Celestron Inspire 100AZ - The perfect Beginner Telescope? 

Being a father is the greatest thing in the world. I can’t wait to do this with my children. Thanks for the review and God bless y’all.

I think this is an ideal first telescope!! Most people wont really know what they want long term until they have some experience. At $200, this is a great way to get that initial experience and then figure out whether you want to go further and in which direction. For several years I have been recommending the cheaper Celestron 70AZ but seeing this mount and the 100mm aperture, I would definitely go for this. I had a 3 inch reflector as a kid and a 4.5 inch reflector as an adult but neither saw much use because aligning them to find a target is much harder for the beginner. I literally tried the hobby and lost interest twice until I found a refractor, (the Celestron 70AZ) in a thrift store for $50. I instantly found it easier to hit various targets and so spent much more time with it. I even began astrophotography with the 70AZ. So I can personally attest this is a great cross between cheap entry level price and solid features.

Thanks for the review. Learning about what is useful verses a waste of money is a journey in itself for starters like myself.

Great video! It was put together very well. I am seriously thinking about purchasing this telescope. Happy Stargazing!!!

I just bought one for my grandsons. Very informative video!

Good review and easy to follow with no unecessary jargon. Many thank . From UK.

Such a FANTASTIC video! So informative and constructive! Thank you for making this :) I have a similar one from Meade (102AZ) I got in 2019. I bought it so as to be able to travel with one. I also bought a high quality zoom lens which is pretty much the only eye piece I use with it now. I'll be taking it for a spin in some dark skies soon enough. Glad to see yours perform so well in dark skies.

Fellow Stargazers! This channel is dedicated to improving your telescope skills and helping you see awesome stuff in the sky. Please consider subscribing. I'll post a new video at least once per week, so there'll be lots of current content to watch and enjoy! Thanks! ~ John (LearnToStargaze)

So very grateful for this information.

Thank you for this ❤️

I'm not even super interested in this stuff but the fact this dude doesn't have over 100k subs is crazy.... keep up the great work!!!

Beautifully explained. Thank you from across the Pond :)

Another great video that is going to be helpful ... now if only I had clear skies now that you solved some mysteries. 🤦🏻‍♀️

I think I am going to buy this telescope to observe the stars and planets as I am taking an astronomy course and am becoming more familiar with stars and galaxies.

Thanks so much for this important information. I just bought a telescope!

Great Video! Thank you so much! So much I don’t know about star gazing with a telescope....👍👍👍

Just ordered one online .....This Celestron Inspire 100AZ looks like a great grab n go telescope which will be used far more than some big heavy set-up that stays inside gathering dust due to the heavy inconvenience of moving it . The telescope used the most is best .

Thanks for the review.

Thanks for this brilliant video

Hey! I’m from Cape Breton! Good to see another Bluenoser doing astronomy. Great dark skies

Thanks for the invitation! Came across your channel searching for a good yet Easy telescope to buy. Ive never found myself staring and taking pics at the night sky, as Ive done since thes past 17 mo ..Now it's time to get real! I enjoyed this video and can prob stop looking now🤔😏😊👍I thank yA for it! 👍

Thank you!

Awesome video! Thanks so much, I might consider getting one of these telescopes. I have on myself, but don't like it. I knew you used a Barlow lens for that pic of Saturn. I took a pic of Saturn with about the same magnification and it looked exactly the same!

Viewer from Singapore. Gonna shortlist this scope under buying list. Like how the scope is folded and just easily placed into the car. Seems portable and refractor can be double as a spotting scope. Good review!

wow nice you have a book greta. I too have an astro channel mostly visual 7 reviews. good points and good video cheers joe

Awesome video John!

Thanks for the review, but I'll wait a little longer before buying my first telescope. The Inspire 100AZ costs about €409,- (=607 Canadian dollars) over here at the moment.

Excelente conteúdo! Obrigado pelo vídeo!

What was the highest mag power you were able to achieve that was clear? And using what EP? Thanks!

Hey John, do u know of any similar scopes (price range, specs) that allow for solar filters/viewing? This is quickly becoming my favorite astronomy channel btw, great stuff

Very difficult as a beginner to find a quality telescope. This telescopes has gone up to 340 sincen your upload of this review. Ordered telescope and your Moon book. Thanks for your content.

Great video!

Thanks!

Thanks for the review! Just bought this for the wife for her birthday. Amazing price difference, I paid $499 in Australia and that was on sale and the best price I could find and I had to wait until it was back in stock!! We call it 'Pacific Inflation! Everything is double the price here!

Is this the Same optics as the 102 az offered in the starsense Explorer Series?

