Nexstar 5se

[Beardy30]

Hi all just wondering if anyone has any tips with this scope and what there thoughts are on it compared to the quality of the other goto scopes on the market ? 

Edited April 10, 2020 by Beardy30

[noah4x4]

For the money the 5SE is a super little high quality GoTo scope. I have a Celestron 4SE that I use for 'grab and go' (as I can take it on aircraft as hand luggage) and an 8" Evolution for home and I am delighted with each for such specific purposes. 

However, if it is your only telescope, a 4" or 5" SCT aperture is limiting.  It might not be too  long before you wished you had bought (say) a second hand 8" for similar money. But for travel and ease of use as a newcomer it is brilliant entry level scope.

The next  issue is your expectation. You will get a nice view of Saturn and Jupiter, but somewhat small in a 5" f/10. You will probably struggle with DSOs because of its narrow field of view. But unless at truly dark sky sites you will only see the brightest as  "faint fuzzies" in most scopes. Light pollution is also a barrier. You need as much light gathering power as possible.  So the next temptation is to buy a camera. Now the 5SE makes even less sense. If has a small aperture, long focal length and is too small for (say) Hyperstar. However, it is fantastic as a travel scope.

I would suggest you ideally seek an 8" SCT aperture and a GEM mount, notably in case you ever want to do some Astrophotography.  If budget is an issue, there are many used bargains with larger aperture. 

Hope this helps...

Edited April 11, 2020 by noah4x4

[Beardy30]

Hi I’m not interested in photography so the whole camera issue is no problem for me I only want back garden observation For planets and stars etc 

[Grotemobile]

U might be better off getting something like this. Just a thought.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-200p-dobsonian.html

[Beardy30]

Not a fan of the dob I like the compact goto scopes but appreciate the thought