When it comes to telescope brands, consumers are looking for a company they can trust and instruments that will last. There are four main telescope manufacturers whose works are fairly synonymous with each other, and whose branding has stood the test of time. The question of which brand is best largely comes down to a matter of personal expectations, preferences, and intended use, but as long as you stick with these top four, you can rest assured that your product will be top of the line. This list will provide an introduction to each company, as well as some details in regards to what the brand specializes in.
Celestron
Founded in 1964 by Tom Johnson, and headquartered in Torrance, California, Celestron is the oldest and most trusted brand on this list. In fact, they were the first large scale commercial retailer of Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes, and in 1970 their C8 model was highly responsible for traction in the hobby of amateur-astronomy. Celestron prides itself as a leading innovator in consumer telescope technologies, their easy to navigate company website boasting a wide array of technological achievements in smart phone connectivity, support apps, tracking capabilities, optics, and many more.
They have products available for all ages and skillsets, all backed by a two-year warranty, from their Celestron Kids 50mm Refractor Telescope ($39.99), a perfect and affordable scope that will endear the youngest of children to the hobby, all the way to the Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt Astrograph ($13,999.00), a professional grade telescope designed explicitly with astrophotography in mind.
Meade
Meade has risen as as the primary competitor to Celestron since John Diebel founded the company in 1972 as a mail-order refractor telescope distributor, when they began manufacturing their own Schmidt-Cassegrain models, specializing in motorized tracking, in 1980. In 2009 Meade introduced a one-touch operated telescope series known as the LightSwitch, and have since focused primarily on developments in professional grade astrophotography equipment, releasing their LX850 and LX600 models in 2012.
Their most affordable beginner model is their Infinity 50mm Refracting Telescope ($44.95), which comes with a decent number of accessories including additional eyepieces, a viewfinder, and their AutoStar supplementary software for locating and planning outings. Their massive compound LX600 Advanced Coma Free 16″ F/8 Telescope ($18,999.00) is one of, if not the, largest aperture professional grade astrophotography telescopes on the market, weighing in at 190 lbs.
Orion
In 1975 Tim Gieseler founded Orion as a telescope and optical retailer, and today the company prides itself in being employee owned and operated. The company’s corporate office is located in Watsonville, California. While still operating as a retailer, carrying both Celestron and Meade products, as well as an assortment of other brands, they also sell their own Orion brand telescopes, manufactured by both Celestron and China based company Synta.
What makes Orion special is the affordability and vast range of their products, and their focus on providing fully equipped telescope kits, keeping eye toward the consumer retail experience, and offering something for every level of proficiency. Very affordable for its quality and functionality, their FunScope 76mm TableTop Reflector Telescope ($72.99) is designed as a beginner telescope for all ages, while their Orion 12″ Truss Tube Ritchey-Chretien Astrograph ($3,999.99) offers professional grade equipment on a budget. Orion makes a great alternative to the top two brands for the fiscally conscious.
Sky-Watcher
Headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, by David Shen, Sky-Watcher is the most recently established company on this list, having been founded in 1999. Like Orion, Sky-Watcher partners with Synta for the manufacture of their branded telescopes, and offers an affordable alternative to the top two brands, however, with a much more limited selection and a website that’s not quite as user friendly as their competitors, particularly when it comes to beginners. Still, Sky-Watcher has been making a name for itself as having some of the best reviewed consumer telescopes on the market.
Their most affordable telescope is their Sky-Watcher Classic 150P Achromatic Refractor ($305.00) which comes packaged as a complete kit, and is a great model for beginner astrophotographers. Their Sky-Watcher Flextube 400P SynScan Dobsonian ($3,400.00) makes great transportable model for amateur astronomers.
Check out our beginners guide to buying your first telescope!
