Vixen A80Mf 80mm f/11.4 Refractor Telescope - A80Mf OTA only # 2603

5.0 Vixen 80mm Refractor

Easy to Use,Lightweight,Quality Lenses,Strong Construction

I bought this telescope for sun observation with appropriate sun filters and have been very pleased with the performance. It also has provided good Moon & planet views. I did not have a problem with "personally objectionable" color fringing usually associated with this type of telescope. I also have a 12" SCT and find that I can get higher magnification per inch of aperture with the refractor. A Baader fringe killer filter is very helpful also and I use Brandon orthoscopic eyepieces exclusively with this telescope. I mounted it on a CG-4 EQ mount and use a Baader erect image diagonal most of the time.
Of course, this telescope would not be at the same level as an expensive high end refractor. But I found the views to be personally acceptable.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

4.0 A terrific, inexpensive refractor/mount

Quality Lenses,Strong Construction

Difficult To Focus

I wanted an inexpensive refractor to use as a companion to my 8" Dob, mainly for those nights when I want a quick peek and don't want to deal with cool-down times or lugging a large scope in and out of the house. I'd heard great things about the Vixen-branded Synta refractors, and especially the Porta Mount, so I decided to pick up an A80MF, figuring that I could upgrade the OTA at a later time and keep the mount.

After a couple months with the A80MF, I can safely state that it was a worthy purchase. With its long focal length, chromatic abberration is very minor and only detectable on the moon and the brightest stars. The optical quality is terrific, and the scope performs especially well on planets, the moon, and open clusters. Even the brightest of galaxies are decidedly faint, but that's to be expected with 80mm's of aperture. The Porta Mount is terrific as well; I especially love the slow motion controls, which make tracking a target a breeze.

My only minor gripe is with the focuser. At high magnifications (~150x), there's a great deal of image shift introduced by the focuser that makes achieving perfect focus a sometimes laborious act. I'll probably upgrade to a dual-speed crayford down the road. Other than that minor niggle, I'm completely satisfied with the A80MF and recommend it to anyone seeking an inexpensive refractor/mount combo for primarily planetary and lunar work.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com