We tested Acuter’s latest lightweight Maksutov–Cassegrain, the Voyager MAK80-Fast, which boasts a respectable 850mm focal length.
It takes over from its predecessor, the MAK80, with a new patent-pending friction-drive focuser, a longer focal length and two wide-angle eyepieces with 70º apparent field of view.
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Maksutov–Cassegrain telescopes are ‘catadioptric’ instruments that are particularly compact because the light path from the primary mirror is ‘folded’ by the secondary mirror, meaning they pack a long focal length into a short tube.
Their corrector plates, placed at the front, correct coma and chromatic aberrations.
Unboxing and setting up
The telescope arrived inside a padded case in a gift box, complete with accessories including finderscope, diagonal, eyepieces and a smartphone adaptor.
Setting up was quick and easy, and although most of the parts are made from plastic that marks easily, we thought it was well-built.
The telescope is fitted with a dovetail bar so it can be mounted on astronomical mounts, but also has three 1/4-inch camera screw holes to mount onto standard photography tripods.
Why 'fast'?
‘Fast’ in the Acuter Voyager MAK80-Fast telescope set doesn’t refer to the conventional use of the term, relating to the light-gathering capability of the optics.
In this case, it refers to a patent-pending focusing system that comes with a sliding scale to help the user quickly find the point of focus for objects located at different distances.
For astronomical use, everything is focused near to infinity and you’ll struggle to see the scale in the dark.
The focal ratio of f/10.6 would be considered as quite a slow telescope, but visually the Acuter Voyager MAK80-Fast performed well on a variety of different objects.
After allowing the telescope to cool outside for 30 minutes, we mounted it onto a camera tripod and pointed at the Moon.
How the Acuter Voyager MAK80-Fast performs
The lunar features were sharp with good contrast and it was comfortable to observe with no excessive glare.
There was some chromatic aberration on the very edges of the field of view but nothing that spoiled the experience.
We then pointed at the planets and were able to observe the gibbous phase of Venus, the rings of Saturn and cloud belts on Jupiter through both eyepieces.
After the Moon had set, we mounted the Acuter Voyager MAK80-Fast onto a Go-To equatorial mount and focused our sights on deep-sky objects.
We observed the Orion Nebula, M42, Andromeda Galaxy, M31, and Pleiades, M45, appreciating beautifully pin-sharp stars.
Fainter open clusters such as M35, M36 and M37 were best viewed with the 20mm eyepiece.
Stars showed no signs of coma aberration if the eye was perfectly aligned with the eyepiece.
Acuter Voyager MAK80-Fast for astrophotography
A few nights later, we tested the universal smartphone holder to take photographs of the Moon via our native camera app.
There was a hint of colour fringing along the edge, but the photo was sharp and clear. Longer exposures of faint objects will be possible with other phone photography apps.
We also wanted to test how the Acuter Voyager MAK80-Fast performed with other cameras.
We attached a budget DSLR camera using a T-ring and 1.25-inch tube fitted to the telescope in place of the diagonal and were able to achieve focus with and without a 2x Barlow.
We took photographs of the Orion Nebula and the Moon and got pleasing results.
Finally, we took some videos of the Moon and Jupiter using a budget high-frame-rate CMOS camera and stacked the best frames.
Again, the results were pleasing for such an affordable telescope.
Acuter Voyager MAK80-Fast as a travel telescope
The compact size makes the Voyager MAK80-Fast easy to mount and transport.
Its padded case has a handy carry handle and shoulder strap, and easily fits the complete set inside the two compartments.
The Acuter Voyager MAK80-Fast would be an excellent first telescope, but a good addition for an experienced observer or astrophotographer looking for something easy to take away on holiday.
Although small, this petite telescope certainly packs a punch.
It’s a versatile all-rounder and has the advantage of also being useful for non-astronomy applications.
Acuter Voyager MAK80-Fast optics
The Acuter Voyager MAK80-Fast packs its 850mm focal length into a tube that is just 29cm long without the diagonal.
The stars were pin-sharp and only slight coma aberration was noticeable at the very edges, provided the eye was positioned correctly at the eyepieces.
Being f/10.6, viewing fainter objects required good dark adaptation and averted vision, but the resolution was impressive.
When we viewed and created a sketch of the Orion Nebula, the trapezium at the centre was easily resolved and a lot of nebulosity was visible.
Taking a tour through key Messier objects, galaxies and clusters looked particularly lovely, especially with averted vision.
When viewing Saturn, the rings were easily resolved despite the altitude and ring tilt not being favourable, and Saturn’s moon Titan was just visible.
Moving over to Jupiter, we couldn’t quite see the Great Red Spot directly, but we could see the break in the cloud belt either side of it.
The optics were undeniably impressive for a telescope at this price point.
Acuter Voyager MAK80-Fast best features
Smartphone holder
The universal smartphone holder allows the user to perfectly align the phone camera lens then securely attach it above the eyepiece. The phone is held firmly in place while you adjust the camera settings, and utilising a smartphone’s timer delay allows completely hands-free captures that are free from telescope shake.
Finderscope
The 6x21mm finderscope is easy to attach and align, plus it can be placed at different angles to maximise comfort for the observer. It has adjustable focus which is extremely helpful, making it suitable for a range of eyesights and allowing easy alignment whether you wear spectacles or not.
Eyepieces
The 20mm and 12.5mm eyepieces both offer a 70° apparent field of view. They provide 42.5x and 68x magnification respectively, giving a good range of observing options, from pleasing views of larger deep-sky objects such as clusters and galaxies to closer views of the Moon and planets.
Focuser
The patent-pending friction-drive focuser moves the primary mirror to achieve focus. The focusing knobs are a little fiddly because they’re quite small and lie very close to the back of the telescope tube, but the focusing action is smooth and solid with no play, and it’s easy to achieve accurate focus.
Diagonal
The phase-corrected 90° image-erecting roof prism produces a view that appears the ‘right way up’ for observers. This is great for beginners who are learning to navigate the sky by star hopping and it means the telescope can also be used for other applications, such as terrestrial viewing or bird watching.
Key specs
- Price: £199
- Design: Maksutov–Cassegrain
- Optics: 80mm primary mirror
- Focal length: 850mm, f/10.6
- Focuser: Friction-drive
- Mount: 45mm Vixen/Sky-Watcher dovetail bar, ¼-inch tripod thread
- Extras: Diagonal, 12.5mm and 20mm eyepieces, 6x21mm finderscope, smartphone adaptor, carry case
- Weight: 1.5kg (OTA)
- Supplier: Optical Vision Ltd
- Email: info@opticalvision.co.uk
- www.opticalvision.co.uk
This review appeared in the April 2025 issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine
