Telescope Comparison
Sky-Watcher Explorer 150PL vs Sky-Watcher Quattro 150P
The Sky-Watcher Explorer 150PL is a complete setup. The Sky-Watcher Quattro 150P needs a mount before it's usable.
First light
Sky-Watcher · 150mm · £249
The sky-learner's equatorial scope
- 150mm newtonian reflector on a manual equatorial mount
- Good for: Moon, planets, bright star clusters and nebulae
- Setup includes rough polar alignment before observing — more steps than a simple alt-az
- Mount axes feel counterintuitive at first; users find they become natural after several sessions
- Keeps the door open for adding tracking motors and moving into astrophotography later
Sky-Watcher · 150mm · £399
The custom-rig optical tube
- 150mm newtonian reflector — optical tube only, no mount included
- 750mm focal length at f/5
- 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
Equal light-gathering. Aperture won't settle this comparison — the mount, focal ratio, and observing experience are what differ.
Focal length
Sky-Watcher Explorer 150PL's longer focal length reaches higher magnification with the same eyepiece — better reach for planetary detail. Sky-Watcher Quattro 150P's shorter focal length gives a wider true field — better for large open clusters and extended nebulae.
Focal ratio
Sky-Watcher Quattro 150P's faster f/5 delivers wider fields with any eyepiece — better for open clusters and large nebulae. Sky-Watcher Explorer 150PL's f/8 provides more magnification per eyepiece — better for fine planetary detail.
Mount type
Sky-Watcher Quattro 150P has no mount — add a compatible mount before you can observe. Sky-Watcher Explorer 150PL is a complete ready-to-use system.
Weight (OTA)
Similar optical tube weight. Any portability difference between these setups comes from the mount, not the tube itself.
Optical design
Both are Newtonian reflectors — the same optical formula. Any performance difference comes from collimation quality, focal ratio, and eyepiece choice, not the design itself.
At the eyepiece
| Target | Sky-Watcher Explorer 150PL | Sky-Watcher Quattro 150P |
|---|---|---|
| Planets | ||
| Moon | Excellent 150mm aperture and f/8 focal ratio reward high-magnification lunar detail — craterlets, rilles, and shadow play along the terminator are superb. | Excellent 150mm aperture delivers crisp lunar detail; the f/5 focal ratio is less forgiving at high magnification but still rewards visual observation |
| Saturn | Excellent 150mm aperture and 1200mm focal length put Cassini Division and cloud banding within reach in steady seeing. | Good 150mm resolves rings and Cassini Division; 750mm focal length falls short of the 1000mm+ ideal for high-magnification planetary detail |
| Jupiter | Excellent Multiple cloud belts, the Great Red Spot, and Galilean moon shadows are visible at 150–200x. | Good Cloud belts, GRS, and Galilean moons visible; faster focal ratio demands quality eyepieces for clean high-power views |
| Mars | Good 150mm aperture shows the polar cap and dark surface markings near opposition — benefits from the long focal length for scale. | Good 150mm aperture shows polar caps and major albedo features near opposition; limited focal length constrains useful magnification |
Deep sky | ||
| Orion Nebula (M42) | Good Bright core and Trapezium are striking, but the 1200mm focal length crops the outer nebulosity compared to a wider-field scope. | Excellent 150mm aperture and wide f/5 field frame the full nebula with surrounding running man region — superb both visually and for imaging |
| Andromeda Galaxy (M31) | Moderate Bright core is easy, but the galaxy's full extent far exceeds the narrow field — only the central region is visible. | Excellent 750mm focal length captures the full extent of M31 on an APS-C sensor; visually the core and dust lanes are evident |
| Open clusters | Moderate Larger clusters like the Double Cluster overfill the field at 1200mm; smaller, compact clusters fare better. | Excellent Wide field at 750mm frames large clusters like the Double Cluster and Pleiades beautifully |
| Globular clusters | Good 150mm begins to resolve stars at the edges of M13 and M22 — a clear step up from smaller apertures. | Good 150mm begins to resolve outer stars in M13 and M22; core remains granular rather than fully resolved |
