Best Telescope Finder Scope

Gazing at the stars has been one of the greatest pleasures of mankind for millennia, which is why, thanks to massive technological advancements in recent centuries, telescopes have become very popular and sought-after pieces of equipment. 

However, looking at the night sky through a telescope isn’t always the relaxing, thought-provoking experience one might expect - unless your idea of ‘thought-provoking’ involves wondering why you can’t find anything you’re looking for. 

You see, a significant part of using a telescope is tied up in actually locating the objects or events you want to take a closer look at. Unfortunately, this can be difficult to do through the telescope itself.

This is because telescopes often magnify the part of the sky you’re looking at so much that it can make finding what you want to focus on a slower and more difficult process. 

However, most stars, planets, and celestial events are also quite difficult to pinpoint with the naked eye, especially with precision. 

This is definitely a frustrating issue, but did you know that there’s actually a very easy and often relatively inexpensive way of solving it?

Best Telescope Finder Scope Buying Guide

We feel confident that any of the finderscopes we’ve reviewed in this article will perform well and effectively help you to locate your astral targets for telescopic viewing.

However, we also understand that every astronomer has different objectives and requirements and will be looking for slightly different functions and construction.

Therefore, we’ve put together this buyer’s guide to help you make the right choice based on the features and functions that are the most important to you. 

Aperture

Much like with a full-sized telescope, one of the most important features you can have on a finderscope is a decent aperture. 

The aperture of a finderscope or telescope, for anyone who might be new to telescopic accessories, is expressed as the measurement of the objective lens diameter. This measurement dictates the amount of light that can enter the finderscope.

As is the case with telescopes, finderscopes need to let in enough light so that the images they produce can appear brighter and clearer. In the case of a finderscope, the bright imaging will make for easier and more accurate targeting. 

In order to achieve this, you will need an aperture of at least 30 mm, but preferably more on your finderscope.

The finderscopes we’ve reviewed for this article range in aperture from 40 mm to 60 mm, so you can choose from within this range depending on exactly how much of a priority brightness and clarity through your finderscope is to you. 

Magnification

Before you purchase your finderscope, you will also need to check its magnification rating. 

Some finderscopes do not magnify images at all, which produces a wider field of vision. This is great for actually being able to find what you’re looking for without too much (or any) adjustment, but non-magnifying finderscopes may lack the precision that magnified viewing can offer.

No magnification also means that what you see through the finderscope is consistent and continuous with the sky around the eyepiece, which makes the whole observation and targeting process much more intuitive. 

If you would prefer a magnifying finderscope, you will have to decide what level of magnification you want. Standard magnification for finderscopes is about 8x, although some finderscope models reviewed above magnify 9x, and one even allows for eyepiece replacement so that, as long as you have the appropriate eyepiece to hand, you can control the magnification yourself. 

Image Correctness

Often, lower-quality finderscopes present images upside down due to the layout of their internal construction. 

However, part of the reason why the finderscopes we’ve reviewed are the best is that they don’t reverse or rotate images, so what you see through the finderscope is positioned in the same way as what you will see through the telescope itself. This makes for much more accurate and intuitive targeting. 

Angling and Reticles

The angling and reticles of a finderscope play leading roles in determining how easy and ergonomic the finderscope will be to use. 

First of all, we recommend purchasing a right-angle finderscope if possible. Of course, some astronomers don’t mind a bit of physical exertion as part of their observations, and may even find it helps them to involve themselves more fully.

However, if you’re not keen on having to crouch down or crane your neck every time you need to look into your finderscope, a right-angle model will allow you to look directly into it from a comfortable position. 

Reticles also contribute massively to an astronomer’s ability to use a finderscope efficiently. This is because a reticle pinpoints the exact focus of your lens for better accuracy.

However, some reticles like red dots and crosshairs can unfortunately obscure visibility. This is a problem we have aimed to eliminate through our list of best telescope finderscopes by choosing finderscopes with non-obstructive reticles. 

An illuminated reticle will help to improve overall brightness and visibility through the finderscope and also isn’t as obstructive as standard crosshairs.

Alternatively, you could opt for a slightly different multi-ring illumination structure (more often seen on non-magnifying finderscopes) where each ring represents a different field of vision.

This system allows the user to judge what can be seen currently through the telescope as well as what would be seen through a magnifying finderscope. 

Focusing

Sometimes, finderscopes will double as guider scopes through the use of focusing technology such as helical focusing. 

While a built-in helical focuser isn’t strictly necessary to get good use out of your finderscope, it can certainly help with the accuracy of your focus and allow you to focus more clearly on reference points such as guide stars. 

The rotational ring-style focus adjustment on a helical focuser may prove especially intuitive for astrophotographers to use because it works in much the same way as a camera. 

Mounting and Assembly

Of course, in order to use your finderscope, you will need to mount it to your telescope somehow. This will normally involve the use of mounting brackets and some form of hardware such as thumbscrews, nuts, and bolts.  

Generally speaking, the fewer pieces of hardware the mounting or assembly process requires, the easier the process will be, and the less likely it will be to involve the use of tools.

Minimal screws and bolts will also make the finderscope much easier to detach from the telescope as needed for safer and more practical storage. 

Additional Features

Telescope finderscopes don’t typically come with a lot of additional features or accessories outside of mounting and assembly hardware. 

However, if you’re concerned about keeping your finderscope looking (and functioning) as well as it did out of the box for years to come, it may be worth selecting a finderscope model that comes with protective features such as a dust cover, objective lens cover, and/or protective copper ring.

All of these features can help to keep your lenses or eyepieces in good condition for longer. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I really need a finder scope for my telescope?

A finderscope isn’t strictly a requirement for using a telescope. In fact, many astronomers and sky-watchers regularly or exclusively use their telescopes without finderscopes, with perfectly satisfying results. 

Rather than being a necessity, a telescope finderscope is a tool to make your stargazing endeavors easier and less frustrating.

While you don’t have to have one in order to make your observations worthwhile, using a finderscope is likely to speed up your tracking and targeting process, which is especially useful when you’re trying to focus on moving objects that may travel faster than you can adjust your telescope. 

Ultimately, by investing in a finderscope, you’ll probably save yourself time and energy on your next astronomy mission.