- Multi-Coated Optics
- Rubber Armor Protective Covering for Secure Grip
- Water Resistant Case
- Internal Flip Mirror System for Terrestrial and Astronomical Use
- Limited Lifetime Warranty
Technical Details
Product Details
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Product Description
Product Review
Celestron’s C90 Maksutov Spotting Scope delivers high powered optics in a compact, waterproof system. The rubber armored C90 Mak features Multi-Coated optics, magnification with the standard 32mm plossl eyepiece is 38X, and a correct image prism and 8x21 correct image finder scope are included. The C90 and accessories come in a padded case with room for an extra eyepiece or two.
The Maksutov-Cassegrain design of the C90 uses a combination of mirrors and lenses; this "folded" optical system has a focal length of 1200mm in a body only nine inches long. The Maksutov design delivers high power views without a trace of the chromatic aberration, also called blue fringing, that distorts high power views in competing refractor style spotting scopes. At 40X magnification where some low cost spotting scopes are starting to seem fuzzy, the C90 is just getting started. The C90 uses the same 1.25 inch eyepieces used in astronomical telescopes. The standard equipment 32mm plossl eyepiece gives a magnification of 38X, but many other eyepieces can be used to vary the magnification. A nice upgrade is Celeston’s 8 to 24mm Zoom Eyepiece , which allows you to dial in any magnification from 50X up to 150X.
A unique feature of the C90 is the internal flip mirror which allows viewing astronomical objects overhead or terrestrial objects with the 45 degree correct image prism. When I focus on the Moon and planets at night the view is crisp and clear; I can easily make out details like small craters and mountain peaks inside some of the Moon’s large craters. When I looked at Jupiter the other night with an optional 12.5mm X-Cel eyepiece (about 100X magnification), I could easily see Jupiter’s major cloud bands. The C90 also makes a handy spotting scope in the daytime because it’s small and portable. I can easily transport the scope and a tripod to the lake when I want to do a little wildlife spotting.
High magnification viewing requires a solid tripod, of course. Celestron’s Photo and Video Tripod seems steady enough for visual use but it seems a little light for photography. The other drawback to high magnification viewing is a narrow field of view; high magnification makes it harder to follow moving targets like birds in flight.
Overall the Celestron C90 Maksutov Spotting Scope does a fine job as a companion to good pair of binoculars. With my 8x40 binoculars I could see two Western Grebes on the lake; with the C90 I could zoom in and watch as the adult grebe offered a freshly caught fish to its offspring. The C90 also doubles as a portable astronomy scope; it won’t show the flag on the Moon but it will show thousands of craters on the Moon as well as showing the moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn. --Jeff Phillips
Pros:
- Compact yet powerful
- Upgradeable with 1.25" eyepieces
- Adaptable for astronomy and photography
- Narrow field of view
- Needs a solid tripod
Product Description
Best Selling Spotter on the Market! -- 38x Magnification, Built-in Finderscope and Waterproof Design -- The C90 Mak Spotting Scope is one from the Maksutov-Cassegrain series. The optical design is recognized for being a portable and easy to use, and has a variety of applications, making it an excellent choice for both terrestrial and astronomical usage. -- The C90 Mak scope has excellent optics with razor sharp images over a wide field. It features an internal flip mirror design which allows the user to view celestial objects at a 90 degree angle and also corrects the image orientation to view land objects at a 45 degree angle. The full-featured C90 Mak is also rubber covered and completely waterproof. -- This model features durable black rubber armor for protection, a flip up lens cap for safety, and it comes complete inside its own soft sided carrying case. -- -- Specifications: -- **Multi-Coated Optics -- **Maksutov-Cassegrain Optical Design -- **Rubber Armor Protective Covering for Secure Grip -- **Internal Flip Mirror system for Terrestrial & **Astronomical Use -- **32mm (38x) Eyepiece -- **45-degree Erect Image Diagonal -- **8 x 21 Finderscope -- **Water-resistant Soft-sided Case -- **Limited Lifetime Warranty -- **Waterproof
Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nice for the price!,
This review is from: Celestron 52265 C90 Maksutov Spotting Scope (Electronics)
This durable compact scope is equally at home viewing birds or planets. It has a tough rubberized exterior and a built-in lens cover. It also comes with a handy padded nylon case to hold the scope and accessories. This scope is really great for travelling and can be used with any 1/4-20 photographic tripod. With a T-adapter and T-ring (aka T-mount), the scope can be used as a manual 1200mm telephoto lens for your SLR camera. It can also take standard 1.25" telescope eyepieces and accessories as well as some other accessories made for SCT/Cassegrain telescopes.
I've used this scope for extreme photographic close-ups of finches as well as for viewing the moon, Jupiter, Saturn, etc. and have been very happy with the results. The views are much clearer than the typical toy telescopes sold in department stores. I would recommend picking up some additional eyepieces over the included 32mm if you intend to use the C90 for viewing planets -- maybe a 20mm and 12mm eyepiece as well as a 2X short Barlow. I would also highly recommend using a very solid tripod, alt-azimuth mount or, if you intend on doing lots of astronomy or astrophotography, an equatorial mount. Cheap tripods will vibrate too much and make aiming, focusing and viewing very difficult and frustrating. Great small scope!
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great inexpensive scope!,
By Mary Poppins "Julia" (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Celestron 52265 C90 Maksutov Spotting Scope (Electronics)
This is the first scope I've ever owned (used for birdwatching), so I can't say I've had a whole lot of experience with some of the really high end scopes, although I have had the pleasures of viewing through a couple Swavorskis, etc. There was just no way I was going to plunk down that kind of money, though, so when I looked to buy a scope I did some research into what you could get for under $350. It came down to either the Celestron C90 or the Eagle Optics Raven. Frankly, it was the price of the C90 that sold me (generally about half the Raven), but I also like the versatility and add-on options (eyepieces, camera adaptors) that are available. Here are the other things I like about it: 1) Nice wide field of view. My experience is that the extra 10mm on the C90 over the usual 80mm scopes really makes for a more comfortable viewing experience. 2) Beautiful crisp images and great colors. So far I've only used the eyepiece it comes with. 3) Waterproof and (from what I've read) pretty darn sturdy. I'm not the type to drag my scope along on every birding trip I do. Mostly it's confined to use at beaches, lakes, etc, where I'd be viewing birds at a pretty great distance. It's nice to have the reassurance that it won't be destroyed if I drop it in a puddle. 4) I find the eyepiece to be a very comfortable one, although I've heard other people disagree. My only complaints are that it doesn't have a zoom (but you can get one...), the focus knob isn't in the most comfortable location, and the case is kind of big and bulky (although that's great for travel). I've been generally very happy with its performance.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
FANTASTIC Scope for the $$$,
By
This review is from: Celestron 52265 C90 Maksutov Spotting Scope (Electronics)
I was going to get a more expensive new Telescope but tried this one out instead. The view of the moon with the standard eyepiece is phenomenal and when I use my 10mm wide angle eyepiece it is like being on one of the landers! Much more portable than anything larger and the view is about the same. Don't be fooled by larger, more expensive scopes. When you look at Jupiter it is still only going to be a twinkling object in the sky with the $600 scope!
When Saturn was near I could see the ring around it plainly with just the 10mm wide angle eyepiece. Try this one BEFORE you spend too much money for something that collects dust in your house!
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