Celestron · Schmidt-Cassegrain · 5 to 8 inches · 1970 on
The C8 is the telescope that made the Schmidt-Cassegrain the default serious scope. Celestron launched it in 1970 as an 8-inch f/10 that folds a 2,032 mm focal length into a tube about 17 inches long, and the orange tubes of the 1970s are the ones collectors still talk about. Tubes went black in the early 1980s and back to orange in 2006, while the optical formula stayed the same. Over the years it came on fork mounts, on German equatorials and as a bare tube, which is why so many listings are the tube alone. Current tubes are Fastar compatible, so the secondary can come out for a HyperStar camera lens. A C8 with clean glass and good collimation is a scope you can keep for life.
The full kit
Check the listing photos against this list, and ask the seller about anything you can’t see. Plenty of listings are the tube alone or the mount alone, and a missing hand controller, power supply or counterweight should come off the price.
Haze or fungus on the inside of the corrector plate from damp storage is the problem to rule out first. Shipping can knock the secondary out of collimation, which three screws put right. Many listings are the tube alone, so check what you're actually getting.
New to used telescopes? How to check a used telescope covers optics, mounts, power and shipping, and what a complete kit looks like helps with tube-only and mount-only listings.
Buying guide
We'd buy the orange C8 at $700 titled with its case and eyepieces, shown on its mount and tripod, though it quotes no shipping. There are at least 18 listed, and the $675 to $1,800 band mixes old scopes with new dealer kits. Used C8s on a mount ask $650 to $1,275 delivered, tubes alone from Japan ask $650 to $805 (three of the four titled No Tested), and new Advanced VX 8 kits ask $1,650 to $2,199. Ask for a flashlight photo through the corrector at an angle to rule out haze or fungus, expect to touch up collimation with the three secondary screws after shipping, and check whether a fork scope comes with a tripod and wedge. Skip the $390 "1980" C8 whose photo shows a blue tube, the untested $650 Japan tube that two shops list with one photo, and the $4,900 Advanced VX kit at about 4.2 times the median.
$650.00delivered
The lowest delivered C8 that isn't titled untested, a vintage orange tube at $650 delivered, and the photo shows it on its fork and drive base in a fitted case. No tripod or wedge is shown, so ask, or budget for one.
Celestron Orange Tube 8 8"/ 200mm Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope
$700.00+ ship
A complete orange C8 at $700, titled with its case and eyepieces and shown on its mount and tripod with a fitted eyepiece case, at the bottom of the band. No shipping is quoted, so ask for a quote before you buy.
Celestron C8 StarBright 203mm Catadioptric Equatorial w/ Case & Eyepieces
$1,195.00+ ship
Titled a vintage Pacific orange tube sold as a complete premium package, and the photo shows it on its fork and tripod. Orange 1970s tubes are the C8s collectors want, so ask the seller for the year, and remember it's an auction at $1,195 with no bids yet and no shipping quoted.
Vintage Celestron Pacific Orange Tube C8 Telescope – Complete Premium Package
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 14, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Snapshot
Checked . Some may have sold.
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 14, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Used$650.00delivered
$650.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$650.00
Good buy
Vintage orange tube on its fork and drive base, shown in a fitted case. No tripod or wedge shown.
Seller: redefiners
98.4% positive
Used$700.00+ shipping
$700.00 · shipping not stated
Buy It Now$700.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Good buy
Orange C8 titled with case and eyepieces, shown on its mount and tripod. No shipping quoted; ask.
Seller: arl_673016
100% positive
Used$1,195.00+ shipping
$1,195.00 · shipping not stated
Auction · no bids yet · ends in 2d 23h
Good buy
Titled vintage Pacific orange tube, complete package, shown on its fork and tripod. Auction, no bids yet, so the price will climb. No shipping quoted; ask.
Seller: kotkinjs1
100% positive
Used$484.99est. delivered
$389.99 + $95.00 shipping
Buy It Now$389.99
Check the seller
Titled 1980 on a fork mount, but the photo shows a blue tube. C8s of that era were orange or black; ask before buying.
Seller: clarkentcortez
100% positive
For parts$650.00delivered
$650.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$650.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Check the seller
Tube alone, titled No Tested, so it's untested. The same tube, photo and stock number are listed by ofa_japan_goods. Ships from Japan.
Seller: marubows_japan
100% positive
For parts$650.00delivered
$650.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$650.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Check the seller
Tube alone, titled No Tested, so it's untested. The same tube, photo and stock number are listed by marubows_japan. Ships from Japan.
Seller: ofa_japan_goods
99.4% positive
Open box$1,649.66delivered
$1,649.66 · free shipping
Buy It Now$1,649.66
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Check the seller
Dealer kit, open box on the card, but the photo shows only the tube. The same title is on a $4,900 listing.
Seller: dealsdropoutlet
99.4% positive
New$4,899.99delivered
$4,899.99 · free shipping
Buy It Now$4,899.99
Priced high
About 4.2 times the median. Other dealers ask $1,650 to $2,199 for this kit.
Seller: electronicsguy805
98.6% positive
Prices change daily. The live eBay search shows everything listed now, including anything new since Oct 14, 2026.
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