SVX152T

I recently received my new SVX152T - what an impressive telescope, optically and mechanically! The scope is meticulously constructed and beautifully finished. During my first observing session with it in relatively good seeing the scope proved to be extremely sharp optically and very well-corrected, with no hint of chromatic aberration on the moon or bright stars at any magnification I used. In 4+ decades as an observer, this scope and the SVX127D that I also have are the sharpest I've ever used. I really couldn't be happier with a telescope and also with Stellarvue as a company. Vic, Alex, and others at Stellarvue are very accessible and willing to help in any way they can. These telescopes are expensive, but the optics are hand-figured, the scopes are beautifully made, and support from the staff at SV is readily available. And especially for folks who are older, you don't need to have your name on a waitlist for longer than your life-expectancy to get one...

I bought this telescope 2 and a 1/2 month ago.the scope arrived exceptionally clean. Not a spec of dust to be seen anywhere. It's a small detail but it does inspire confidence that the scope was assembled by professionals. I was able to test it only briefly during that time due to work schedule and lack of clear nights. Last night, I had it side by side with my edge 9.25 HD on a Rowan Astronomy AZ100. Seeing was steady and I began the process of alignment of the mount between the moon and Polaris. Polaris was beautiful looking star with its little companion with a 8mm Delos eyepiece. The moon was very sharp with contrasty features as well but then I switched to a 3.5mm Nagler and it was even better. For fun, I added a 2x Barlow to the mix and to my surprise the image remained sharp and no chromatic abberation whatsoever. The ultimate test will be on Jupiter maybe next year.
Note: this scope works better with a prism diagonal at least to my eyes.
Glad I returned an espirit 150 to buy this scope. They're not in the same league.

I have had a chance now to use this on two targets, and am amazed at the quality of the optics. The images' FWHM are frequently in the 1.5" range, at the limits of my seeing. After working on tilt and back focus a bit, the corners are sharp, round, and minimal vignetting (with the SFFX-2 flattener) on a full frame camera. Everything is built like a tank, the nitecrawler is a great companion for the OTA, the rings are heavy duty, and the dew shield is a bit of a monster (which I need as I image in a swamp). I did replace the somewhat short dovetail with a longer one, but the short one worked fine in a couple weeks' of us (the longer gives more room to balance, e.g. switching from a long imaging train to visual). All in all it is an impressive work of art.

Stellarvue SVX152T, 2” Dielectric Star Diagonal, Feather Touch Focuser and complete set of Optimus Eyepieces with Case.
The scope & equipment came very nicely packed and in excellent condition, and on time. Superb quality and finish. Excellent communication. Vic ordered me a Losmandy G11G mount as well. Very pleased with it also.
At first light, I took it out and everyone was amazed at the views. The quality and superb optics of this scope beats my 12”SCT. Stellarvue has now become my official goto scope. I am overjoyed.
Thanks go to Vic and his entire Stellarvue team.
Thank you very much,
Gary

It took six months to polish and figure your objective and the entire team is very happy that you are enjoying your new world-class refractor. Thank you for your review. We are here if you need anything.

Clear, steady skies

Vic Maris
President
Stellarvue

Superb design ... flawless execution. This premium telescope is worth the wait and the cost! Images are free of chromatic aberration, rich in contrast and views of the Moon and planets are stunning. This instrument delivers textbook Airy disks and separates tight double stars with ease; under steady skies I have often used magnifications of 347x / 58 power per inch and the subtle colors of Almach, Rasalgethi and Izar are simply beautiful. Globular clusters sparkle with three dimensional effect. This telescope virtually steals the show at star gazes and garners rave reviews from experienced observers and novices alike.

The Stellarvue rack and pinion focuser is smooth as silk, with a full 100mm of precision travel. The 13" Losmandy-style D-plate and 1" thick tube rings provide rock solid stability on my G11 and Meade LX850 mounts. The travel case is a beast that securely cradles the telescope for extended road trips, but at 53" total length and given the weight of its robust construction, it's a two-person lift in and out of my SUV.
( I crafted my own padded tie-down pallet for local transport ).
The Stellarvue team has a winner with the SVX152T and I couldn't be happier with this gem of telescope!

This scope is exactly what you would expect from Stellarvue: a perfectly executed example of a refractor. The contrast on faint objects and on planetary detail is exquisite. Subtle shading differences are easy to pick out. On nights of good seeing, the scope can be pushed to high magnification and delivers beautiful pinpoint images.

I stepped up from a 102mm Stellarvue refractor to this and the jump in light gathering power is just what I wanted. There’s more detail on faint structures and I can reach much fainter stars when star hopping. There’s also a nice resolution boost on nights of good seeing as the airy disk is smaller than the on the 102. I love that I now have more aperture reach while also being able to observe while seated. I’ve found that seated observing makes a big difference in my ability to really study the images and let my eye pick out fine detail.

This scope ticked every box that I was hoping it would!