Three points : Your verbal discussion was very clear and totally made sense. Two you also id equipment you would not buy again, very honest and helpful and third, you give a newbie like me a clear understanding of what I might encounter should I want to buy a telescope. VERY WELL done sir.
The first time I saw Saturn I was so astounded I cried. I'm not particularly religious or prone to sudden outbursts of emotion, it was just so profound. Thank you for such a great review.
100% get it. I thought I would cry too when I first saw Jupiter and Saturn last night. It's very moving. So moving that I realized I needed a tracking telescope, which is why I'm sending back the starter scope and upgrading to the 8SE. Thanks for your candor, Mark. It really is touching to see the planets and other sky objects with your own eyes. Those dots....they are WORLDS and suns and galaxies and nebulae. Pale Blue Dot moment.
This is seriously one of the best reviews of anything I've ever seen on UA-cam: well-organized, succinct, and full of useful information. The very few things I was left unsure of (e.g., the weight of the assembled telescope) I easily found elsewhere.Thank you!
Thank you for your frank and honest review. You've really helped me establish which accessories I will or won't buy with the Celestron NexStar 8SE. Thanks for not having competing background music, and your audio sounds great!
wow. i am 14 years old, just got my first real (beginner-ish) telescope and your childhood story is almost exactly like mine. Joined astronomy club in middle school, viewing saturn for the first time was unforgettable. my teacher has this telescope and it's fantastic.
Not only was your video informative and insiteful, but very well presented! The use of the handheld mike and speaking in a clear, articulate voice, really made a very, very nice video! Thanks for sharing!
Hello from the UK. I popped in Celestron Nexstar 8 into the UA-cam search and I was eventually recommended this channel. A great find! What an informative video. I was blown away by the amount of information and found it incredibly helpful. I’ve been interested in one of these scopes (or even the Evolution model) for a while now and this video was a great help. I would have liked a little more information regarding problems you’ve experienced, but if you’ve had a very negative experience, I’m sure you would have said. Anyway, great video, have a like (if you’re still making videos that is).
Gotta be to 3 Video of all time.. I am a noob at this hobby and can appreciate the clear points made.. What a blessing to get game for free. Salute from Germany
Thanks again.Ok I am 70, I have two titanium hips, a fused neck and 5 lumbar surgeries… the last one being a 3 disc fusion (all the hardware has just been removed, it became fuck%ng loose). So what, you say. I have just bought a used 8se for $700 (had to drive 1000 miles round trip to get). It came with a bunch of stuff including a Meade wedge which I modified to work with the 8se. The first time was a disaster, I couldn’t even get the lens cap off… only kidding but just only. I have also just bought 14’ canoe and trolling motor. There are two reasons I mention this: First… weight. Everything these day is so darn heavy (remember my first sentence). So I am going to make a cart for hauling my canoe and my telescope, not necessarily at the same time though. A simple two wheel affair with some old big wheel mower wheels and some 1” pvc. Second… power. The “Celestron Power Tank” really sucks. My trolling motor and my 8se both need 12v so I am going to buy a really good deep cycle marine batter and make my own portable power supply. I will use an old (expensive) heavy duty plastic tool box. Top tray will be used for either fish tackle or telescope accessories. I will include a couple of cigarette lighter sockets and a voltage meter. Just some musings from an old man who is trying to… I don’t know, whatever?My regular close is "have a good life man"
Hey you're proving you're not dead yet! I'm not far behind you at nearly 67. I've been a lifelong enthusiast of Science in general an Astronomy in particular, yet I have not yet owned a scope of my own. I'm considering it. I just borrowed a Dobsonian from a local Astronomical Society to view and image the conjunction. It was the first time I had ever tried to photograph anything through a scope! I had to order a laser collimator and attachments for my DSLR which arrived in the afternoon of December 21. I had only a few hours to figure it all out but I did learn something and I got some decent images. My point is of course that learning is still fun and can be very rewarding! Enjoy your life as long as you can and may we both have many more days to enjoy! Sounds like you are doing spectacularly well with yours!
You do deserve a thums up. Great video. I'm researching options for a telescope to present to my granddaughter who is a sixth grader. Lucky I found you in time as you too started sky watching when you were in seventh grade. You were very clear and forthright. The scope will remain in storage 99% of the time. That did drive some sense into me.
What an enormously precious clip you posted here. Thank you for your awesome review. This is the kind of presentation that i hoped to find to determine the pros and cons of the 8SE. Excellent job! Thank you sooo much for that!
I love looking through the telescope because I know I am actually seeing the object for myself. Back in middle school when we learning about space I used my telescope ALL the time for my assignments and it just felt so authentic and more enriching than just looking at pictures on the internet. Like seeing the Orion Nebula with your own eyes?? How cool is that!!!
