Best Telescope Finder Scopes of 2025

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Telescope finder scopes are a popular accessory for amateur astronomers. These small, lightweight telescopes are used to help locate objects in the sky before viewing them through the main telescope. They are especially useful for finding faint objects or those located in crowded areas of the sky. Finder scopes can be attached to the main telescope or used independently. They come in a variety of sizes and magnifications to suit different needs and budgets. Some even have illuminated reticles to aid in alignment. Overall, a good finder scope is an essential tool for any amateur astronomer looking to make the most of their telescope.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Top 10 Telescope Finder Scopes
Celestron StarPointer Finderscope
The Celestron StarPointer Finderscope is a simple and low-profile red-dot finderscope that offers easy adjustments for sighting and alignment. This LED-illuminated red-dot pinpoint easily attaches to standard finderscope brackets and is perfect for use with a telescope.
SVBONY Red Dot Finder Scope for Astronomical Telescope
SVBONY Red Dot Finder Scope for Astronomical Telescope is a simple, affordable, and effective red dot sighting device that helps you aim your telescope quickly and easily. It is best suited for Celestron 80EQ SE SLT PS Series and Meade Infinity and Polaris series telescopes. The LED dot is projected onto a non-magnifying viewing window, and the elongated mounting holes make it easy to mount the scope from a distance of approximately 5/8 to 1 inch. Additionally, the top part of the scope can be removed and used as a replacement for many other red dot finders found on Skywatcher and Celestron telescopes. The device also has variable brightness levels to adjust as per your need.
SVBONY Finder Scope 5x24 for Astronomy Telescope
The SVBONY Finder Scope 5x24 is a secondary scope designed to help you easily locate objects in your main telescope. With 3 thumb screws, you can make precise XY adjustments for accurate alignment. It comes with a low power magnification of 5x24, a glossy black metallic finish, and a cross hair reticle for clear viewing. The kit also includes a mounting bracket and dust caps, which fit any telescope optical tubes, and protects against dust and fingerprints. The curved base with two holes attaches to the telescope tube with bolts or screws, ensuring that the bracket will not slide into a dovetail base. Overall, the SVBONY Finder Scope 5x24 is a convenient accessory that makes it easier to find stars and other celestial objects.
SVBONY SV106 Guide Scope
The SVBONY SV106 Guide Scope is a versatile 60mm aperture guide scope, perfect for astrophotographers looking to capture higher quality astrophotos. It features a built-in helical focuser for precise focusing of potential guide stars, which can also double as a straight-through finder scope with an optional 1.25" eyepiece installed. The focuser has 8mm of precise helical focus travel and features male T-threads on the focuser collar for secure threaded attachment of guide cameras equipped with female T-threads. Additionally, the telescoping drawtube housing provides up to 35mm of additional back-travel if needed for your particular autoguider device, making it an ideal addition to any astrophotographer's collection of gear.
SVBONY SV182 Finderscope for Astronomy Telescope
The SVBONY SV182 Finderscope is an essential tool for any stargazer. With a 30mm wide aperture and strong light gathering capabilities, it allows you to see even the faintest objects in the sky. Its appropriate 120mm focal length, powerful 6x crosshair reticles, and prism steering system make it easy to line up your target and get a clear, bright image. The 90-degree right angle design ensures a comfortable observation angle and eliminates the need for neck twisting. Its fully multi coated lens coating improves light transmission and provides a sharp, clear view of the night sky.
Astromania 9x50 Angled Finder Scope
The Astromania 9x50 Angled Finder Scope is an excellent addition to any telescope, providing a comfortable 90° viewing angle that eliminates the need to strain your neck at difficult angles. With a 50mm objective lens diameter and achromatic optics, it delivers a bright, true-to-life image at 9x magnification. Additionally, the multi-coated optical surfaces prevent irritating reflections, making your search for objects much more comfortable and efficient. You'll also be able to locate a larger number of stars, which is a big plus for identifying objects that are not so easy to find. The finder scope is easy to focus and fits most telescopes, with adjustment of alignment via two screws and spring.