| Faint galaxies | Good 150mm gathers enough light to detect many Messier and brighter NGC galaxies, though detail is limited. | Good 150mm gathers enough light for many NGC galaxies; imaging with stacked exposures reveals detail well beyond what's visible at the eyepiece |
| Milky Way / wide field | Not recommended 1200mm focal length gives far too narrow a field for sweeping Milky Way star fields. | Good 750mm focal length gives rich star fields but is narrower than the sub-400mm ideal for true Milky Way sweeps |
Other | ||
| Double stars | Excellent 150mm aperture and f/8 focal ratio produce clean, high-contrast Airy discs — resolves pairs down to about 0.8 arcseconds. | Good 150mm resolves sub-arcsecond pairs in theory, but the f/5 focal ratio is less forgiving than long focal ratio refractors for clean splitting |
| Astrophotography (planetary) | Good 150mm aperture and 1200mm focal length suit webcam planetary imaging; the optional RA motor drive is strongly recommended to reduce drift. | Good 150mm provides decent planetary image scale; a 2× Barlow brings effective focal length to 1500mm which helps, but no mount is included |
| Astrophotography (deep sky) | Not applicable | Not recommended No mount or tracking included — the OTA is designed for deep-sky imaging but requires a separately purchased equatorial mount to function as an astrograph |
| Emission nebulae (wide-field imaging) | Not applicable | Excellent The f/5 speed and 750mm focal length are ideal for large emission targets like the Rosette, Veil, and North America Nebulae when paired with a suitable mount and narrowband filters |
The real tradeoff
Both scopes are capable. The question is which one fits the way you actually observe.
Sky-Watcher Explorer 150PL
- You'll spend your observing session at the eyepiece chasing planetary and lunar detail — Saturn's Cassini Division and Jupiter's Great Red Spot are within reach at native magnification, so you rarely need a Barlow and can start observing immediately after cooling.
- You'll align the equatorial mount once, then use slow-motion controls to keep high-magnification targets centred while you swap eyepieces and increase power — this rhythm rewards patience and teaches you how an EQ mount actually works.
- You'll accept a narrow field of view as the trade for high contrast and native magnification — the Orion Nebula's bright core pops beautifully, but you won't frame the full extent of it, and open clusters often overfill your field.
Sky-Watcher Quattro 150P
- You'll spend your observing session setting up cameras, coma correctors, and mounts — the Quattro is a bare OTA, so a single night outdoors means budgeting for £400–£1000+ in ancillary gear before you capture your first photon.
- You'll frame wide nebulae and galaxy groups in their entirety on an APS-C sensor and collect data over hours of unattended exposures — narrowband imaging of the Rosette or North America Nebula is where this scope justifies its fast f/5 ratio.
- You'll collimate more frequently and more critically than with the 150PL because the fast focal ratio is unforgiving of misalignment — a laser collimator isn't optional, and each observing session demands you verify your optics are true.
The dark side
Every scope has a personality. Here’s where each one gets difficult.
Sky-Watcher
Sky-Watcher Explorer 150PL
The EQ3-2 mount is marginal for the long 150PL tube — wind and vibration cause noticeable shake at high magnification, especially on breezy nights.
No motor drive is included, so objects drift out of view at high power and you'll spend significant time correcting drift via slow-motion controls rather than observing.
The 1.2-metre tube is awkward to store, transport, and balance on the mount compared to shorter Newtonians, and the supplied 6×30 finder is small and dim — most users immediately want to upgrade to a red-dot or Telrad.
Sky-Watcher
Sky-Watcher Quattro 150P
Ships as a bare OTA only — you must separately budget for a mount, coma corrector, and imaging accessories, which together often cost several times the OTA's purchase price.
Fast f/5 focal ratio produces significant coma at the field edges without a dedicated coma corrector, which is not optional for imaging and adds cost and complexity.
Collimation is required regularly and is more critical at f/5 than with slower Newtonians — a laser collimator is strongly recommended, and misalignment directly degrades image quality in a way that visual observers can tolerate but imagers cannot.