Great review! Very clear spoken, the camera is standing still and no annoying music. I want to by the Nexstar 6SE (because of my tighter budget) but I still had great joy listening to your review of the 8SE. Also thanks for the tips!
Dude. Awesome review. I just got this as a joint Christmas present for my husband and I. We live in the country in the mountains in WA state with no light pollution!! We are both into the universe etc. I have been like you have watched Carl Sagan with my dad when I was 10 in the early 1980. Keep star gazing.. Catherine Ford.. :-)
Thank you so much for using a microphone, I wish more people would do that it really helps since I have hearing issues. And thanks for the great review.
Ya know, I've almost given up on UA-cam's videos. You, however, did a fantastic job. Clear, honest, and to the point. I tried several other videos on this subject. You made the only one worth watching. Thank you, "I think I see a smug " priceless....
Very good video. Clear on the subject matter and stayed on point. Should be helpful to anyone considering buying any telescope. Too many of these videos the creator gets on a gabs away about stuff that I'm really not interested in - and probably nobody else is either. Great job!
Thank you! Very informative and detailed review. This is the first video I have come across where someone has taken the time to give a clear & concise review, and also included insightful information for someone new to astronomy.
Very informative. I'm embarrased to say I've had my 8SE for over a year, used it only one time after I got frustrated with it with a humid bad viewing night trying to look at a super moon. I realized I have a lot to learn to be proficient. Having clear skies in the San Antonio area is a real challenge as well. I'm determined to learn my scope. Thanks, you were a first good step.
Hope you're still observing. If you haven't already, join a local astro club. They'll get you out and viewing and learning much faster than if you try alone!
This was such a great, informative, simplified video! Excellent descriptions, suggestions, recommendations. So clear to see and understand. Huge thank you for your time and thoughts.
outstanding and super helpful in making upcoming decisions from the scope to accessories to a plan. thank you! i'm buying this telescope once it's off back order in March and looking forward to enjoying as much as you do.
From Brisbane Australia (Lat S27 Deg ) . Well done for an unbiased and intelligent review. I recently purchased an 8 "Meade LX200. My local astronomical supplier is a Meade outlet so I went down that track. The Nexstar 8SE looks very similar in all aspects to the 8" LX200 . I am also very happy with the Meades' performance. I also use the BAADER 8 mm to 24 mm Zoom with satisfaction. It is a must have for its versatility and quality optics. I also use this great EP on my ED 120 refractor. An 8" SCT is just the right size and weight to handle without the need for heavy lifting equipment but still capable of great visuals. The Southern Hemisphere offers many interesting sights however we don't have a visible south celestial star to assist with alignment. Happy viewing with you handsome Nexstar 8SE.
Holy moly. It was weird watching the start of your video. I'm looking at buying a Nexstar so I happened upon your video but just last night I took my camera with a 105mm lens out just trying to capture Bode's M81 and M82. I knew it would be small and fuzzy but we were out at a fire and i was trying to show other people. Most people just couldn't appreciate what those two smudges represented. Anyways, I said to my brother-in-law, pretty much verbatim what you said about Andromeda. I said that the one galaxy, M81, is about 12 million light years away. In other words it took 12 million light years for the light from that galaxy to reach my camera and for the photons to be captured. Just uncanny that one day later you practically, not only captured the essence of what I said, but said it just about in the exact same way. It's always nice to hear that others can appreciate just how amazing our universe is and it makes ya feel like you're not the only one who sees it!
Very nice intro for me the day after I brought home a Celestron NexStar 6s. So far so good. Thanks for the clearness of your explanations. Even a very new Sky watcher could understand exactly what you were saying.
Yes you can do daytime astronomy...I'll never forget observing the surface of the sun via a solar filter attached to a "Celestron 8" back in the summer of 1978! BTW, good job with this video.
Very good review! Probably one of the best out there for this scope and mount. I also now use the Telrad for this scope! I the GPS that I also use with this mount and the EVO-8. Love it. You really touched on all the significant points and features/accessories in your review. Spot on. Thank you for putting this together!
As much review of astronomy as of the 8SE and a rare, refreshing review it is. Thank you for your honesty, humour and advice. Very much appreciated. Greetings from England!
Your video was great. I just bought the 6se for my son with the r2 imager. So far not much luck. we can see stars but we just found out today that we are not really looking at them in focus. we see rings around a black ball in the middle. lol
Rob, your's is the first review I saw before I bought my telescope. Honest review. There are several things I learned over the course of time. But I really appreciate your review.
