Barska vs Celestron Spotting Scope. Which to buy?

RamOchoa · February 27, 2010, 02:15 PM

I want a good entry spotting scope and am deciding between the Barska BlackHawk and The Celestron 80mm. I like the Celestron but have heard good things about the Barska. Which has better optics?

Sodbuster · February 28, 2010, 05:27 PM

My experience with Celestron goes back years; long ago they were the premier US telescope maker. Meade has probably since overtaken them, but they still make good optics. For what I need at the range, a Celestron 80mm works well for me. I bought it years ago and have never had a problem with it. The thing is huge, which works fine at the range, but I would never want to pack it around. BTW this is the first time I've ever heard anyone mention Celestron and Barska in the same breath. I've never used a Barska product, but I also don't know what Celestron's current Quality Assurance is like.

RamOchoa · February 28, 2010, 10:48 PM

I searched the web for hours and haven't heard of any comparisons either.

Regolith · March 1, 2010, 04:07 AM

Celestron makes good scopes, generally. The 80mm should be pretty good. I wish I had bought it instead of their C90 Maksutov, which is about the same price. The C90 is why I say generally, though I think they've changed the way they make them (though I don't know if that's solved the issues I had with mine).

stargazer65 · March 1, 2010, 07:21 AM

Both companies make good value equipment that ranges from high end optics to what I would consider monkey ward toy scopes. The optics vary from sample to sample but should generally be equivalent in the two you picked. I personally would go with Celestron because I have owned many with good success. My primary astronomy telescope is a high end Celestron ED refractor and it has the best optics of all the scopes I have owned (about a dozen or so).

February 27, 2010, 02:15 PM	#1
RamOchoa Member Join Date: January 14, 2010 Posts: 32	Barska vs Celestron Spotting Scope. Which to buy? I want a good entry spotting scope and am deciding between the Barska BlackHawk and The Celestron 80mm. I like the Celestron but have heard good things about the Barska. Which has better optics? Last edited by RamOchoa; February 27, 2010 at 06:19 PM.

February 28, 2010, 05:27 PM	#2
Sodbuster Senior Member Join Date: September 26, 1999 Location: Wyo-Tana Posts: 1,298	My experience with Celestron goes back years; long ago they were the premier US telescope maker. Meade has probably since overtaken them, but they still make good optics. For what I need at the range, a Celestron 80mm works well for me. I bought it years ago and have never had a problem with it. The thing is huge, which works fine at the range, but I would never want to pack it around. BTW this is the first time I've ever heard anyone mention Celestron and Barska in the same breath. I've never used a Barska product, but I also don't know what Celestron's current Quality Assurance is like. __________________ Remember, many times what we view as a curse in the present turns out to be a blessing in the future. Don't worry about it a lot. Things have a way of working out. Trust me on this one. - - Uncle Bill Martino

March 1, 2010, 07:21 AM	#5
stargazer65 Senior Member Join Date: April 6, 2009 Location: Connecticut Posts: 761	YMMV Both companies make good value equipment that ranges from high end optics to what I would consider monkey ward toy scopes. The optics vary from sample to sample but should generally be equivalent in the two you picked. I personally would go with Celestron because I have owned many with good success. My primary astronomy telescope is a high end Celestron ED refractor and it has the best optics of all the scopes I have owned (about a dozen or so). __________________ "I assert that nothing ever comes to pass without a cause." Jonathan Edwards

February 28, 2010, 10:48 PM	#3
RamOchoa Member Join Date: January 14, 2010 Posts: 32	I searched the web for hours and haven't heard of any comparisons either.

March 1, 2010, 04:07 AM	#4
Regolith Senior Member Join Date: September 30, 2008 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 400	Celestron makes good scopes, generally. The 80mm should be pretty good. I wish I had bought it instead of their C90 Maksutov, which is about the same price. The C90 is why I say generally, though I think they've changed the way they make them (though I don't know if that's solved the issues I had with mine).