My personal impressions on the Orion 80mm ShortTube F/5 refractor: This scope is tremendous value for the money. If it looks like Vixen, and acts like a Vixen, it MUST be a Vixen? No - the optics at least are supposedly made in China. Mechanically, the scope seems to be made by Vixen. That is: a super-smooth focuser (albeit with too much grease), lightweight, sturdy construction (15" long, no more than 3 or 4 lbs), a Vixen-style dewcap, and Vixen-style quick release finder.

To be really picky: The supplied 6x30 achromatic finder isn't as good optically as my old 6x30 Celestron one (vintage 1976). This was easy to switch - although color co-ordination (orange for white) was lost. Then again, some observers feel that a finder scope isn't required on this scope, as the 3+ degree wide-field offered by the supplied 25mm Kellner is adequate for locating objects easily. I do, however, like some sort of "aiming device". The finder therefore stays! Wondering why the finder? I've always used a finder to get in the "ball-park area" as I'm very short-sighted and observe without glasses. I therefore can only see the brighter stars. I can get a 4 degree field with a 32mm Plossl. My 26mm TeleVue gives about 3.3 degrees but the University Optics 16mm Konig gives a better flat field of view, albeit only 3 degrees.

. The telescope comes supplied with 2 regular 1.25" Kellner wide-angle eyepieces, and a 45 degree (correct image) diagonal for terrestrial use. The 25mm eyepiece gives 16x and the 10mm gives 40x. Both are threaded for filters. I found these eyepieces to be adequate, but certainly not nearly as good as my 26mm TeleVue plossl (15x) and my old-style (1980s) University Optics 16mm Konig (25x). No star testing of the 45 degree diagonal has been done, as I generally use a regular 90 degree diagonal. I also use an Edmunds Scientific 90 degree Amici Prism, which gives a corrected field for chart orientation. This, however, with a loss, of some clarity to star images. A 4.8mm TeleVue Nagler (83x), 15mm wide-angle TeleVue (27x) and the 32mm plossl Omcon (13x), completes the rest of the eyepieces I intend to use on this nice little telescope.

The telescope has a 1/4"-20 mounting block for installing on a tripod (not supplied). I use my Celestron photographic tripod. This is adequate and very steady, and with the Celestron "Deluxe Slow Motion Control" installed makes the scope ideal for "sweeping-up" those "pesky" comets!

The supplied intructions consist of both sides of a single piece of paper and are certainly not that useful for a beginner. The information about lining up the finder could use revision, as the function of the screw-type locking rings on the finder adjustment screws could confuse any rank beginner. I feel that Orion would do well to revise this "manual" with something a wee bit more comprehensive for the new star-gazer.

I've found that both supplied Kellner eyepieces show a strong curvature of field (less so with the TeleVues and hardly any with the 16mm Konig) when general "sweeping" is done. This field curvature is very annoying as objects have to be well- centered to be resolved at all well. Both the 25mm and 26mm eyepieces show lots of color and are hard to focus when looking at Jupiter (which was/is low for me). Star images, however, are fine with a nice wide 3 degree flat field when my 16mm Konig is used. I've also tried a 15mm TeleVue widefield (27x), which gives the same nice wide field.

As expected in this type of refractor (achromatic lens), on Jupiter shows some residual chromatic aberration (mostly in the blue) when viewed with the 16mm or 15mm. But is very crisp at 83x through the 4.8 Nagler, which itself gives a nice 1 degree field. The supplied 10mm Kellner (1.25 degree field) gives Jupiter some nice residual colors to the edge but this problem is not that distracting and should not annoy most observers. The satellites are certainly fine dots in the 10, 16, 15 and the 4.8 mm eyepieces but are slightly "smudged" in the 25, 26 and 32mm eyepieces.

General sweeping with the 16mm or 15mm of the Milky Way region shows lots of nice star clusters. I can easily pick up M22 (partly resolved!), M17, M15 and M2 with little effort. M31 is huge at any time and both companions are easily seen. Even M51 in a heavy light-polluted region (for me) of the sky can be easily swept up, with both companions quite apparent. With an additional camera adapter (not supplied) it is possible to use this telescope as wide-field telephoto lens for day-light (solar) or celestial photography. Of course a good tracking mount is required if long exposure astrophotography is to be attempted.

Conclusions: I feel that eyepieces can certainly make this telescope. The best for general "sweeping" is either my trusty 16mm Konig from University Optics or the newer 15mm TeleVue. For planetary viewing the Nagler 4.8mm is ideal (on Jupiter anyway). I certainly don't recommend going much above 100x as I've found the planetary image has a tendancy to "break-down" when the 4.8 Nagler coupled with my 2.5x TeleVue barlow (208x) is tried.

I feel that for the price and simplicity of use this is a great little telescope! Ideal for the casual star observer, a star-party and a good travel telescope for the more serious observer wishing portability who can't or won't afford a TeleVue Pronto or Ranger. A good deal for the price! I wish every department store would sell these, rather than the junky items they do now. More people would be introduced to astronomy the right way!

Not interested in astronomy? Then you have a good F/5, 400mm telephoto lens if you use it prime focus. Celestron is currently importing the same exact scope. Except it mates to an included Equatorial mount (I can mate mine to an Astro-Physics 400GEM - but that is a slight overkill!). Also a good value, the Celestron Firstscope 80 WA (wide angle) has everything except a finder. (The scope itself makes a nice finder at low power).

Further note - Orion recently came out with a longer and heavier 90mm version of the ShortTube Refractor. I haven't seen one to make any comments as to its suitability for astronomy.

Additional Notes:

Added in April of 2002:

If you're into birdwatching and wish to look at waterfowl, this scope is excellent for sitting in one spot and observing the birds. I wouldn't want to carry it throught the woods too far, but placing the scope on a nice study tripod beats some of the more expensive "spotting scopes" now sold to birdwatchers. I recently looked through s very expensive $780.00+ (Canadian) spotting scope especially  made for birdwatchers by a well known manufacturer. For clarity,   brightness of view  and ease of use the Orion scope won hands down! So looking for a second hobby? Take up birdwatching and buy  the Orion Shortube (80mm) Refractor and you have a great scope for two hobbies.

Added in June 2003 - Over the past few weeks I found that this scope, however, isn't suitable for the new "art" of digiscoping. There is far too much chromatic aberration to give worthwhile images when a typical digital camera (in my case a Nikon Coolpix 4500)  is hooked up to the eyepiece. A fluorite objective lens is the only "way to go" for this demanding part of birdwatching! See the Kowa 823M under "Review" for more on a good birding/digiscoping spotting scope.

Note in May 2005 - I sold this scope and acquired the Orion 80mm ED which, for me,  is a far better astronomical telescope.

My first impressions (June 2005):