Thanks Rob for making this introduction video. Your clear advice and observations are very practical and helpful for me as I am considering buying one. At the very least it shows me exactly the size of the thing compared to a Celestron Omni XLT 120, which unfortunately has proved too big for me to carry around over here in the UK's North Somerset. Right now Mars is looking rather good even with 10 x 50 binoculars, but seeing it through a proper device such as this would once again "open up my eyes" to the world of astronomy. Thanks again, Nick
Many thanks for this helpful tutorial. I am now also proud owner of the Celestron 8SE. ...Beside all the informstion provided I have also enjoyed that I was able to understand you very well, as I am trying to improve my English skills (I am german). Thx again :-)
You can put a solar filter on it and view the sun. But your point of not being able to use it at any old time you got the urge is spot on. One thing that peeps should know is that having a local dealer is very handy. You can order the Celestron Nexstar scopes at Best Buy's website and pick them up at your local Best Buy. They also sell the double forked scopes for those that got the desire and the money. If you do have a local retailer then buy from them; if not then consider Best Buy. Some camera stores do carry telescopes and binoculars too. I bought a mount from a store on the west coast and it was dead on arrival. So, I got to wait two months for a replacement. If the store was local and not 2500 miles away, I could simply do a swap or get a refund.
My wife pointed me to your video. She said "It's really scary how two people sharing the same interest but living on different continents look like identical twins! Now buy this same telescope and I'll start believing in goblins!" So, we really do look like identical twins (that's weird even in the 100-billion+-galaxies universe we live in) but your video simplified the things for me (and my wife). I'm buying Nexstar Evolution 8" EHD. A bit more money, a bit more punch, and a Baader zoom EP to get me jumpstarted again after watching Carl Sagan's legendary series. As we do look like two identical amateur astronomers, just don't say you are 46 and born on may 4th? That would be one to a cca 7.000.000.000... Spooky. Your nice and no bs video sparked me up again. Thumb up.
Good advice. It does take alot of time to get setup when you get a good night. For a quick setup and do 1-2 hours of observing every other night a pair of 15x70 or 20x80 binos on a parallelogram mount and a reclining chair makes things simpler. Big telescopes need a planned ahead for an all night/early morning observing.
Amongst so many other videos on the subject I found this to be very good and answered many questions that I - having not yet bought my first telescope - found very useful. Thanks!
Amazing review Rob! Very informative and entertaining! Why are there not even 700 views by now? What's going on here? Thank you for your effort, enjoyed it!
This video was super helpful. Just received a 6SE from someone and knowing the right accessories to buy gives me a lot more peace of mind. I was about to buy that lens kit!
I remember Carl Sagan's Cosmos around 1980 in the UK with the amazing Vangelis music and his virtual reality of the Library at Alexandria. What a production from the late 70s! Also Patrick Moore's The Skt at Night monthly in the UK that I used to watch at age 8-9 at first. I always wanted a Celestron 5 or 8 from the Sky & Telescope magazine back page adverts that I first saw aged around 10. Thinking of getting a 6" or 8" Celestron. I always wanted the orange tube! The 6SEs and 8SEs seem to be reduced in price a bit now the Evolution is out.
i love this telescope, the orange tube is just wonderful. 8se is an astronomical moultimachine, it is the perfect combination of portability and deep sky gate opening. i think that best extras are 2 diagonial and the new lipofe battery which offers plenty of operetional time and also increase portability.great review
Your video was my first lesson on it. I was just thinking to buy a telescope to watch the moon, it should be better than my Nikon D7000. After watch this clip, I know I need to do some study before get a scope. Thanks so lot, Rob!
Don't forget that with an appropriate T-Ring adapter you can probably connect your Camera to the telescope too, essentially giving you a massive telephoto lens
Thank you for this honest and clear evaluation of the Celestron NexStar 8SE. As a newbe, I am still investigating different models and this Celestron has a good chance (incl some of your options). Thanks again for your clear feedback, much appreciated. Greetings from Belgium.
Great review, I had my SE8 for a year now, really like it, I have an equatorial wedge , it never worked well I think the motors are too weak for the weight of the scope on a wedge. I own the accessory kit I think the eyepieces under 13mm are too blurry the rest of the kit is useful. A Binocular viewer, filter wheel and a focal reducer are a great addition to my setup. Controlling the scope with Stellarium was the best step I took.
It's great to see a personal use review that doesn't baffle me with excessive tech-talk that goes right over my head. I appreciate you taking the time to share what has and hasn't worked for you, and especially because you included WHY certain things did or didn't work for you.
Thank you I am about to buy a celestron 8se and think you have saved me a few quid as I was going to buy all sortsof bits and bobs for the 8se, so glad I watched your video.
