Reviews
Hands-on equipment reviews and first light reports from the field. Every review on Mac Observatory comes from real imaging sessions — we test telescopes, cameras, mounts, and accessories under actual skies before sharing what works, what doesn't, and whether it's worth your money. From premium astrographs to budget-friendly starter scopes, these are honest evaluations by a working astrophotographer.
Imaging with the ZWO Duo-band filter for color astrophotography cameras.
While waiting for the adapter to connect up my ASI6200MM-P camera and filter wheel, I've been experimenting with theZWO Duo-band filterthat ZWO gave
First light with the Sky-Watcher Esprit 100ED
Imaging Full Frame I recently decided to start imaging with a full frame sensor. TheZWO ASI6200MM-Pro. Previously I had been using aZWO ASI1600MM-Pro, while still
Adventurers with the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer
Traveling with the Star Adventurer Last month, I finally got an opportunity to travel with mySky-Watcher Star Adventurer Pro Pack, and myCanon T3i DSLRas my
Review of the ZWO ASI2600MC-Pro astrophotography camera
Fans of ZWO Optical have been waiting patiently all year as new cameras were announced, and they slowly proceeded through the QA/QC and final
William Optics RedCat 51
I’ve been really interested in theWilliam Optics RedCat 51since the original announcement. A few web bloggers got ahold of early versions of this scope,
Celestron EdgeHD 11"
Going Big The EdgeHD 11" represents a significant step up in aperture and focal length from the 6" Ritchey-Chrétien I had been using.
First light with the EdgeHD 11"
It’s been a few weeks since I picked up the used EdgeHD 11” SCT. And in that time I made some final hardware decisions
Celestron CGX and EdgeHD 11" Schmidt Cassegrain
GOING BIG This past holiday, I received a Celestron CGX for Christmas. You might have seen photos of it pop up on some of my
Astro-Tech AT6RC
Hubble at Home The Astro-Tech AT6RC is probably the most economically viable Ritchey-Chrétien telescope money can buy at roughly $350. Its dual-hyperbolic mirror design eliminates
Celestron's C5 Spotting Scope: Maximize Your Grab-And-Go
Make no mistake, this is a BIG, little grab-and-go. The biggest I could fit on theiOptron Cube Promount. The AT60ED wasn't cutting it
Celestron C5 Spotting Scope
Grab and Go The Celestron C5 is a 5" Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope with XLT Starbright anti-reflective coatings, delivering 1250mm of focal length at f/10