Astro-Tech AT60ED 60mm f/6 FPL-53ED and Lanthanum Doublet

I bought this scope for accommodating my DayStar Gemini Quark solar filter to give full eyepiece views of the Sun and bought the matching field flattener for wide field imaging with my QHY247. Unfortunately, mine arrived with contamination the inside of the objective, and after installing the flattener and camera, I noted a huge amount of sag that eventually resulted in a set bend in the weak mounting ring and foot. It bends back far too easily, but putting any load on the focuser (camera, filter, or 2" eyepiece) sags and bends it again. See this thread on Cloudy Nights for more info. https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/916372-my-astrotech-at60ed-experience/ Hopefully they'll re-evaluate this mounting design and come up with an improvement. (Posted on 4/5/2024)

This is my first imaging refractor. I've been using my Nikon kit lens which did pretty good in dark skies, but I wanted to up my game a little and continue to learn new things with the ultimate goal of having a permanent observatory at my house (once we move to a dark sky region). I've been very impressed how much the quality of my images has improved. Part of that is moving to the AM5 mount rather than a Star Tracker, of course, but this nice 60mm is also part of the equation. The picture quality is great all the way to the edge of the field (with the field flattener). For a wide-field 2.5" refractor, you can't beat the quality for the price. If you want a great carry bag for this, try Cabela's $13 duffel. The original packaging foam fits perfectly inside the bag. (Posted on 4/7/2023)

I am fairly new to astrophotography, but I have tried a few refractors now and I'm really impressed by this little scope. Not much bigger than a soda can, but so sharp! I almost couldn't believe it at first. I started out with an Evostar 72ED but decided to size down a bit for my star tracker (that's right, I ignored all advice about that). Not only is this one easier to balance and easier to find targets with, the focuser is amazing. I mean, I already thought my previous scope was great, but this was like night and day with the focus.

I just popped a guide scope on it and I'm actually starting to take some images I'm not ashamed of, lol. I also want to point out that Astronomics got this in the mail ASAP. I live in central Texas and had it in my hands in less than 48 hours. You have my business for life and I'll be back for the matching field flattener once it's back in stock. (I'm currently using the Orion FF for short refractors, but it's not quite suited for it. Still amazing with a tiny bit of cropping, but you'll want the FF made for this scope.) (Posted on 1/11/2023)

I've been using this for a few months now, typically paired with its .8x reducer, and it's an fabulous scope. I've never been happier with my star shapes and colors! Thanks Astronomics!

https://www.astrobin.com/users/47FIRE/ (Posted on 10/20/2022)

I bought the AT60ED a few months after getting the AT70ED. I liked the AT70ED so much that I decided to get the AT60ED with its improved optics, especially for wide field imaging. It performs very well. It's also excellent for visual observation and is useful at quite high magnification. The quality is excellent and, with it's light weight, the AT60ED is a delight to handle. I've also started to use it for solar observations with a Herschel wedge and the results are very satisfying. (Posted on 9/14/2022)

I have been using my 55-300mm lens attached to my D750 for deep sky astrophotography for over a year now. I had the biggest problems with CA and bloated stars. This scope is simply amazing and Ken was super helpful. I cannot wait for the field flattener to get in and start taking DSO photos. So far I have captured the moon only with a 2x teleconverter and man was it great. Don't think about WO or Apertura 60mmED's.. this is the one you want for such a great price! (Posted on 4/11/2022)

I just received the scope, so I cannot comment on its optical quality yet. But I'd like to comment on the great service by Astronomics.

First of all, I ordered it with the matching case, and Ken actually put the scope inside the case - which both saved on unnecessary shipping and protected the scope better. This kind of individual service is something you just don't get from the big box stores.

Second, I'm pretty sure that when I ordered it, the description didn't yet mention that it comes with the camera angle adjuster and a finder shoe, so having both already installed was a very pleasant surprise.

Apart from those notes, it is just a beautiful little scope. Focuser is very smooth, dew shield and metal dust cap fit perfectly, paint job looks great and like it will last a very long time.