Thank you for that great video! I was on the go to buy a telescope...but I have had some headaches. Then I found your video and I was grounded as it should be. Now I see clear. I saved money and much time. Thank you very much 🤗
I don't know if anyone tunes back into this video, but thought I would leave a comment nonetheless. I'm a novice/beginning astronomer; rebuilt an older Celestron Astromaster 130 EQ. Nice little scope but showing limitations. I have been tracking this model for some time now. The video is bang on with no BS. I am more convinced every time that this is the way to go to! price is up two years later, but the reviews continue to be more positive than not!
Guy, you definitely hit the nail on the head with limited use of the scope. After 25 years of hesitation on buying a very good scope I finally took the initiative and bought a Meade 8 inch ACF, plus $4000.0 dollars worth of equipment to do semi professional astrophotography. That was back in March of this year. I've only been able to bring out my equipment probably about 5 to 7 times since purchasing everything. The reason being it's been non stop miserable cloudy sky's and rain, and 2018 is almost over. Also I know what you mean about looking at a galaxy and seeing a smudge. I still think it's cool knowing I have a really good scope and I can see deeper into the night sky than what I was able back in the day in my teens and 20s. I love the scope I bought and I am always wait in for the next clear night, even though I work 7 days a week, I still try to get everything outside and get at least about 2 hours of sky time a day. I totally understand what you mean in regards to limited use of scope. My scope is 70 lbs to haul around but I love it nontheless.
This is a very helpful review. The newcomer might consider buying a star atlas, which will point out the best sights in the sky. One of my favorites is Sky Atlas for Small Telescopes and Binoculars from the David Chandler Company. This gets you started with many of the brightest deep sky objects and it teaches you the night sky as you go along. The cost is something like $14 and it will last a long time if you take care of it. Sadly, the main problem in doing amateur astronomy is not learning the sky, but light pollution that doesn't let you see the sky.
Many thanks for the clear and frank review. I'm just thinking if to carry on with my Celestron 70mm binoculars or to 'upgrade' to something like the 8SE..Now I have a clearer idea of the pros and cons.
Fantastic brother! I’m so freaking excited because after many pay days of tucking away those couple dollars here and there-couple times being forced to put the dream aside and take care of life’s financial curveballs and again build the account up slowly again to which I’ve finally arrived at my day where the account has been drained for exactly what I wanted ! 2pm I am taking my hands on tutorial of my NexStar 8SE to learn the fundamentals and come nightfall tonight and many many more to come I’ll be scanning every possible inch of the nights canvas and hope to share with everyone Around me the impossibly beautiful galaxy and beyond !
Three points : Your verbal discussion was very clear and totally made sense. Two you also id equipment you would not buy again, very honest and helpful and third, you give a newbie like me a clear understanding of what I might encounter should I want to buy a telescope. VERY WELL done sir.
I 2nd your comment sir.
@@___wahid___ I 4th your comment, sir.
What they said.
I vote thumbs up with the rest!
8th your comment sir ... indeed a very good and honest review.
The first time I saw Saturn I was so astounded I cried. I'm not particularly religious or prone to sudden outbursts of emotion, it was just so profound. Thank you for such a great review.
100% get it. I thought I would cry too when I first saw Jupiter and Saturn last night. It's very moving. So moving that I realized I needed a tracking telescope, which is why I'm sending back the starter scope and upgrading to the 8SE. Thanks for your candor, Mark. It really is touching to see the planets and other sky objects with your own eyes. Those dots....they are WORLDS and suns and galaxies and nebulae. Pale Blue Dot moment.
One of THE BEST reviews. Thank you very much for this.
I've become addicted to star gazing, its a sirius problem
same bro
Same
nice joke
I want a new telescope
Suggestions ?
@@kspavankrishna well what do you want to see in it
This is seriously one of the best reviews of anything I've ever seen on UA-cam: well-organized, succinct, and full of useful information. The very few things I was left unsure of (e.g., the weight of the assembled telescope) I easily found elsewhere.Thank you!
I second this, thank you so much for this review.
This guy did so much right, including the recommendations for the accessories, binoculars, power generator and Amazon links.
Thank you for your frank and honest review. You've really helped me establish which accessories I will or won't buy with the Celestron NexStar 8SE. Thanks for not having competing background music, and your audio sounds great!
I appreciate you taking the time to make this video. I especially liked the portion about which accessories you found very useful.
wow. i am 14 years old, just got my first real (beginner-ish) telescope and your childhood story is almost exactly like mine. Joined astronomy club in middle school, viewing saturn for the first time was unforgettable. my teacher has this telescope and it's fantastic.
Great! Welcome to the hobby and good luck!
Not only was your video informative and insiteful, but very well presented! The use of the handheld mike and speaking in a clear, articulate voice, really made a very, very nice video! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much for sharing your personal opinions and sharing your experiences of the 8SE! It is helpful!
Hello from the UK.
I popped in Celestron Nexstar 8 into the UA-cam search and I was eventually recommended this channel. A great find!
