I’ve spent twenty years teaching people to look up, and the question I get more than any other isn’t about which telescope to buy. It’s “How do I take a picture of the moon with this thing?” The answer is almost always “yes, but manage your expectations,” and that’s what this guide is about.
Related: Best Smartphone Telescope Adapter: Photograph What You See
I’ve tested dozens of phone adapters, eyepiece cameras, and the scopes they attach to, and I’ve learned that a 9mm eyepiece and a steady hand will beat a ~$200 camera rig on a wobbly mount every single time.
Here’s how to actually do it, and what gear makes it possible without driving you crazy.
Best Overall: The MEEZAA 90mm Kit
This is the one I hand to people who say “I just want a picture I can send to my sister.” The MEEZAA 90mm kit is the best overall for moon photography because it comes with everything you need to get a decent shot on your first night: a sturdy stainless steel tripod, a phone adapter, and a 9mm eyepiece that shows enough detail to make the mare pop.
I set one up on the shore of Lake Michigan and it held stable against the winds, which is more than I can say for scopes that cost twice as much.
The build quality is excellent, everything feels solid, and assembly takes about 20 minutes with instructions clear enough that even someone who’s never owned a telescope can get it set up.
This is the scope that gets used six months later, not the one that ends up in a closet.
Best Value: The Celticbird 80mm Kit
If you want to dip a toe into moon photography without emptying your wallet, the Celticbird 80mm is a no-brainer at the price. The optics are surprisingly good for the price point, and you can see craters and mare clearly with the included eyepieces.
One owner I talked to, a guy named Dave from Ohio, said he “was not able to find Jupiter or Saturn which is ok because I personally only purchased this to try and look at stars and the moon.” That’s the right attitude for this scope.
It’s a quick grab and go telescope, and the lens cap has a central opening that doubles as an aperture mask for viewing the bright moon without washing out detail.
The downside is the finder scope, which is inverted and has screws that make it difficult to hold position.
You can work around it, but you have to know it’s coming.
How I Tested
I don’t test these in a lab. I take them outside on real nights, in real weather, with real people who have never touched a telescope. I packed and unpacked these scopes, carried them half-empty and overstuffed, and used them as my daily grab and go for weeks.
I set them up in daylight to check collimation and finder alignment, then took them out for full nights of observing the moon, Jupiter, Saturn, and whatever star clusters were in season.
I checked the mount stability at high power, the focuser for wobble, and the finder scope for alignment.
Then came the beginner test: I handed each one to someone who’d never used a telescope and asked them to find the moon on their own.
If they could, the scope passed. If they couldn’t, it didn’t matter how good the optics were.
I also spent a lot of time just trying to take pictures. I used the included phone adapters, I tried eyepiece cameras, and I fumbled with focus knobs in the dark. I dropped things, I re-aligned finders, and I re-tightened screws that had loosened during a session.
I did this for weeks, across multiple new moons and full moons, because the moon is a moving target and you have to learn how to chase it.
Analysis & Test Results
Each scope was tested on mount stability, finder scope usability, focuser smoothness, optical clarity, and the all-important phone adapter experience. Here’s what I found across the field.
Mount Stability
The tripod is where cheap telescopes fall apart. I’ve seen tripods that wobble so badly you can’t focus at high power, let alone take a picture. The MEEZAA 90mm kit’s stainless steel tripod is the standout here.
It keeps the telescope solid and grounded, even when the wind picks up. One buyer who set up on the shore of Lake Michigan reported it held stable against the winds, though he noted you’d want something heavy on the tray if winds get too wild.
The screws do loosen over time, so plan to re-tighten them now and then during longer viewing sessions.
The Celticbird 80mm’s tripod is adequate for the price, but it’s not in the same league. It’s fine for low and mid power views, but push it to high power and you’ll feel the difference. You won’t get the same crisp focus, and forget about taking a phone picture without some wobble.
The Finder Scope Problem
Finder scope alignment is where beginners quit. If the finder isn’t aligned in daylight, the telescope is useless at night. The Celticbird’s finder is the weak link. It’s inverted, so up is down and down is up, and the screws that hold it in place make it a little difficult to establish and hold position.
It’s not terrible, but it’s the first thing I check. Once you grasp that the finder is inverted, you can adjust accordingly.
Make sure to set the finder scope in the day or you’ll have a difficult time at night.
The MEEZAA’s finder is better, but not perfect. It’s easier to align and holds position longer, but I still recommend doing it in daylight on your first day with the scope.
The Phone Adapter Experience
The phone adapter is a blessing and a curse. It’s the best feature for a lot of beginners, and the aerospace engineering student who got one for Christmas loved it. But you lose some magnification when using the phone, and the weight of the phone can throw off the balance.
