I had wanted a telescope for astronomical observations for a long time. Well, this is NOT a telescope, but it is a great compromise between spotting scope, telescope and terrestrial spotting scope. The price on Warehouse deals was great, so I took the plunge. I trusted the good name Celestron. The material arrived quickly with double packaging. Everything in perfect condition. No signs of use. DESCRIPTIONThe Ultima 65 is an 18-55x zoom refractor telescope with a diameter of 65mm. It has an eyepiece inclined at 45°, making it easier to use from above. Nice materials (aluminium and rubber), multi-layer treated lenses, a fair weight (cannot be used freehand, obviously). Equipped with soft carrying case. The dismantled eyepiece is stored separately in its own bag and ... MoreI had wanted a telescope for astronomical observations for a long time. Well, this is NOT a telescope, but it is a great compromise between spotting scope, telescope and terrestrial spotting scope. The price on Warehouse deals was great, so I took the plunge. I trusted the good name Celestron. The material arrived quickly with double packaging. Everything in perfect condition. No signs of use. DESCRIPTIONThe Ultima 65 is an 18-55x zoom refractor telescope with a diameter of 65mm. It has an eyepiece inclined at 45°, making it easier to use from above. Nice materials (aluminium and rubber), multi-layer treated lenses, a fair weight (cannot be used freehand, obviously). Equipped with soft carrying case. The dismantled eyepiece is stored separately in its own bag and protective tube. Comes with a rubber lens hood and an adapter ring. Nice materials, nice construction, good lenses. Really good price/quality ratio. Optically the image is of excellent quality at 18x magnification. Good contrast, minimal or non-existent chromatic aberrations, no appreciable distortion. At 55x things obviously get worse, but not dramatically. The scope is still very usable, it just loses a little definition. The focus adjustment is of the right hardness and maneuverability. CONS Note that these "cons" are not due to the telescope itself, but to the fact that this is a compromise between a terrestrial and astronomical telescope. That is: a) it is not equipped with a tripod. You absolutely have to buy one. If the use is astronomical, it must be quite heavy to avoid vibrations.b) I found the zoom ring a bit hard to operate.c) for astronomical use (main flaw for this use) a pointer worthy of this is missing first name. Therefore it is impossible to point to a celestial object (other than the moon). Not being able to frame celestial objects is quite frustrating. I hope to gain practice. IN BRIEF very affordable price, excellent price/quality ratio, very good optical characteristics, limited astronomical use

I was expecting a bright scope, but, using it after in low light conditions shows limitations. I first tried it out on a dark evening in open fields of wheat 10 minutes after the sun set; It was cloudy and drizzling with low, heavy, and dark clouds- Above 26X it dimmed and I wondered who turned off the lights. Then I looked through my old Leupold green ring Acadia 10x42 binoculars the brightness was better. I considered returning the Ultima 65 but being lightweight and affordable I gave it another chance. I took it out again to the hills when it wasn’t raining. There was some high clouds and 10 minutes after sunset I was watching deer at 500 yards away observing details at 35X without any problem. My binoculars weren’t any better. It feels like it’s made well and ... MoreI was expecting a bright scope, but, using it after in low light conditions shows limitations. I first tried it out on a dark evening in open fields of wheat 10 minutes after the sun set; It was cloudy and drizzling with low, heavy, and dark clouds- Above 26X it dimmed and I wondered who turned off the lights. Then I looked through my old Leupold green ring Acadia 10x42 binoculars the brightness was better. I considered returning the Ultima 65 but being lightweight and affordable I gave it another chance. I took it out again to the hills when it wasn’t raining. There was some high clouds and 10 minutes after sunset I was watching deer at 500 yards away observing details at 35X without any problem. My binoculars weren’t any better. It feels like it’s made well and with practice one can get used to the convenient arrangement of zoom eyepiece and separate focus knob. For me, it’s a keeper. Price / performance point works for people who may want better but just cannot spend a thousand. I have not compared it side by side with other 65mm scopes so I cannot give that comparison. My hunting buddy thought it outperformed his older $400 spotting scope.

