Priced around $649. With True-Track Dual Drive $698.

Please note the SkyView Pro has exactly the same optics as the Apex 127mm. The major difference with this scope is the well built stainless steel tripod with tube legs and the new metallic silver enamel finish. Due to this the review below is that of the Apex 127mm Maksutov-Cassegrain.

This is a great looking Orion telescope with its gray tube and sleek design, but what impressed me more was the great price. Once upon a time you would have needed a lot of cash in the bank to buy a Maksutov. Thanks to the Chinese now assembling them to “Orion specifications” it is lowering the price of these excellent little scopes.

I have had excellent results from both deep sky and planetary viewing. When viewing Saturn you can clearly see the Cassini division and the shadow cast by the rings on the planet surface. Jupiter’s 4 cloud bands are visible with some color and are clear, sharp, with good definition. If you catch Jupiter at the right time you will also see the great red spot.

I watched Jupiter for just over an hour so I could view the moon’s orbit around the gas giant. Do this with dark sky and the views will be worth your time and effort. The Orion telescope I was using had a EQ-3M dual-axis drive making it much easier to view an object like Jupiter for a long period of time without having to manually track.

I then turned this great little telescope on M81, M82 and M103 with satisfaction. The Dumbbell M27 looked very good as did the Ring nebula M57. I noticed the background sky appears as velvet black when you look through this Orion telescope, this is a sign of excellent optics. This Orion telescope gives views you would expect from an Achromat.

The optics are sharp and clear, and the scope was perfectly collimated and there was little focus shift when turning the knob. I did star tests at all levels which were very good.

I would suggest you buy a drive if your budget allows. You can buy the single-axis electronic drive or dual-axis. Having a drive system means you can do much more detailed viewing of an object. Even the experienced astronomers have problems manually tracking when using high magnification, as the object will appear to zoom across the eyepiece.

Product Description

• Orion telescope aperture – 127mm (5″)
• Maksutov-Cassegrain optics
• focal length 1540mm f/12.1
• 6×30 finder scope
• Eyepieces – 25mm Sirius Plossl
• Eyepiece holder accepts an optional camera T-ring for prime-focus photography
• Tube assembly 14.5″ long
• SkyView Pro EQ mount features enclosed 360° worm gears
• Stainless steel tube tripod legs
• New metallic silver enamel finish
• Padded carrying case for the tube assembly
• Finished in metallic gunmetal gray enamel

Recommendation

This is a top Orion telescope for the price, you won’t find deals like this on a Maksutov anywhere. I found no problems with the scope and now that it’s sitting on top of this well built tripod is a real bonus.

I highly recommend the Maksutov Orion telescope to anyone who is looking for a quality scope. You can find this Orion telescope at CatalogCity