We confidently recommend the SkyWatcher AZ Pronto 120/600 refractor to anyone looking for a telescope that is not only ideal for exploring the night sky, but also well suited for daytime viewing of the surrounding landscape and wildlife observation. Its low weight and compact size ensure easy portability.
With its large 12 cm aperture, it gathers 38% more light than its 10 cm counterpart and also offers higher resolving power. Its fast f/5 focal ratio, wide field of view and substantial objective diameter reveal countless sparkling star clusters and faint galaxies. For astronomical observations, we recommend magnifications of up to approximately 120x. On your very first night, you can see more of the wonders of the night sky than Galileo did in his entire lifetime!
The telescope's light-gathering capability rivals that of a 15 cm Newtonian telescope. When observing deep-sky objects, the image is equally bright, while maintenance is simpler and no collimation is required.
Thanks to its 2" (50.8 mm) focuser, it can also be used with an optional 2" mirror diagonal. With wide-angle eyepieces, it can achieve a field of view up to 8 times larger than the full Moon, making observations of large star clusters and nebulae even more spectacular and enjoyable. The telescope can also be used as a telephoto lens with SLR cameras after obtaining a T2 adapter ring compatible with the camera brand.
In addition to a 45° Amici prism optimised for daytime use, providing an upright and laterally correct image, the package includes 20 mm and 10 mm Photo Barium eyepieces, delivering 30x and 60x magnification. A 2x Barlow lens is an excellent solution for achieving even higher magnifications. The basic package also includes a Star Pointer for easier target acquisition.
The SkyWatcher AZ Pronto mount performs well in two areas. It is excellent for wildlife observation thanks to its stability and smooth movement, while also being ideal for occasional astronomical observations where maximum portability and ease of use are among the most important considerations. The mount has a payload capacity of approximately 3–4 kg when used with short-tube telescopes, which is fully utilised by this setup.
The mount head enables precise movement on both axes using flexible manual slow-motion control cables. The head features a Vixen-compatible dovetail bar clamp. The tripod is lightweight yet sufficiently stable and can be adjusted to suit the observer's height. Its maximum height is 150 cm, which can be increased by a further 21.5 cm with an additional column extension; multiple column extensions can even be joined together!
