If you are looking for a telescope within a 200$ budget, the chances of stumbling upon these telescopes are very high: Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ and Astromaster 114EQ. Both of these telescopes come from the same company called Celestron.

If you are muddled in choosing between these two telescopes, this is the article you want to read. In this article, we will discuss in detail the differences between them and compare them side by side so that you choose the right one for your needs.

Celestron Powerseeker 127EQ vs. Astromaster 114EQ: Comparison Table

Comparing factorPowerSeeker 127EQAstroMaster 114EQ
Dimensions29.92 x 16.73 x 8.46 inches11.02 x 32.28 x 16.73 inches
Weight21.38 lbs (9.7 kg)17 lbs (7.7 kg)
Aperture127 mm (5″)114 mm (4.48”)
Focal length1000 mm (39″)1000 mm (39.37”)
Ease of 
collimation
Very difficult to
collimate because of
being a Bird-jones
type reflector and
absence of center
collimation dot.
Diffcult to collimate
for being a bird-jones
type design.
Viewable objectsMost of the planets
within the solar system
except for
Neptune and Pluto.
Can capture more
light and see more
because having a
bigger aperture.
Most of the planets of
the solar system, like the
127EQ. But smaller
aperture and lower
magnification means
it can’t see as much as
127EQ can.
Eyepieces20mm and 4mm
eyepieces. Usage of
4mm eyepiece is
not recommended
as it tends to distort
focused objects.
20mm and 10mm
eyepieces. Both of
them provides good
magnification and
their usage is
recommended.
MountNormal German
equatorial mount.
Advanced German
equatorial mount.
Suitability for
Astrophotography
Not suitable for
astrophotography.
Suitable for
astrophotography.
Dual purpose
functionality
Not suitable for
terrestrial usage.
Suitable for both
terrestrial and
astronomical usage.
FinderscopeA normal 2✕54
finderscope.
Relatively modern red
dot finderscope.
Magnification250X magnification
with the included 4mm
eyepiece and 50X
magnification with the
20mm eyepiece.
With the 20mm eyepiece
50X magnification and
with the 10mm eyepiece
100X magnification can
be achieved.
PriceUnder 200$Above 200$
Focal ratiof/8f/8.7
DesignBird-Jones Newtonian
reflector.
Bird-Jones Newtonian
reflector.
Barlow lens3 times Barlow lens
included.
No Barlow lens is
included.

Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ

Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ is a Bird-Jones type Newtonian reflector telescope. This telescope is a pretty solid choice for beginners. It comes with a German equatorial mount with a slow-motion altitude rod. It will help in tracking astronomical objects smoothly.

The 127EQ is also portable in shape. So, this telescope will not cause any trouble during transportation. 127EQ comes with a good aperture of 127mm (5″). Because of this, this telescope can provide a detailed and contrasted image of the objects. It comes with two eyepieces. One is 20mm, and the other is 4mm. A 3 times Barlow lens is also provided with this model.


When it comes to magnification, this telescope shines. It has an impressive magnification power of 50X to 250X. All thanks to its respectable 1000mm (39″) focal length. You can increase the magnification up to 3 times increasing it to 750X using the included Barlow lens but doing so is not recommended as it can distort the image of the object.

This telescope has a focal ratio of f/8, which provides a narrow field of vision and good magnification. Hence it is suitable for long-distant planetary observations. On the other hand, it weighs about 23.18lbs or 9.7Kg which places it in the heavier territory.

This telescope raises some red flags if we look at the user reviews. The most concerning of them is the collimation problem that this telescope has. This, being a Bird-Jones type telescope, requires frequent collimation. And there is no center dot to aid the collimation process, making the task very hard for beginners.

Celestron AstroMaster 114EQ

This is an excellent choice for passionate novice stargazers. It also uses a Bird-Jones type Newtonian reflector design. In addition, this telescope has a high-quality German equatorial mount with two dedicated knobs for slow-motion controls. Using the knob, users can fine-tune their adjustments to get a better view of terrestrial and astronomical objects.

This telescope has fully coated glass optics to ensure a better viewing experience. It also ships with a 20mm and a 10mm eyepiece. Sadly, no extra Barlow lens is included in the package. But the telescope features a corrector lens with 2X magnification to serve the Barlow lens’s purpose.



AstroMaster 114EQ comes with 144mm (4.48″) aperture. It can capture a decent amount of light. This telescope also has a focal length of 1000mm (39.37″), but the included bigger eyepieces hinder its magnification capability. It can produce 50X to 100X magnification.

It has a focal ratio of f/8.7, producing a narrow vision field. But it has a lower magnification power, meaning it can be used to observe ground and celestial objects.

