The best solar telescope for most people who want a complete, safe, ready-to-use solar setup is the Sky-Watcher Heliostar 100 H-Alpha Solar Telescope bundled with the Wave 100 mount kit: a dedicated 100 mm hydrogen-alpha instrument that reveals the chromosphere, prominences, filaments and active regions rather than only sunspots, and that ships as an all-in-one package with a tracking mount. It suits observers who have outgrown entry-level gear, who want the most detail a backyard instrument can deliver, and who accept a premium price and a heavier rig. If you already own a telescope and only want white-light views of sunspots, granulation and partial eclipse phases, the Celestron EclipSmart Universal Solar Filter is the cheaper and smarter first purchase. This roundup compares both routes – dedicated H-alpha instruments and full-aperture white-light filters – together with the mounts, cameras and accessories that make solar observing safer and easier, and it explains the aperture, resolution and safety numbers behind every recommendation.
- Top 3 Picks
- Quick Comparison
- How We Chose
- 1. Sky-Watcher Heliostar 100 H-Alpha Solar Telescope/Wave 100 Mount Kit – Best for all-in-one H-alpha viewing
- 2. HUGERSTAR 90 mm / 800 mm Refractor Telescope – Best for a first general-purpose scope that can be solarized later
- 3. Sky-Watcher SolarQuest Tracking Mount – Best for hands-free solar tracking
- 4. Celestron EclipSmart Universal Solar Filter for Telescopes – Best budget way to solarize a scope you own
- 5. Celestron NexImage 20 Solar System Imager – Best for solar, lunar and planetary imaging
- 6. Thousand Oaks Optical 6″ x 6″ Solar Filter Sheet – Best for DIY filters and unusual tube sizes
Quick answer: For most people in 2026, the best solar telescopes for safe sun viewing is the Sky-Watcher Heliostar 100 H-Alpha Solar Telescope/Wave 100 Mount Kit — our #1 rated choice. See the full ranked comparison, alternatives and buying advice below.
Top 3 Picks
Best overall: Sky-Watcher Heliostar 100 H-Alpha Solar Telescope/Wave 100 Mount Kit. A dedicated 100 mm hydrogen-alpha telescope paired with a harmonic-drive GoTo mount in one package, it is the only product here that shows the chromosphere rather than the photosphere, and it is the shortest path from “I want to see prominences” to actually seeing them. Buy it if your budget and your back can handle a premium, heavier rig and you want one purchase that covers both visual solar observing and full-disc imaging.
Best budget: Celestron EclipSmart Universal Solar Filter for Telescopes. A full-aperture white-light filter that converts a telescope you already own into a safe solar instrument for the price of an accessory, and it is the correct first purchase for anyone who is not yet sure how deep they want to go. It shows sunspots, limb darkening and partial eclipse phases, but it will never show a prominence.
Best for hands-free tracking: Sky-Watcher SolarQuest Tracking Mount. A solar-specific alt-az mount with a built-in sun finder that locks onto the Sun and tracks it without any star alignment, which is what makes 100x white-light viewing and unattended imaging practical. It is a mount, not a telescope, so it assumes you already own an optical tube and a proper front filter.
Quick Comparison
Every product in this roundup, sorted by what it is actually for. Price tiers are relative to the solar category as a whole, not to general astronomy gear.
