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Orion 6x30 Achromatic Finder Scope
| Brand | Orion |
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| Availability | available |
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Product Info
Overview
Reviews
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Dec 27, 2007
Orion 6x30 Achromatic Finder Scope
Pros:Passable construction; Could be used for daytime spotting use.
Cons:Small aperture; Chromatic aberration; Too tiny for DSO searching
Comments:OK, you're probably asking why I'm bothering to write a review on this finder scope since this horse has already been beaten to death! Why? Because I'm tired of manufacturers and sellers including these barely adequate finder scopes on their telescope offerings. It's a well known fact that moving up to a 8x or 9x50 finder scope is a tremendous improvement over these tiny 6x30 finders, and a must if you're going to be doing any serious DSO searching. I even prefer one of the simple red dot or 1x unity finders over these pain in the neck finder scopes.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
Unfortunately, the Orion offering, while being adequately built, falls into the "no thank you" category also. The unit came with my Orion 100mm f/6 refractor. I immediately swapped it out for an Orion red dot finder, and have never regretted it. The image is inverted and reversed, not enough aperture for seeking out faint fuzzies, and did I mention that it is literally a pain in the neck! Do yourself a favor - if you're stuck with one of these tiny finder scopes......upgrade!! You won"t regret it.Sep 4, 2007Does the job, but there's better
Pros:Cheap (often free with scope), reliable/durable, and compact.
Cons:Small FOV, not enough aperture, easy to bump out of alignment
Comments:I got this free with my XT-8 and found it to do a decent job at finding deep sky targets. However, given how cheap finder scopes are (especially used ones), I see little reason not to upgrade this part of the telescope as soon as possible. Both my Telrad and 9X50 finderscope are a vast improvement over the 6X30.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? No
The 6X30 just doesn't have enough aperture for hunting many of the faint fuzzies. I tend to rely on searching geometrically with this finder, whereas with the 9X50, I can often discern a DSO from the surrounding stellar field, especially when in comes to globular clusters and compact open clusters. And if I'm searching geometrically, I can do much better with the larger field of a Telrad.
Another issue I have with this finder is with the single alignment ring/tube. I would much prefer a longer tube or dual rings to hold the finder to the stalk. I almost always nudge the finder when I'm moving the scope and get tired of starting my evenings with re-aligning the finder scope on the moon or Jupiter/Saturn.Sep 3, 2007Budget Finder Scope
Pros:Excellent alignment system
Cons:Not much light grasp; straight-through neck-strain; inability to focus; flipped, reversed image.
Comments:Orion's Straight-Through 6x30 Achromatic Finder Scope came as part of Orion's Astroview 120ST EQ telescope package. Selling by itself for $36.95, it comes with a glossy black finish to match Orion's line of telescopes.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? No
The scope comes with the typical Orion finder bracket to fit into the dovetail base commonly found on Orion/Synta and many other scopes. The alignment system on the bracket uses a 3-point setup using two adjustment screws and a spring-loaded pin which makes aligning the scope much easier than conventional 3-screw arrangements.
The scope itself performs as does many other inexpensive 6x30 finders. The view is meager. Don't expect to be able to see any faint stars or DSOs through this little scope. Not having a right-angle diagonal also makes this scope more difficult to use. (My neck hurts!) It also suffers from the flipped, reversed image expected from uncorrected refractors.
Probably the biggest problem I had with this finder is that it is not focusable. With or without my glasses on, I found I had to unscrew the eyepiece section of the scope over 1/8 inch out (and the eyepiece section is NOT designed to be unscrewed!) to get a decent focus.
In conclusion, Orion’s Straight-Through 6x30 Achromatic Finder Scope is a barely adequate finder that makes it difficult to locate all but the brighter celestial objects and would do well to be replaced by a larger, right-angle finder or a 1x reflex sight.Jun 30, 2007Decent finder but a bit small
Pros:Decent quality
Cons:On the small side, not too useful for finding faint fuzzies.
Comments:I have this finder that came with a scope, and it has served me well while using it on small scopes or just when I want to quickly find targets that I am familiar with. But both the objective and the eye lenses are small, so there is a limit to how many stars you can see with one of these small finders. At least it was free with the scope. The optics are good and the crosshair seems durable (unlike some finders that use some kind of fragile filament for the crosshairs). Focusing is fairly easy as well.
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
If you are wanting to hunt down galaxies and nebulas, then I strongly recommend a larger finder, whatever the brand....go with perhaps a 50mm finder to start with. I have a Stellarvue F50 that shows a whole lot more stars and is far more useful when trying to find targets in parts of the sky I am not familiar with, which is pretty much the whole sky.
A small finder like this is really useful for low power star hopping trying to find big objects like star clusters or the planets and moon, or if you are familiar with your target's location, but for Deep Space Objects, I would recommend a bigger finder with more magnification.May 9, 2007Orion 6x30 Achromatic Finder Scope
Pros:Light weight, clear views!
Cons:No bad reviews!!
Comments:This came with my 6" f/8. Has a very nice view, nice x-hairs and doesn't weigh down the front of the scope! Multi-coated optics show very good detail of a wide range of astronomy DSO!!
Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? YesSort by
