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I purchased one of these scopes new from Orion and recently only parted with it as I found a 102mm Celestron in the same price range. The optics that came with the 90mm were superb giving airy disks on both sides of focus - no astigmatism and extremely little chromatic abberation even on the edge of a nearly full moon! eLyra was easily spit into quadrants with 80x. In all cases I used my set of Orion Expanse eyepieces judged equally superb and a bargain to boot. So, great optics, nice finder (although I installed a 9x50mm on the one I had) good focuser - not great with some wiggle but good for the price being paid. Now for the mount. The EQ-2 is good and while it came with those dreaded aluminum extendable tripod legs, I found the scope stable at magnifications up to 150x. Light breezes didn't seem to be problematic either and overall I was satisfied - again considering the value for the money. One thing that wasn't in the owner's manual and really makes no sense to me is a sort of 'appendix' looking device next to the RA slow motion wheel - I removed it as it appears to have no use. I also installed and EQ-2 electronic drive on the RA axis - also an Orion product and it tracks very well for casual observation. The eyepieces, Orion Sirius Plossl design are good, they give sharp images and are darned good compared to the Kellners I used 40 years ago as a kid. Overall, I'd rate this scope 'excellent' for the value. You can pay far more for a ED 90mm scope that isn't all that much better than the sample I had. for a novice or beginner getting into astronomy for the first time, Orion packs meaningful light gathering in their 90mm refractor and a respectable mount, eyepieces and ready to go right out of the box. As I said, I found an equally capable scope in the Celestron 102mm C4R at a bargain basement price and the optics are virtually identical in performance to the Orion - likely made by the same Chinese firm. However the C4R EQ mount is far smoother and a big plus! Orion sells the Astroview refractor for $319 plus s/h. The C4R can be had on eBay now for under $250 delivered! QuigleyRead full review
I wanted a refractor that was easy to transport and set up. This is a good looking telescope. The optics are extremely sharp without the chromatic aberration that typically comes with refractors. I was impressed. The eyepieces that come with it are decent. They are good to start with. You can always expand. You can also buy adapters to fit .965 eyepieces and 2 inch eyepieces. I wouldn't hesitate to spend a little more on eyepieces with this scope. The tripod is great for travel because it is light. The only thing is when you set it up hang a weight on the bottom from the center for extra stability. The EQ2 is good, and again great for transporting. What can I say there are better, but this one will get you around the universe where ever you are going. Overall this is a very impressive telescope. You will be very satisfied with this. Very good optics, and a good value as it stands. It's a keeper.Read full review
Verified purchase: No
I like the razor sharp optics and great contrast. Smooth operating equatorial mount. Good light gathering ability.A TELESCOPE THAT IS ONLY ABOUT 23-25 POUNDS IN WEIGHT WHICH MAKES IT VERY NICE AND EASY TO TRANSPORT AND MAKES IT MY MOST OFTEN USED SCOPE.Beautifully flawless white enameled optical tube.Black steel equatorial mount.Pretty smooth focusing rail.A joy to use.I DECIDED TO BUY THIS SCOPE BECAUSE I LIKED OTHER REVIEWS ON THIS TELESCOPE AND WAS GOING TO BUY A NEW ONE BUT THIS CAME UP ON EBAY IN MINT CONDITION AND DECIDED TO BID ON IT AND WON IT AT HALF THE PRICE OF A NEW SCOPE. I love it,
This telescope is awesome for viewing moon and planets.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned