Scope compare

Post by **weixing** » Wed Jan 05, 2011 8:15 pm

Hi,
I owned quite a few Netwonain in the past... Sky-Watcher (6" F5), Celestron(8" F5) and Vixen(5.3" F5.5 & R200SS 8" F4). The Sky-Watcher and Celestron Newtonian are made in China and the 2 Vixen Newtonian are made in Japan.

IMHO, the optical quality are basically of the same standard... the Sky-Watcher and Celestron mirror are just as good as the Vixen mirror. Focuser are all the same standard (R200SS focuser look and feel the same as the Celestron 8" F5 Newtonian focuser) except the R135S which use a unique sliding focuser and are better build quality. The only "feature" that the Vixen Newonian is superior than both the Sky-Watcher and Celestron Newtonian is the OTA tube itself.... The Vixen tube will not deform when you remove the mirror cell and the secondary spider, but both the China made Newtonian tube will deform a bit which make installing the mirror cell back a bit challenging.

Anyway, I'm not sure whether the OTA tube of those made in China Vixen (sf) Newtonian will deform when mirror cell is removed, but I think the optical quality will be just as good as those made in Japan Vixen Newtonian.

Just my S$0.02.

Good luck and have a nice day.

orly_andico · Post by **orly_andico** » Wed Jan 05, 2011 9:19 pm

Agreed, the quality is pretty similar, which is why I am not convinced of the utility of buying a Vixen-branded item if it's exactly the same as an Orion or Celestron or Sky-Watcher branded item, since you end up paying more for the Vixen brand.

orly_andico · Post by **orly_andico** » Thu Jan 06, 2011 10:21 am

actually the Vixen ED100Sf f/9, like the Orion, only has a single-speed focuser. The Sky-Watcher trumps them both in this regard.

the OP was considering *my* copy of the Orion 100ED, but i'm re-thinking whether i still want to get rid of it, or if I should get a Williams focuser for it (the one thing that annoys me about it).