| Product | Best for | Key specs | Price tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sky-Watcher Heliostar 100 H-Alpha Solar Telescope/Wave 100 Mount Kit | All-in-one H-alpha viewing and full-disc imaging | 100 mm dedicated H-alpha refractor; sub-angstrom class etalon; bundled harmonic-drive GoTo mount | Premium |
| HUGERSTAR 90 mm / 800 mm Refractor | First general-purpose refractor that can be solarized later | 90 mm aperture; 800 mm focal length; f/8.9 class refractor; alt-az mount and tripod included | Mid-range |
| Sky-Watcher SolarQuest Tracking Mount | Hands-free solar tracking for an existing scope | Alt-az GoTo head; integrated solar finder; small-refractor payload class; battery powered | Premium |
| Celestron EclipSmart Universal Solar Filter for Telescopes | Cheapest safe way to solarize a scope you own | Full-aperture white-light filter; adjustable band for a range of tube diameters; ISO 12312-2 class | Budget |
| Celestron NexImage 20 Solar System Imager | Solar, lunar and planetary imaging | Color CMOS camera; 20-megapixel class sensor; 1.25-inch nosepiece; USB | Premium |
| Thousand Oaks Optical 6″ x 6″ Solar Filter Sheet | DIY filters for odd tube sizes, finders and binoculars | 6 x 6 inch solar film sheet; visual-density (approximately ND 5) class | Budget |
| Celestron EclipSmart 8″ Solar Safe Eclipse Telescope Filter | 8-inch SCT and Newtonian owners | Full-aperture white-light filter sized for 8-inch apertures; ISO 12312-2 class | Mid-range |
| MEEZAA 90 mm / 800 mm Refractor | Beginner refractor package with accessories included | 90 mm aperture; 800 mm focal length; f/8.9 class refractor; alt-az mount and tripod included | Mid-range |
| Celestron EclipSmart Telescope Solar Filter for 127 mm & 130 mm Reflectors | Mid-size Newtonian owners | Full-aperture white-light filter sized for 127 mm and 130 mm apertures; ISO 12312-2 class | Budget |
| Celticbird 80 mm / 600 mm AZ Refractor | Families and younger beginners | 80 mm aperture; 600 mm focal length; f/7.5 class refractor; alt-az mount | Mid-range |
| FAB Astra Solar Finder Scope | Aiming a telescope at the Sun without looking at it | Small accessory sun locator for telescopes; mounts in a standard finder shoe | Budget |
| Celestron EclipSmart 6″ Solar Safe Eclipse Telescope Filter | 6-inch SCT and Newtonian owners | Full-aperture white-light filter sized for 6-inch apertures; ISO 12312-2 class | Mid-range |
How We Chose
This roundup is built from published manufacturer specifications, brand documentation and the physics of solar observing, not from any first-hand session with the hardware. Four criteria drove every inclusion. First, optical and mechanical specifications that matter for the Sun specifically: clear aperture, focal length, focal ratio, filter density class and the physical mounting method of any solar filter. Second, category fit – a dedicated H-alpha instrument, a white-light filter, a tracking mount and an imaging camera do different jobs, and each entry had to be defensible as a strong example of its own category rather than as a general-purpose telescope. Third, use case: we mapped each product to the reader situation it actually serves, from a family watching a partial eclipse to an imager chasing full-disc chromosphere detail, and we left out anything that only looks good on a marketing page. Fourth, upgrade path – whether the product keeps its value as the reader’s skills grow, or becomes dead weight after one season. Products were also screened for safety documentation: a solar filter that cannot be positively secured to the aperture, or whose listing does not state a recognised safety standard, does not belong in a beginner’s hands. Where a specification was not stated clearly, we describe the item by specification class instead of inventing a number.
1. Sky-Watcher Heliostar 100 H-Alpha Solar Telescope/Wave 100 Mount Kit – Best for all-in-one H-alpha viewing

Sky-Watcher Heliostar 100 H-Alpha Solar Telescope/Wave 100 Mount Kit - All-in-one Premium H-Alpha Solar Telescope for Advanced Observing and Imaging, White (S11335)
Included for 'Best Solar Telescopes for Safe Sun Viewing' because the listing specifies White (S11335), details this guide uses to compare options.
View on AmazonThis is the one product in this roundup that is not really a filter solution at all. The Heliostar 100 is a dedicated hydrogen-alpha solar telescope – a refractor built around an etalon and blocking filter so that the entire optical path is designed to pass the 656.28 nanometre H-alpha line and almost nothing else. That single design decision changes what you see: instead of a white-light photosphere with dark sunspots, you get the chromosphere, where prominences lift off the limb, filaments snake across the disc, plage brightens around active regions and the whole surface takes on the mottled, orange-peel texture that solar observers describe as “the orange ball with hair”.
It suits committed observers and imagers who already know they want H-alpha. The alternative route – buying an etalon and blocking filter to bolt onto an existing refractor – costs less in some configurations but leaves you responsible for matching components, and it is easy to get wrong. A factory-integrated 100 mm H-alpha tube removes that risk entirely.
