Instrument class
130 mm tabletop Dobsonian
A short Newtonian on a small rocker box that sits on a table, a wall or a crate. The best value in astronomy at the moment, and the answer to more first-telescope questions than anything else here.
| Aperture | 100–150 mm |
|---|---|
| Focal ratio | f/4–f/6 |
| Typical weight | 6 kg |
| Setup time | 3 minutes |
| Learning curve | 1 out of 5 |
| Price band | €150–330 |
| Useful magnification | 21× to 250× at 125 mm |
What it does well
- Real aperture — several hundred times the light of an unaided eye — at a price that does not need justifying
- Carried outside in one hand, set up in a couple of minutes
- Nothing to align, nothing to power, nothing to fight in the dark
What it costs you
- Needs a table or a wall. On the ground you are lying down
- Needs collimating occasionally — five minutes with a €20 cap
- The supplied eyepieces are usually adequate rather than good
Fit against each goal
Sharing it with children · 5 out of 5
On a garden table it sits at a child's eye level, and they can move it themselves.
The Moon and the planets · 4 out of 5
Sharp on the Moon, and Saturn's rings are unmistakable at 130×. Jupiter shows two belts and four moons.
Learn my way around the sky · 4 out of 5
Fast enough to point that star-hopping stays fun.
Nebulae, clusters and galaxies, by eye · 3 out of 5
The brighter half of the Messier list, from a decent sky.
Taking it with me · 3 out of 5
Fits in a car boot easily; hand luggage, no.
Models in this class
Indicative European street prices with the date they were observed. Ordered by price. Links marked paid link earn us a commission and cost you nothing extra.
Sky-Watcher Heritage 130P FlexTube
€215seen 2026-08-17130 mm · 650 mm focal length · f/5.0 · 6.2 kg
With a 10 mm eyepiece: 65×, 2.0 mm exit pupil.
Mount Tabletop Dobsonian base, collapsible tube
Eyepieces 25 mm and 10 mm
The most-recommended first telescope of the last decade. The open tube needs a light shield in a garden with a street lamp.
Where to buy
- Amazon.frships FR
- Astroshopships DE, FR, EU
- First Light Opticsships GB
- Optique Unterlindenships FR
- Pierro Astroships FR
- Teleskop-Expressships DE, EU
None of these links earn us anything.