Celestron PowerSeeker 70AZ Review

The Celestron PowerSeeker 70AZ telescope is a 70mm aperture telescope from the PowerSeeker range from Celestron. It’s a few steps up from the 50AZ and the 60AZ models from the same alt-azimuth Power Seeker range.

Click here to check availability and best price

With the larger aperture and slightly improved coated glass optical components that deliver enhanced images with better brightness and clarity this telescope provides a more interesting proposition than the models with the smaller aperture from the same range.

The box contains the optical tube, finderscope, 2 eyepieces (20mm, 4mm), 3x barlow lens, aluminium tripod with accessory tray, and the SkyX astronomy software.

Assembling the telescope is very easy and takes around 5-10 minutes and anyone can do it, without the need of any additional tools.

The optical tube’s components, as I’ve mentioned, are slightly better than the smaller aperture models as the fully coated glass optics with high transmission coating deliver enhanced images that are brighter and clearer. The alt-azimuth mount is an improved version from the Power Seeker 50AZ model as it has slow motion controls for smooth tracking and it’s perfectly suited for terrestrial viewing as well as star gazing. The images are correctly orientated so when viewing terrestrial object you will see them displayed correctly and not upside down or horizontally flipped.

The aluminium tripod with the accessory tray is not much different from the aluminium trays from the other models within this range. Being made of aluminium means it’s lightweight but the overall firmness of it’s stability may be a questioning factor. The accessory tray is a nice feature to have on your tripod as it’s perfectly fitted to store the different eyepieces and accessories and have them close by at your disposal.

If your new to astronomy you’ll find the included SkyX – First Light Edition software to be very helpful and enjoy the entire learning process more. It contains a 10,000 object database with printable sky maps and 75 enhances images.

Pros of the Celestron PowerSeeker 70AZ:

With it’s 70mm aperture and fully coated glass optics this telescope produces great images and it’s alt-azimuth mount makes it ideal for both star gazing and terrestrial viewing. It’s a value prospect based on what it can deliver given it’s price point. You will get great images of the moon with it’s craters and other planets in out solar system including Jupiter and Saturn.

Cons of the Celestron PowerSeeker 70AZ:

As pointed out with other telescopes from this range, it’s the aluminium tripod and the plastic finderscope that are the potential cons to this telescope. But the tripod is stable enough if it’s used indoors or in the backyard on a flat enough surface, while the finder scope although it’s plastic it does not take away from the overall quality feel that this telescope offers, like most of the Celestron telescopes.

Click here for latest price and availability

Full technical specifications:

Optical Design: Refractor
Aperture (mm): 70 mm (2.76 in)
Focal Length: 700 mm (28 in)
Focal Ratio: 10
Focal Length of Eyepiece 1 (mm): 20 mm (0.79 in)
Magnification of Eyepiece 1: 35 x
Focal Length of Eyepiece 2 (mm): 4 mm (0.16 in)
Magnification of Eyepiece 2: 175 x
Barlow Lens: 3 x
Finderscope: 5×24
Star Diagonal: 1.25″ Erect Image Diagonal
Mount Type: Altazimuth
Accessory Tray: No-Tool Tray with Eyepiece holder
Tripod: Aluminum
Highest Useful Magnification: 165 x
Lowest Useful Magnification: 10 x
Limiting Stellar Magnitude: 11.7
Resolution (Rayleigh): 1.99 arc seconds
Resolution (Dawes): 1.66 arc seconds
Light Gathering Power (Compared to human eye): 100 x
Apparent Field of View: 1.4 °
Linear Field of View (@1000 yds): 74 ft (23 m)
Optical Coatings: Fully-Coated
Optical Tube Length: 30 in (762 mm)