A long focal length folded into a short tube · review
Sarblue's Mak70: a 70 mm Maksutov-Cassegrain with 1000 mm of focal length in a 210 mm aluminum tube, on a slow-motion tripod adjustable from 23 to 56 inches, with 20 mm and 10 mm eyepieces.
Seventy millimeters of aperture and 1000 mm of focal length make f/14.3, a long focal ratio. Long ratios keep simple eyepieces sharp, hide false color, and give high power without very short eyepieces: the supplied 10 mm already gives 100x.
The Maksutov design folds that meter of focal length into a 210 mm aluminum tube, small enough for a backpack. Sarblue describes the coating as high reflectivity and not easy to oxidize.
The tripod adjusts from 23 to 56 inches, from tabletop height to standing height, and has slow-motion control. Sarblue also notes that the tube fits a field tripod with a 3/8 in or 1/4-20 post.
The kit has two eyepieces: 20 mm (50x) and 10 mm (100x). A phone mount with a 1.5x Barlow is included for snapshots of the Moon, and an adjustable 5x24 finder for aiming.
The Moon, planets and double stars from a yard or a campsite. For a smaller and cheaper tabletop kit, see the Sarblue Mak60; for more aperture on a computerized mount, the NexStar 4SE.
On November 7, 2026, Amazon.com listed it at about $180 from a third-party seller.
Figures as Keepa reported them on the day this page was last updated. Stock and pricing shift without warning.
Prices quoted in this text were read on November 7, 2026. The live price is at the top of the page.
Same aisle, closest price — what the same spend else shows.
| Aperture | 70 mm (2.76 in), stated |
|---|---|
| Folded focal length and ratio | 1000 mm (39.4 in) · f/14.3, the quotient of the two published figures |
| Corrector design | Maksutov-Cassegrain · fully multi-coated · high-reflectivity coating stated not to oxidize easily |
| Obstruction | Not published by the maker. |
| Back focus | Not published by the maker. |
| Cool-down guidance | Not published by the maker. |
| Tube weight | Not published · 210 mm (8.27 in) aluminum alloy tube, stated |
| Mount supplied | Slow-motion tripod adjustable from 23 to 56 in · 3/8 in or 1/4-20 threaded post for a field tripod · 20 mm eyepiece (50x) · 10 mm eyepiece (100x) · phone mount with 1.5x Barlow · adjustable 5x24 finder |
| Amazon reference | B0B24QGDYS |
| EAN | 0727380312850 |
50x with the 20 mm and 100x with the 10 mm (1000 / eyepiece). A 70 mm aperture can use about 140x on a steady night; the phone mount's 1.5x Barlow takes the 10 mm to 150x for photos of the Moon.
At 100x a planet crosses the field in under a minute. A slow-motion control keeps it centered with small turns instead of nudges that overshoot.
Yes. Sarblue says the tube attaches to a field tripod with a 3/8 in or 1/4-20 threaded post.
This model is listed on Amazon.com, at ≈ $180 at the last reading. Listed is not the same as in stock: availability changes daily, and the buy box shows the live price.
Details checked on November 7, 2026.
Lunar and planetary detail from a tripod that can be raised to standing height
Listed because the eyepiece or part names this scope.
Specifications: the manufacturer sheet for telescopes and observing optics and the matching Amazon product page. Prices and availability: Keepa. Every figure on this page names its source.
100 mm (3.94 in) Maksutov · 1400 mm (55.1 in) focal length · f/14 · EQ3 equatorial mount
A 100/1400 Maksutov-Cassegrain on an EQ3 equatorial mount, supplied with a 25 mm Plössl eyepiece (56x), a 90° star diagonal and a smartphone holder.
Best for: Moon, planets and double stars from a town, on a mount with real slow-motion controls
≈ $734
102 mm (4 in) Maksutov-Cassegrain · 1325 mm at f/13 · GoTo fork with built-in wedge · 21 lb with tripod
Celestron's NexStar 4SE: a 4-inch Maksutov-Cassegrain with StarBright XLT coatings on a computerized single-arm GoTo mount whose tripod has a built-in wedge, 21 lb with tripod.
Best for: A first computerized telescope for the Moon and planets that can also take short-exposure photos
≈ $649
6-inch (150 mm) Schmidt-Cassegrain · computerized GoTo single-arm mount · 40,000+ objects · SkyAlign
Celestron's NexStar 6SE: a 6-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain on a computerized single-arm GoTo mount with the NexStar+ hand control, a 40,000-object database and SkyAlign.
Best for: Six inches of aperture on a mount that finds things, for an observer who will look rather than photograph
≈ $1,039