The AstroMaster 114EQ is very lightweight. It features a lightweight aluminum frame because it weighs only 17lbs or just above 7.7kg. It makes this telescope very light and easy to carry. AstroMaster 114EQ also comes with a red dot finderscope which makes stargazing easy.

The users reveal many negative aspects of this telescope. The first problem reported by the users is its requirement for frequent collimation. Optics on this telescope gets misaligned very easily. Collimating the telescope can be very bothersome.

Another bad review of this telescope comes from its finderscope. As mentioned above, AstroMaster 114EQ comes with a red dot finderscope. Unfortunately, many users found this scope to be not very helpful. Users also reported the scope using too much battery power, causing them to run out frequently and demanding constant battery change.

The corrector lens that comes with the telescope has default 2X magnification. Which many users found to be troublesome. The solution to this problem is straightforward. By using a .5X Barlow lens, we can reduce the magnification to 1X and resolve the problem.

Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ vs. AstroMaster 114EQ

Optics:

PowerSeeker 127EQ has an aperture of 127mm (5″), and AstroMaster 114EQ has an aperture of 114mm (4.48″) which means 127EQ has a larger aperture. Because of a larger aperture, 127EQ can capture more light and produce a more precise image than 114EQ.

Both 127EQ and 114EQ have the same focal length of 1000mm, but because of having a difference in their eyepieces, their magnification varies by a significant margin. 127EQ can produce a magnification of 50X to 250X using its 20mm and 4mm eyepiece, respectively.

On the other hand, because of having a relatively more significant 20mm and 10mm eyepiece, AstroMaster 114EQ can produce a magnification of just 50X to 100X, which is notably less than what PowerSeeker 127EQ can. That being said, 114EQ can be used for terrestrial observations, too, because of having a lower magnification power. But 127EQ can not be used in terrestrial observations.

The 127EQ has a focal ratio of f/8. But 114EQ has a slightly larger focal ratio of f/8.7. Which makes both of them slow telescopes. Both of them produce a narrow field of vision, but 114 EQ produces an ever so slightly more narrow field of vision because of having a slightly sizeable focal ratio.

Weight:

Both 127EQ and 114EQ trade blows when it comes to weight and portability. AstroMaster 114EQ is very light compared to PowerSeeker 127EQ. Their weight difference is 4.31lbs or about 2 kilograms. But the compact design of 127EQ makes it very easy to travel with.

Finderscope:

The AstroMaster 114EQ comes with a red dot finderscope, which is much better quality than the plastic 5✕24 finderscope that comes with the PowerSeeker 127EQ.

Mount:

PowerSeeker 127EQ has a standard German equatorial mount with a basic slow-motion altitude rod. But the AeroMaster 114EQ has a much more advanced German equatorial mount with two individual slow-motion control knobs.

Final thoughts:

PowerSeeker 127EQ and AstroMaster 114EQ are both very capable telescopes. Both of them have their strong sides. But if you are considering picture quality, then the PowerSeeker 127 is a definite winner.

127EQ, because of having a bigger aperture (127mm), produces a better image and can produce more magnification (up to 250X) thanks to its considerable focal length and small eyepieces. But 114EQ can not produce such a high magnitude of magnification (up to 100X) because of has a smaller focal length. It is also unable to produce as detailed an image as 127EQ because of having a small aperture (114mm).

Regarding transportability, the 114EQ is lighter but has a narrower construction. But the 127 is heavier, having a compact design. 114EQ also has a far better mount than 127EQ. In addition, slow-motion control is much more precise on 114EQ.

AstroMaster 114EQ also features a red dot finderscope, whereas PowerSeeker 127EQ uses an old-fashioned normal 5✕24mm finderscope. So 114EQ is a better option in this sector.

Both the telescopes are hard to collimate. But 127EQ is relatively harder to collimate than 114EQ because of not having a center collimation dot. Also, unlike 127EQ, 114EQ does not come with any Barlow lens.

So which one should you buy?

If you are looking for a good telescope to observe nearby planets, nebula, and galaxies and also want portability, then you should go with the PowerSeeker 127EQ. It also forgives on your wallet as it costs less than 200$. But remember that you need to be very good at collimation to get any decent result out of this telescope.

And if you are looking for a more premium telescope that can serve a dual purpose, that is, can be used for observing terrestrial and extraterrestrial objects, AstroMaster 114EQ is the best choice for you. Admittedly, it is a bit expensive, costing more than 200$ but it can serve its purpose very well.

Hopefully, this article cleared up your confusion about choosing between PowerSeeker 127EQ and AstroMaster 114EQ.

Last update on 2024-11-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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