Title: Best of the small automated scopes
Product review: Both Celestron and Meade have come out with scores of automated scopes in the last few years, and of the 5" and smaller scopes, the Nextstar 5 is the clear winner. It's large enough and optically fine enough to deliver a sharp image at magnifications of up to 250x, and bright enough to resolve thousands of dim objects. For lunar viewing it's first rate. Quality wise it's somewhat better built than the similar Meade scopes, with fewer plastic pieces.You can buy smaller scopes with automation, but when shopping atthe inexpensive end of the market, it's better to put your money into optics instead of automation. But if you can budget over a thousand dollars, and you're looking for an automated scope, this is the clear choice.
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