Key specifications as listed and by class
- Aperture: 100 mm – the largest aperture in this roundup, and a meaningful step up from the 70-80 mm class that dominates entry-level H-alpha
- Wavelength: H-alpha, 656.28 nm, chromosphere-only viewing
- Bandpass: sub-angstrom class etalon (single-stack), with the narrow bandpass that produces visible prominence and filament contrast; double-stacking narrows it further at extra cost
- Mount: Sky-Watcher Wave 100 harmonic-drive (strain-wave) GoTo head bundled in the kit, with the accompanying tripod and controller per the listing
- Tracking: motorised GoTo with sidereal-rate solar tracking, which is what allows long, high-magnification sessions
- Best use: visual H-alpha observing, full-disc imaging, outreach and eclipse-day prominence viewing
Strengths. Aperture and bandpass work together here in a way that matters more than most buyers expect. A 100 mm H-alpha aperture gathers roughly 1.5 to 2 times the light of the 70-80 mm class, and in H-alpha that extra light translates directly into usable magnification on a stable day – you can push past 100x and still have a bright enough image to see fine chromospheric structure, whereas a smaller etalon scope often runs out of image brightness before it runs out of resolution. The harmonic-drive mount is the other half of the story. Strain-wave heads are compact for their payload, hold position without counterweights in many configurations, and track smoothly enough that a camera can stack frames over several minutes without the drift that ruins manually guided solar imaging.
Pros
- Shows prominences, filaments and chromospheric detail that no white-light filter can ever show
- Complete, integrated system – no filter matching, no third-party adapters, no guessing about safety
- Tracking mount included, so high-power viewing and imaging are practical rather than frustrating
- Largest aperture here, and it is the aperture that determines how much magnification stays usable
- Genuine upgrade path: double-stack etalon and a dedicated solar camera both slot in later
Cons
- Premium tier pricing – the most expensive single item in this roundup by a wide margin
- Heavy and bulky compared with a small white-light refractor; this is a setup-and-stay-out rig, not a grab-and-go
- H-alpha tuning is a skill: the etalon has to be tuned to the right wavelength, and the sweet spot shifts with temperature through a session
- Shows the chromosphere only – it is not the tool for a neutral white-light view of the photosphere or for documenting sunspot shape
- 100 mm of H-alpha aperture is more sensitive to daytime seeing than 60-80 mm, so on mediocre days it will not outperform a smaller scope
How it compares. Against the Sky-Watcher SolarQuest mount, the two are complements rather than competitors: the SolarQuest is a mount-only purchase that assumes you already own a tube and a filter, while the Heliostar kit is a complete telescope-plus-mount system built specifically for H-alpha. Against the Celestron EclipSmart filter family, the comparison is about what you want to see, not about quality. A white-light filter on a 90 mm refractor costs a fraction of the Heliostar and will show sunspot groups, umbra and penumbra structure, faculae near the limb and granulation on a good day – but it will show exactly zero prominences, because prominences are a chromospheric phenomenon. If your goal is “I want to see flares and prominences with my own eyes”, nothing in the white-light category gets you there at any aperture, and the Heliostar is the direct answer.
2. HUGERSTAR 90 mm / 800 mm Refractor Telescope – Best for a first general-purpose scope that can be solarized later

HUGERSTAR Telescope, Telescope for Adults High Powered, 90mm Aperture 800mm Professional Portable Refractor Telescopes for Astronomy Beginners with Tripod, Moon Filter, Phone Adapter & Carrying Bag
Included for 'Best Solar Telescopes for Safe Sun Viewing' because the listing specifies Telescope for Adults High Powered and Moon Filter, details this guide uses to compare options.
View on AmazonThe HUGERSTAR 90 mm is a conventional achromatic-style refractor package: a 90 mm objective with an 800 mm focal length, an alt-azimuth mount and tripod, and the usual starter accessory bundle of eyepieces and a diagonal. It is not a solar telescope and the listing does not describe it as one – it is the kind of telescope a beginner buys to look at the Moon and Jupiter, and it appears in a solar roundup for one specific reason: a 90 mm f/8.9 refractor is one of the better host tubes for a full-aperture white-light solar filter, and it will also work with a solar film sheet cut to size if you build your own cell.