I'm hoping that the matching flattener and/or reducer will be in stock again soon, but will try taking some photos just with the scope as soon as there is a clear night. (Posted on 4/1/2022)

I’ve used this scope for just over a year, and coming across this page I decided to finally write a review. The AT60ED was a perfect intro to “real” astrophotography for me. Both with a crop sensor DSLR on a small star tracker and with my ZWO 2600MC Pro on a larger Goto GEM. I’ve only imaged with the field Flattener, and I can say that it’s perfect across an ASPC frame at 55mm backfocus. The focuser is excellent and will hold focus all night in varying temps. This has really been a joy to image with.

I’ve used it a few times visually, mainly scanning for open clusters with an 18mm paradigm. Excellent views tuner as well. With my recent purchase of a larger refractor, I hope to keep this on a small mount for more frequent visual use. (Posted on 2/9/2022)

I used an artificial star to evaluate the objective under controlled conditions. For some reason the collimation looked a lot better than it did with real stars, with the rings pretty symmetrical. Therefore I saw no reason to fool with the four sets of two little screws on the lens cell, especially since I don't understand exactly what they do. The lens did still exhibit substantial spherical aberration, unless there's something about the way ED doublets star test that I don't understand. Anyway, it's a fine little telescope for the money. Adding another star. (Posted on 2/8/2022)

The best way to describe the AT60ED is simply delightful. I have had many scopes, large and small, cheap and expensive over the years, and this little 60 mm refractor takes me back to my first adventures under the stars. It is light and compact, and I find myself taking it out under the sky more often and for longer than other scopes I have had. The best scope you have is the one you use the most and this is it. Optics are sparkling clear, and the wide field is a salve for my aging eyes. Optical performance is as good as you can get with this aperture, whether sweeping large areas of the sky or narrowing the view to a planet or double star. With my 28mm RKE I can get the entire belt of Orion in a single field, and with my 13mm TeleVue, I can split the Trapezium into 3 clear components with a wisp of the 4th. With the 7.4mm, the 4th component is more pronounced. Add a Barlow, and Jupiter's cloud belts are clearly visible. The AT60ED also beautifully crafted, and I leave mine set up in my den on the Versa-Go tripod to admire. This little scope returns me to the joy of visual observing, just for the awe of it (and the fun). If you're looking for that one instrument that you can grab and go, and then linger a bit gazing into the void, the AT60ED just might be the ticket. (Posted on 12/24/2021)

I will be brief in my review. It is just perfect! I love it. (Posted on 7/21/2021)

I order my scope in May of 2020 and received it in November. Mechanically all is fine and dandy. Perfectly good focuser and so forth. Optically, things are less ideal. It does not star test well. It shows no chromatic aberration, but...diffraction rings appear only around half of a high power star image, indicating imperfect collimation, and if there's any collimation adjustment, it's not apparent. When taking it out of focus, you can see that half of the expanding pattern is brighter than the other. The scope also shows significant spherical undercorrection. When focussed inward, rings are very distinct, but outward, the pattern is just a blur, with no visible rings. Well, except for one fuzzy brighter ring which suggests a zonal error. So, an unimpressive star test. In actual use, the results are still okay at fairly high powers (100x or so), but close doubles are messier than I'd like. Lower power use is unaffected and works beautifully. I bought the thing primarily for wide field imaging, which works fine. Still, I consider this a 3.5 star scope due to the compromised objective. That's not an option, and I can't bring myself to give it a 3, so it winds up as 4. Still good for what it cost. But it's not for a connoisseur of perfect optics. (Posted on 6/11/2021)