What an informative video. I was blown away by the amount of information and found it incredibly helpful. I’ve been interested in one of these scopes (or even the Evolution model) for a while now and this video was a great help. I would have liked a little more information regarding problems you’ve experienced, but if you’ve had a very negative experience, I’m sure you would have said.
Anyway, great video, have a like (if you’re still making videos that is).
Gotta be to 3 Video of all time.. I am a noob at this hobby and can appreciate the clear points made.. What a blessing to get game for free. Salute from Germany
Thanks again.Ok I am 70, I have two titanium hips, a fused neck and 5
lumbar surgeries… the last one being a 3 disc fusion (all the hardware has just
been removed, it became fuck%ng loose). So what, you say. I have just bought a used 8se for $700 (had to drive 1000 miles round trip to get). It came with a
bunch of stuff including a Meade wedge which I modified to work with the 8se.
The first time was a disaster, I couldn’t even get the lens cap off… only
kidding but just only. I have also just bought 14’ canoe and trolling motor.
There are two reasons I mention this: First… weight. Everything these day is so darn heavy (remember my first sentence). So I am going to make a cart for hauling my canoe and my telescope, not necessarily at the same time though. A simple two wheel affair with some old big wheel mower wheels and some 1” pvc.
Second… power. The “Celestron Power Tank” really sucks. My trolling motor and my 8se both need 12v so I am going to buy a really good deep cycle marine batter and make my own portable power supply. I will use an old (expensive) heavy duty plastic tool box. Top tray will be used for either fish tackle or telescope accessories. I will include a couple of cigarette lighter sockets and a voltage meter. Just some musings from an old man who is trying to… I don’t know, whatever?My regular close is "have a good life man"
Salute Old Man. Hope u are Fine and have a blast looking in at a different world. Stay Blessed
I second that. Hope ur doing well and still gazing at the Heavens!
Hey you're proving you're not dead yet! I'm not far behind you at nearly 67. I've been a lifelong enthusiast of Science in general an Astronomy in particular, yet I have not yet owned a scope of my own. I'm considering it. I just borrowed a Dobsonian from a local Astronomical Society to view and image the conjunction. It was the first time I had ever tried to photograph anything through a scope! I had to order a laser collimator and attachments for my DSLR which arrived in the afternoon of December 21. I had only a few hours to figure it all out but I did learn something and I got some decent images. My point is of course that learning is still fun and can be very rewarding! Enjoy your life as long as you can and may we both have many more days to enjoy! Sounds like you are doing spectacularly well with yours!
What a great presentation! Thank you for providing such a wealth of practical information and advice. Clear skies!
A man after my own heart. You literally think about how awesome this hobby is in the same terms that I do. You earned my sub, sir.
You do deserve a thums up. Great video. I'm researching options for a telescope to present to my granddaughter who is a sixth grader. Lucky I found you in time as you too started sky watching when you were in seventh grade. You were very clear and forthright. The scope will remain in storage 99% of the time. That did drive some sense into me.
The best review on this telescope I have seen thus far.
What an enormously precious clip you posted here. Thank you for your awesome review. This is the kind of presentation that i hoped to find to determine the pros and cons of the 8SE. Excellent job! Thank you sooo much for that!
I love looking through the telescope because I know I am actually seeing the object for myself. Back in middle school when we learning about space I used my telescope ALL the time for my assignments and it just felt so authentic and more enriching than just looking at pictures on the internet. Like seeing the Orion Nebula with your own eyes?? How cool is that!!!
Agreed. Orion Nebula is one of the coolest things you can see in the night sky.
Thanks for this. I just ordered one for my wife. She has been hinting how she wants one for years.
If she wants a table saw and a boat you win first prize in the world olympics of life.
Great review! Very clear spoken, the camera is standing still and no annoying music. I want to by the Nexstar 6SE (because of my tighter budget) but I still had great joy listening to your review of the 8SE. Also thanks for the tips!
Dude. Awesome review. I just got this as a joint Christmas present for my husband and I.
We live in the country in the mountains in WA state with no light pollution!! We are both into the universe etc. I have been like you have watched Carl Sagan with my dad when I was 10 in the early 1980.
Keep star gazing.. Catherine Ford.. :-)
Enjoy!
Thank you so much for using a microphone, I wish more people would do that it really helps since I have hearing issues. And thanks for the great review.
Wife: "Oh, I think I see a smudge."
Dude: *Files divorce*
Lol
Excellent video tutorial/review for the Celestron 8SE. I highly appreciate all the feedback you gave. Great job!
Ya know, I've almost given up on UA-cam's videos. You, however, did a
fantastic job. Clear, honest, and to the point.
I tried several other videos on this subject. You made the only one worth watching. Thank you,
"I think I see a smug " priceless....
