripod, sometimes it will move out of alignment. You just need to be cognizant of this and use a light touch once you've locked it down to where you want to aim. Since I’ve gotten it, my son and I have used it in City locations and in the country – obviously it works great in both locations. So if the tripod is poor - why did you give it 5 stars instead of 4? For the size, price, and weight of the tripod, it’s what you would expect. A sturdier tripod will weigh a whole lot more and will be bigger, killing the portability aspects of what without the tripod would automatically make this a 5-star telescope. So it’s neither the tripod’s fault nor the Celestron’s. A better-built tripod would weigh more and cost a lot more. As a person who doesn’t read manuals, do read the instruction manual. Some parts aren’t obvious. I managed to figure out how to put it together but would have had a much easier time if I had taken two minutes to flip through the instruction manual.

Don't buy one

The tripod included with this telescope is a toy and best, more like complete trash. The 5x "finder scope" is also at best a toy; a simple empty sight tube would be better. The focuser will not extend far enough to focus without an erector or star diagonal. The objective seems to be of reasonable quality, and the single (I did not receive the 10mm eyepiece) 20 mm eyepeice is accetable but not outstanding. I would NOT recommend you buy this 'scope.

Excellent value from a well known manufacturer.

I’ve spent some time researching on the best possible price for a light travel scope to accompany me along with my main 60mm Meade travel telescope for lunar observation and observing the night sky in general. From experience, I find 80mm refractors and above too bulky and heavy when accompanied with my favorite 60mm basic for overnight night stargazing/camping when packed in my larger camping bag.A note to the novice: 70mm to 80mm: there is not much difference — marginal improvement for basic lunar and night time observation with significant added weight to your camp bag. I would recommend a minimum of 60mm refractor as your first telescope. Stay away from 50mm unless you know exactly what your are navigating for via night sky.For the same approximate price of ... MoreI’ve spent some time researching on the best possible price for a light travel scope to accompany me along with my main 60mm Meade travel telescope for lunar observation and observing the night sky in general. From experience, I find 80mm refractors and above too bulky and heavy when accompanied with my favorite 60mm basic for overnight night stargazing/camping when packed in my larger camping bag.A note to the novice: 70mm to 80mm: there is not much difference — marginal improvement for basic lunar and night time observation with significant added weight to your camp bag. I would recommend a minimum of 60mm refractor as your first telescope. Stay away from 50mm unless you know exactly what your are navigating for via night sky.For the same approximate price of a second quality 60mm, I decided to go up a notch to a Celestron 70mm. 70mm is a slight improvement over 60mm when focusing on wider field of view upon the night sky at lower magnification.This Celestron 70mm travel scope is very light and portable. A good solid grab and go telescope for a lower price range. Equivalent to basic to intermediate refractors on the market. It is constructed out of quality material and will last for years if properly taken care of — over all very good quality. To the novice, you will be able to see the surface of the moon very well, star clusters more clearer at a distance , local planets with their moons with gained knowledge and outer planets with applied experience. All of these will be much more clearer via 70mm scope than using standard vision when exploring the night sky. Also to note the images from 60mm to 70mm is just marginally clearer. There is not much of a difference until you surpass 100+ mm in my own opinion/experience. As with majority of novice expectations, don’t expect Hubble Telescope clarity for the budget price range.My only real complaint is that is packed with a 45 degree diagonal viewer instead of a 90 degree diagonal which requires a little more finesse to use if you aiming anything past it limitations in the night sky. However, for the total price paid, it is not much of a issue. You can be spending up to 30% more on the same specs from another manufacturer.

Great for what it is

Ok, anyone who thought this was going to be a premium piece of gear is downright delusional. It is a travel telescope, and as such, is lightweight, including the tripod. I put a half gallon milk jug filled with water, hung from a bunjie cord. The added mass and lower center of gravity improved the quality of the tripod significantly.Once I learned how loose to adjust the stand for smooth operation, and adjusted the spotter, it works fine. It's definitely not a 5 star product, so I gave it a 4. Mine was a freebie, that I got for my 10 year anniversary at my job.