I concur with every positive comment made by all the other reviewers. Robust design, excellent manufacturing execution, superb ED objective, and a great rack and pinion focuser. Down right pretty to boot! One minor complaint - I expected the base of the single piece split ring / mounting shoe to be a standard V- bar that would slide directly into the dual V-D saddle on my equatorial mount. It surely could be made that way, and would be worth any added cost, but instead it's some oddball configuration . I simply attached it to an ADM 7" V-bar. This added some extra weight but I have a rock-solid guide 'scope for my 80mm F7 and 105mm F6 refractors. This is an impressive little telescope - can't wait to try it for some wide field astrophotography with a 2" field corrector ! (Posted on 6/9/2021)

My first serious upgrade. Had to drive 2hrs to get a star diagonal or else achieving focus on the straight OTA was just shy of the max tube length. Shipping got delayed heavily BUT it was worth the wait. Would have loved to go for a 72mm or 102mm but all were 'On the way'. However, this one didn't disappoint me at all.

The scope has a smooth and weighty build. It has a good grab-n-go feel to it while giving a full classy touch. Loved the dual-speed focuser. Once the diagonal was set up, the views with my Zhummels were just super awesome. I was just in time for the grand conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. Getting to see the bands of Jupiter and Rings of Saturn in one field was an experience in itself. The optics are worth the buy. (Posted on 12/24/2020)

Scope has been a gem for astrophotography. Excellent match with a DSLR on my iOptron SkyGuider. Only issue is the required AT60FF field flattner for full frame AP seems to be on continuous back order. So currently limited to using my Canon Rebel crop sensor due to the field curvature with the wider view with my Canon 6D full frame DSLR. (Posted on 1/16/2020)

Great little scope with amazing optics!
Bought the 60ED 2 months ago or so, and got some use time with it.
Great scope, low on weight, heavy on capability. I'm using it for astrophotography with full frame and crop sensor DSLRs as well, thus giving me over 570 mm focal length with it. Still waiting for the dedicated field flattener which ought to flatten out the entire frame since without it, everything out of the center gets to be bloated.
Very good construction, light weight, very short (only 9" closed) and at a very excellent price. don't forget to add a dovetail attachment for your red dot sight.
See some images with it here: https://www.astrobin.com/users/gideon.golan/ (Posted on 12/8/2019)

I purchased this telescope for visual use and, after a few hours of deep sky observing, I'll admit to being impressed by the 'scope's quality. The real strength of this little instrument is the rich field views at mid to low powers. My usual observing site is plagued by light pollution with a limiting magnitude of +4.0 to +5 with my unaided eyes so it takes averted vision to glimpse stars of the 11th magnitude with a 60mm telescope (using a 12mm or 17mm Nagler eyepiece). Still, I've managed to see the one of the brighter Dolidze star clusters along with a number of Stock, Trumpler and Collinder open clusters. Given my wretched observing conditions, the Astro-Tech is an impressive performer at medium magnifications (the field is much too bright at very low magnifications due to light pollution with my 31mm Nagler and 40mm Pentax eyepieces). Obviously, the telescope can be easily carried to a much darker observing site and I suspect the very wide field views (~7 degrees with a 31mm Nagler) of the Milky Way and extended bright and dark nebulae will be pretty amazing. Two thumbs up for this telescope. (Posted on 11/17/2019)

Great scope for the price. I have it piggy backed onto a primary scope with a much longer focal length. (Posted on 10/24/2019)

I have been using the AT60ED for a little while now, primarily for AP. This is an excellent piece the budding astrophotographer as it allows for excellent images of galaxies and nebulae at a wonderful price. If you decide to grab yourself an AT60ED you will not be disappointed! The optics exceed expectations and focuser with fine adjustment is of immaculate quality. If using for AP I recommend the optional field flattener (AT60FF) and, camera angle adjuster to enhance to quality of and ease of taking your photos. In addition to AP, this scope would be wonderful in travel, solar, and terrestrial applications. (Posted on 10/23/2019)

This one is a great scope and a real performer!
(Posted on 10/23/2019)

I own a AT60ED. I'm building it into my astrophotography system. As a manufacturing engineer, I'm impressed by the obvious quality of the finished product. It's a beautiful little 'scope, and the pin-point views of the stars are like none I've ever seen in any 'scope I've had. It's going to be a wonderful component of my new 10" photography rig! (Posted on 10/19/2019)