Very good video. Clear on the subject matter and stayed on point. Should be helpful to anyone considering buying any telescope. Too many of these videos the creator gets on a gabs away about stuff that I'm really not interested in - and probably nobody else is either. Great job!
This is a very informative, concise, and helpful video for anyone like me contemplating the purchase of a NexStar telescope. Well done!
Thank you! Very informative and detailed review. This is the first video I have come across where someone has taken the time to give a clear & concise review, and also included insightful information for someone new to astronomy.
Very informative. I'm embarrased to say I've had my 8SE for over a year, used it only one time after I got frustrated with it with a humid bad viewing night trying to look at a super moon. I realized I have a lot to learn to be proficient. Having clear skies in the San Antonio area is a real challenge as well. I'm determined to learn my scope. Thanks, you were a first good step.
Hope you're still observing. If you haven't already, join a local astro club. They'll get you out and viewing and learning much faster than if you try alone!
This was such a great, informative, simplified video! Excellent descriptions, suggestions, recommendations. So clear to see and understand. Huge thank you for your time and thoughts.
I like how you're not over-hyping it, kinda rare nowadays.
outstanding and super helpful in making upcoming decisions from the scope to accessories to a plan. thank you! i'm buying this telescope once it's off back order in March and looking forward to enjoying as much as you do.
From Brisbane Australia (Lat S27 Deg ) . Well done for an unbiased and intelligent review. I recently purchased an 8 "Meade LX200. My local astronomical supplier is a Meade outlet so I went down that track. The Nexstar 8SE looks very similar in all aspects to the 8" LX200 . I am also very happy with the Meades' performance. I also use the BAADER 8 mm to 24 mm Zoom with satisfaction. It is a must have for its versatility and quality optics. I also use this great EP on my ED 120 refractor. An 8" SCT is just the right size and weight to handle without the need for heavy lifting equipment but still capable of great visuals. The Southern Hemisphere offers many interesting sights however we don't have a visible south celestial star to assist with alignment. Happy viewing with you handsome Nexstar 8SE.
I want to repeat the praise of others, your presentation is high on content, well thought out and easily understood - thank you!
Holy moly. It was weird watching the start of your video. I'm looking at buying a Nexstar so I happened upon your video but just last night I took my camera with a 105mm lens out just trying to capture Bode's M81 and M82. I knew it would be small and fuzzy but we were out at a fire and i was trying to show other people. Most people just couldn't appreciate what those two smudges represented. Anyways, I said to my brother-in-law, pretty much verbatim what you said about Andromeda. I said that the one galaxy, M81, is about 12 million light years away. In other words it took 12 million light years for the light from that galaxy to reach my camera and for the photons to be captured. Just uncanny that one day later you practically, not only captured the essence of what I said, but said it just about in the exact same way. It's always nice to hear that others can appreciate just how amazing our universe is and it makes ya feel like you're not the only one who sees it!
0:47 - 1:25 is the single most important thing that no one else ever points out in any video
Very nice intro for me the day after I brought home a Celestron NexStar 6s. So far so good. Thanks for the clearness of your explanations. Even a very new Sky watcher could understand exactly what you were saying.
Yes you can do daytime astronomy...I'll never forget observing the surface of the sun via a solar filter attached to a "Celestron 8" back in the summer of 1978!
BTW, good job with this video.
This may be the most helpful video I’ve found so far. Thank you for making it!
Very good review! Probably one of the best out there for this scope and mount. I also now use the Telrad for this scope! I the GPS that I also use with this mount and the EVO-8. Love it. You really touched on all the significant points and features/accessories in your review. Spot on. Thank you for putting this together!
Very Good Presentation. I truly enjoyed watching you and writing down tips. Thank you so much.
Thank you. It wonderful, clear and easy to understand video. Very practical advice.
Thank you for taking the time and making this very useful video.
I just got the Evolution 8 and this review really helped me get the rundown on Celestron's SCT products. Thanks man.
As much review of astronomy as of the 8SE and a rare, refreshing review it is. Thank you for your honesty, humour and advice. Very much appreciated. Greetings from England!
Your video was great. I just bought the 6se for my son with the r2 imager. So far not much luck. we can see stars but we just found out today that we are not really looking at them in focus. we see rings around a black ball in the middle. lol
Rob, your's is the first review I saw before I bought my telescope. Honest review. There are several things I learned over the course of time. But I really appreciate your review.
Good luck with your telescope!
Thanks Rob for making this introduction video. Your clear advice and observations are very practical and helpful for me as I am considering buying one. At the very least it shows me exactly the size of the thing compared to a Celestron Omni XLT 120, which unfortunately has proved too big for me to carry around over here in the UK's North Somerset. Right now Mars is looking rather good even with 10 x 50 binoculars, but seeing it through a proper device such as this would once again "open up my eyes" to the world of astronomy. Thanks again, Nick
Your idea of the traveling photons is what make me love stargazing!! I think the same way!
