Orion 80mm ED Apo

4.0 Budget Apo

Pleasingly sharp, color-free optics. Affordable price.

Bulky tube for 80mm. Crayford focuser doesn't fare well with heavy loads.

I bought this scope about 6 months after its initial release. It is not only color-free at focus, but images are tack-sharp at all magnifications. On nights of decent seeing I can push the magnification to 200x, which is beyond the "theoretical" limits of this size scope. Jupiter's Great Red Spot is also viewable which beats many achros at this aperture.

The cons. The tube is bulky for its size (same diameter as the ED100), and if I had waited I might have purchased the Celestron version which is essentially the same optics in a more streamlined tube. The 1/4-20 tripod mounting block really doesn't belong because of the ota's bulk. The Crayford focuser is a mixed blessing. Smooth but not robust. The focuser has difficulty holding its lock when a heavy load is hanging from it. A consideration if you are going to image with a dSLR or other heavy equipment.