This is a very nice scope at a very nice price. I've used the scope for both guiding and imaging and couldn't be happier with the results. (Posted on 10/14/2019)

This is a very nice scope at a very nice price. I've used the scope for both guiding and imaging and couldn't be happier with the results. (Posted on 10/14/2019)

I am blown away by the performance of this little scope. It is sharper, clearer, and produces brighter images than my 70mm achro I am upgrading from. Definitely will be purchasing the field flattener for it for both photographic and probably visual use as the field curvature is present. It does about the same as by Sigma 70-300 f/4-5.6 lens for sharpness at the edges, so I can't wait to get the flattener and make it BETTER! (Posted on 8/23/2019)

I knew this was a good purchase as soon as I took this out of the box. It was well packaged for shipment and was in perfect condition when it arrived. Although it's a small scope, it has a very beefy feel to it. Solid build. Very smooth focuser. I use it for widefield astrophotography and it is so easy and portable. Fantastic scope for the price! (Posted on 7/29/2019)

Was not sure what to expect for < $400 in spite of the good reviews and was not disappointed. Solid construction and no blemishes on mechanical or optical components. Very satisfied with the visual use using a 2" 35mm Panoptic. First images with stock Canon crop sensor also showed how good the quality of the optics are. Great purchase and look forward to many years of service with this scope. (Posted on 7/24/2019)

Piece of joy. No flaws in mechanics or optics. Everything is designed and manufactured with care. Focuser indeed very smooth and reliable. (Posted on 7/24/2019)

I just picked up this scope for a wider FOV and mounted it on my C8. What a great combination! It is built very well, looks great and most importantly, appears to have excellent optics for an amazingly low price. I was unsure initially how I'd mount it but just attached it to a piggyback mount. It has been a joy to use visually and I've started live stacking with it for some excellent EAA views.
I considered the William Optics Redcat 51, but at twice the cost of the AT60, choosing this was the right step for me.
Get one! (Posted on 7/22/2019)

What a great little scope!!! Great portability and the optics are very sharp and the color correction is better than I expected for the price. I plan to use this one for the next solar eclipse. (Posted on 7/22/2019)

Fantastic little scope. Built like a tank. Nice clear, sharp views with pinpoint stars. I wish I had purchased it sooner. (Posted on 7/22/2019)

Phenomenal value brought to us by Astronomics. This is the perfect little scope to do some quick grab and go observing, both visual and astrophotography. It pairs perfectly with a SmartEQ Pro equatorial mount, the entire setup is under 20 lbs.

Visually, the views are what you would expect of a FPL53 doublet, no false color that I can discern.

Photographically, with my APS-C DSLR, the field of view is huge. perfect for nebula and larger galaxies. It is also a very forgiving F.L. for a new astrophotographer to learn on, and can be mounted on virtually any equatorial mount with an ST4 auto guide port and get satisfactory results due to its light weight. (Posted on 1/14/2019)

Being a big fan of Astro-Tech, I would recommend this telescope to anyone that is looking for a small and lightweight telescope that is fairly good for astrophotography. Though it may not be the best choice because there are other Astro tech telescopes that are far better, you cannot beat the price of this 60mm AP telescope. I tested this out and got fairly sharp views of many nebulas and clusters even from a highly light polluted area by the city of Chicago (Filters were used). Once again I would highly recommend this telescope to people on a budget. (Posted on 1/12/2019)

I got this scope as an addition to my telephoto lenses which were somewhat disappointing at long focal lengths. With the companion field flattener my images were much sharper and had more contrast. Additionally this small scope was the perfect size for my Sky adventurer tracker. This allowed me to grab wide field shots on the tracker while doing astrophotography with my larger setup. (Posted on 1/6/2019)

I bought this scope as a more compact version of the wonderful AT72ED. I've used it on Vixen Porta and also on a Skywatcher AZ-GTi mount and it's great for birding and stargazing. It's compact enough to fit in a Harbor Freight 11" Canvas tool bag that I've lined with some closed cell foam with room to spare for eyepieces and a 1.25" diagonal. An accessory dovetail bar goes in the front pocket.