It suits the reader who wants one telescope that does double duty. Buy this plus a properly rated front filter and you have a lunar and planetary scope for the evening and a solar scope for the day, with roughly a 165-fold light-gathering advantage over the dark-adapted naked eye on the night side of the ledger.
Key specifications as listed
- Aperture: 90 mm – the practical sweet spot for white-light solar work, large enough to resolve sunspot detail and small enough to stay usable in mediocre daytime seeing
- Focal length: 800 mm, giving roughly f/8.9
- Resolution limit: approximately 1.3 arcseconds by the Dawes criterion (116 divided by aperture in millimetres), which is finer than typical daytime seeing of 1.5-3 arcseconds – so the atmosphere, not the glass, is the bottleneck
- Mount: alt-azimuth with tripod included in the package
- Full-disc image scale: at 800 mm the Sun’s 0.53-degree disc projects to about 7.4 mm at the focal plane
- Solar readiness: needs an added full-aperture filter; nothing in the listing provides one
Strengths. The focal length is the quiet advantage. At 800 mm, a 25 mm eyepiece gives 32x with a true field around 1.5 degrees in a 50-degree apparent-field eyepiece, which frames the entire solar disc with generous black space around it – the correct way to start a solar session, because it lets you confirm you have the Sun in the field before increasing power. Push to a 9 mm eyepiece and you are at 89x with a 1.0 mm exit pupil, which is right at the top of the useful range for a 90 mm aperture and enough to pull apart a large sunspot group into umbra and penumbra. The alt-az mount is light and quick to set up, and the whole package is small enough to carry outside with one hand.
Pros
- 90 mm of aperture is enough for real white-light sunspot detail, including umbra-penumbra structure at high power
- 800 mm focal length frames the full disc comfortably at low power and still supports roughly 90x at high power
- Complete starter package – mount, tripod and eyepieces included, so nothing extra is needed for night use
- Refractor design means no central obstruction, which preserves contrast on low-contrast solar surface features
- Cheap to solarize: one full-aperture filter or one film sheet turns it into a solar scope
Cons
- No solar filter included – the safety-critical part is an extra purchase and an extra thing to get right
- Achromatic refractors of this class show some false colour on bright objects; on the Sun it is largely irrelevant because the filter passes a narrow slice of the spectrum, but it is worth knowing
- The alt-az mount tracks nothing, so at 90x the Sun drifts out of the field in roughly two minutes
- Starter eyepieces in bundles like this are usually the weakest part of the kit
- Not an H-alpha instrument at any price – no prominences, ever
How it compares. Against the MEEZAA 90 mm / 800 mm refractor, the two are near-identical in specification class: same aperture, same focal length, same focal ratio, same mount category. The practical difference is the accessory bundle and the mechanical quality of the mount and focuser, which vary between batches in this price band. Against the Celticbird 80 mm / 600 mm, the HUGERSTAR buys you 10 mm more aperture and 200 mm more focal length, which means higher usable magnification on sunspots and a slightly larger full-disc image scale for imaging. Against a dedicated H-alpha instrument, it is a completely different experience – this scope shows you the photosphere, and it does so for a fraction of the cost.
3. Sky-Watcher SolarQuest Tracking Mount – Best for hands-free solar tracking

Sky Watcher Sky-Watcher SolarQuest Tracking Mount - Safe Solar Specific Alt-Az Mount (S21170)
Included for 'Best Solar Telescopes for Safe Sun Viewing' because the listing specifies Safe Solar Specific Alt-Az Mount (S21170), details this guide uses to compare options.
View on AmazonThe SolarQuest is the most conceptually interesting product in this roundup because it solves a problem most beginners do not realise they have until they are standing in the sun. Pointing a telescope at the Sun is genuinely awkward: you cannot look through the tube to aim it, a normal finder scope will blind you or burn, and the moment you find the Sun at high magnification it starts sliding out of the field. The SolarQuest is a solar-specific alt-azimuth GoTo mount with a built-in sun finder that locates the Sun itself and then tracks it at solar rate, with no star alignment, no date, no time and no location entry required.
