A long focal length folded into a short tube · review
A 127/1500 Maksutov-Cassegrain on the AZ-GTi Wi-Fi GoTo mount, controlled from a phone rather than a handset.
The bottom line A planetary optic and a modern mount in one very small package, on the condition that it goes outside well before it is used.
One hundred and twenty-seven millimetres of aperture, fifteen hundred millimetres of focal length, folded into a tube shorter than most 70 mm refractors. That is f/11.8, which is why this design has a reputation on the Moon and the planets: high magnification comes easily and simple eyepieces behave well.
The AZ-GTi points and tracks in altitude and azimuth under phone control. For visual work that is entirely sufficient. For exposures beyond a few seconds, the field rotates — an inherent property of the geometry, not a fault of the mount, and the reason equatorial wedges exist.
Take it outside early. A closed tube with a thick corrector plate holds the day’s warmth, and the moving air inside spoils the image far more than any optical shortcoming would. An hour before the first target is a reasonable rule.
Weight, payload capacity and what eyepieces are supplied, if any. Three brief bullets is all the advertising offers, and the figures above are everything it publishes.
German, Italian and Spanish Amazon stores ran from 784 € to 791 € on the day of the survey.
British Amazon store lists it in local currency, which the euro range above sets aside.
French Amazon catalogue holds a record for it that nobody is selling.
American Amazon store gave no result whatever, so the buy button there opens a search rather than an empty page.
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 17 September 2026. The live price is at the top of the page.
| Aperture | 127 mm (from the title) |
|---|---|
| Folded focal length and ratio | 1500 mm (from the title) · f/11.8, the quotient of the two figures above |
| Corrector design | Maksutov-Cassegrain |
| 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 by the maker. |
| Mount supplied | AZ-GTi alt-azimuth GoTo with Wi-Fi |
| Amazon reference | B077S3746R (same reference on 5 Amazon marketplaces) |
| EAN | 6970456091133 |
A thick corrector and a closed tube hold warmth, and warm air inside the tube moves. Until the instrument matches the outside temperature, the image boils regardless of the optics. Putting it outside an hour before use is the fix.
The mount makes its own Wi-Fi network, so it does not need an internet connection. What it needs is a charged phone, which is the failure mode to plan for on a cold night.
80 mm Maksutov · T-2 thread and dovetail
A compact 80 mm Maksutov with a coated front lens, a T-2 thread with buffer ring, a finder shoe and a GP dovetail that fits photo tripods and standard mounts.
Best for: A travel optic that doubles as a long lens on a photo tripod
≈ €166
8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain · computerised GoTo fork
An eight-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain on a single-arm computerised fork mount, with a 40 000-object database and the maker’s SkyAlign alignment routine.
Best for: An observer who wants serious aperture that still fits in a car boot
≈ $1499 / £1500 / €1537
100 mm aperture · 1400 mm focal length
A 100/1400 Maksutov on an EQ3 equatorial mount with slow-motion controls on both axes, supplied with a 25 mm Plössl, an erecting prism and a phone holder.
Best for: A compact planetary telescope that also works on landscapes
≈ £341 / €336