This AT60ED works great with AT2FF field flattener and eliminates the need for any additional extension tube. I converted a 1.25" diagonal to mount on T-thread and it gives a great visual view when attached directly to the AT2FF. I use a M43 format mirrorless camera and can fit the North American nebula within the field of this scope with sharp stars to the edge.

This scope is so much fun! (Posted on 1/3/2019)

I bought this scope in early 2018. I did not know what to expect from a little APO refractor, but I was in for a surprise. It wasn't until late Spring that I was finally able to get out and use this little gem. I wanted to do wide field astro-imaging, with my them ASI385MC camera and ASI290MM camera that I just bought. I am limited to what I can by, since I am on SS Disability for Autism, so I have to pick and choose my toys wisely. At first, I was going to use this with the included vixen dovetail mount on my iOptron ZEQ25 mount and Nexstar Alt-Az mount, but I came up with a solution to use ADM Losmandy tube rings so I could mount it on top of my Nexstar C8 telescope while also mounted on my iOptron ZEQ25 mount. I then thought I wanted to use this alone, by itself, should I feel like just doing wide field astro-imaging. I then bought a Losmandy mount and attached the ADM mount to the Losmandy bar and Voila, I have an all purpose telescope.

The scope is so nice to use. The image that comes through is clean and sharp. Pin point stars and tack sharp nebula's and cluster are a delight to see, visually. Once I attach my ASI294MC camera, the whole night sky opens up and I am able to image some of the best wide field nebula possible. But I still wanted more. I was wondering if I could attach the Meade F/6.3 Reducer/Corrector to the scope and what my results would be. Lo and Behold, I got pinpoint stars across the field of view, from one edge to the other. The field flattener and reducer that Astronomics provides is a bit too expensive for me to buy. I guess I lucked out when I used the Meade Focal Reducer instead.

The focuser is smooth and the 10:1 dual focus is very precise. I don't like the three screws used to hold down the 1.25" reducer. It seems a bit awkward, especially out at night. However, when it calls for it, I use a WO Roto-Lock reducer to hold my 1.25" accessories, although now I am using mostly 2" accessories. I like the full extension of the focuser, but I have had to purchase a 2" 80mm extender to get to focus with my ASI294MC camera.

The Fit and finish of this scope is wonderful. The Red highlights is nice against a white tube. However, I have noticed the the black stenciling on the dew shield has a tendency to rub off if handled in the wrong way. The scope has a nice heft to it, but it won't feel that heavy once mounted on your mount. It has two spots on the focuser base for two finder scope dovetail holders. I chose a Red WO dovetail holder along with a WO Red finder scope tube rings. Adds a nice touch to the scope. I did buy a Harbor Freight Apache 3800 case to hold this scope, it was fairly cheap at $32 and it is water tight.

The first night out, with my then new ASI294MC camera, was like magic. I imaged at native resolution, the Lagoon and Trifid nebula's, in the same FOV. The same with the North American nebula and the whole Veil nebula complex. Recently, I have imaged M42, the Rosette, Christmas Tree cluster, Witch Head nebula,, The Jellyfish nebula and a whole lot more. I have taken some nice planetary nebula pics with this scope. I use the binning feature on the ASI294MC camera and I am able to zoom in on a smaller sized planetary nebula and later process it into a fairly decent pic.

This scope, despite its small size, has the potential to image a lot of deepsky objects, just given your time and patience to do so. I have yet to image the planets with this scope, but I am in the market to buy a 5X barlow, so I will see what it can do.

