Who wants to play a game where you never even have a chance of winning no matter how hard you practice and try? No one, that’s who. One of the limitations of this telescope is its optical tube, which is only 2.7 inches/70mm in diameter. This makes it difficult to observe faint deep space objects such as galaxies and nebulae. Additionally, while the erect image diagonal makes it easier to observe from a standing position, it also reduces image quality by introducing additional optics into the light path. Reasonably small and affordable telescopes like the AstroMaster 70AZ are often presumed to be aimed at beginners and young users. However, despite being a typical design and build aimed at beginners we’re not convinced that the AstroMaster 70AZ is going to hold the attention of new users for long. If the Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ telescope isn’t for you

There are a few aspects of this telescope that we think Celestron might be able to improve for its future models. Note that some of the negatives we experienced might not manifest in your telescope. We’ve also reported some of the cons that other users have experienced for the sake of clarity. Your impression of this telescope may be unique. The PowerSeeker 70AZ mount is an alt-azimuth fork design that works well for both terrestrial and astronomical purposes. There are no slow-motion controls, but the mount’s tension can be adjusted via small knobs, which works well enough. The aluminium tripod legs are small and thin, but just adequate enough to support the whole scope. Overall, the mount is not my favourite, but it works well enough. Should I buy a used Celestron PowerSeeker 70AZ? The Celestron Astromaster 70az telescope has a focal length of 900mm. This gives the telescope a focal ratio of f/12.7, which makes it ideal for observing bright objects like planets and the moon. With a long focal length, the telescope can also provide good views of deep-sky objects like galaxies and nebulae. What is the aperture of the Celestron Astromaster 70az telescope? Never use your optic to project an image of the Sun onto any surface. Internal heat build-up can damage the optic and any accessories attached to it. You won’t have to compromise on the optical design between the two telescopes, and each will deliver similar capabilities.The PowerSeeker 50 is a refractor telescope perfect for terrestrial and celestial viewing on the go. The PowerSeeker can view the planets, moon, star clusters and brighter deep sky objects like the Orion Nebula and Andromeda Galaxy at night. The erect image star diagonal makes the optical tube ideal for using as a spotting scope during the day. The Zhumell Z100 and Orion SkyScanner (which are very similar) have a larger aperture than the 70AZ, sharp parabolic optics, a wide field of view, decent included accessories, and are stable and easy to aim. PERFECT BEGINNERS TELESCOPE: The Celestron PowerSeeker 70AZ is an easy-to-use and powerful telescope. The PowerSeeker series is designed to give the first-time telescope user the perfect combination of quality, value, features, and power. It’s important to understand the capabilities of a telescope’s focal length as it’ll tell you what you can expect when you look through the eyepiece. We will present our detailed analysis of the Celestron PowerSeeker 70AZ in this section. This model is a refracting telescope. A refractor uses the lens to gather light from the subject or object you will observe. You can calculate the magnification level by dividing the telescope’s focal length by the eyepiece you are using. Keep in mind that in most cases, a refracting telescope should be able to produce a clear, steady image even under conditions that are not ideal.

If you’re looking for an affordable and lightweight telescope that’s easy to assemble, the Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ might be perfect for you. This refractor telescope is part of the Celestron AstroMaster AZ line and offers good value for beginner astronomers interested in observing the moon and planets. There are different types of refracting telescopes, as you’ll find a variety of configurations that serve a similar purpose. I am not really a fan of the finder but it serves it’s purpose fairly well. Like all finders, be sure you set it up during the day using a far away object such as the top of a telephone pole, water tower antenna, etc. Once it is adjusted it is acceptable. Of course, no telescope in this price range has a good finder because that would take money away from making the actual telescope better and we do not want that. You can do without a finder, but a terrible quality main telescope will just make the whole thing a waste of money, and the Celestron Powerseeker 70AZ is certainly not a waste. Final thoughtsSetting up the telescope is a breeze, so you can begin observing in no time. Even on your first time out, you can assemble the telescope and its accessories in just a few minutes. The adjustable tripod legs allow you to customize the telescope’s height or place it on raised surfaces like a picnic table. It is not technically a portable telescope, but the Celestron 70AZ is light enough that you should have no trouble transporting it when necessary. Speaking of the diagonal, the Celestron Powerseeker 70AZ comes with one made of plastic and a little unusual. Where most diagonals are angled the one included with the Celestron Powerseeker 70AZ is more of a ball shape with two tubes coming out. It also seems to be much more enclosed than a standard diagonal which should help keep dust, dirt and dew out of it over time.

Where the Celestron Powerseeker 70AZ shines is actually using the telescope. With the alt/az mount there is nothing to learn, point it at something and look through the eyepiece, simple as that.The accessories are just disappointing. If the accessories were just decent, I would easily recommend this telescope. But they are not. They are complete garbage and useless. The long length of this telescope produces natural-looking views of planets and the moon. Its focal ratio of f/13 is good for viewing these objects while avoiding distracting false colours. However, it struggles with deep sky objects due to its limiting magnitude of 11.7. The main similarities between the Celestron AstroMaster 70az vs PowerSeeker 70az are the aperture, eyepieces that come included, and optical design of the telescope. You use these telescopes in very much the same way. The Celestron Astromaster 70az telescope comes with two eyepieces: a 20mm eyepiece and a 10mm eyepiece. These are Kellner eyepieces, which provide clear and sharp views of celestial objects. The eyepieces provide magnifications of 45x and 90x, respectively. What is the field of view of the Celestron Astromaster 70az telescope?

It’s no question that the aperture is one of the most crucial, as it affects how much light gets through and the resolution of the objects you see. Accessories include a 20mm and 4mm eyepiece, a finderscope, a motor drive, a 3x Barlow lens, and a smartphone adapter. The two eyepieces offer different magnifications for low and high powered views. The 3x Barlow lens triples the magnifying power of each eyepiece. The PowerSeeker 70AZ mount is an alt-azimuth fork design that works well for both terrestrial and astronomical purposes. There are no slow-motion controls, but the mount’s tension can be adjusted via small knobs, which works well enough. The aluminum tripod legs are small and thin, but just adequate enough to support the whole scope. Overall, the mount is not my favorite, but it works well enough. Should I buy a Used Celestron PowerSeeker 70AZ?

What We Like

To some extent this can be improved with a couple of better eyepieces but I personally would probably suggest moving to a nicer telescope such as the previously mentioned Orion Astroview 90mm refractor if you find you outgrow the Celestron Powerseeker 70AZ and still want more. The differences between the Celestron AstroMaster 70az vs PowerSeeker 70az are mainly the focal length, magnificent and focal ratio. Thus, both telescopes will provide a different viewing experience and what you can hope to see. Focal Length The current model of the Celestron Powerseeker 70AZ comes with an adequate 5x24mm finder scope (just barely), a 20mm eyepiece, a 4mm eyepiece (useless) and a 3x barlow (also useless). You will be hard pressed to find a better first telescope for a beginning astronomer. I really like to recommend the Celestron Powerseeker 70AZ because it is inexpensive, light weight, breaks down and stores small, requires no maintenance and provides more than adequate views of the most popular objects in the night sky. Although it’s understandable to be interested in their differences, both telescopes also come with a few similarities that you won’t have to miss out on.