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More Information Price $377.50 List Price $692.95 Magnification 63x Field of view 1000 yards 44' Near Focus 40' Eye Relief 22mm Exit Pupil 0.5mm Twilight Factor 90.49 Weight 11.5 lbs. Aperture 5.1" Length 18" Armored No Waterproof No Warranty Limited Lifetime Photographic Focal Length 2000mm Photographic Focal Ratio f/15.4

• 130mm (5.1") f/15.4 Maksutov-Cassegrain optics
• internal flip mirror system for terrestrial and astronomical use
• 10 x 50mm finderscope
• 32mm Plössl eyepiece (63x)

    This 130mm Celestron Maksutov-Cassegrain spotting scope uses the same optical design as an ultra-premium Questar Birder, but with a larger aperture and at a fraction the price. While we can’t claim this scope offers the same optical quality and performance as a Questar that costs about nine times the Celestron’s modest price, we can say that this Celestron will give a substantial fraction of the Questar’s performance at only a very small fraction of the Questar’s cost. The Maksutov optical design folds a very long focal length/high power optical system into a compact tube. If the C130 was a conventional refractor-type spotting scope, rather than an 18" long folded system, its optical tube would be a massive 80" long. Folded Maksutov optics are widely recognized for being a highly portable and easy to use design that can be used in a wide variety of visual and photographic applications, making it an excellent choice for both terrestrial and astronomical use.

Features of this spotting scope . . .

• Maksutov-Cassegrain optics: 5.1" (130mm) aperture, 2000mm focal length, f/15.4 multicoated optical system. The 18" long optical tube weighs 11.5 lbs with finderscope and eyepiece attached. The 130mm aperture of this scope gathers twice the light of the more common 90mm aperture size Maks, with over 42% higher resolution. This provides better performance in low light conditions and sharper images in all light conditions. The twilight factor is a phenomenal 90.49!

• Multicoated optics: The system’s Maksutov corrector lens is fully coated on both sides with multiple layers of antireflection materials for high light transmission and good contrast.

• Internal focuser: Focuses by moving the primary mirror fore and aft in the optical tube by means of a large focusing knob on the rear cell.

• Close focusing: Twenty turns of the slow, but very precise, focusing knob of the C130 moves the focus from the horizon down to a 40’ close focus. The relatively slow multi-turn focusing makes the C130 more suitable for observing stationary targets from distant locations, rather than trying to follow fast-moving birds in flight.

• Internal flip mirror system: An internal first surface flip mirror, operated by a knob on the rear cell, directs the incoming light either to a 90° viewing angle 1.25" eyepiece holder at the top of the rear cell for astronomical observing, or to the Cassegrain focus at the center of the rear cell. The Cassegrain focus is threaded to accept either the supplied 45° viewing angle erect image 1.25" diagonal for terrestrial observing or an optional camera adapter for terrestrial and astronomical photography. The correctly-oriented images in the 45° viewing mode are identical to what you see with your unaided eye, to make it easier to follow moving subjects. The 45° image erecting diagonal can be removed and replaced by an inexpensive camera adapter to allow high power (40x!) photography. The flip mirror is a great help in photography, as you can observe your subject through the 90° eyepiece, flipping the mirror down to direct the light to the pre-focused camera to take a quick photo whenever the subject exhibits interesting behavior.

• Eyepiece: Fully multicoated 1.25" 32mm (63x) Plössl eyepiece with a 0.84° field of view (44’ at 1000 yards). Any of nearly 200 different 1.25" astronomical eyepieces can be used with the C130, giving exceptional flexibility in choosing observing magnifications. While this Celestron C130 Mak has excellent optics with sharp images, its field of view is narrow, due to the scope’s long focal length. However, the narrow field is entirely in keeping with the primary task of the scope, that of long distance observing.

• Finderscope: A removable high power 10 x 50mm crosshair finderscope fits into a bracket on the rear cell of the scope. This finder is a conventional inverted-image astronomical type. If an erect right-reading image finderscope view is desired, an image-erecting 6 x 30mm finder is available as an option. Three collimating screws let you line up the finder’s crosshairs precisely with the center of the eyepiece field. The finderscope must be removed from the scope before the scope is stored in its case, but a quick-release dovetail bracket makes removing the finder just a matter of seconds. The finder can be reinstalled on the scope just as quickly, and the dovetail bracket system assures that the finder will be properly lined up with the main optics once in place on the scope.

• Tripod adapter: The C130 has a mounting bar with standard 1/4"-20 thread mounting holes to let you use it on any suitable heavy duty photo tripod. The optical tube weighs a substantial 11.5 lbs. with the finderscope and eyepiece attached, so an optional photo tripod with at least that payload capacity is required. The mounting bar is also adaptable to Celestron’s Advanced Series CG-5 equatorial mounts for nighttime astronomical applications.

• Carry case: The soft-sided case is lined with rigid die-cut foam that cradles the scope securely for protection during transport and storage. The zippered case has both a shoulder strap and a carrying handle.

• Lifetime warranty: This Celestron spotting scope is protected by a limited lifetime warranty.