I would love to win the AT92 APO scope. I could not afford to buy such a wonderful instrument, based on my SSD checks and it would be used extensively with my planet imaging camera. (Posted on 1/1/2019)

This scope, with the field flattener and a sky-watcher star adventurer is my grab and go setup! (Posted on 12/16/2018)

I've had the 60mmED for a few months now. I'm a very experienced photographer, birds, portraits, landscapes...you name it. I've been having a blast with this scope! Living near Lake Overholser, OKC, where there are lot's of birds, the 60mmED is great as a manual focus telephoto lens. I've also used it for an Astro-imaging guide scope and Astro-imaging main scope! This little guy does it all, I love it. Hopefully, I can attach some daytime and astrophotos to this review. If I can't, just take my word and buy one! (Posted on 12/13/2018)

I use this scope when I camp and hike. Its portability and excellent optics make visual viewing and photography easy. Its metal tube packs well in a backpack and makes it durable. The retractable dew shield when folded makes it compact. It can be mounted on a field tripod and it's great for wide field photography. It excels at lunar wide field shots. The 2 inch focuser is excellent and overall the scope is a winner. (Posted on 12/4/2018)

Brought the scope mainly to use with my 40mm HA solar filter, made an adapter to mout the filter. Sets up easily. (Posted on 11/27/2018)

An excellent little scope that oozes quality. Build and quality are amazing for $369 and optics have exceeded my expectations....great grab and go! (Posted on 11/20/2018)

I got one of these when they first came out and I am very happy with the fit and finish and the amazing optical performance. This is a great "grab and go" scope for visual use and a very capable wide field imaging scope. It is a keeper. (Posted on 11/14/2018)

What an awesome little scope, I love it, must have accessories= the AT60FF and the Camera Angle Adjuster, I use it with my ASI1600mm Pro. Round stars out to the edge of the 1600's frame . . . sharp. Can't say enough about it except "GET ONE" you wont regret it. Versatile and makes a great Solar scope with the proper filters of course. BTW the staff at Astronomics is TOP notch. (Posted on 11/14/2018)

I purchased this scope as a grab and go scope. It is very compact and lightweight. I carry it in a basic camera backpack. It rides comfortably on nearly any tripod, though I mostly use an AT Voyager mount. It does not need a finder because the field of view is so wide with a low power eyepiece (I typically use a TV Panoptic 24). For high power, I use a 3-6 TV Nagler zoom. The fit and finish on the scope is excellent, and the focuser is very smooth. (Posted on 11/11/2018)

When buying stuff I try to read as many reviews as possible. I am just a normal guy, not being paid by anyone to post this. I can promise you if you are considering this telescope you will not be disappointed. I've used this little guy for about six months and I have zero regrets. Stars are sharp, pin points. Focuser is so smooth. An all around unbelievable scope. (Posted on 11/10/2018)

I took a bit of ribbing from some members of our astronomy group when I brought this small scope to a meeting. "My alignment scope is bigger . . ." and so forth. But this is certainly no alignment scope. It has superb optics for the price and a smooth, precise focuser. I've use my 100mm Celestron spotting scope for quick night views on occasion, but it doesn't compare with this little Astro Tech. With a field flattener, this would make a decent astrophotographic scope, especially for traveling and/or simplicity. The only problem is that I'm becoming less inclined to drag out my heavy mount and SCT for viewing. I love this thing. (Posted on 11/9/2018)

I bought this as a travel scope this summer. I tried it out with a 20 mm swa eyepiece to scan the skies and it gave me really nice views with pinpoint stars. This scope isn't designed for planetary viewing but i tried it out with a Tellevue 3-6 zoom eyepiece. I was surprised how far I could push it. I could see the bands on Jupiter. This is a wonderful scope in all aspects. (Posted on 11/7/2018)

I bought this new in October 2017. Optics are very sharp; well corrected and free of false color. The mechanics are very good, too. If there is a weaker spot, it's the focuser--the lock screw on mine seems to tilt the drawtube slightly--but it still gets the job done. (I'm not going to ding it a star because it doesn't come equipped with a Feathertouch which would cost more than the entire scope!)

