SVBONY MK127 Maksutov Cassegrain Telescope OTA 127mm f/11.8 Portable Grab-and-Go Design for Lunar Planetary Nebula Observations

This is a review of the MK127. I unpacked the scope. The build quality was top notch - very metal and very sturdy. It felt heavy compared to my C5 so I weighed it. It weighed 6.6 pounds. I checked my C5; it actually weighed 5 pounds. I got a 5 pound weight to check the scale - 5 pounds exactly. I used a high power flashlight to peer into the scope. A little dust on the inside of the corrector, but quite clean. There was one small dust spec on the primary mirror otherwise clean. I measured the central obstruction - 1.5” working out to 30% CC. Very good. It was late in the day so I put on a good quality 45 degree erecting finder, aimed at a bird feeder 50 yards away, and inserted a 25mm Plossl eyepiece. I examined a female cardinal. Feather details with subtle shading differences were clear and sharp. I was optimistic about the night. I put on the reducer and took some shots with my 4/3 mirrorless camera. The pictures looked good edge to edge. I removed the camera and added my T to 1.25” adapter (I will use that with my 715C and my 585C cameras.) I tried a star diagonal and an eyepiece. It would not come to focus. I’m not surprised but a bit disappointed because on occasion I do use a corrector/reducer with my C5 visually to get a wider field. When darkness fell I used an artificial star at 60 yards to check the collimation and do a star test. The collimation was perfect. I used a little masking tape to hold on the tri-Bhatinov mask that I use with my C5 to verify that. I was prepared for what to expect with a star test by the excellent web site on telescope optics by Vladimir Sacek. He explains that the 6th order spherical aberration can be canceled with the 4th order spherical aberration for objects in focus with a Maksutov design. This leads to the inside and outside focus patterns to look different even in a diffraction limited scope. Bearing that in mind the star test was very good. Finally it was dark enough to see stars. I went directly to Izar in Bootes, a tough double. The main star is magnitude 2.5 and the second star is only 4.8, and they are close - only 2.85 arc seconds. In a small scope the first diffraction ring of the main star can cross the dimmer star. I could split the stars at 120 power. The split was very clear at 240 power. Next I check epsilon Lyra (the double double.) At 60 power I can separate epsilon 2, but I’m not sure with epsilon 1. At 120 power both pairs are cleanly split. Everything is crisp and clear. It is now 10 PM August 4th (for those that want to figure out the exact moon phase.) Seeing is good, but the moon is still a little low. The view of the moon is great with no color fringing. I then went right to 240 power on Plato. I could make out 3 light looking craters on Plato’s floor. This is excellent performance. I continued my visual test at 2:30 AM. The transparency has turned pretty bad with all the stars looking dim. The seeing was above average so I went to Saturn. It was dimmer than it should be because of the high thin clouds which aren’t all that thin. The planet, rings and 3 moons are clear and sharp at 120 power. I moved to 240 power and everything is still clear and very sharp. I stepped up to 300 power and still very sharp. The view was a bit dim at 300x because of the high clouds, but very pleasant. I can’t wait for a better night. I switched to Neptune. Nice color but dim again because of the sky so I didn’t bother to increase magnification and look for Triton. Lastly I moved to the Double Cluster in Persius. It almost fits in the view. The stars looked good edge to edge. It was not the fantastic view I usually get because the transparency is so bad, but the stars are sharp. Visually, I can’t imagine a 5 inch scope of any kind that could beat this one to the point where my eyes could see the difference. It is definitely a keeper.

I love this optical tube. I live in the suburbs of Orlando FL, so the light pollution isn't gonna let me see alot of deep sky objects. So a mak seemed like a logical choice for lunar and planetary astronomy. I did see the Orion nebula and the image was sharp. Planets and the moon are amazing and ideal for observing thru this scope. I can't wait to share my love of astronomy with my children. I loved Meade as a kid, but since meades are now harder to find.

This is a nice looking scope. I like the finish. It feels substantial for its size. A mak telescope is said to specialize at sharp, contrasty lunar and planetary observing as well as double star splitting. Just tonight I observed the moon. At 140-160x the view was razor sharp and contrasty. I noticed a couple of rimae inside a crater that I now wish I had taken the time to find on a lunar map. I took the power to 195x using a 3x barlow. Still effortlessly sharp. After that, I split the double-double in Lyra. No problem. This thing does what it is meant to, beautifully. So, 5 stars. Under better seeing conditions I'm looking forward to seeing what else it can do. I was able to nab the ring nebula no problem before haze and clouds drifted in.

I got this scope because I was not happy with the planet sizes my short tube refractors were producing. Venus and Saturn are gone but Jupiter is a nice size in this scope and even people who have never looked through a telescope before have discovered the equatorial belts on their own. I tried using a Barlow with the scope but the field of view is so narrow that by the time I get the eyepiece out and the Barlowed lens in the target is long gone. I did once get a good big Barlowed view if crescent Venus by luck. To use a Barlow you need the scope on a clock drive. ⭐⭐⭐ Is my base rating for a product that is fully functional and fulfills its promises

It’s a great telescope! Its work extremely well for planets and terrestrial viewing. It gives very nice views of Saturn and Jupiter as well as close up and sharp views of objects and wildlife it’s small lightweight easy to use and it arrived perfectly collinated! Here are some picture of Jupiter a wide view of Saturn and the moon edited to show color. Different days yield different results some days I could see only 1 band on Jupiter and a poor quality Saturn it all depends on weather!!!! I will update this review once better picture have been taken enjoy!

Amazing scope and very sharp. I've used it for DSO photography and it's worked flawlessly. Highly recommended.

This is so perfect for us. We can easily move it around to try in different areas of the house and yard (and take it with us once we get a backpack). We haven't tried at night, yet, but are looking forward to it.

The item arrived faster than estimated. The contents of the package were as described. For the money, the optics are surprisingly sharp. Overall, with this telescope being so practical, I am able to set it up quickly and carry it in a backpack, so I can use it more often than any other bigger and pricier telescope.

I like very much. Can see more detail on nebulas than I could with my other scopes. One is quite larger. Good on planets. Can finally see the bands on Jupiter and Saturn! Nice and light, easy to bring in and out, so getting alot of use. Also a perfect travel scope that sees good detail. And I've even had a comment on the paint job. It is very pretty. Happy I chose this one. I mounted it on an explore scientific first light. (Happy with that purchase too)

I have numerous telescopes that I've acquired over about 50 years, but I wanted one that was a bit more portable and good for planetary viewing and photography. At 127mm with a focal length of 1500mm at f/15, this one hits the mark. Recent views and unprocessed photos of Saturn came out exceptionally well, especially considering my light-polluted location and fair seeing.What’s even more surprising is that this telescope also comes with a focal reducer. What’s even more surprising is that this telescope also comes with a focus reducer, which I plan to use to observe some brighter deep-sky objects, but I haven’t had a chance to test it yet.I highly recommend this scope!