Stellarvue Doublet Apo SVX127D $2995

I acquired my SVX127D APO refractor on March 6, 2026 and finally got a chance to test it out at a dark site around 4000 ft elevation in the Sierras. On Sunday March 8 was the big night. This scope is fairly big and fully loaded weighs about 20lbs. It has a well machined 3-inch focuser and rotates smoothly for the observers viewing comfort, Very cool! As it started to get darker shortly after sunset I swung over to Jupiter and popped in my 9mm Televue DeLite. At 112x, I could hardly believe what I saw. Jupiter seemed to break open into many fine and intricate belt and zone details. Various shades of browns, tans, reds, and creamy white colors were everywhere. I popped in my Nagler zoom at 6mm and wow, even more pronounced at 169x! Of course, there was no sign at all of any false color. I then heard an inner voice that told me to swing over to Sirius, the dog star, the brightest in the sky, that was near the meridian. I'm glad I did! With the 9mm DeLite I saw Sirius as a beautiful white diamond and behold right next to it I thought I saw something. It can't be, I told myself. I put in the 6mm zoom and there it was, with direct vision, the companion to Sirius, the little pup! At about 10,000 times dimmer than the main star, this is one of the hardest and most challenging tests of optics and seeing in the night sky. This is also the first time in my life that I have seen the little pup! In a trance like state, I continued to observe it with all settings on the Nagler zoom, the 5mm and 4mm (200-250x) being the sweet spot. Sirius itself still looked white, even at 338x. There was some atmospheric refraction, but no chromatic aberration that I could tell, and the diffraction rings looked wonderfully smooth and more white than anything else. If anything, this scope has better correction in the violet than my Takahashi FC-100N, which at F10, is one of the finest APO doublets ever made, period. On to the Orion nebula I went, and it was amazing, with lots of good structure visible. The trapezium showed all 6 members easily with direct vision from the 9mm and higher powers. Eta Orionis was a clean and easy split at 1.5". Rigel and the little companion looked like 2 perfect white diamonds near each other at nearly all magnifications I used. Up to 52 Orionis, and the current separation is not 1.2" like most books read, but at 0.96" separation, and at 250x and up I split it with a barely visible but clean interspace between the stars. This is very close to the Dawes limit for a 5-inch. On to M35 in Gemini, and it showed many beautiful pinpricks of stars and the classic diamonds on velvet look. NGC 2158, another open cluster next to M35 but at over four times more distant, it usually looks like a ghost cloud rather than an open cluster. I could see quite a few individual stars in it and even more with averted vision. Up to the Pleiades, and with Televue 24mm Panoptic, at 42x M45 literally filled up the field with sharp white diamonds of stars with the merope nebulosity being obvious, all the way to the edge of the 1.5 degree field! I zipped over to Iota Leonis, and the main star looked yellow while the fainter companion looked bluish, at a separation of just over 2" two nice spherical discs. Last but not least for the night, I popped in my 20mm Stellarvue Optimus eyepiece and looked at M81/M82. Both galaxies stood out boldly in black space and the "bonus" galaxy in the field NGC 3077, stood out more brightly than I expected. At about 50x, stars and the 3 galaxies in the 1.96 degree field had a very nice and satisfying wide framing in the 100 degree apparent field eyepiece.

On a personal note, the difference between a 100mm scope and a 127mm is staggering. The reach factor is very apparent. Yes, going up to 6-inch would be another jump, but the most significant is from 4 to 5. A 6-inch would cost a lot more and need a stronger mount. 5 -inch seems to be indeed a sweet spot. Maybe a 140mm F/8 at the biggest?…… Just thinking out loud. I've had thoughts and fantasies about a 5-inch APO doublet for 18 years and that time has finally arrived for me! I currently own a Vixen 70mm F/8 APO doublet, a Takahashi FC100 100mm F10 APO doublet. Both of these are fluorite doublets, with an uncoated fluorite element in the rear, the Steinheil design. Coating tech at the time these were built didn't allow the fluorite element to be coated without damaging it, one big reason while it was at the rear. The Vixen 70mm is the most color free doublet I have ever looked through, along with the current SV127D showing a similar level of correction, also taking into account the size difference. The FC100N only seems to show a tad a violet on a few targets, if you know where and how to find it. Besides that, it delivers some of the best and sharp stars and splits you will ever see! The fluorites show stars and doubles in a crystal clear and almost eerie presentation, and are not affected by seeing as much as bigger sizes are, particularly the 70mm. The current SVX127D is an FCD100 super ED glass doublet with an exact matching lanthanum mating element(F/8 1016mm focal length). The result is pretty spectacular. It focuses stars very tightly and cleanly. They are hand-figured, aligned, and tested on a very pricey interferometer right here in Northern California. When the air is calm, dark and clear, along with a top notch eyepiece and diagonal, you then see what this scope can do, and there is no going back. An optical system is only as sharp as its weakest link, when all links are tight, a nirvana of an observing experience is the sure result, simply stellar performance! Clear skies and more to come...... Nathan