I bought this primarily to piggyback on my larger refractor as a wide field imager/guidescope/super finder. It excels at all of those tasks, but is completely overkill for a guidescope. Other uses I have found for it: Travel? You betcha! Terrestrial telephoto lens/spotting scope? Why not?! Quick look backyard moon & planet (often through the sucker holes) scope? Yes (if you can live with the limitations of a 60mm aperture). Open Cluster Sweeper from dark skies? Check. Scope to work on those advanced observing projects; galaxy clusters, planetary nebulae, globs in M31, etc? Uh...not so much!

This is perhaps one of the most versatile _2nd_ telescopes out there, but you wouldn't want this to be your _only_ telescope. It complements a larger Newtonian very nicely, though (e.g., my 13"). I have actually ended up using this scope visually a lot more than I originally planned, just because it is so quick and easy and portable.

In summary, I have absolutely no regrets about buying this scope, and I can't wait to do some eclipse-chasing with it. The AT60ED is a keeper. (Posted on 11/6/2018)

This little 60mm ED refractor is an amazing little performer. The quality of the materials and construction makes this a very high performance telescope. Yes it's only a 60mm, but it performs quite well. ..especially observing the moon.
If you're a planet and double star person, you may want to get something larger but this little scope is nice.
It's also a wonderful little birding scope. Highly recommended. (Posted on 11/6/2018)

I hesitated to buy this scope since I already had a quite useful travel scope. However, attracted by the very modest price and neat appearance, I ordered one. From the moment I unpacked it I have been very happy with my purchase. Fit and finish are of the highest quality. The focuser is a delight to operate and is as smooth as any I have had. When I got out under the stars, I was even happier. The optics are as good as you could ever expect from an FPL-53 doublet. Stars are pinpoint and the detail on the Moon is fantastic. Big deep-sky objects like the Perseus Double Cluster are breathtaking. If you are thinking of getting one, don't hesitate. (Posted on 11/6/2018)

Purchased this telescope from Astronomics a few months ago and have been loving every minute of using it. Great dual purpose instrument for both visual and astrophotography. Paired up with a .8x flattener reducer gives a very wide field with my DSLR for unique astrophotos. Great for comets! Have also used it for EAA purposes with great results live stacking. This scope is great when you need a quick setup for the night. Visually the scope can handle more power than you would think and its a sweetheart on large, bright open clusters. I will never get rid of this telescope. (Posted on 11/5/2018)

I bought this because I was tired of waiting for the AT72ED II to be in stock, and I have to say, I’m happy that I was so impatient! This thing is super easy to set up, and provides incredible views of wide star fields, open clusters, double stars and more! Every time I pull it out I am amazed at its performance! (Posted on 11/4/2018)

This scope is way better than I expected it to be. It's every bit on par with my Televue 60mm. The 2 inch focuser gives the capability to be super wide field of view. The fit and finish is above average! The images are super sharp. I'm very impressed. I suggest getting a Astrotech dovetail to help with mounting on normal astronomy mounts. But as is it would work nicely on a camera mount. (Posted on 11/1/2018)

If you love grab and go on the smallest of mounts like the DSV-M, look no further! This scope was optically comparable with a TV60 but with a much better focuser (I despised that helical focuser on the TV60). Also, if you are imaging on a budget, it is hard to go wrong with this offering. A very good value product. 5 stars. (Posted on 10/27/2018)

This new AT60ED is a beautiful instrument which will obviously last for several lifetimes. Over design is the rule of the day. In person, the scope instantly reminds me of a TMB refractor. The type of quality which gives the owner joy and satisfaction even as you pass it by on a rainy day. The dew shield design is remarkable, and purpose driven. The focuser by itself is worth the price of the entire scope. It is a rock solid 2" rack and pinion, that is simply laughing at my imaging train. The optics are fabulous, and I would have said this was a triplet APO, after using it. With a 2" AT diagonal, and a low power eyepiece, this scope looks like a beautiful little sledge hammer. The kind of instrument that just oozes satisfaction. (Posted on 10/26/2018)

