One model, judged by its numbers
Sky-Watcher Evostar 72 EDX
A small, very well corrected refractor. Modest aperture bought at a high price per millimetre, in exchange for images with no false colour and a second career as an imaging telescope.
Family · 72–80 mm ED refractor
What it shows, really
These circles are simulations, computed from the aperture, the magnification and the sky — indicative, not exact. A real night also depends on the turbulence, your eyes and your experience. Closer to the truth than the photo on the box; still not a promise.
Under a suburban sky (Bortle 6), through a common 25 mm eyepiece for wide targets and a 10 mm for planets. Every circle is the true field — nothing is enlarged.
The numbers
| Aperture | 72 mm |
|---|---|
| Focal ratio | 420 mm · f/5.8 |
| Mount | Tube only — needs a mount — not included |
| Typical weight | 2 kg |
| Useful magnification | 12× to 144× at 72 mm |
| Resolution (Dawes) | 1.6″ — the tightest double star this aperture can split |
| Faintest star, suburban sky | around magnitude 10.6 |
| Observed price | €449 seen 2026-08-23 |
Made for
First astrophotography · 5 out of 5
The standard first imaging telescope, and it stays useful for years.
Serious deep-sky imaging · 4 out of 5
Small, forgiving of mount error, and short enough to guide easily.
Taking it with me · 4 out of 5
The whole setup fits in a rucksack and a small case.
Not made for
Nebulae, clusters and galaxies, by eye · 2 out of 5
Wide-field sweeping is lovely; faint galaxies are not on the menu.
The family it belongs to: 72–80 mm ED refractor
What it does well
- No colour fringing worth the name — the view is clean in a way small achromats are not
- Light enough for a modest mount, which keeps the whole setup portable
- Becomes an astrophotography telescope later without being replaced
What it costs you
- Expensive per millimetre of aperture. A 200 mm Dobsonian costs less and gathers seven times the light
- Visually modest on deep sky — this is not what you buy it for
Worth knowing about this model
The current version of the 72ED, with a better focuser. Sharp, portable, colour-free — and a tube only, so budget another 200–400 € for something to put it on. A first astrophoto lens more than a first telescope.
Prices are observed on the date shown, never live. Links marked paid link earn us a commission and cost you nothing extra.
Where to buy
- Astroshoppaid link€449 seen 2026-08-23ships DE, FR, EU
- Amazon.frships FR
- First Light Opticsships GB
- Optique Unterlindenships FR
- Pierro Astroships FR
- Teleskop-Expressships DE, EU
1 of these 6 links earn us a commission, marked above. Sorted by price, never by what pays. How this site is funded.