This telescope is bigger than I thought do you think you could do a unboxing of a celastron power seaker 70 az please thanks

maybe a weird question what do u see when observing green light in norway.

I wish they provided the red flashlight for the starsense one. That would be a good additional.

Thanks! Great review

Hi I'm looking to add to my lenses. I got the inspire 100AZ for Christmas. I'm mainly wanting to use it to see planets as close and focused as possible (Saturn ect). I can see saturn but when i take a photo its blurry with ring outlines. I'm looking at the 4mm lens and the Barlow x2. I'm not clued up on all the numbers and wording etc but told these would be good to have. Would these two pieces be a good addition to the collection? 🤔 Would greatly appreciated any advice on what would help 😁👍🏻

Amazing

thanks

You got me sold! Thanks! I can remove my comment if youd like, and thanks for correcting me, and your dog is pretty.

just bought both your books ..HARDCOVER BABY....lol

Alright John you got a new sub, I really like your content, and when I can afford it, I will buy your book to keep me busy 🗿

What do you think about this one vs Skywatcher Heritage 150P Tabletop Dobsonian ?

I found this as a returned (unopened box) for $250 USD at B&H photo in December 2021, marked down from $300. The mount is not shaky, the optics give me beautiful clear views and I like the finderscope, unfortunately the tripod legs don't extend high enough, so that I have to sit on the ground to point the finderscope much over 45 degrees altitude even when fully extended. I ended up mounting a rigel quikfinder near the end of the tube, which has a slightly wider clearance. While the mount is not at all shaky, I'm finding that the azimuth control is too sticky. I'm thinking about installing a couple of teflon furniture moving discs to make the movement smoother. Hoping for some clear days that aren't too cold so I can really spend some time with this telescope, and I bought a 2.5x barlow to go with it for planetary viewing.

Hello I'm weighing up buying the 100AZ vs a Meade ETX80 - can anyone advise which is better? I can get for roughly the same price. The Meade is older I know but has the automatic robotic object finder. Is the Meade the better option? Thanks for any help! Liam

This telescope went up in price like you said it would, seen only one left on Amazon today for a little over 400 , checked it again sold out. Most sites are sold out .

you nailed it on this scope. any eyepiece video you would like to demo also? thank you for sharing Sir.

Very Nice review! Thank you very much. I live in a small town in the countryside in the south of Brazil, and the sky here is incredbly clear. I am considering on having a telescope, I found the 102 model same brand as yours here. Will I need to be in the complete dark for getting good results with it?

Just got my 100AZ!!!

Hey John, thank you for your review, I have been looking for hours and days and getting confused on which I should be looking for. I wanted one to be easy travel with, see planets and more and have a decent view. Is there any other telescope you would highly recommend? Thanks for your review again

please for your help! just bought it and while the unboxing the thicker lens of the front part smashed. i assembled it with the thinner one. will it properly work or i have to find a spare part. thnx in advance

Is it possible to apply a Bahtinov mask on the tube end under the hood?

Thanks for the video. Can you see Saturn's rings without the added Barlow through this telescope?

Bought this telescope months ago and I really love your review!! I just want to ask if I can use a 5X Barlow lens for this telescope?

Think I’m going to get this one for Christmas as my first telescope. Do you know of any specific moon filters that would fit this telescope? I’ve already got a Barlow lens picked out as well.

I've heard of Costco, but what is it? Also you forgot stacking barlows and 5x

Here Italy, i have the "Skywatcher heritage" 130/650 with parabolic mirror high quality, last summer from AMAZON only 188 Euros (the price) low price. With the Eyepiece SUPER 3.6 mm 180X, fantastic Jupiter and Saturn- sharps images. And for deepsky large field amd many light, with my newton 130/650 i'm happy, small telescope but high quality.

Like! Does the 100AZ have a bigger stronger mount / tripod than the 70AZ or is it the same size but with a different design ?

Very good review Mr. Do you think a DSLR camera could be attached to this awesome introductory Scope.

Hi can you please share a link to buy this telescope or something similar in Ontario Canada? Thank you

I've just gotten this scope for my son. Before I buy a Barlow lens would you recommend a x2 or x3? Thanks

Hi, I have my starsence 127 az telescope, my brother uses it but I don't know if it hurts, the slow movement no longer moves up or down, what do I have to do?