What a gem this scope is. It's hardly larger than a can of soda, but performs as well as Televue 60 that I had several years ago. I often use it with a 4.7mm Ethos eyepiece for 77x and an almost 1.5 degree FOV and everyone who has looked through it at star parties goes "Wow". I have it in a small Pelican case as my 'portable observatory' - including tripod, mount, eyepieces, diagonal - only an observing chair is missing(!). I can grab it quickly and know that I have everything necessary to be able to enjoy the night skies. (Posted on 10/7/2018)

I got this scope because it is small enough to fit in my travel astronomy backpack, along with a sturdy tripod, eyepieces, finder, etc. I’ve taken it on a plane and it travels well. The optics are fantastic. It’s a solid, well made scope with smooth 2-speed focuser. It can accept 2” as well as 1-1/4” diagonals. I suggest using widefield eyepieces to really get the full benefit of the optics. (Posted on 10/7/2018)

Great Product! I'm so happy with it. The image sharpness is superb! Mechanically this scope operates smoothly. This scope with its imaging and portability suits my needs. (Posted on 10/7/2018)

It's been a great summer for planet viewing! My AT60ED has spent the past few months mounted on a Vixen Porta with TeleVue 7mm DeLite. (Posted on 10/7/2018)

I love this tiny guy. Bought it to give me something to grab quickly and get outside on a starry night in the back yard without requiring a lot of fuss. Initially I used it on a camera tripod, both of which I could fit in a backpack. Literally seconds to set up. I've paired it with really wide TeleVue Panoptic 41, 24, Delos 10, and 4.5 eye pieces. On a clear night, the 4.5 really pushes the scope to its limit. But I'm able to make out rings of Saturn, and the red dot on Jupiter. With a really wide view of the 41mm eye piece, I can easily gaze small and large clusters and on a really dark night have no trouble spotting large nebula. Such an awesome scope, and at a great price. (Posted on 10/7/2018)

In writing this review, I must give the caveat that I am writing about the AT 66, which I have used for long lens photography at graduations, as a guide telescope mounted on a Meade LX90 8" Classic and as a visual telescope for camping/hiking trips. All of the Astro Tech telescopes are superb instruments. I have observed through many of my astronomy club's members Astro Tech telescopes and believe that choosing any telescope is a match to observer and where he or she observes. Because of its high quality and light weight, my range for reaching dark skies has expanded. I have needed no field flattener with this telescope. I use it visually and photographically with great result! (Posted on 10/6/2018)

I use my AT60ED for strictly visual purposes, and it's a wonderful telescope with high optical and mechanical quality. What a great value this scope is. It has become my most frequently used telescope (out of six that I currently own) simply because it can work well with a medium-duty photographic tripod, if so desired, and it's an easy chore to carry it so mounted out to the yard, ready for immediate use.

My only "complaint" about this telescope (and one which does *not* warrant penalizing it to something less that five stars) is that my eyes cannot accommodate the field curvature inherent to a refractor of this short focal length. (This means that a stars which lie near the edge of the field of view, especially with a low power eyepiece, may not be in focus when a star at the center of the field is in perfect focus.) By trial and error, I have found that strategic selection of eyepiece (possibly with a barlow lens) effectively mitigates the issue for me.

I'll be keeping this scope for a long time to come. I wish all clear skies and happy observing. (Posted on 10/6/2018)

Got this scope to serve as a finder for my 6” SCT. But it is excellent in its own right as a wide field viewer and even on the planets and moon. Sharpness and contrast are excellent! Again this scope is an excellent purchase option for the price paid. (Posted on 10/6/2018)

Great little scope! I use mine mainly for guiding and it works very well for that. However it is also a really good observational and photographic scope on its own. Excellent optics and build quality at a great price! (Posted on 10/6/2018)

This an amazing performer for the price. I've matched it with the field flattener, and am hoping to use it as my astrophotography travel scope. The focuser is incredible at this price! (Posted on 10/6/2018)