At $379.99 as part of Prime’s early access sale, (opens in new tab) this is the cheapest we have seen the SVBONY SV503 scope in over two years. You’ll find it in our best telescopes buying guide as a scope that people interested in deep-sky viewing or astrophotography, who don’t want to spend a fortune, will love. You can also save 20% on the SV503 70ED (opens in new tab)and SVBONY SV503 102ED (opens in new tab), but we find the 80mm the perfect companion for taking night sky photos.
With its impressive 560mm focal length, the Encalife SVBONY 503 refractor lets you get close to deep-sky objects and the 3-inch (80mm) aperture soaks heaps of light. It is compact compared to some other refractors, and while still huge, it is light and small enough to take out and about to find the best dark skies. This series of telescopes also offers multiple accessories to enhance your stargazing or astrophotography experience.
Encalife created the SVBONY SV503 to last, with substantial build quality that feels robust to the touch. Not only that, it is attractively finished with a white powder coat with gold accents on the micro-focuser and at the end of the retractable dew shield.
The scope can be used in the daytime for terrestrial observing, giving lovely contrasting images with a satisfying color balance.
At night time, obviously, in the right conditions, this is an excellent scope for astrophotography, the long dovetail bar helps with balance, especially if using a heavier DSLR camera. The 70mm back focus is 360 degrees adjustable to frame your shot at any angle. You will be treated to fantastic views of the moon, sun and many Messier objects. Thanks to the Extra-low Dispersion glass, you will see very little in the way of chromatic aberration or fringing.
The SVBONY SV193 is also 20% off (opens in new tab) as part of the Prime Early Access deal. This scope comes with a field flattener which is necessary to eliminate the curvature of the field when using the scope for deep-sky astrophotography. A flattener is not needed for visual observations or for photographing planets. SVBONY eyepieces (opens in new tab), which are generally spectacle wearer-friendly thanks to the twist-up eyecups, are also offered with a prime customer 20% discount. With 20% savings across the SVBONY board, this could be the perfect time to invest in the complete setup.