This is for the Ultima 65 - angled eyepiece. My application is birding. I've had such good luck with my Celestron Nature DX 8x42 binoculars that I have purchased 4 pairs; three for gifts), so I when I needed an inexpensive spotting scope I decided to try the Ultima 65. It worked okay, but even though I am pretty frugal, I decided to move up to the $500 price point and purchase a Vortex Diamondback 80mm -angled eyepiece. The latter costs 4 times as much and is definitely heavier, but the brightness, clarity, better case, and unconditional lifetime warranty carried the day for me in a side-by-side comparison. Your mileage my differ. For me the image quality and brightness at higher magnifications need to be good enough to justify lugging the scope into the field, ... MoreThis is for the Ultima 65 - angled eyepiece. My application is birding. I've had such good luck with my Celestron Nature DX 8x42 binoculars that I have purchased 4 pairs; three for gifts), so I when I needed an inexpensive spotting scope I decided to try the Ultima 65. It worked okay, but even though I am pretty frugal, I decided to move up to the $500 price point and purchase a Vortex Diamondback 80mm -angled eyepiece. The latter costs 4 times as much and is definitely heavier, but the brightness, clarity, better case, and unconditional lifetime warranty carried the day for me in a side-by-side comparison. Your mileage my differ. For me the image quality and brightness at higher magnifications need to be good enough to justify lugging the scope into the field, versus decent binoculars. For me, the Ultima 65 doesn't meet that standard. One plus for the Ultima 65 is reasonable eye relief. At 18X I was able to get a full field of view with my glasses on and the eyecups folded down. As magnification increased I was still able to see the center of part of the image, with vignetting of the outer regions. From 30X on up, I had to remove my glasses to see anything useful. This is a pain, but it may be the nature of the beast as I have the same issue with other spotting scopes I have used on birding trips. Another thing: for me the position of the focus knob is buried too deeply in the barrel of the telescope and difficult to use compared to other scopes. This complicates the effort to get a sharp image. The focus mechanism is also extremely slow, taking lots and lots of turns to get into the right range, which makes the location of the focus knob even more inconvenient. The feel of the zoom dial is very stiff, making it more difficult to stay on target when zooming. This all sounds a little negative, but I can envision applications where this scope would be satisfactory, but I don't think serious birding is one of them. If you're serious about getting a spotting scope for birding, plan on spending on the order of $500 (or more!).

I was on the fence of spending the money and getting a Vortex spotting scope. The main reason why is because Vortex has a lifetime warranty on their products. You break it for whatever reason, they'll replace it for free. But that Vortex spotting scope was about $400. I figured since I normally try to take care of my stuff and don't thrash it, I'd take my chances on the more less expensive Celestron spotting scope ($139).I would mainly use the spotting scope for when I sight in a rifle and occasionally get a closer look at some of the wildlife in my backyard. Maybe look at the moon. So my use of the spotting scope would be minimal. I received my spotting scope and played with it the next day. I was impressed. The optics were clear. I was happy. I can see airplanes ... MoreI was on the fence of spending the money and getting a Vortex spotting scope. The main reason why is because Vortex has a lifetime warranty on their products. You break it for whatever reason, they'll replace it for free. But that Vortex spotting scope was about $400. I figured since I normally try to take care of my stuff and don't thrash it, I'd take my chances on the more less expensive Celestron spotting scope ($139).I would mainly use the spotting scope for when I sight in a rifle and occasionally get a closer look at some of the wildlife in my backyard. Maybe look at the moon. So my use of the spotting scope would be minimal. I received my spotting scope and played with it the next day. I was impressed. The optics were clear. I was happy. I can see airplanes land about 10 miles away. It was getting shaky and fuzzy that far away but I can see them. I'd never really use them that far but that goes to show how powerful this spotting scope is and it's clear. I also ordered an Celestron brand 60 inch tripod. It's a must have if you're going to use this spotting scope. It'll be less shaky compared to just holding it with your hand. I'd buy it again if I had to.

