Telescope Comparison
Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED + HEQ5 Pro vs Takahashi FS-60CB
The Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED + HEQ5 Pro is a complete setup. The Takahashi FS-60CB needs a mount before it's usable.
First light
Sky-Watcher · 80mm · £690
The automated deep-sky platform
- 80mm refractor on a computerised mount with motorised tracking
- Good for: Moon, planets, bright nebulae, star clusters, and deep-sky objects
- GoTo system finds any object in its database after initial star alignment — no star atlas needed
- Tracking motors keep objects centred as Earth rotates — useful above 100×, essential for photography
- 22.5kg total — requires a fixed garden spot or car transport
Takahashi · 60mm · £729
The custom-rig optical tube
- 60mm refractor — optical tube only, no mount included
- 355mm focal length at f/5.9
- Requires a compatible mount before you can observe anything
- Best for: observers who already own a suitable mount or are building a specific imaging rig
- Not a complete purchase — budget at least £100–300 extra for a mount before observing
The full picture
The numbers that separate these two scopes — and what they mean at the eyepiece.
Aperture
Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED + HEQ5 Pro gathers 1.8× more light. On bright targets — Moon, Saturn, Jupiter — you won't notice. On fainter targets — dim galaxies, faint globular clusters — the gap is real.
Focal length
Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED + HEQ5 Pro's longer focal length reaches higher magnification with the same eyepiece — better reach for planetary detail. Takahashi FS-60CB's shorter focal length gives a wider true field — better for large open clusters and extended nebulae.
Focal ratio
Takahashi FS-60CB's faster f/5.9 delivers wider fields with any eyepiece — better for open clusters and large nebulae. Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED + HEQ5 Pro's f/7.5 provides more magnification per eyepiece — better for fine planetary detail.
Mount type
Takahashi FS-60CB has no mount — add a compatible mount before you can observe. Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED + HEQ5 Pro is a complete ready-to-use system.
Weight (OTA)
Takahashi FS-60CB's optical tube is 1.3kg lighter. Relevant if you plan to use it on multiple mounts or carry the tube to dark-sky sites separately.
Optical design
Both are refractors — no mirrors to collimate, good contrast, colour-free stars with ED or APO glass. The differences between them are in aperture, focal ratio, and glass quality.
At the eyepiece
Sky-Watcher
Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED + HEQ5 Pro
At moderate magnification, Saturn's rings are cleanly separated from the disk. Jupiter shows two equatorial cloud bands and four Galilean moons. The Moon rewards extended sessions at the eyepiece — the terminator is full of crater and highland detail. The Orion Nebula (M42) is bright and structured, the Trapezium straightforward to split. Open clusters are excellent — the Pleiades, the Double Cluster in Perseus, M35 in Gemini. The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) shows a clear bright core. The longer focal ratio gives the sharp, high-contrast images that quality refractors are known for — planetary detail and pinpoint stars with a good eyepiece. The Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED + HEQ5 Pro gathers 1.8× more light than the Takahashi FS-60CB — a difference that's marginal on bright targets but visible on fainter ones: dimmer galaxies, faint globular clusters, and extended nebulosity that sits below the threshold of the smaller aperture.
Takahashi
Takahashi FS-60CB
Saturn's rings are clearly visible as a distinct shape around the planet; Jupiter shows a disc with two cloud bands. The Moon is an excellent target with clear crater and highland detail at moderate power. The Orion Nebula (M42) is visible as a bright, distinct patch with the Trapezium as a tight cluster. Open clusters are a strength — the Pleiades, the Beehive (M44), the Hyades fill a wide-field eyepiece well. The fast focal ratio delivers wide fields — good for large nebulae and extended star fields.
The real tradeoff
Both scopes are capable. The question is which one fits the way you actually observe.
The Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED + HEQ5 Pro is a complete package — everything arrives in one box and you can observe the same day. The Takahashi FS-60CB is a bare optical tube that needs a separate compatible mount before you can point it at anything, adding significant cost and complexity. Unless you already own a suitable mount, the Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED + HEQ5 Pro is the practical choice.
The dark side
Every scope has a personality. Here’s where each one gets difficult.
Sky-Watcher
Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED + HEQ5 Pro
Alignment required every session
GoTo star alignment cannot be skipped — the mount needs to know where it is pointing before it can find objects. This adds several minutes to the start of every session, every time.
Not a spontaneous telescope
At 22.5kg total, this goes out when you plan to go out — not for a quick look on a clear evening.
Takahashi
Takahashi FS-60CB
No mount included
You cannot observe until you buy a separate compatible mount — add at least £100–300 before you have a working telescope.
Nothing to look through on day one
Until a mount arrives, the optical tube is a piece of glass you cannot point at the sky.