Celestron Illuminated RACI Finder Scope
Upgrade your telescope's stock finderscope with the Celestron Illuminated RACI Finder Scope. Its 50mm lens provides bright, sharp images with a magnification of 9X and a 5º apparent field of view. The right-angle, correct-image design facilitates intuitive aiming and pointing. The double-crosshair reticle etched in the eyepiece ensures pinpoint accuracy. An illuminator lights up the crosshair with a soft, red glow, and the illumination can be easily adjusted or turned off. The finder is easy to install with its dovetail bracket.
Telrad Finder Sight
The Telrad Finder is designed to make aiming a telescope as simple as possible. You will appreciate how the view through its window aligns seamlessly with the night sky, allowing for a natural and intuitive experience. Unlike traditional finders, it does not magnify or invert the image, ensuring you see the stars just as they appear. This feature helps you quickly locate celestial objects without confusion. Overall, the Telrad Finder enhances your stargazing sessions, making it easier to connect with the universe around you.
Astromania Finder Deluxe Telescope Reflex Sight
The Astromania Reflex Sight is a non-magnifying reflex sight designed to make aiming your telescope easier and more accurate than ever, day or night. It features a large viewing window and four different aiming reticle patterns to choose from, as well as five brightness levels of red or green light. The reflex sight includes horizontal and vertical fine-adjustment set-screws that allow precise alignment with the telescope and a dovetail finder bracket that fits most telescopes. With this reflex sight, you can easily aim your telescope at night or during the day, thanks to the small red or green LED reticle pattern projected onto the viewing window. The reticle selector knob allows you to select the reticle you desire, and you can set the intensity at the best position for you. Each click adjustment moves the point of impact by 1 MOA, approximately 1" at 100 yds, 1/2" at 50 yds.
SVBONY Red Dot Finderscope for Celestron
The SVBONY Red Dot Sight is designed to enhance your stargazing experience. With its adjustable red LED dot, you can easily align your telescope, making it perfect for both day and night use. The thumbwheels allow you to fine-tune the dot's position both horizontally and vertically, ensuring precise targeting of celestial objects. Plus, you can adjust the brightness to match your surroundings, giving you flexibility in various lighting conditions. This user-friendly sighting device is compatible with several Celestron telescope models, making it a versatile addition to your astronomical equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Do you need a finder scope on a telescope?
Yes, a finder scope is essential for a telescope. It is a mini telescope attached to the main telescope tube that offers a wider field of view, typically 3-10 degrees. With a finder scope, you can easily locate objects in the sky and navigate your telescope more effectively.
2. What is a reasonable magnification for a very good telescope?
A reasonable magnification for a high-quality telescope depends on its aperture. Typically, a highest useful power of about 200x to 240x is achievable with an 8" scope on an average night. For a 4" scope, it would be around 100x to 120x. The optimal magnification for observing globular clusters and smaller nebulas is about 12x to 15x per inch of aperture, while 8x per inch of aperture is recommended for finding galaxies and observing large nebulas.
3. How do you align a telescope without a finder scope?
Aligning a telescope without a finder scope can be done by roughly pointing the scope in the right direction, then leaning down so one eye is right behind the telescope. Adjust the altitude setting until the object is just in view above the scope, and then adjust the azimuth while looking at the star above the telescope. This method requires some rough estimation and adjustment to align the telescope manually.
4. Can you focus a finder scope?
Yes, most achromatic finder scopes have an adjustment ring that allows you to focus the image for your eyesight. Focusing is achieved by moving the objective (front) lens in or out using the knurled ring near the front of the finder.
5. How do you match a guide scope to a main scope?
The ideal ratio for matching a guide scope to a main scope is historically about 1/3 of the focal length of the primary imaging telescope. This means that the focal length of the guide scope should be approximately one-third of the focal length of the main telescope. This ratio helps ensure proper guiding and tracking when using a guide scope with a main telescope for astrophotography or precise observations.
During our telescope finder scope research, we found 16 telescope finder scope products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 19,356 customer reviews through our big data system to write the telescope finder scopes list. We found that most customers choose telescope finder scopes with an average price of $35.53.
The telescope finder scopes are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of telescope finder scopes, including Celestron, SVBONY, Astromania, TELRAD. The seller of top 1 product has received honest feedback from 385 consumers with an average rating of 4.7.

Alan Eaton is a seasoned writer whose expertise is in anything related to electronics, such as headphones, monitoring equipment, computer, and so on, built over a 15-year career in the technology industry. Working in the trade during his youth, he accumulated a great deal of knowledge about machinery.