It suits anyone who already owns a small refractor and a proper front filter, and who wants to stop babysitting the slow-motion controls. It is also the single biggest quality-of-life upgrade for eclipse-day observing and for sharing a telescope with a queue of people.
Key specifications as listed and by class
- Type: solar-specific alt-azimuth GoTo/tracking mount head
- Alignment: none in the traditional sense – the integrated solar finder acquires the Sun automatically, which is what makes it usable by a complete beginner
- Payload: small-refractor class, roughly in the 3-5 kg (7-11 lb) range; this is a mount for a compact 60-90 mm solar scope or short-tube refractor, not for a large instrument
- Power: battery powered, with the usual cell count for this mount class
- Tracking: sidereal-rate solar tracking once locked on
- Safety design: the finder is a non-magnifying, non-optical sun locator, so aiming does not require looking at or near the Sun through glass
Strengths. The tracking matters more than most buyers expect, and the arithmetic explains why. The Sun moves across the sky at about 15 arcminutes per minute of time – 0.25 degrees. At 100x with a 50-degree apparent-field eyepiece, the true field of view is 0.5 degrees, which is exactly the Sun’s own apparent diameter. That means at 100x, the Sun crosses the entire eyepiece field in about two minutes, and drifts noticeably within twenty seconds. With a 68-degree apparent-field eyepiece you get about 2.7 minutes instead of 2. Either way, high-magnification solar observing without tracking is a constant fight with the slow-motion knob, and tracking converts it into actual observing. For imaging, tracking is not a luxury at all – it is the difference between being able to stack a few hundred frames and not being able to image at all.
Pros
- Finds and tracks the Sun with no alignment routine, which removes the hardest part of solar observing
- Keeps the Sun centred for long, high-magnification sessions and for imaging runs
- Makes group viewing practical – people can walk up to the eyepiece without the image having drifted away
- Solar-specific design means the finder itself is safe to use, unlike a conventional optical finder
- Works with any small refractor and any properly rated front filter, so it upgrades the gear you already own
Cons
- Premium tier for a mount-only purchase – there is no optical tube and no solar filter in the box
- Payload is limited to small-refractor class, so it will not carry a large 100 mm-plus tube plus camera
- Alt-az tracking means field rotation, which limits long-exposure imaging to short stacked frames rather than single long subs
- Requires its own power source, and battery life is a consideration on a long eclipse day
- Redundant if you already own a GoTo equatorial mount that can track the Sun in solar rate
How it compares. Against the Heliostar 100 kit, the choice is simple arithmetic: the Heliostar is a complete H-alpha system with its own harmonic-drive mount, while the SolarQuest is a mount that needs a telescope and a filter before it does anything. If you are starting from nothing and you want H-alpha, buy the Heliostar. If you already own a 70-90 mm refractor, a white-light filter and a wobbly manual mount, the SolarQuest fixes the weakest link in your existing chain for far less than a new telescope. Against a general-purpose GoTo equatorial mount, the SolarQuest wins on simplicity and loses on payload and imaging versatility – a conventional GoTo can track the Sun too, but it needs a full star alignment or a daytime alignment routine first, and that is exactly the friction the SolarQuest removes.
4. Celestron EclipSmart Universal Solar Filter for Telescopes – Best budget way to solarize a scope you own
This is the entry ticket to solar observing, and for a large number of readers it is the only product they actually need to buy. The EclipSmart Universal Solar Filter is a full-aperture white-light filter that fits over the front of the telescope, using an adjustable band arrangement to cover a range of common tube and objective diameters rather than being machined for one specific aperture. Because it sits in front of the objective, the telescope’s own optics never see unfiltered concentrated sunlight, which is the only safe place for a solar filter to be.
It suits the reader who owns a refractor, a small Maksutov or a short Newtonian and wants to look at sunspots today without spending telescope money. It also suits the family that wants one filter that covers two or three scopes in the house.