Really great, informative video. Lots of information clearly communicated. Never got boring,. Many thanks!
Many thanks for this helpful tutorial. I am now also proud owner of the Celestron 8SE. ...Beside all the informstion provided I have also enjoyed that I was able to understand you very well, as I am trying to improve my English skills (I am german). Thx again :-)
Thumbs up for showing how you bashed that thing up and it still performs.
You can put a solar filter on it and view the sun. But your point of not being able to use it at any old time you got the urge is spot on. One thing that peeps should know is that having a local dealer is very handy. You can order the Celestron Nexstar scopes at Best Buy's website and pick them up at your local Best Buy. They also sell the double forked scopes for those that got the desire and the money. If you do have a local retailer then buy from them; if not then consider Best Buy. Some camera stores do carry telescopes and binoculars too. I bought a mount from a store on the west coast and it was dead on arrival. So, I got to wait two months for a replacement. If the store was local and not 2500 miles away, I could simply do a swap or get a refund.
My wife pointed me to your video. She said "It's really scary how two people sharing the same interest but living on different continents look like identical twins! Now buy this same telescope and I'll start believing in goblins!" So, we really do look like identical twins (that's weird even in the 100-billion+-galaxies universe we live in) but your video simplified the things for me (and my wife). I'm buying Nexstar Evolution 8" EHD. A bit more money, a bit more punch, and a Baader zoom EP to get me jumpstarted again after watching Carl Sagan's legendary series. As we do look like two identical amateur astronomers, just don't say you are 46 and born on may 4th? That would be one to a cca 7.000.000.000... Spooky. Your nice and no bs video sparked me up again. Thumb up.
Star wars day? That's surely a joke!
Good advice. It does take alot of time to get setup when you get a good night. For a quick setup and do 1-2 hours of observing every other night a pair of 15x70 or 20x80 binos on a parallelogram mount and a reclining chair makes things simpler. Big telescopes need a planned ahead for an all night/early morning observing.
Thank you. It's increasingly difficult to find honest, concise reviews 👍
Amongst so many other videos on the subject I found this to be very good and answered many questions that I - having not yet bought my first telescope - found very useful. Thanks!
Amazing review Rob! Very informative and entertaining! Why are there not even 700 views by now? What's going on here?
Thank you for your effort, enjoyed it!
Thank you very much for the detailed review! Much appreciated.
Awesome video,full of personal toughts that are always usefull!
This video was super helpful. Just received a 6SE from someone and knowing the right accessories to buy gives me a lot more peace of mind. I was about to buy that lens kit!
Excellent, glad I found this review as I'm looking at purchasing this very scope, here in the UK.
I remember Carl Sagan's Cosmos around 1980 in the UK with the amazing Vangelis music and his virtual reality of the Library at Alexandria. What a production from the late 70s! Also Patrick Moore's The Skt at Night monthly in the UK that I used to watch at age 8-9 at first. I always wanted a Celestron 5 or 8 from the Sky & Telescope magazine back page adverts that I first saw aged around 10. Thinking of getting a 6" or 8" Celestron. I always wanted the orange tube! The 6SEs and 8SEs seem to be reduced in price a bit now the Evolution is out.
i love this telescope, the orange tube is just wonderful. 8se is an astronomical moultimachine, it is the perfect combination of portability and deep sky gate opening. i think that best extras are 2 diagonial and the new lipofe battery which offers plenty of operetional time and also increase portability.great review
By far the best information I have found. Thx for the video.
My thoughts exactly. Word for Word. Got mine in June, and used it all the time. I noticed a zoom eyepiece. Weighing buying one. This is a great scope
Your video was my first lesson on it. I was just thinking to buy a telescope to watch the moon, it should be better than my Nikon D7000. After watch this clip, I know I need to do some study before get a scope. Thanks so lot, Rob!
Don't forget that with an appropriate T-Ring adapter you can probably connect your Camera to the telescope too, essentially giving you a massive telephoto lens
Thank you for this honest and clear evaluation of the Celestron NexStar 8SE. As a newbe, I am still investigating different models and this Celestron has a good chance (incl some of your options). Thanks again for your clear feedback, much appreciated. Greetings from Belgium.
Very nicely done review. Glad to see you still enjoy it after 2 years!
Even with newer models and other new goto scopes, Celestron NexStar 8SE is still the one that gives you years of enjoyment in stargazing.,
Much appreciated the efforts you have put in here, respect.
Awesome video! Thanks a lot
What a great, candid review. So plain spoken. Bravo, Sir. I got so much out of this.
