Some people want a telescope that can give them access to amazing of views of the celestial heavens, and others want the ability to capture these views and to take them with them. For anyone interested in astrophotography, the Celestron Omni XLT 150 Reflector Telescope offers an affordable entry point into the art that can enable you to image vast nebulae, galaxies, and planets with an ease that you might not have thought possible. Even more impressive is the price of this telescope, which is an outstandingly reasonable $559.95 (down from $893.95), especially for the high-quality optics and design featured here.
Celestron is known as a leader in telescope manufacturing, producing high quality products at an affordable price. The Celestron Omni XLT 150 Reflector Telescope is no exception to this, and Celestron has gone out of their way to ensure that this telescope is top of the line with the inclusion of an Omni CG-4 Equatorial Mount and optics that are hand-picked to ensure that only the best quality lenses make their way into the telescope’s optical assembly. Together, the superior optics and stable mount and tripod of the Celestron Omni XLT 150 Reflector Telescope are designed with the astrophotographer in mind, allowing you to produce amazing images without putting stress on your finances. While there are certainly better Newtonian reflector telescopes on the market, you won’t easily find one for this price, so if you’re just getting started with astrophotography this telescope makes a great first telescope while you learn the tricks of the trade. You also have the gift of security with Celestron’s staple two year warranty.
Superior optics
With an aperture of only six inches, the Celestron Omni XLT 150 Reflector Telescope is considered a relatively small telescope. Still, because of the care that Celestron puts into the manufacturing of their optical assemblies, this telescope is more than capable of viewing and imaging both planetary and deep sky objects. The optical assembly weighs in at a light twelve pounds, and enables an apparent field of view of 1.67°.
The optical assembly features a sleek navy-blue color scheme that is boldly accented by the white tube rings that connect the optical assembly to the mount and tripod, which also feature the bright white design. However, what matters more than the color palate, as flashy and clean as it appears, is what rests inside the optical assembly. Each of the mirrors and lenses within the Celestron Omni XLT 150 Reflector Telescope are hand chosen by Celestron technicians to ensure their quality and that only the finest grade lenses and mirror are used. Each lens and mirror is also coated in Celestron’s signature StarBright XLT coating, which enables the maximum amount of light transmission possible. The lenses and mirrors are designed to minimize any chance of spherical aberration. The telescope’s optical tube also has a focal length of seven hundred and fifty millimeters, and focal ratio of f/5, which ensures a wide field of view. In addition to this, Celestron also includes a two inch rack and pinion focuser, with a built in T-Adaptor for any additional filters, lenses, or cameras that you wish to add.
The Celestron Omni XLT 150 Reflector Telescope includes a fair amount of accessories as well, such as a twenty-five millimeter eyepiece that grants a field of view of fifty degrees, and a 6×30 optical finder scope.
Celestron has put a lot of effort and care into this telescope’s optics, guaranteeing access to the targets that are on the top of astrophotographer’s wish lists. With a limiting magnitude of 14.6, the deep sky is yours for the taking.
Stable mount and tripod
A telescope’s tripod and mount as just as important as the optical assembly, as without proper support using the telescope to its fullest capabilities can be an extremely frustrating task. This is because the earth is in constant rotation, and as such celestial targets that your scope is aimed at will slowly move across the sky. Thankfully, an equal amount of care goes into the mount and tripod that are included with the Celestron Omni XLT 150 Reflector Telescope as with the optical assembly.
The mount is a CG-4 German Equatorial Mount, and although it only has manual controls, it features both setting circles and worm gear slow-motion controls to allow for easy location and tracking of deep-space objects within your field of view. Smooth motion of the mount is guaranteed by the ball bearings present in both axes of the mount. The mount also comes with two counterweights, one seven pounds, and the other four pounds, in order to keep your rig properly balanced. And, if you find yourself disappointed by the manual control of the CG-4 German Equatorial Mount, is can easily be upgraded with a dual-axis motor drive for GoTo capabilities so that tracking of deep sky objects is automatic, removing a large part of the labor involved in long exposure shots.
The heavy-duty full height tripod is constructed with stainless steel and comes preassembled, so no tools are required, making the setup and breakdown of your rig a piece of cake. Weighing in at twelve and a half pound, the tripod can easily support the Celestron Omni XLT 150 Reflector Telescope with its one and three-quarter inch diameter legs, as well as telescopes of much heftier designs. The tripod also comes with an accessory tray to keep all of your gear organized in the field, as well as a bubble level to make sure that your rig is properly stable and doesn’t risk tipping during set up.
Planetarium Software Included
The Celestron Omni XLT 150 Reflector Telescope also comes with Celestron’s Starry Night Software, which functions as a star atlas and planetarium in order to help you plan your astrophotography shoots. The software itself retails at a price of $79.95, but it comes included free with the telescope. Featuring three dimensional rendering of an encyclopedic catalogue of over 36,000 celestial objects, Starry Night allows you to not only learn about space, but to plan your telescope viewing schedule by letting you know what objects are available to you at any given point in time. The program can even set its location to your very own backyard, showing the exact same night sky that you’d see outside your door. The software works on both Mac and Windows, and also comes with a 146-page User’s Guide PDF as well as a 192-page illustrated astronomy book PDF.