Where to begin? This scope is absolutely fantastic for starters. Everything from the fit and finish to the optics are top notch. I took it out for first light and studied a half moon for about 2 hours. The view was very sharp, even up to a 4mm ortho. I haven't had a chance yet to put it through its paces but so far it's exceeded my expectations.

I had this on a Stellarvue M002C mount with a Meade field tripod and it was pretty solid.

If you’re looking for a USA made high quality refractor from a company that provides a superior product and superior service from people who care about you having a fantastic experience with your purchase look no further than Stellarvue. The SVX127D that I received is beautifully crafted and looks great on my Losmandy GM811.
It will be a great hit at public star star events where the bulk of telescopes are SCT’s and reflectors. Thanks for a great experience everyone at Stellarvue

There is outstanding optical quality and service from Stellarvue. I am very impressed with this telescope. The finest workmanship is evident in all aspects. Optically I can't image any better for 127mm.

Vic offered me this scope at a discount because the tube had a blemish. For the life of me, I can't find any flaw. It's beautiful.
The packing was wonderful.
The first time I had it out was at a mini public viewing on the 10th tee at the Duke Univ golf course in Durham, NC. Not a dark sky at all, but the Washington Hotel gives the club a gratuity for being there. Looking at Saturn, I commented to the other two guys, who were both using Schmidts (an 8' and a 10"), that the seeing had improved markedly and they both agreed. Looking through each of them, their images were soft (to me) and they thought they had pretty good views. There was no comparison with what I had. Thanks, Vic.
My only gripe, and it's a very small one, is I wish the carry handle had a finder bracket built in like the Wiliam Optics handle does.
The SKB case with the upgraded foam was worth the additional expense. The scope nestles firmly in its place.
I'm pleased with my entire experience buying through Stellarvue.

I am very pleased with this telescope. It is very solidly built and provides tack sharp lunar images (which I use the telescope for the most). I am mostly a visual observer, but the SVX127D works great for taking sharp lunar images.
The SVX127D is highly recommended. Thanks SV.

Received an SVX 127D this week. Unboxed telescope and accessories that purchased at the same time. I found the telescope in good order after shippment, shipment also arrived sooner than I expected. Carefully examined telescope for fit and finish I found the scope to be flawless and focuser very smooth. Awaiting several accessories before using the scope on the night sky. I'm glad I found Stellarvue and such a high-quality telescope. With some parts made in the US and a lens that was figured in states also. A rare find these days.

Extremely high quality product many years of great views . And this will be passed on to grandchildren as inheritance . That good !!!

After owning a APM 140, and then going to an 8” Edge, I wanted a refractor again and was considering a 130 triplet, then Stellarvue announced they were going to produce 5” doublets. It arrived in the heavy duty case that was double boxed with a huge air gap all the way round. The packaging protected the scope - travelling across the pacific to NZ. I ordered it with the feather touch focuser because I always wanted to at least have one on a scope. It is lighter in action, than the 3.7 R&P focusers I was used to but it never slips.

I cannot think of any flaws this scope has. The tube is solid, the extension piece which is removable for binoing, was machined so well and aligned accurately with a fine thread, that when I wanted to remove it, I found it hard to see where it came apart.

I don’t suffer much from cool down time, as the scope is in an insulated shed and outside is usually 2-3 degrees C different,

I am 99% visual. I had the 127D at the same time I had the 8” Edge, and comparing them against each other, stars looked better in the refractor due to contrast, and looking at nebula, I don’t think I was loosing much in performance. My sky is generally not able to put out what the 127D can do, as I hardly ever have perfect seeing and always a lot of moisture in the air.
The scope will always put out the best it can - on any given night. So you never have to doubt the scope is performing….….if the view is not great its the sky thats the issue.

This scope is a keeper.

I am extremely pleased with the optical quality of this scope. Also, the mechanical build of the OTA is top notch. The Stellarvue focuser is a solid performer. The 5” aperture puts up beautiful views of the planets. Definitely 5 stars. Thank you SV