Meade's 8" LXD75 Schmidt-Newtonian reflector features a strong, motorized German-type equatorial mount with nine movement speeds, as well as a 2.00" focuser to accept 2.00" diagonals, prisms and eyepieces. Having a 2.00" focuser greatly adds to the versatility of the viewing.
The Schmidt-Newtonian telescope design is exclusive to Meade and represents a great breakthrough for those with a burgeoning interest in amateur astronomy. The battle for market share between telescope types has always involved tradeoffs of the size, value and optical quality of the unit. Optical purists usually endure the enormous refractors for their stellar optical quality, beginners often select Newtonian reflectors for their great light gathering capacity per dollar, and those in between often chose the Schmidt-Cassegrain type for its combination of the two attributes.
The Newtonian has always had two large drawbacks, which are that the bright images it produces loses significant optical quality as one moves towards the edge of the field of view and the open design requires a high degree of maintenance. The Schmidt-Newtonian solves both of these problems, offering a much larger usable viewing field thanks to a corrective lens which also seals the unit to prevent the habitual entry of dust, dew and debris. In one fell swoop, the Newtonian's appeal roars back to the forefront.
This version also includes Meade's UHTC Ultra High Transmission Coatings, an important feature to optimize the performance of your Meade telescope. Technologies developed at the Meade Irvine coatings facility have optimized the visual and photographic performance of Meade telescopes. The UHTC coatings, employed upon all optical surfaces, result in a 20% decrease in light loss and a dramatic enhancement in detail of deep space objects.