Which is right for you?
Two different buyers. Two different right answers.
The automated deep-sky platform
Sky-Watcher · Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED + HEQ5 Pro
You’ll love this if…
- You want to navigate straight to targets without a star atlas — align once and the scope slews to any object in its database on demand
- You observe from a light-polluted garden where star-hopping to faint deep-sky objects would take most of a clear night
- Astrophotography is where you're headed — the tracking equatorial mount is the essential first component of any imaging setup
This will frustrate you if…
- You find the star alignment required at the start of every session frustrating — GoTo alignment cannot be skipped, and several minutes on a cold night before you can observe is the reality
- You want to take it out for spontaneous sessions — at this weight, getting it in and out of a car on your own requires planning and ideally a second pair of hands
The custom-rig optical tube
Takahashi · Takahashi FS-60CB
You’ll love this if…
- You already own a compatible equatorial or alt-az mount — this is the optical tube you've specifically chosen to put on it
- You're building an imaging rig piece by piece and know exactly what you need at the end of a focuser
- Choosing an optical tube independently of the mount gives you more flexibility over your overall system
This will frustrate you if…
- You buy it without fully accounting for the mount — add at least £100–300 to the purchase price before you have a working telescope
- You expected a complete package and didn't realise this is a bare optical tube that cannot be used without a separate mount
Our verdict
This comparison has a catch: the Takahashi FS-60CB is a bare optical tube. You cannot use it without a separate mount — which adds meaningful cost and complexity. The Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED + HEQ5 Pro is a complete, ready-to-observe package.
For most buyers, the Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED + HEQ5 Pro is the right choice — you can observe the same night it arrives. The Takahashi FS-60CB makes sense if you already own a compatible mount, or are deliberately building a specific imaging setup piece by piece. If I had to choose for a first telescope: the Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED + HEQ5 Pro, without hesitation.
Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED + HEQ5 Pro
View Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED + HEQ5 Pro →Takahashi FS-60CB
View Takahashi FS-60CB →Deep field: Full specifications
Every data point, for those who want to go further.
Full specifications
Fields highlighted in blue or amber indicate the better value for that spec. Data is manufacturer-stated and may vary.
How much can it see?
| Spec | Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED + HEQ5 Pro | Takahashi FS-60CB |
|---|---|---|
Apertureⓘ The most important spec — bigger = more light = better views | 80mm | 60mm |
Focal Length Longer = more magnification potential | 600mm | 355mm |
Focal Ratio Lower f-number = wider field of view; higher = more magnification per eyepiece | f/7.5 | f/5.9 |
Optical Design The type of optics — each design has different strengths | Refractor | Refractor |
Coatings Better coatings = more light transmission through the optics | Fully multi-coated ED glass, FMC on all air-to-glass surfaces | Takahashi proprietary fully multi-coated fluorite doublet |
How do you point it?
| Spec | Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED + HEQ5 Pro | Takahashi FS-60CB |
|---|---|---|
Mount Type The mechanical system that holds and moves the telescope | GoTo (Computerised) | None (OTA only) |
GoToⓘ Computer-controlled pointing — finds any of thousands of objects automatically | ||
Trackingⓘ Motor keeps objects centred as the Earth rotates — essential for astrophotography |
The focuser
| Spec | Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED + HEQ5 Pro | Takahashi FS-60CB |
|---|---|---|
Focuser Size 2" accepts wider eyepieces and gives better low-power views | 2" | 1.25" |
Focuser Type Rack-and-pinion is standard; Crayford and dual-speed are smoother | Crayford dual-speed (with 1.25" adapter) | Helical focuser |
Size & weight
| Spec | Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED + HEQ5 Pro | Takahashi FS-60CB |
|---|---|---|
OTA Weightⓘ Optical tube only — useful for comparing mount load capacity | 2.2kg | 0.9kg |
Total Weight Full setup including mount — this is what you lug to the car | 22.5kg | — |
Tube Length | 600mm | 260mm |
Tube Material | Aluminium, white powder coat | Aluminium |
What's in the box?
| Spec | Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED + HEQ5 Pro | Takahashi FS-60CB |
|---|---|---|
Eyepieces Included eyepieces — more is better, but quality matters more than quantity | 25mm Super eyepiece | — |
Finder Scope Helps you locate areas of the sky before switching to the main eyepiece | 8x50 right-angle correct-image finder with illuminated reticle | — |
Diagonal Tilts the eyepiece 90° for comfortable viewing — useful on refractors |
Blue highlight: Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED + HEQ5 Pro advantage · Amber highlight: Takahashi FS-60CB advantage · Greyed cells: equal or subjective.