I purchased the Celestron 18-55x65 45° spotting scope used in "Very Good" condition from Celestron for $75. It came in the box in all original packaging, and is brand new insofar as I can tell; something to keep in mind when you read the rest of my review. $75 for this scope in seemingly new condition is a great bargain. At that price, and even up to $90, I would say this is a no brainer, and worthy of a 5-star review. Would I purchase new for ~$115? Yes, probably. The relatively low price, functionality, good build quality, and definite fun factor makes this scope a great option depending on what you are trying to achieve with its use. Why minus a star?-- noticeable purple fringing at just over half the zoom capacity. I was originally looking at the 80mm version, ... MoreI purchased the Celestron 18-55x65 45° spotting scope used in "Very Good" condition from Celestron for $75. It came in the box in all original packaging, and is brand new insofar as I can tell; something to keep in mind when you read the rest of my review. $75 for this scope in seemingly new condition is a great bargain. At that price, and even up to $90, I would say this is a no brainer, and worthy of a 5-star review. Would I purchase new for ~$115? Yes, probably. The relatively low price, functionality, good build quality, and definite fun factor makes this scope a great option depending on what you are trying to achieve with its use. Why minus a star?-- noticeable purple fringing at just over half the zoom capacity. I was originally looking at the 80mm version, knowing that the larger field of view and brightness it would provide would mean better performance, especially in the high zoom range. I was talked out of it by a friend who has a 80mm scope, and told me it wasn't worth the added bulk and weight for the price, especially when considering my intended non-professional use. For some background, I have a $400 pair 8x42 binoculars that can't even compare to all of the other cheaper 8x25, 10x42, porro prisms, etc. binoculars I've owned throughout the years without expensive glass or any fancy coatings. Once I got the 8x42s in my hands, I never wanted to go back to anything less. The brightness, large field of view, and special coatings really do make a difference. That said, when I got the expensive 8x42s I was using them professionally doing bird nesting surveys, where their light-weight and expensive properties really did come in play. I also later got to use a pair of Swarovski EL 10x42 binoculars while doing seabird monitoring/population and productivity counts, and those were by far the best set of binoculars I've ever seen. Later, I also got to use a Zeiss spotting cope for work that was very impressive, but also very expensive. My point is, once you've had a chance to use the greatest, it can be annoying to have to go with anything less, and so I don't want my review to be tainted in comparison to these high-end models because it's like comparing apples to oranges when you go from the $100 to $400-$2500 price range. Now that I'm no longer in that line of work, I don't need (and also don't want to spend so much) on high end optics (though I do admit I want them...). I mostly wanted a spotting scope, however, for higher magnification viewing of birds at feeders in my backyard, and to allow my young son's the opportunity to see wildlife closer up. I remember not being able to really use binoculars properly at their age, and always found myself closing one eye to look through only one objective since I could never get my vision to line up. Focusing clearly was always an issue, and then there was hand-shake, all of which made binoculars not so fun to use. I see them fiddling and struggling to use binoculars as well, and with a scope my hope is to set it up on a stable tripod pointed right at a feeder and have them only have to move the focus ring slightly-- a decent scope at this price range was exactly what I was looking for. I am an amateur photographer, so already have a couple nice and steady tripods to put to use, which is just as important to have for a scope, and should be factored into your purchasing decision (I wouldn't spend less than $100 on a tripod-- just not worth it).OK, now onto the scope itself. It seems well weighted and well balanced, with decent ergonomics and good housing. I like the advertised waterproofness, and hope that it lives up to that claim. Focus ring is smooth, but zoom ring not so much. I find myself wanting to turn at the attachment point of the eyepiece instead of further up closer to the end where it is located. The zoom ring is also stiff, but I imagine it will loosen up in time. Last about the zoom, it's only textured metal, and I'd prefer either a rubberized ring or tab/lever type zoom, but that's not expected in this price range. Other reviewer(s) have mentioned that it would be nice to have a quick focus along with a fine tune focus knob, but as nice as that would be, for me it's really not expected at this price range. Optical clarity is generally good. This scope really shines in the 18-30 zoom range, but starts to drop off