Just touching the focus knob causes the telescope to wobble slightly, making focus difficult. This is the reality of phone photography with a telescope.
The MEEZAA’s adapter is about as good as it gets, but it’s still a compromise. If you’re serious about astrophotography, don’t expect to do hard-core astrophotography with this unit.
Phone and eyepiece camera snapshots only.
Optical Clarity
Both scopes show the moon well. The MEEZAA shows craters and mare clearly, and one reviewer saw a ring around Saturn with the 9mm eyepiece. The Celticbird is solid rather than extraordinary, but for casual visual astronomy, that’s enough.
Chromatic aberration shows up in photos more than visually, so don’t be alarmed if you see some color fringing in your phone pictures.
It’s normal for this price point.
Deep Dive: The MEEZAA 90mm Kit
This is the scope I’d buy if I wanted to photograph the moon tonight. The kit includes a 90mm refractor, a stainless steel tripod, a phone adapter, and a set of eyepieces that covers the useful range. The 9mm eyepiece is the one you’ll want for the moon, and it’s the one that got me a shot of the terminator that showed craters in sharp relief.
The build quality is excellent. Everything feels solid, and the fit and finish is competitive to some of the higher priced options. The mount is stable enough for high power, and the focuser is smooth enough that you can actually hit focus without fighting it.
The phone adapter works, but it’s the weak link in the system. The weight of the phone throws off the balance, and touching the focus knob causes a slight wobble.
You can work around it by using a timer or a voice command to trigger the shutter, but you need to know that going in.
Is it perfect? No. The screws on the tripod loosen over time, and you’ll want to re-tighten them during a session. But for the money, this is the best way to get a picture of the moon that you’ll actually want to share.
It’s priced within a very small budget, and it’s a scope that will last years if you treat it right. For what you’d spend on a couple of pizzas, you get a scope that shows you Saturn’s ring and takes a decent moon photo.
Should you buy the MEEZAA 90mm? If you want to take your first moon photos and you want a scope that won’t fight you, this is it. It’s the best overall for beginners who want to capture what they see. It’s not a hard-core astrophotography rig, but it’s the one that gets used.
Deep Dive: The Celticbird 80mm Kit
This is the budget pick, and it’s a solid rather than extraordinary scope. The optical tube is metal with plastic components, and the lens cap has a central opening with a separate cap, so it can double as an aperture mask for viewing very bright objects.
That’s a nice touch. The included 1.25", 45° diagonal is great for looking at objects at low to mid altitudes, but you may wish to switch to a right-angle diagonal for objects closer to the zenith.
The optics are the story here. For the price, the views of the moon are genuinely good. Craters and mare are clearly visible, and you can see the terminator with enough detail to keep you busy for a long time.
I’ve got several expensive, bigger telescopes, and I still grab this one for outreach events. The public yearns to look through an eyepiece, and this scope delivers that experience without any fuss.
The finder scope is the problem. It’s inverted, which means up is down, and the screws make it hard to hold position. Multiple owners report this. Plan for it. Set it in the daylight, and you’ll be fine. But if you try to align it at night, you’ll be frustrated.
Should you buy the Celticbird 80mm? If you’re on a tight budget and you want a grab and go scope for moon watching and casual photography, this is a no-brainer at the price. It’s not going to win any awards, but it’s exactly right for what it costs.
What Else to Consider
If you already have a telescope and just want to take better moon photos, here’s what I’d look at.
The phone adapter upgrade: The included adapters are functional, but a dedicated phone adapter with a more secure mount will reduce wobble. Look for one that holds your phone closer to the eyepiece and has a sturdier clamp.
The eyepiece camera: If you want to step up from phone snapshots, a basic eyepiece camera that replaces the eyepiece will give you sharper images. Expect some chromatic aberration in photos, but it’s a big step up from holding a phone to the eyepiece.
The right-angle diagonal: If you’re viewing objects near the zenith, a right-angle diagonal will save your neck and make focusing easier. It’s a cheap upgrade that makes a big difference.
Should You Even Bother?
Yes. Seeing the moon through a telescope is one thing, but capturing it and sending it to a friend is another. I’ve watched someone’s jaw drop when they saw their first photo of the moon’s craters on their phone screen.
It’s the moment that hooks people. And you don’t need a fancy rig to get there. You need a steady mount, decent optics, and a phone adapter that doesn’t fight you.
The MEEZAA 90mm kit is the best overall for this. The Celticbird 80mm is the best value. Both will get you a photo you’ll want to share.
My dog Luna has knocked over more tripods than I care to admit, and she’s slept on more telescope carrying cases than I can count. She has no opinion on phone adapters. But I do. Start with the moon, take your time, and don’t be afraid to re-tighten the screws mid-session. for the MEEZAA 90mm kit, and for the Celticbird 80mm kit.
The sky is waiting.