Sky-Watcher N 76/700 Astrolux Review

If you are searching for a "real" telescope on a strict budget, the Sky-Watcher N 76/700 Astrolux is a name that comes up constantly. While its full retail price often hovers just above the 100 euro mark, it is frequently on sale for under €100. At that price point, it is arguably one of the best entry-level options available, offering significantly better views than the plastic "department store" refractors that often frustrate new hobbyists.

More Than Just a "Starter" Tube

The first thing you’ll notice about the Astrolux is the build quality of the tube itself. Unlike cheaper models, this is a rolled steel tube finished in a beautiful glossy black with gold sparkles. But beauty is only skin deep; what matters is the optics. With a 76 mm aperture and a 700 mm focal length ($f/9.2$), the spherical aberration is minimal, leading to surprisingly sharp images for a telescope in this class.

One of the biggest "pro" features here is the inclusion of adjustment screws for collimation. Most small telescopes are glued shut at the factory, but the Astrolux allows you to align the mirrors yourself. This ensures that even after a bumpy car ride, you can keep the telescope performing at its absolute peak—a rare and welcome feature for a budget instrument.

Real-World Performance: What Can You See?

In our testing, the Astrolux 76/700 punch above its weight class. The Moon is the star of the show; at 70x magnification (using the 10 mm eyepiece), the craters and mountain ranges show natural colors with excellent contrast. We were particularly impressed by the internal matting of the tube, which reduces light scattering better than some much larger models.

When it comes to planets, Jupiter reveals its equatorial belts and its four largest moons with ease. Saturn’s rings are clearly visible under steady skies. Even deep-sky objects are within reach: the Pleiades star cluster fits beautifully within the field of view of the 25 mm eyepiece, and the core of the Orion Nebula appears as a distinct, ghostly cloud.

The Trade-offs: Mount and Accessories

To keep the price under €100, Sky-Watcher had to make some compromises. The AZ-1 Alt-Azimuth mount is functional but lightweight. While it is easy to move in all directions, it can be a bit "wobbly" at high magnifications. You will need a steady hand and a bit of patience when focusing at 100x or more.

The included 10 mm and 25 mm Kellner eyepieces are surprisingly good "workhorse" accessories. However, the included 2x Barlow lens is the weak link in the chain—it is un-enlightened (non-coated) and tends to blur the image. For the best experience, we recommend sticking to the eyepieces alone or upgrading to a better Barlow later on.