SVBony
SVBony MK105 Maksutov-Cassegrain
The middle Maksutov, and the one that balances best. Enough aperture for the planets to hold real detail, still light enough for a modest mount, and cheap enough to be a second telescope rather than a commitment.
79/ 100
Aperture
105mm
Focal Length
1365mm
Focal Ratio
f/13
Mount Type
None (OTA only)
Optical Design
Maksutov-Cassegrain
Weight
2.19 kg
From$308.69
Lowest in 90 days
Price tracked by PolarisObserved 43 timesTracking since Sep 2026
01What it's good atWhat it's best at — and the trade-offs.
105 mm gathers about 35 percent more light than a 90 mm Maksutov, which is the difference between seeing Jupiter's belts and seeing detail within them.
01What it's good at
What it's best at — and the trade-offs.
105 mm gathers about 35 percent more light than a 90 mm Maksutov, which is the difference between seeing Jupiter's belts and seeing detail within them.
Best at
✓105 mm gathers about 35 percent more light than a 90 mm Maksutov, which is the difference between seeing Jupiter's belts and seeing detail within them.
✓1365 mm of focal length gives 136x with a 10 mm eyepiece, so useful planetary magnification arrives without a Barlow in the train.
✓At 2.19 kilograms it still rides on a modest alt-azimuth or equatorial head rather than demanding a heavy mount.
✓An M42 T-thread on the back means a camera bolts straight on for lunar and planetary imaging with no adapter puzzle.
Trade-offs
!At f/13 the widest possible true field is around half a degree, so large open clusters and nebulae are out of reach.
!Twenty to thirty minutes of cooldown is required before the image settles, every session.
!105 mm is still modest aperture for deep sky, so the target list is genuinely narrow.
!OTA only, and a mount steady enough for 136x costs more than the tube.
02In plain EnglishWhat These Numbers Mean
105mm · f/13 · 1365mm FL
02In plain English
What These Numbers Mean
105mm · f/13 · 1365mm FL
Aperture
105 mm
Aperture sets both how much light you collect and how fine a detail you can resolve. At 105 mm the theoretical resolution is about 1.1 arcseconds, which is finer than the atmosphere usually allows, meaning this telescope is limited by the sky rather than by itself on most nights. That is the mark of a well matched planetary instrument.
Focal length
1365 mm
Long focal length is what a Maksutov trades its field of view for, and for planets it is exactly right. A 10 mm eyepiece yields 136x and an 18 mm gives 76x, so the useful planetary range is covered by ordinary eyepieces with no Barlow. The same number means the widest field you can achieve is about half a degree, roughly the size of the Moon.
Focal ratio
f/13
This is the specification that defines the telescope's personality. Slow optics mean a dim, narrow field, which is unhelpful for nebulae and irrelevant for planets. It also means the telescope is very forgiving of eyepiece quality, since a slow beam is easy to correct, so inexpensive eyepieces perform well here where they would struggle at f/5.
Optical design
Maksutov-Cassegrain
A thick meniscus corrector and two mirrors fold 1365 mm of light path into a 377 mm tube. The sealed design never needs collimation and keeps dust out, which is why Maksutovs stay sharp for decades with no maintenance. The central obstruction costs a little contrast against a refractor of the same aperture, and the thick corrector is why cooldown takes so long.
Weight
2.19 kg
Weight decides what mount you need, and a mount is usually the larger part of the budget. At just over two kilograms this sits comfortably on a mid-range alt-azimuth or a small equatorial, both of which cost far less than the mount a 127 mm Maksutov or a 4 inch refractor would demand.
Cooldown
20 to 30 minutes
The thick front corrector holds heat, and until it has released it the air currents inside the tube smear fine detail. Put the telescope outside well before you plan to look through it. A Maksutov judged in its first ten minutes outdoors will always seem disappointing, and this is the most common misdiagnosis new owners make.
03The Polaris ScoreHow it scores, and why.
79/100 · #4 of 8 Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes
03The Polaris Score
How it scores, and why.
79/100 · #4 of 8 Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes
79/ 100
SVBony MK105 Maksutov-Cassegrain
#4 of 8 Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes
Performance78
Ease of use82
Portability92
Upgrade potential70
Polaris weighs optical capability, how easy the scope is to live with, how portable it is, and how far it takes you before you outgrow it — not list price or brand.
04Who it's forAn honest fit check.
A planetary and lunar observer who wants sharp high-power views without a large telescope.
04Who it's for
An honest fit check.
A planetary and lunar observer who wants sharp high-power views without a large telescope.
Buy it if you
✓A planetary and lunar observer who wants sharp high-power views without a large telescope.
✓Someone who already owns a wide-field refractor and wants the opposite instrument to sit beside it.
✓Planetary imagers, where a long native focal length and a small sensor camera are a natural pairing.
Look elsewhere if you
!Deep-sky observers, since f/13 and 105 mm together produce a narrow, dim field that suits almost nothing faint.
!Anyone wanting a single do-everything telescope, for which a 6 or 8 inch Dobsonian is a far better answer at similar money.
!Beginners who need a complete package, since this is an optical tube with no mount, tripod, diagonal or eyepieces.
05Build your rigWhat to buy next — and where it leads.
7 pieces of gear, ordered by what changes the view most
05Build your rig
What to buy next — and where it leads.
7 pieces of gear, ordered by what changes the view most
Recommended upgrades
A sharper everyday view★ Top pickSVBony SV190 Ultra Flat Field 10mm
136x, the planetary power this tube is built for, from an eyepiece that is comfortable to stay at.
$49.99View details →
A sharper everyday viewSVBony SV190 Ultra Flat Field 18mm
76x for finding targets and for the Moon whole, which the 10mm cannot frame.
$80.09View details →
Tame lunar glareGSO Moon Filter 13pct 1.25-inch
105mm gathers enough light that the full Moon at 136x is uncomfortably bright without one.
$11.95View details →
Imaging path
Better tracking & light imagingCelestron Advanced VX (AVX) Equatorial Mount✓ Compatible
$1,099View details →
Portable astrophotographyZWO AM5N Harmonic Equatorial Mount✓ Compatible
$2,299View details →
Permanent-setup astrophotographySky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro✓ Compatible
$2,250View details →
Start imagingZWO ASI662MC
$199View details →
06The numbersFull specifications.
6 measured and stated values
06The numbers
Full specifications.
6 measured and stated values
Optics
Optical DesignMaksutov-Cassegrain
Aperture105mm
Focal Length1365mm
Focal Ratiof/13
Mount & drive
Mount TypeNone (OTA only)
Physical
Weight2.19 kg
07AlternativesFor a different goal, start here.
2 alternatives, each mapped to the goal it wins at
07Alternatives
For a different goal, start here.
2 alternatives, each mapped to the goal it wins at
More aperture
→SVBony MK127 Maksutov-Cassegrain
127 mm and 1500 mm for brighter, more detailed planets, at 2.9 kilograms and a heavier mount requirement.
Smaller and lighter
→SVBony MK90 Maksutov-Cassegrain
Half the price and 1.4 kilograms, for travel where every gram counts and aperture is negotiable.
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Community
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