I am interested in your advice on eyepiece accessoriries for th Celestron Omni AZ 102 Telescope. Please provide the brand and lens diameter for Plossl and 2X Barlow eyepieces and what I should purchase for filters to complement my new purchase. Your videos and comments have been very informative and I am looking forward to enjoying your books. Thanks

I heard that the rotation from right to left or vice versa is a bit harder compared to the up and down movement even if the knob is completely loose. When you turn it you also have to hold the tripod otherwise everything will move

Please provide links to some of the accessories you mentioned or reviewed (ie cell phone adapter).

Not sure if I missed it....how many objective lens elements are there?

This is the best video out there for this telescope. Based on this, i have bought it and I am really satisfied! Go John!

Hi, which telescope do you consider to be better the inspire 100AZ or the Celestron Omni XLT AZ? Thanks.

Isn’t the Explore Scientific First Light 102 F10 better because of it’s higher focal length / ratio and less chromatic aberrations?

Hi looking for my first telescope as not well and stuck at home and cart sleep is this a good first telescope only thing was looking on amerzon as good for returns if need to get better but thay only have this modal but it's at 102az is that Andy good thanks for help Andy

I see that Celestron also does a 102/660 Astromaster AZ scope and this 100/660 Inspire AZ scope....which is the better scope, the 102 as its bigger aperture, or is the 100 inspire a better build?

Very helpful video! Which scope is better & more capable. The sky watcher start travel 102 or this one in the vid?

Question..Can you use this telescope in very cold weather without damaging the lens?

What about the 90az? Where i live is the only one i can get. I want to buy it as a gift for my son who never had one. Thanks a lot for the review!

I own the 90mm inspire. It has issues mainly with mount. It has good sharp views and high targets like with all refractors is not as practical. It is okay but think there are better scopes for beginners but my Orion XT8g is big and bulky so it makes a good quick view scope.

So, I had ordered this telescope, but what I received was the celestron 90AZ. I noticed you didn't mention that one. I'm not 100% sure how I feel about this, as I had wanted the 100, but this one is already here. I've got it set up and ready to go to the best of my ability (I am a beginner) and look forward to seeing what it can do. Any recommendations you have for this one are welcomed.

Yep, I have this scope it's good. I have videos on it.

Hey great video, are you from NS by chance?

Which would you choose between this and the Sky-Watcher Startravel-102?

telescopic aimer better than red dot helps find fainter objects easier and more resistant to dew also cant run out of battery power

Hi John. Great video and channel and congratulations as you've convinced a novice astronomer like myself in the UK to buy the 100AZ. I've purchased a barlow lens but just wanted to know if I should get any additional eyepieces for this scope along with the 10mm and 20mm already supplied. If so which ones do you recommend?

trying to figure out how to focus it :( i can’t figure it out

Can we see saturn ring clearly with given eyepieces .( Without using Barlow)

Recently injured my back but had to check whether or not my new 102az came with the 90 degree one My chiropractor would hate if i told him im using a 45 degree (forgot what its called lol)

What app would you recommend for finding these clusters, stars and planets in the sky at night? Cheers bud.

What's the difference between the Inspire & the Astromaster AZ 102?

3x barlow is better than 2x for saturn view? 3x barlow would fix in this telescope?

I know this is an old video but I need to ask. I bought my son the 80az and when I took the scope cover off there were 2 very small screws that fell out with it. I cannot find where these screws go and they don’t seem to belong to the scope cover. Any ideas on what they are for? Any help is appreciated

Loved the video! Unfortunately, I'm still unsure which telescope to buy! This is so difficult... Three years later, this telescope costs 339 euros, with discount.

How do you move the scope left and right?

Hello? John!? I try with My poor English too make a question, i want to see the planets of the solar system, and beacause here in my country the telescope are spance i have two options one are this the inspire 100 az of Celestron or the Celestron astro master 90 eq, witche i shouldn take? To see the planets and the stars? I a benniger thanks 😅😅

Is the astromaster 102az the same scope? It looks very similar. Does it perform similarly at least?

Also, we talked a bit on another video thread, I like this telescopes features a lot more than the 70az lt that I have, so I think I'll upgrade to this, but I wanted to know from you (granted this would be my only telescope for quite a while) what exactly would you recommend upgrading on this telescope as money becomes available? Eyepieces and 90 degree? I really like the finder scope design on this one.

Where did you buy it

So now that we know that Omni AZ 102 is available, and you have reviewed both that scope and this scope, which one gets your final vote and why? It seems to me that the Inspire 100 AZ scope might come with slightly better/cooler accessories...but my gut says the Omni 102 is a slightly better base scope. To that end I wanted to ask the expert. :-)

I currently own a 102 Mak/Cas on a go to, for purely visual work how do they compare. I'm looking for something portable would this be suitable? Thanks

Is the star pointer similar to a telrad? It sort of looks like one