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Reflectors vs. Refractors

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"Reflector telescopes? Refractors? Sounds like alphabet soup. But we're here to get it all straightened out for you. Here's a hint, one uses mirrors and the other uses lenses. People always want to know what is the "best" telescope to get, and we're gonna tell you right now: "it depends." On many things. But we've got the options and we've got the answers, and we're ready to teach you about the different kinds of telescopes."

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Reflectors

True to their name, reflector telescopes use mirrors to reflect the image back to your eyes. That's not hard. Reflectors reflect. Just like a mirror. A reflector telescope typically has a big empty hole at the "open" end of the telescope and a big bowl-shaped mirror at the bottom. The light bounces off the mirrored bowl and is reflected through the eyepiece and into your eye.

When you're looking for a scope with a big aperture, you're gonna want a reflector. The big advantage of reflectors is that you can get yourself a huge telescope for a lot less money than you think. And a lot less than a similarly sized refractor. Bigger is almost always better. Great big reflectors can gather an enormous amount of light and deliver detailed images of very feint deep space objects. So if you're going for bang for the buck, a reflector is the way to go.

There is a flip side to everything, and in the case of a reflector the flip side is a reversed image. Almost all reflectors show an upside-down view. Not a big deal for space viewing since there's no such thing as upside-down in space, but if you want to use a reflector during the day, you'll need a special erecting eyepiece. Also, these serious telescopes do require a bit more care and maintenance than other scopes. You will probably have to learn to align the mirror, known as collimation. It's like tuning a guitar, takes a little bit of practice to get good at it.

Manually Controlled Reflectors - Apertures from 3" to 16".
Computer Controlled Reflectors - Fully automatic, with built-in starfinding computers.
GPS Controlled Reflectors - The latest in gagetry. Automatic telescopes with on-board GPS.
Reflectors with Cameras - We've included a USB digital telescope camera at a special price.
Reflector Value Bundles - Our Pros have put together Beginner Bundles, Deluxe Bundles, and Ultimate Bundles, loaded with extras and accessories.

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Pro's Picks for Reflectors

FirstView 3" Reflector Telescope

Our Price: $ 109.99
AstroVenture 4.5" Computer Controlled Reflector Telescope

Our Price: $ 349.98
AstroVenture 6" GPS Computer Controlled Reflector Telescope

Our Price: $ 559.96
Meade 16" LightBridge Truss-Tube Dobsonian Reflector

Our Price: $ 0.00

Celestron 5" SLT Telescope

Our Price: $ 524.95
4.5" Computer Controlled Reflector Telescope with Digital USB Camera

Our Price: $ 467.95
Ultimate Bundle - AstroQuest 6" Reflector Telescope

Our Price: $ 384.63
Deluxe Bundle - FirstView 3" Reflector Telescope

Our Price: $ 222.59

Refractors

Just to make it confusing, you've got refractor telescopes, too. Refractors use lenses to gather light and project it back to the eyepiece, where the image is magnified to your eye. So refractors bend the light. Reflectors (the mirror ones) bounce the light. Refractors have that typical “telescope” look, like the type of scope a pirate would use, with the lens in the front at the larger end and the eyepiece in the back.

Refractors provide crystal sharp images and tend to be smaller and very light weight. Their apertures are measured in millimeters, and they tend to be very expensive as they get larger. Refractor telescopes are great for beginners because they require very little to no maintenance—all you have to do is keep the lens and eyepieces clean with a dust-free cloth. Once they’ve been set up you won’t have to do a bunch of adjusting or fussing with them. Just take it out of the box, and you’re good to go.

They are also very portable because you don’t have to worry about anything going out of alignment. Their other major advantage is that images appear right side up (though sometimes backwards), so they make excellent for daytime use, whether that's bird, people, or nature watching. This is the telescope you want to take on a camping trip; you can get up-close views of local wildlife during the day and stargaze in the dark nighttime skies away from the lights of the city.

Manually Controlled Refractors - Sizes range from 50mm to 150mm
Computer Controlled Refractors - Telescopes that automatically find objects in space for you.
GPS Controlled Refractors - Advanced automatic telescopes that always know where they are on Earth.
Refractors with Cameras - These packs come with a digital camera for your telescope.
Reflectors Value Bundles - Buy everything in a bundle and save. Beginner Bundles, Kids Paks, Deluxe Bundles, and Ultimate Bundles come with tons of accessories.

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Pro's Picks for Refractors

$FirstView 50mm Refractor Telescope$
FirstView 50mm Refractor Telescope

Our Price: $ 74.99
$AstroVenture 70mm GPS Computer Controlled Refractor Telescope$
AstroVenture 70mm GPS Computer Controlled Refractor Telescope

Our Price: $ 394.96
AstroVenture 90mm Portable Computer Controlled Telescope

Our Price: $ 449.92
$Celestron 150mm Advanced Refractor Telescope$
Celestron 150mm Advanced Refractor Telescope

Our Price: $ 1,019.95

$First View 60mm Refractor Telescope - Silver$
Kids Pak - FirstView 60mm Refractor Telescope

Our Price: $ 139.97
$80mm GPS Computer Controlled Refractor Telescope Astrophotoraphy Package$
80mm GPS Computer Controlled Refractor Telescope Astrophotography Package

Our Price: $ 589.97
$Meade 102mm StarNavigator Computerized Refractor Telescope w/ AudioStar$
Meade 102mm StarNavigator Computerized Refractor Telescope w/ AudioStar

Our Price: $ 399.99
$Advanced Celestron 102mm Refractor Computerized Go-To Telescope$
Advanced Celestron 102mm Refractor Computerized Go-To Telescope

Our Price: $ 0.00

Cassegrains

Let’s get technical for a second. Cassegrains are a type of catadioptric telescope, and they use both lenses and mirrors to gather light. They have what is called a “folded optical path.” This means that the light entering the lens end of the scope is then bounced against the mirror in the back of the scope, and bounced again off another mirror on the back of the lens to the eyepiece. This has many advantages for you, the backyard astronomer.

All this bouncing around means that the telescope can have the same long focal length as a refractor telescope without having to be as big. That also means they can support a large mirror, like reflector telescopes. A large focal length + a large aperture = big magnifications with a small telescope. They truly are the best of both worlds. Plus, images appear right side up. You can use a Cassegrain telescope day or night for almost anything--deep space, planets, the Moon, taking in a cityscape, bird watching, or even spying on your neighbors.

The folded optical path also means that Cassegrain Telescopes are portable. Because of the short length of the telescope tube, it’s easy to pack up and move around. It also has a glass lens at one end, so the mirror is protected from dust and dirt. So what's the catch? Because of their more complex optics, cassegrains tend to be a bit more expensive than other types of telescopes. Expensive, but worth it.

Manually Controlled Cassegrains - Choose one of our medium or large manual Cassegrains; 90mm-120mm apertures.
Computer Controlled Cassegrains - Automatic Go-To Cassegrains are some of the most popular telescopes for backyard astronomy.
GPS Controlled Cassegrains - No alignment necessary for these automatic telescopes--they use GPS to locate their position.
Cassegrains with Cameras - These special photo bundles come with a telescope eyepiece camera at a discounted price.
Cassegrain Value Bundles - We’ve put together these special bundles packed with goodies. We’ve got Beginner Bundles, Kids Paks, Deluxe Bundles, and Ultimate Bundles.

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