Orion AstroView 120ST Equatorial Refractor Telescope
by Orion
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List Price: Category: Digital Camera See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Orion AstroView 120ST Equatorial Refractor Telescope
Customer Review: Great scope for the price
Summary: 5 Stars
When I first saw the Orion 120st I was intrigued by the idea of a 4.7" 600mm F/5 Rich Field Telescope. I was looking for something I could just throw up and start observing here at my apartment without having to go through a lot of trouble, and this scope seemed like a good answer.
The scope itself is well made. Good finish, no obvious dings or scratches. It is a bit larger than I'd originally imagined, but it isn't too big. The mount is also a lot more robust than I'd originally thought it would be as well, but that's not a bad thing. I did notice that the bracket to hold the finder scope on the OTA is a bit too wide, and had to use some cardboard to shim the finder. Mine also came with the cover for the polar scope cracked, and with a different polar scope than the one in the manual. The assembly instructions aren't particularly well written, but it isn't exactly rocket science to figure out how to put this thing together. It comes with 2 counterweights, but it really only needs the larger one.
Optically this scope is surprisingly good given the price. There is some chromatic aberration, but it isn't that bad. Orion got the maximum magnification pretty close. A 5mm EP (120x) seems to provide the best overall high power view. I can still get an acceptable view at 150x (4mm EP), but it looks as if it's pushing it just a bit. This is definitely not the scope for high power jobs. But then, that's not really what it was meant for anyway. On those things that are best viewed with low power, this scope struts it's stuff. Viewing the Orion nebula, this scope does a better job than my 8" SCT. I can see the entire Pleides in a 32mm EP. And despite it's lack of high magnification, Saturn is still one heck of a fine view at 120x.
*UPDATE* I took it out and tried some high power observation of Saturn recently. At 300x, the view was mostly fuzzy, and not very inspiring, but every now and then it would clear up and be razor sharp just for a moment. Not bad for an f/5 *UPDATE*
Putting on a finder scope is useless extra weight. I have a 70mm finder that I was going to use, but with a 40mm 2" EP this scope has a wider FOV. With the included 25mm it has about the same FOV. I may use a red dot eventually, but right now I'm just using the joints on the side of the scope tube rings to sight down the scope. I find that the focuser is a bit stiff, but it will probably be just fine after I get around to taking it apart, cleaning it, and re-greasing it. I'd read that some people have had some trouble with the eq mount, but mine is as smooth as butter. The only possible flaw I've seen in the mount is that dampening time is about 5-6 sec. at higher power. Part of that is probably due to the fact that I don't attach the accessory tray like the instructions say. Instead of screwing the wingnuts in from the bottom and physically attaching the tray to the spreader, I screwed them in through the top so the bolts hang down from the tray and just loosely fit down in the holes of the spreader. That way I can just set it down on the spreader without having to mess with the wingnuts each time I set up and take down.
Overall I'd say this scope is a steal, as long as you keep in mind what it was intended for. For those who find the idea of an eq mount daunting, it isn't as bad as it seems. This is my first eq. Unless you're planning on doing astrophotography (you probably shouldn't use this mount for that anyways, but...), it doesn't really have to be polar aligned all that well. Just point it in the right general direction and it'll be fine. I can't even see Polaris from the spot I usually set up, and it hasn't been a problem yet.