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differences Nexstar 5/5i and 5SE

I wanted to know what are the differences between models Nexstar 5 and 5i, also these with the new 5SE.
thank you very much
Hi CD,

Purely an overview:

Nexstar 5:

Built in the US. with the OTA fixed to the mount arm. No Auxillary or Autoguide ports on the mount base. Starbright light transmission coatings. 18,000 objects contained in the HC. Tracking claimed by some to be somewhat mediocre; certainly not suited to much in the way of astrophotography.

Nexstar 5i:

Built in the US with the OTA fixed to the mount arm. Auxillary and Autoguide ports introduced. Starbright light transmission coated. 40,000 objects contained in the HC. Modular in design, the GoTo HC was offered as an optional extra. Like that of the Nexstar 5 it is not upgradeable. A Nexstar 5SE upgradeable HC, (if purchased separately today), will however, work on a Nexstar 5i although not on a Nexstar 5. With better tracking capability, the Nexstar 5i would allow an introduction to astrophotogaphy albeit limited to lunar and planetary application.

Nexstar 5SE:

Built in China. It's OTA is now supplied with a Vixen dovetail rail enabling it to be balanced according to accessroy load or removed from the mount arm to allow other suitable OTAs to be used. "Glass" coatings now switched to Starbright XLT, reported to provide even higher light transmission than the original Starbright. The HC remains with a 40,000 object index but is upgradeable through Celestron provided software. The mount still contains the two ports (Aux. and Autoguide).

I think this provides a brief summary of the major differences between these three 'scopes. "Glass" specifications have remained the same throughout.

I pass no opinion as to which may be better than any other.

Hoping this helps,
Best regards,

Truth is the cubed root of Verbosity.

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Unlike Tel I do have an opinion..

Optically not a heck of a lot of difference .. to me the optics would be a non factor

Mechanically and electronically the original NS5 is not even in the same Hemisphere let alone the same country as the later two models.. Different electronics different motors and none of it is supported...

The 5i like the 8i is still supported by Celestron
but only because the motors and circuit boards are interchangeable with those of the current 5SE models

Bob G.


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I'm pretty sure the 5se doesn't have an autoguider port. Instead it has a camera control port.
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I believe that the 5i mount is heavier than the 5SE. The 5i and 8i had the same mount, and it is similar to the current 6SE and 8SE except no mounting rail. I believe The current 5SE is lighter. I'm not sure whether the difference is significant.
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