Here are links to reviews Alan has written recently about new gear. Some products are featured in The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide in the chapters indicated. Others are of new products introduced since the book’s last revision in 2024. Many of the reviews come from the website AstroGearToday (which shut down in 2023), or from our Canadian SkyNews magazine (which also closed in 2023). Those reviews are presented as links to downloadable PDFs of the website or magazine pages. Other reviews are on Alan’s blog site, AmazingSky.net, or are in Sky & Telescope magazine, the latter available only in the print and digital issues, not on-line.
NOTE: Since our book was last updated in May 2024, both Orion Telescopes and Meade Instruments ceased operation. Their telescopes and accessories, many we illustrated and recommended throughout our book, are no longer available, except on the used market. A pity!
For equipment reviews by other authors visit:
- CloudyNights.com where the Forums have discussions of gear and issues users are having.
- AstronomyTechnologyToday.com, with reviews on the website and monthly magazine.
- ScopeTrader.com, with reviews and new product info on the website and monthly magazine.
- Practical Astrophotography.com, with tutorials and gear advice specific to astrophotography.
Binoculars (Chapter 5)
A test of the new Nikon 10×42 P7 binoculars for astronomy.
Testing the Oberwerk 10×50 Deluxe binoculars, a classic marine-style Porro prism model.
A review of the Celestron Ultima 10×50 Porro-prism binoculars. (Mentioned in Chapter 5.)
A review of the premium Maven B4 10×56 binoculars (shown in Chapter 5). The B4 series is now discontinued but is similar to the current B5 series sold direct from MavenBuilt.com.
Alan’s survey of 50mm binoculars (the best size overall for hand-held astronomy use) in the August 2021 issue of Sky & Telescope magazine.
Not available on-line.
Telescopes (Chapter 7)
A review of the Celestron StarSense 8-inch Dobsonian reflector, with the StarSense camera system and phone app. New since the last revision of our book and now available in various reflector sizes.
A review of the excellent Sky-Watcher FlexTube 8-inch Dobsonian telescope (shown in Chapter 7). A great classic Dob.
A review of the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX102mm entry-level refractor with app-aided pointing (shown in Chapter 7).
A review of the Sharpstar 76mm EDPH apo refractor for visual and photo use (shown in Chapters 7 and 17). NOTE: As of late 2024, this fine scope is no longer offered by Sharpstar.
A review of the Sharpstar 94mm EDPH apo refractor for visual and photo use (shown in Chapters 7 and 17). From SkyNews magazine. NOTE: As of late 2024, this fine scope is no longer offered by Sharpstar.
A set of tips for Buying the Best Telescope, echoing the advice we give in Chapter 7. From SkyNews magazine in 2021.
Accessories (Chapter 9)
A test of the Astronomics/AstroTech PF line of economy eyepieces.
A test of the Astronomics/AstroTech 100° XWA 20mm, a low-cost ultra-wide eyepiece.
A comparison of three premium wide-field 24mm eyepieces for 1.25-inch focusers, from Celestron, Explore Scientific and TeleVue.
Reviewing the book series Annals of the Deep Sky, originally published by Willmann-Bell and now available from AAS/SkyPublishing. Shown and recommended in Chapter 15.
A review of a custom-built Wood Wonders eyepiece and accessory case (shown in Chapter 9).
Star Trackers (Chapter 17)
A review of the Move-Shoot-Move Nomad tracker (shown in Chapter 17).
On Alan’s blog site at AmazingSky.net.
A review of the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Mini tracker with WiFi (shown in Chapter 17).
A review of the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer 2i tracker with WiFi (shown in Chapter 17).
A review of the popular iOptron Sky Guider Pro tracker (shown in Chapter 17).
A review of the Omegon Mini Track mechanical wind-up tracker (shown in Chapter 17) in the May 2019 Sky & Telescope magazine.
In print and digital issue only.
Telescope Mounts (Chapters 7 and 17)
A test of the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi portable GoTo equatorial mount and tracker. Shown in Chapter 17. Great for use with small apo refractors.
A review of the Sky-Watcher EQM-35 entry-level GoTo mount (shown in Chapter 17).
A review of the Sky-Watcher AZ5 manual and AZ-GTi GoTo mounts (both shown in Chapter 7). From SkyNews magazine in 2020.
Autoguiders (Chapter 17)
A review of the ASIAir Mini astrophoto computer, for control of a camera, mount and autoguider camera. New but similar to the ASIAir Pro described in Chapter 17.
A review of the Lacerta MGEN-3 stand-alone autoguider (shown in Chapter 17).
Astrographs — Refractors and Reflectors (Chapter 17)
A test of the Starfield Optics Géar90 apochromatic refractor for visual and imaging use. New and not shown in our book. But the Géar series is excellent.
A test of the Starfield Optics Géar80 apochromatic refractor for visual and imaging use. New and not shown in our book. Reviewed in SkyNews magazine.
A review of the William Optics RedCat 51mm astrograph (shown in Chapter 17) in the March 2021 Sky & Telescope magazine.
In print and digital issue only.
A review of the SharpStar HNT150 Hyperbolic Newtonian astrograph (shown in Chapter 17) in the September 2020 Sky & Telescope magazine.
In print and digital issue only.
A review of two Askar Astrographs: the FMA230 and FRA500 refractors, in the July 2022 Sky & Telescope magazine.
In print and digital issue only.
A review of the Askar V 60mm and 80mm modular refractor for visual and photographic use, in the September 2023 Sky & Telescope magazine. The Askar astrographs are new and are not mentioned in the first printings of the 4th edition of our book.
In print and digital issue only.
A review of the Astro-Tech AT90CFT refractor for visual and photographic use, in the November 2023 Sky & Telescope magazine.
In print and digital issue only.
A review of two apo refractors, the Draco 62mm and FOT 86mm, from the Taiwan company Founder Optics, in the March 2025 Sky & Telescope magazine. Both are excellent, with the Draco 62 best for photo use, and the FOT86 best for visual use.
In print and digital issue only.
A review of the Askar 120 in the APO series of visual and photo-capable triplet refractors. An excellent moderate aperture refactor with a 1.0x Flattener and 0.8x Reducer. In the August 2024 issue of Sky & Telescope magazine. New and not shown in our book.
In print and digital issue only.
Buying advice from Alan for Assembling an Astrophoto System, updating gear choice from Chapter 17, to discuss the new generation of strain-wave gear mounts. In the January 2024 Sky & Telescope magazine.
In print and digital issue only.
Cameras, Filters & Software for Astrophotography (Chapter 17)
A test of the Nikon Z6III mirrorless camera (stock, not astro-modified) with the emphasis on its use for nightscape photography and its features to aid night shooting, such as Starlight View (also in the Z8 and Z9 models). In the December 2024 issue of Sky & Telescope magazine, print and digital editions.
A test of a Canon EOS R camera modified by AstroGear.net, with a comparison to the factory-modified but now discontinued Canon Ra shown in Chapter 17.
A thorough testing of the stock Canon R5 mirrorless camera for astrophotography at Alan’s blog site.
A thorough testing of the stock Canon R6 mirrorless camera for astrophotography at Alan’s blog site.
A test of the Optolong L-eNhance and L-eXtreme filters vs. the IDAS Nebula Booster NB1 and NBZ filters, all dual narrowband models for one-shot color cameras and modified DSLRs and DLSMs.
Comparing several broadband light pollution reduction filters for nightscape and wide-field tracker photography.
A comparison review of several soft-focus diffusion filters for adding photogenic glows to stars in nightscape and constellation images.
Testing the Astronomik clip-in Hydrogen-Alpha filter, 12nm bandpass version, available for Canon EOS R and other cameras. (Shown in Chapter 17.)
A “how-to” article by Alan on choosing and using filters (shown in Chapter 17) for nightscape and deep-sky imaging. From SkyNews magazine in 2022.
A comparison test of noise reduction software, many AI-based, for the purposes of astrophotography, as of early 2024.
Available here at Alan’s blog site.
Keep in mind these programs change almost monthly with updates and improvements.
A comparison of raw developer programs for the purposes of nightscape photography, comparing several programs against Adobe Camera Raw, as of 2023.
Available here at Alan’s blog site.
Lenses for Astrophotography (Chapter 17)
Testing the Laowa 15mm f/2 lens for mirrorless cameras, in this case for the Canon RF mount.
Comparing three wide-angle prime lenses for Nikon Z-mount cameras, plus the 7.5mm TTArtisan fish-eye lens, some of which are available for other brands.
On Alan’s blog site at AmazingSky.net.
Comparing a “holy trinity” of three Canon RF zoom lenses for astrophotography.
On Alan’s blog site at AmazingSky.net.
A test of the Rokinon SP and Sigma Art 14mm lenses for nightscape and tracker photography. For DSLR cameras.
On Alan’s blog site at AmazingSky.net.
A guide to choosing the best lenses for nightscape shooting, in the January 2022 issue of Sky & Telescope magazine.
Not available on-line.
Polar Alignment Aids (Appendix)
A review of the QHY Polemaster polar alignment camera (shown in the Appendix) in the July 2018 Sky & Telescope magazine.
In print and digital issue only.