in clarity and (dramatically) in field of view once you get to about 35x. Purple fringing is also noticeable around 35x, getting more obvious in the 40s, and is terrible in the 50s. Field of view up to 30x is full, which was expected since it's a 65 objective scope (light availability and field of view is expected to drop off at anything below a 1:5 magnification/objective ratio).Eye relief is perfectly fine, at least for me, and is worth mentioning since reviews seem mixed about this topic. I wear eyeglasses and have astigmatism, so I can't get scopes or binoculars to focus with full clarity without my glasses. Having enough eye relief is therefore a requirement, and I can focus clearly at all zoom levels with this scope. I'd imagine that some of the negative reviews about eye relief could involve not pulling back the rubber eye-cup. I've found that without pulling back the eye-cup, I can still focus the scope with my glasses on at 18x, but once I start zooming I need to get closer and pulling back the eye-cup is a necessity. Another option is to remove the rubber eye-cup altogether; I accidentally removed mine while fiddling with it. What I don't like about having to "peal back" the eye-cup is that it's annoying to switch over viewing with non-eyeglass wearers that prefer the better light eliminating properties of looking through the eye-cup. And when viewing birds, switching over when sharing the scope is a constant. I also imagine that over time with repeated folds it will eventually break down and fall off, but time will tell. On my nicer binoculars this is solved by having eye-cups that twist up and down, which is a great design, but again, not expected at this price point. Last thing I want to mention about this spotting scope is the "finder scope". While using it today I was thinking how I wish it had a basic finder scope, since it can be difficult to track down where birds have landed not too far away, even at 18x, and especially when using in tight spaces such as my backyard. Then I noticed on the left side of the scope it has "finder scope" in the form of a straw-like appendage attached to the upper left side of the body. No optics involved, which makes sense at this zoom range. Your naked eye works just fine to point the scope close enough in the right direction to find what you want to look at before looking through the lens. When I first saw that appendage I thought it was for adding some type of accessory. I actually thought at one point that perhaps it's an attachment point for a finder scope, but then realized, duh, it is the finder scope itself! Maybe obvious to some or most, but not to me at first, so thought I'd mention it. Overall I think this was a great purchase, especially at $75, but I would probably pay another $40 to get one now that I have had the chance to use it. I feel that all of the trade offs are fair and expected at this price point, and that overall the scope is very good for my intended purchase. The main thing I would like improved is the purple fringing and clarity at higher zoom. Light and field of view fall off was expected based on the specs, but I wasn't expecting purple fringing and soft edges to occur until the very highest zoom range. That said, it's a fair trade off for the price, and for my backyard birding and other intended uses, I will only rarely be using it in the 35-55 zoom range anyway.***** UPDATE *****After having some more time to use this scope, I've updated my review from 4 to 5 stars. The reason is that it is actually quite sharp at full zoom, and I had initially thought it wasn't due to other obstructions altering the view, such as heat waves and poor air quality. I had the chance of using the scope in the afternoon, viewing objects not in direct sunlight, and was able to get perfectly clear imaging all the way to 55x, without soft edges and without purple fringing (which is usually an aberration caused by too much sun light). The field of view is also full from 18x all the way to 55x. I realized what I had been doing was not getting my eye close enough to the objective when in the higher zoom ranges. The eye relief is actually not as good as I had hoped and thought, and in order to see the full field of view I really have to squash my eye glasses right up to the lens and press down a bit. It is do-able, but not as comfortable or easy as it could be if there was more eye relief. But although eye relief is not as good as I originally thought, at least there are no issues with minimized field of view or soft edges as I had thought was the case before. Based on high clarity in ideal conditions, I had to go back and change my initial 4-star review to 5. The limits of this lens do not apply all of the time and do not apply to everyone (i.e., non-eye glass wearers), and it's not the fault of the scope for not having high end lens coatings or HD glass; those features are aptly found on more expensive lenses. As expected, this scope doesn't do more than it's advertised to do, and does exactly what it is advertised to do at a very reasonable price and with a nice form to function ratio.