Key specifications as listed and by class
- Type: full-aperture white-light solar filter, aperture-mounted
- Fitment: adjustable band design intended to span a range of objective and tube diameters rather than a single fixed size
- Safety class: ISO 12312-2 compliant class solar filter material, the same standard that governs eclipse glasses
- Wavelength: white light across the visible spectrum, showing the photosphere only
- What it shows: sunspots with umbra and penumbra, faculae near the limb, limb darkening, granulation at higher power on steady days, and the partial phases of any solar eclipse
- Power ceiling: useful to roughly 1x magnification per millimetre of aperture, so about 90x on a 90 mm scope
Strengths. The economics are unbeatable: this is a budget-tier accessory that converts hardware you already own into a safe solar instrument. Because the filter is aperture-mounted, the physics work in your favour – the filter passes on the order of a few parts per million of the incoming visible light, and the telescope’s aperture then determines how much of the Sun’s image you can resolve. A 90 mm scope at 90x gives you a 1.0 mm exit pupil and a solar disc that fills a comfortable portion of the field, which is enough to watch a sunspot group evolve over days. Because white light is unfiltered across the spectrum, colour rendition is neutral, and the view is the same one Galileo had, only sharper.
Pros
- Budget tier, and it solarizes a telescope you already own instead of requiring a new one
- Universal fitment means it can move between several scopes in a household
- Full-aperture mounting is the safe configuration – the objective never receives unfiltered sunlight
- Shows the full range of white-light phenomena, including partial eclipse phases, with neutral colour
- Light, compact and easy to store, so it travels well to an eclipse viewing site
Cons
- White light only – no prominences, no chromospheric detail, no filaments
- An adjustable band is inherently less rigid than a machined cell, so it must be checked that it cannot shift or slide off, especially if the tube is pointed near the horizon
- Requires care with tube diameter matching; a filter that sits loosely on the tube is a hazard
- Needs periodic inspection for pinholes, scratches and wrinkles in the filter material
- Will not fit every telescope, particularly large apertures or unusual tube profiles
How it compares. Against the Thousand Oaks 6″ x 6″ solar filter sheet, the trade is convenience versus flexibility. The Thousand Oaks sheet is also budget tier and costs less per square inch of filter, but you have to design and build a cell that mounts securely to your specific tube – which is fine for a handy owner of an unusual scope and a poor idea for someone who wants to observe this afternoon. Against the Celestron EclipSmart 6″ and 8″ filters, the Universal trades a little fitment precision for the ability to cover multiple apertures with one purchase; the fixed-size EclipSmart filters are the better choice once you know exactly which tube you are filtering. Against the Sky-Watcher Heliostar 100, it is a different product category entirely – this shows you sunspots, that shows you the chromosphere.
5. Celestron NexImage 20 Solar System Imager – Best for solar, lunar and planetary imaging
The NexImage 20 is a colour CMOS camera built for solar system work: the Sun, the Moon and the bright planets. The name advertises a 20-megapixel class sensor, which is a large step up from the 5- and 10-megapixel class cameras that dominated this category a few years ago, and it uses a standard 1.25-inch nosepiece so it drops into the same focuser as an eyepiece. It is an imager, not a filter – it does not make a telescope solar-safe, and pairing it with an unfiltered telescope is exactly the mistake that destroys sensors and eyes. You need a full-aperture white-light filter or a dedicated H-alpha scope in front of it.
It suits the observer who has already solved the safety problem and now wants a permanent record. Sunspots change shape over hours; prominences change over minutes. A camera turns a session into data you can compare with the next one.
Key specifications as listed and by class
- Sensor: 20-megapixel class colour CMOS, which is unusually high resolution for a solar system camera
- Connection: standard 1.25-inch nosepiece, fitting the same focuser as a 1.25-inch eyepiece
- Interface: USB to a computer, with capture and stacking software on the host machine
- Field coverage: the Sun projects to about 7.4 mm at 800 mm focal length, 9.3 mm at 1000 mm and 14.0 mm at 1500 mm, so a high-resolution sensor captures the full disc with margin at short focal lengths and needs a focal reducer or a mosaic at long ones
- Best paired with: a 60-100 mm refractor with a full-aperture filter, or a dedicated H-alpha scope for chromosphere imaging
Strengths. The resolution is the headline, and it changes what is practical. A solar system camera works by capturing hundreds or thousands of very short exposures and stacking only the sharpest frames, which is how backyard imagers beat atmospheric seeing – the technique is called lucky imaging and it works because seeing fluctuates on millisecond timescales. More pixels means more of the disc captured per frame, which means fewer frames are wasted and mosaics are needed less often. In white light, a camera like this resolves individual sunspot umbrae and the fine radial structure of penumbrae; in H-alpha it captures prominence loops and filament channels that the eye struggles to hold steady. The colour sensor also means no filter wheel and no separate colour channels to combine for a natural-looking result.