Which is right for you?
Two different buyers. Two different right answers.
The sky-learner's equatorial scope
Sky-Watcher · Sky-Watcher Explorer 150PL
You'll love the 150PL if you want to observe planetary and lunar detail at high magnification on a modest budget, enjoy learning equatorial mounts without the complexity of GoTo, and are content with a narrow field of view in exchange for high contrast and native magnification — you're happy to spend a clear night at the eyepiece splitting double stars and tracking Saturn's rings. This isn't for you if you want wide-field deep-sky views, astrophotography beyond snapshots, or grab-and-go observing sessions where setup time cuts into your night.
The custom-rig optical tube
Sky-Watcher · Sky-Watcher Quattro 150P
You'll love the Quattro 150P if you're committed to deep-sky astrophotography, have the budget and patience to assemble a complete imaging setup around a bare OTA, and want to frame large nebulae and galaxy groups on an APS-C sensor with short exposure times — you're comfortable with polar alignment, guiding, and narrowband workflows. This isn't for you if you want a ready-to-use scope, prefer visual-only observing (a Dobsonian would serve you better), or are a beginner who hasn't yet mastered equatorial mount skills and image acquisition.
Our verdict
This comparison has a catch: the Sky-Watcher Quattro 150P is a bare optical tube. You cannot use it without a separate mount — which adds meaningful cost and complexity. The Sky-Watcher Explorer 150PL is a complete, ready-to-observe package.
For most buyers, the Sky-Watcher Explorer 150PL is the right choice — you can observe the same night it arrives. The Sky-Watcher Quattro 150P 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 Explorer 150PL, without hesitation.
Sky-Watcher Explorer 150PL
View Sky-Watcher Explorer 150PL →Sky-Watcher Quattro 150P
View Sky-Watcher Quattro 150P →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 Explorer 150PL | Sky-Watcher Quattro 150P |
|---|---|---|
Aperture The most important spec — bigger = more light = better views | 150mm | 150mm |
Focal Length Longer = more magnification potential | 1200mm | 750mm |
Focal Ratio Lower f-number = wider field of view; higher = more magnification per eyepiece | f/8 | f/5 |
Optical Design The type of optics — each design has different strengths | Newtonian Reflector | Newtonian Reflector |
Coatings Better coatings = more light transmission through the optics | Parabolic primary mirror with multi-coated optics | Parabolic primary mirror, fully multi-coated |
How do you point it?
| Spec | Sky-Watcher Explorer 150PL | Sky-Watcher Quattro 150P |
|---|---|---|
Mount Type The mechanical system that holds and moves the telescope | Equatorial | 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 Explorer 150PL | Sky-Watcher Quattro 150P |
|---|---|---|
Focuser Size 2" accepts wider eyepieces and gives better low-power views | 1.25" | 2" |
Focuser Type Rack-and-pinion is standard; Crayford and dual-speed are smoother | Rack and pinion | Dual-speed Crayford (10:1 reduction) |
Size & weight
| Spec | Sky-Watcher Explorer 150PL | Sky-Watcher Quattro 150P |
|---|---|---|
OTA Weightⓘ Optical tube only — useful for comparing mount load capacity | 5.1kg | 4.6kg |
Total Weight Full setup including mount — this is what you lug to the car | 14kg | — |
Tube Length | 900mm | — |
Tube Material | Steel | Steel |
What's in the box?
| Spec | Sky-Watcher Explorer 150PL | Sky-Watcher Quattro 150P |
|---|---|---|
Eyepieces Included eyepieces — more is better, but quality matters more than quantity | 25mm and 10mm Kellner | — |
Finder Scope Helps you locate areas of the sky before switching to the main eyepiece | 6x30 optical finder scope | — |
Diagonal Tilts the eyepiece 90° for comfortable viewing — useful on refractors |
Blue highlight: Sky-Watcher Explorer 150PL advantage · Amber highlight: Sky-Watcher Quattro 150P advantage · Greyed cells: equal or subjective.