Bought this on sale. The quality for such budget exceeds my expectation. Light weight as well. On fair weather, the optics is clear at 18mm. When zoom in to the max, the view becomes limited to only the centre of eye piece being clear and you will need to readjust the focus. Used it for birding and useful for shorebirds observation. Overall, quality is acceptable given the low budget spent. Value for money.

Good scope for the money

I bought this as my first scope, and I still own it. I do not use it all the time, but when I do need it, it is indispensable. I bring it along when I go birdwatching near the coast so I can see birds off the shore. It is helpful anytime the target bird is a bit too far off to be seen well with binoculars, but I strongly prefer binoculars when looking at closer birds. This scope makes a very good first scope. It's very easy to use and is pretty durable. (I have accidentally knocked it over while it was on my tripod; the tripod broke, the scope was undamaged.) I like the viewfinder a lot; unlike some scopes, which have none, it makes it very easy to find things quickly. It does the job very well for the price, but there are some drawbacks. 1. The image is very dark ... MoreI bought this as my first scope, and I still own it. I do not use it all the time, but when I do need it, it is indispensable. I bring it along when I go birdwatching near the coast so I can see birds off the shore. It is helpful anytime the target bird is a bit too far off to be seen well with binoculars, but I strongly prefer binoculars when looking at closer birds. This scope makes a very good first scope. It's very easy to use and is pretty durable. (I have accidentally knocked it over while it was on my tripod; the tripod broke, the scope was undamaged.) I like the viewfinder a lot; unlike some scopes, which have none, it makes it very easy to find things quickly. It does the job very well for the price, but there are some drawbacks. 1. The image is very dark at full zoom even in bright light. 2. The field of view decreases drastically as you zoom in. 3. Light dispersion is present, especially when using the scope to look at stars and planets, but is not too bad. 4. The focus knob is incredibly slow. By this I mean I have to turn it a good many times to focus it. This can be very annoying when trying to focus it on a moving bird. 5. I don't like how when the eyepiece is removed and put in its case, the only thing that protects the inside of the scope is a flimsy, loose little rubber cap. I lost mine quickly, and now I use a ziploc bag. The fact is, you could probably get a much better scope for an extra $100-200, but for the price it is very good.

My first such scope; very happy with it

Im using it as a terrestrial telescope rather than for shooting. Nice and clear, although the image suffers a little at full zoom in low light. The zoom is quite good; you can very easily read car licence plates from a kilometer away. The focus and zoom rings work as you would expect and the eye piece is comfortable enough. I like the angled view finder; this works well for my application and would also benefit if you were using it to sky watch. The included bag is also a nice bonus. My biggest recommendation though would be to invest in a very good tripod; make sure the head of the tripod has no play and is smooth in its operation - the slightest bump introduces huge shake with such large magnifications but that applies to any high powered scope and is no ... MoreIm using it as a terrestrial telescope rather than for shooting. Nice and clear, although the image suffers a little at full zoom in low light. The zoom is quite good; you can very easily read car licence plates from a kilometer away. The focus and zoom rings work as you would expect and the eye piece is comfortable enough. I like the angled view finder; this works well for my application and would also benefit if you were using it to sky watch. The included bag is also a nice bonus. My biggest recommendation though would be to invest in a very good tripod; make sure the head of the tripod has no play and is smooth in its operation - the slightest bump introduces huge shake with such large magnifications but that applies to any high powered scope and is no reflection on this unit. Im very impressed with this scope and already a friend has made the decision to purchase the same model after using mine.