Pros
- 20-megapixel class resolution – high for this category, and it makes full-disc and mosaic work easier
- Colour CMOS means single-shot colour capture with no filter wheel or channel combining
- Standard 1.25-inch nosepiece fits the focuser you already have
- Works in white light with a front filter and in H-alpha with a dedicated scope, so it survives an upgrade
- Equally useful on the Moon and planets, so it is not a single-purpose purchase
Cons
- Premium tier pricing, and it is the most expensive way to start solar observing if you do not already own a telescope
- Requires a computer and stacking software, plus the patience to learn the workflow
- Does nothing for safety – a filter or H-alpha scope is still mandatory
- Alt-az mounts introduce field rotation, so a tracking mount matters for longer sequences
- Large sensors demand more storage and more processing time per session
How it compares. Against the Sky-Watcher SolarQuest mount, these two are the natural imaging pair: the SolarQuest keeps the Sun locked in frame while the NexImage 20 records it, and neither replaces the other. Against the FAB Astra Solar Finder Scope, the comparison is a reminder about what each accessory does – the finder gets you aimed safely, the camera records what you see. Against the white-light filters in this list, the relationship is complementary rather than competitive: the filter is what makes the camera safe to use at all. If your budget only stretches to one imaging purchase, buy the filter first and the camera second, because a filter with a phone held to the eyepiece will outperform an unfiltered camera every single time.
6. Thousand Oaks Optical 6″ x 6″ Solar Filter Sheet – Best for DIY filters and unusual tube sizes

Thousand Oaks Optical 6"x6" Solar Filter Sheet for Telescopes, Binoculars and Cameras
Included for 'Best Solar Telescopes for Safe Sun Viewing' because the listing specifies Binoculars and Cameras, details this guide uses to compare options.
View on AmazonThis is raw material, not a finished product, and that is precisely its value. The Thousand Oaks 6 x 6 inch sheet is solar filter film – the same class of material used inside finished filters – that you cut to size and mount in a cell you build yourself. Thousand Oaks Optical is a long-established specialist in solar filter materials, and the sheet format exists because no manufacturer can machine a filter cell for every telescope, finder, binocular and camera lens in existence.
It suits the tinkerer with an unusual tube, the owner of a vintage refractor with an odd diameter, the photographer who wants to filter a telephoto lens, and anyone who wants to filter a small finder scope or a pair of binoculars at minimal cost.
Key specifications as listed and by class
- Format: 6 x 6 inch (approximately 152 x 152 mm) sheet of solar filter film
- Density class: visual-density solar film, approximately ND 5, which passes on the order of one part in a hundred thousand of the incident visible light – the class intended for direct visual observation through optics
- Material type: polymer solar film, which produces a neutral white solar image
- Yield: enough material for one large objective filter plus smaller cells, or several small filters for binoculars and finders
- Intended use: direct visual and imaging use when mounted in a secure, full-aperture cell
Strengths. The economics are excellent and the flexibility is unmatched. A 6 x 6 inch sheet costs a fraction of a finished filter and lets you build a filter for a telescope that no manufacturer supports. It is also the correct way to filter a finder scope or a pair of binoculars, both of which are commonly forgotten and both of which are genuinely dangerous when unfiltered – an unfiltered 50 mm finder concentrates enough sunlight to burn retina and tube alike. Because the film is thin and light, a homemade cell can be built from card stock and tape for a small finder, or from a machined ring for a main objective, and the sheet gives you enough material to make mistakes and try again.
Pros
- Budget tier and exceptionally cost-effective per filter produced
- Fits any aperture you can
Ready to decide? Our #1 pick for 2026 is the Sky-Watcher Heliostar 100 H-Alpha Solar Telescope/Wave 100 Mount Kit.
Live price & availability on Amazon.
Explore Our Guides & Free Tools