Not only does the Celestron Omni XLT 150 Reflector Telescope give unparalleled access to deep sky objects at an affordable price from a technical perspective, it also gives you the tools needed in order to find the targets on your astrophotography wish list.
Features and specifications
- The Celestron Omni XLT 150 Reflector Telescope scope offers superior optics with a six inch aperture and by using only the finest grade hand-selected glass and mirrors
- Each lens and mirror is coated with StarBright XLT anti-reflective coatings to maximize the amount of light transmission to the eye
- The optical assembly is supported by Celetron’s manual CG-4 German Equatorial Mount with setting circles, worm gear slow-motion controls and ball bearings on both axes as well as a sturdy full-height steel tripod
- Includes Celestron’s Starry Night Software Download which contains invaluable knowledge and resources for the beginning astronomer
- Includes all the accessories you need to begin viewing, such as a 6×30 optical finderscope, a 1.25” star diagonal, and a 25mm multicoated eyepiece
- The Celestron Omni XLT 150 Reflector Telescope comes with a two-year warranty and unlimited access to technical support from Celestron’s team of US-based experts
User impressions
The Celestron Omni XLT 150 Reflector Telescope is featured on a number of different retailer sites, including Celestron’s main site, OPT, and Amazon. The telescope has earned high ratings, with a 4.8/5 on OPT, and a 4.3/5 on Amazon.
Users say that this telescope is “expertly crafted, with a crisp picture and a beautiful design” and “a great deal for anyone looking to get into looking at stars, planets, and beyond.” This telescope “offers enough expandability to satisfy growing interests for many years.” One user described it as a “jack of all trades” and that “while no one scope can literally do it all, the XLT 150 comes as close as is reasonably possible.” As reflector telescope, some consumers were not aware that the mirrors will invert and reverse any object that is viewed. The f/5 focal ratio “really shines for big star clusters, like the Pleiades, where you can fit the whole thing in the eyepiece at once.” Many users have commented on the quality of the optics, with one customer purchasing an additional Barlow Lens who was “able to achieve razor sharp planetary detail on Jupiter, showing detail in the Cloud Belts” and that “the Great Red Spot was easily resolved, as was the stunning Ring system of Saturn”. The user also reported that “Cassini’s Division was shown in high contrast as was the Polar Ice cap of Mars,” leading him to conclude that this “system if sold in the 1950’s or 60’s would have been considered a Premium or Research grade instrument.”
Some users reported dissatisfaction with the mounts lack of motor control, indicating that they would be upgrading, but that the manual CG-4 German Equatorial Mount “will also teach you the basics of alignment and tracking required for astrophotography.”
As with most telescope purchases, a number of users suggest additional accessories, such as a Barlow lens, and additional eyepieces, as the telescope only comes with the one. Users also note the need for a collimator, as this is a reflector telescope and will require maintenance in the form of collimation—or, the aligning of the optical mirrors—from time to time. Users also report having replaced the finder scope that is included.
While this telescope is designed with astrophotography in mind, some users found that “attaching a camera at prime focus is easy and gives good results,” but that “attaching a camera via eyepiece projection is frustrating and not recommended, since the camera is cantilevered so far away from the telescope tube that the focuser and mount just really aren’t up to the task.” Still, many users have posted images taken with the Celestron Omni XLT 150 Reflector Telescope.
Overall, the Celestron Omni XLT 150 Reflector Telescope is a great purchase as either a first telescope, or even as an extension of your already purchased telescope arsenal. It has optical capabilities that impress even the most experienced amateur-astronomers, and is built to last, ensuring that you will be using this telescope for many years to come. While the CG-4 German Equatorial Mount is manually controlled, it will teach you the basics of navigating the night sky, and can easily be upgraded with GoTo capabilities. Likewise, the tripod is well built, and can support a number of heavier telescopes as you expand your collection. Like all telescope purchases, you will find yourself purchasing accessories to maximize the Celestron Omni XLT 150 Reflector Telescope, such as additional lenses, filters, and the collimation tool that is essential for reflector telescopes. For the quality, capability, and utility of the Celestron Omni XLT 150 Reflector Telescope’s design, you can’t beat the affordability that this telescope rig is offered at.
Comparable telescopes
While we endorse the Celestron Omni XLT 150 Reflector Telescope, you might also consider the following products:
- Explore Scientific Firstlight N130mm Tube Newtonian
- Meade LX70 R6 6″ f/5 Equatorial Reflector Telescope
- Apertura 6 f/5 Newtonian Reflector Telescope
Additional accessories
Here are some accessory suggestions that will improve your experience with the Celestron Omni XLT 150 Reflector Telescope:
- Celestron Omni 2X Barlow Lens
• Orion LaserMate Deluxe II Laser Collimator
- Celestron 1.25” Eyepiece and Filter Accessory Kit
