Celestron 52248 65mm Ultima Zoom Spotting Scope

by Celestron

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 18 x 7 x 6 inches ; 2.3 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B0002CTZC0
• Item model number: 52248
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,301 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 17, 2003

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

The Celestron Ultima 65 Zoom Spotting Scope is the smallest and most affordable scope in Celestron's popular Ultima series, yet it delivers surprisingly good views. The Ultima 65 is a refractor style spotting scope with multi-layer anti-reflection coatings on the objective lens and on the zoom eyepiece. The Ultima 65 package includes a padded soft case for the scope, a hard case for the removable eyepiece, and a T-thread adapter so you can attach a camera.

The focus ranges from 20 feet to the horizon with just a few turns of the focus knob. When I fold down the rubber eye cup I can keep my glasses on and see the whole 1.7 degree field of view at 18X magnification. The 1.7 degree field of view seems a bit narrow, but it is sharp from edge to edge. With my glasses on I need very little focus adjustment while I crank the zoom eyepiece from 18X up to 55X. Sometimes though I like to take my glasses off while observing because the view seems to have just a little more contrast and sharpness. I like the fact that the Ultima 65 gives me a sharp image either way.

The drawback of the tradition crown and flint achromatic lens used in the Ultima 65 Zoom Spotting Scope is a bit of false color, also known as blue fringing or chromatic aberration. Blue fringing seems well controlled at 18X magnification, but it becomes increasingly noticeable as I zoom up to 55X. Celestron also offers the Ultima 80 which produces a brighter image with a wider field of view, and the Regal 65 F-ED spotting scope which uses exotic ED glass lenses to virtually eliminate blue fringing and produce the sharpest possible high power views.

Celestron's Ultima 65mm Zoom Spotting Scope combines sharp multi-coated optics with a good quality zoom lens in a compact waterproof package. Top it off with a lifetime "No-Fault" warranty and the Celestron Ultima 65 is simply a great value. --Jeff Phillips

Pros:

Sharp multi-coated optics

Good zoom eyepiece

Waterproof design

Lifetime no-fault warranty

Cons:

Blue fringing noticeable at high power

Narrow field of view

Product Description

SEE up close. Compact, 100% WATERPROOF Celestron 18 - 55x65 mm Ultima Zoom 45 degree Spotter. Open up a whole world of long distance views! Celestron's highly acclaimed Ultima Series is a portable and durable design. Ideal for birding, spotting game, eyeballing scenery, locating target "hits" at the range, even astronomy. More: 18-55x zoom magnification; 65 mm objective size; 100% waterproof for use in rain and inclement weather; 45° eyepiece for comfortable viewing; Multi-coated optics for excellent contrast and image brightness; Refractor optical design; Sight tube for quick targeting; F.O.V. at 1,000 yds. is 89' at 18x, 38' at 55x; Eye relief: 18 mm at 18x; Close focus: 20'; Tripod / camera adaptable, includes camera t-adapter Includes carry case. Weighs 37 ozs. Order yours today! Celestron 18-55x65 mm Zoom 45 degree Spotting Scope

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Reasonable quality, portable, February 24, 2010

By 

Pikkidok - See all my reviews

This review is from: Celestron 52248 65mm Ultima Zoom Spotting Scope (Electronics)

I wanted something portable that I can easily set up and bring about. I considered the Ultima 80, the Mak C65 and Mak C90. I want to use it to look at both terrestial things and occasionally point up to the moon or planets.

The Mak C90 is obviously very good and is a respectable astronomical device. But it looks delicate and vulnerable with its big lens and mirror. It felt like you could easily drop it when you set it up on a tripod.

The Mak C65 is cute but the lens quality was poor. More of a toy then anything.

The Ultima 80 is quite good in terms of lens quality. But it is long and heavy.

So I bought Ultima 65. My main complain is the price. I bought it through a local dealer which didnt give a very good price. I do not have any options unless I purchase through the internet. I do not live in North America which then makes shipping costly.

The lens quality was better than expected. Very crisp views at the 18X. Acceptable views at 55X.
Much more useful as a daytime scope. I suspect it has got to do with the exit pupil which makes it harder to see at night when our pupils are more dilated. I tried to look at Saturn (under windy conditions) under max magnification. You can make out that it is a tiny disk and maybe with some imagination, the ring.

I notice that the eye piece lens is not very well machined...as you can see tiny spots (cracks?) on the periphery. Hardly noticeable and does not affect the viewing but you probably wont get this in something more expensive.

Another thing I do not like about this scope is that the eye piece does not have a cover, so you have to remove it and put it back into its container. This creates an extra hassle when setting up. A small scope like this should be ready for use without any setting up. I improvise a dust cap over the eye piece and left the eye piece permanently on the scope.

Overall, a decent buy if you can get a good price. I would have given a 4 star if I got it cheaper!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for my needs, September 17, 2009

By 

Peter Shade (Austin, Tx) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Celestron 52248 65mm Ultima Zoom Spotting Scope (Electronics)

I was looking for an effective spotting scope that was small and lightweight and I could take it hiking when needed. This scope worked very well and functions just as well as all the other scopes in the same class.

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice scope. Bad telephoto lens., February 5, 2012

By 

Steve Kraman (Lexington, KY, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Celestron 52248 65mm Ultima Zoom Spotting Scope (Electronics)

I bought this to use as a spotting scope and to take casual photos of the moon and planets since it comes with a camera adapter. As a spotting scope, it is quite good. It is small and light and appears to have antireflective coatings on all lens surfaces. It does indeed come with a C adapter that can be used with an additional adapter to connect it to an SLR. However, most astrophotographers might assume that it connects the camera to the scope (in so-called prime focus) with the zoom eyepiece removed. Actually, it mates with a thread on the end of the eyepiece once the rubber eye guard is removed. This does work, but it makes for a really back-heavy combination that is hard to point and get steady. Although the eyepiece can be unscrewed from the scope body, the C adapter cannot be connected to the scope body because the threads are wrong and I doubt that the focal length would allow focussing that way anyway. So, as a camera lens, I have to say it is marginal. As a spotting scope, it is fine and the price is right.