List Price :
$399.99Price : $399.99
Code : B0000XMRRG
* Special discount only for limited time
Product Feature
- Compact Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope optical tube outfitted for daytime terrestrial use - just add a tripod!
- Excellent for daytime use as a versatile spotting scope capable of high magnification views
- During the night the Apex 127 provides sharply detailed views of the Moon, brighter planets such as Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn as well as open and globular star clusters and cloudy nebulas
- Tripod not included - altazimuth or field tripod will provide a solid foundation for the Apex 127 (mount and/or tripod sold separately)
- Includes a 25mm Sirius Plossl 1.25" eyepiece, 6x30 finder scope, 45-degree correct-image diagonal, soft carry case, Starry Night astronomy software, and more!
Product Description
When it comes to telescopes, bigger is better, and you can do no better than the Apex 127 Compact Mak. Its 127mm (5")-diameter optics collects 55% more light through its multi-coated, 5" meniscus lens than that of a 4" scope, putting it in the big leagues for astronomical observing and advanced nature study. But big doesn't mean bulky! Even with a focal length of 1540mm (f/12.1), the Maksutov-Cassegrain optical design reduces the tube length to just 15"! The Apex 127 couples to any sturdy equatorial mount or photo-style tripod. T-threads on the eyepiece adapter also allow attachment of a 35mm camera body (with T-ring sold separately). The classy Apex 127 comes standard with a 6x26 achromatic finder scope, a 45-deg correct-image prism diagonal, and fully padded case. One-year limited warranty.
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28 of 28 people found the following review helpful.
An excellent telescope with so-so accessories
By black thumb
I have owned and reviewed all of Orion's Apex line of Maksutov-Cassegrain scopes: the 90mm, 102mm, and now the 127mm. All of them have similar virtues: solid, all-metal construction, great optics, smooth mechanical function with no focus shift that I've been able to detect, and very nice fit and finish. In short, they look, feel, and perform like top-of-the-line telescopes. I've used them in daytime and at night, photographed birds, mammals, distant landscapes, planets, and the Moon with them, and flown with them in my carry-on luggage.
The Apex 127 is a sizable scope. The tube is 14.5 inches long and weighs 8.6 lbs without the finder, diagonal, or eyepiece. Eight-point-six pounds might not sound like much, but cradling that much telescope in one hand while I tighten the bolt on the mount with the other hand is enough to give me the heebie-jeebies, and I always breathe easier once the scope is solidly on the mount. Speaking of mounts, I see that the Apex 127 is often sold together with the Paragon-Plus XHD tripod. Some people may find that works for them, but I am very skeptical of that pairing. The problem is that the weight of the scope will tend to overbalance it if is mounted from below. I have mine side-mounted on an Orion Versa-Go II, and even then it had some teething problems. I originally had it bottom-mounted using an L-bracket adapter, but it would get out of balance at high angles, so I took off the L-bracket and went for a straight side mount. Now it's perfectly balanced and works like a dream; I can go from horizon to zenith with no balance problems and without moving my head more than a few inches.
The plus side of the size is that 5 inches is a fair amount of light grasp, and for a "small" telescope the Apex 127 turns in impressive views of celestial objects. If you've only used smaller Maks before, you're going to be very pleasantly surprised at what the larger ones can do. A 5-inch Mak might seem like a counter-intuitive choice for a deep-sky scope, but astronomy author "Uncle" Rod Mollise has used one, a Meade ETX-125 he calls Charity Hope Valentine, in that capacity for years and regularly sings her praises. Of course with its long focal length the Apex 127 is not going to give the same expansive, wide-field views you'd get from a short-tube Newtonian or refractor, but at low power it frames almost all of the Messier objects nicely, and the ability to easily reach high powers means you can find the right level of contrast to tease out the more elusive faint fuzzies from the background skyglow.
On brighter objects like the moon and planets the Apex 127 is simply dreamy. Images are sharp and contrasty and don't degrade at the edge of the field. In terms of resolved detail, mine rivals my 6" Dob, which several folks have praised as a "planet killer". The long focal length and narrow light cone mean that almost any eyepiece will work well, even budget widefields that often underperform in faster scopes.
Like the other Apex scopes, the accessories included with the 127 are a mixed bag. The bag itself is very nice, rugged, padded, with several external and internal pockets and a Velcro-adjustable padded divider for the main compartment. The 25mm Sirius Plossl eyepiece yields 61x and is a good start, but you'll definitely want some shorter focal length eyepieces for high-power work--I usually reach for a 10mm Plossl (154x) and 6mm Expanse (257x)--and something like a 32mm Plossl (48x) gives a bit larger true field of view and makes for a great 'finder' eyepiece. So far, so good.
Things fall down a bit with the diagonal and the finderscope. The 45-degree prism diagonal is acceptable--barely--for daytime use, but stargazing is the ultimate test for optics and the diagonal just doesn't keep up. The very first thing you'll want to buy is a 90-degree mirror star diagonal. Even a cheap one will be a noticeable improvement over the included prism diagonal, and the scope's optics are good enough that you may want to invest in a medium- or high-end dielectric diagonal to get the full benefit.
The finder isn't actually bad, just on the small side. With the long focal length and comparatively narrow true field of the Apex 127, you need a big finder that delivers a bright image over a wide field. I recommend a 9x50 finder (at least; slap on a 60- or 80mm finder and you'd basically have a rich-field/planet-killer combo). A right-angle correct-image (RACI) finder is nice because you can move your eye from the finder to the eyepiece and back without moving your head much or contorting your back. And a 9x50 RACI offers a wide enough field that I've never had a problem finding anything by just pointing the scope in the general direction and maybe sighting down the tube a bit before going to the finder.
So in the final analysis the Apex 127 is a very nice telescope tube and comes with a useful bag and one decent eyepiece, but it's not quite ready for the stars as offered. You'll want a 90-degree mirror diagonal and a sturdy mount at a minimum, and swapping out the 6x26 straight-through finder for a 9x50 RACI will probably make your observing life a lot easier. Still, it's a terrific scope and easily good enough to be worth building an observing system around (and if you've already got those things and are just here for the tube, go ahead and 'add to cart'--you won't be disappointed). For the scope, bag, and eyepiece I would give it five stars; as the all-in-one-package-except-for-a-mount _system_ it is advertised to be, only four stars. It's still one of my favorite telescopes, and with a little forethought and attention I think it would make almost anyone happy. Clear skies!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful.
First telescope
By Chaarii
I like this telescope. It's quite sturdy and compact. It's made well and using it my first night out was very simple. The supplied eyepiece gives a good resolution of Jupiter, you can see individual bands and moons with out difficulty. All in all, its a very fine little telescope. The EQ2 mount that you might consider getting in addition to this is not so great. I'd look for a different mount, but as far as the telescope goes it works fine.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
Great scope!
By John HSP
This scope is a good one. I've had a 3.5" refractor but this one is a fine improvement from it and provides great views and good clarity. Have only used the supplied 25mm eyepiece but it works well for all around viewing. Am pleased with the scope and it is well made.
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