Great review, I have the 9.25 celestron nexstar evolution. The telescope is absolutely amazing doing everything it was designed to do 👍:)
Great review, I had my SE8 for a year now, really like it, I have an equatorial wedge , it never worked well I think the motors are too weak for the weight of the scope on a wedge. I own the accessory kit I think the eyepieces under 13mm are too blurry the rest of the kit is useful. A Binocular viewer, filter wheel and a focal reducer are a great addition to my setup. Controlling the scope with Stellarium was the best step I took.
thank you,
You saved me a lot of time. And thank you for being honest with your review.
It's great to see a personal use review that doesn't baffle me with excessive tech-talk that goes right over my head. I appreciate you taking the time to share what has and hasn't worked for you, and especially because you included WHY certain things did or didn't work for you.
Thanks for the thorough and honest review. Our universe is amazing.
Plain matter-of-fact narration. Highly useful. A Must-watch
Very helpful video I will probably refer back to this when needed!
Thank you I am about to buy a celestron 8se and think you have saved me a few quid as I was going to buy all sortsof bits and bobs for the 8se, so glad I watched your video.
Now that's what I call a review! Well done sir and clear skies 😊
Man, I really enjoy your review, greetings from Mexico!!
Good honest review, thanks and happy new year. 2021
Best review ever of telescopes. You captured the spirit of telescopes and also set expectations.
Thanks for making this video review. It is, by far, the most honest and helpful telescope review I've seen!
Honest, clear, right to the point. Great review.
Thank you for that great video! I was on the go to buy a telescope...but I have had some headaches. Then I found your video and I was grounded as it should be. Now I see clear. I saved money and much time.
Thank you very much 🤗
Great video, thanks for the valuable information!
Very nice and interesting video. I am particularly interested by this model. I find and your views/advice in this video very useful. Many thanks Rob.
I don't know if anyone tunes back into this video, but thought I would leave a comment nonetheless. I'm a novice/beginning astronomer; rebuilt an older Celestron Astromaster 130 EQ. Nice little scope but showing limitations. I have been tracking this model for some time now. The video is bang on with no BS. I am more convinced every time that this is the way to go to! price is up two years later, but the reviews continue to be more positive than not!
You might want to check out the newer Evolution series from Celestron also.
Guy, you definitely hit the nail on the head with limited use of the scope. After 25 years of hesitation on buying a very good scope I finally took the initiative and bought a Meade 8 inch ACF, plus $4000.0 dollars worth of equipment to do semi professional astrophotography. That was back in March of this year. I've only been able to bring out my equipment probably about 5 to 7 times since purchasing everything. The reason being it's been non stop miserable cloudy sky's and rain, and 2018 is almost over. Also I know what you mean about looking at a galaxy and seeing a smudge. I still think it's cool knowing I have a really good scope and I can see deeper into the night sky than what I was able back in the day in my teens and 20s. I love the scope I bought and I am always wait in for the next clear night, even though I work 7 days a week, I still try to get everything outside and get at least about 2 hours of sky time a day.
I totally understand what you mean in regards to limited use of scope. My scope is 70 lbs to haul around but I love it nontheless.
This is a very helpful review. The newcomer might consider buying a star atlas, which will point out the best sights in the sky. One of my favorites is Sky Atlas for Small Telescopes and Binoculars from the David Chandler Company. This gets you started with many of the brightest deep sky objects and it teaches you the night sky as you go along. The cost is something like $14 and it will last a long time if you take care of it. Sadly, the main problem in doing amateur astronomy is not learning the sky, but light pollution that doesn't let you see the sky.
Fabulous review. Being a newbie considering looking at buying this, I found this review really nailed it! Thanks so much !
Many thanks for the clear and frank review. I'm just thinking if to carry on with my Celestron 70mm binoculars or to 'upgrade' to something like the 8SE..Now I have a clearer idea of the pros and cons.
The 70mm Celestron binoculars are a great way to get started. I highly recommend mounting them on a tripod.
Awesome video! Thanks for the information!
Fantastic brother! I’m so freaking excited because after many pay days of tucking away those couple dollars here and there-couple times being forced to put the dream aside and take care of life’s financial curveballs and again build the account up slowly again to which I’ve finally arrived at my day where the account has been drained for exactly what I wanted ! 2pm I am taking my hands on tutorial of my NexStar 8SE to learn the fundamentals and come nightfall tonight and many many more to come I’ll be scanning every possible inch of the nights canvas and hope to share with everyone Around me the impossibly beautiful galaxy and beyond !
Thanks for the info Rob! Loved the way you laid out the facts for someone just starting out. I’m looking forward to buy the Celestron 8SE.
I do really appreciate you make this video casue you are a very honest and helpfull guy.
Blessings