[f/11.5] Well machined steel OTA with top notch baffling and gorgeous glass! I was (and still am) amazed by the low price on this amazing scope. It has so far yielded me some of the best views of Jupiter I have ever seen. Clear bright and high contrast I can't believe how incredible the views have been through this RC! Great delivery and shipping to Canada...Astronomy, iOptron Photron 150 RC and BHP...what a great combination!

[1.25", 2"] After looking at this telescope online through many websites I could not find any reviews.But having an intrest in starting astrophotography on a budget due to my location in south florida with lots of light pollution a living in an apartment I wanted something portable to go with my vx mount.The views of heavens have been very sharp and with good contrast.Well made at low cost for a beginner like me.Thanks B+H for good service and fast shiping

[Catadioptric] Telescope arrived very fast and double boxed. Collimation of telescope was spot on as shipped. Telescope is very light weight for an 8 inch scope at only 12 pounds. The picture incorrectly shows accessories not part of this item number, the text is correct stating it only is the ota and no finder or flip mirror is included. I knew this but other people may not notice, B&H should update the picture. Views are crisp and clear and the focus is excellent. I see no need for an optional dual speed focus knob that is available for an extra cost. Done astrophotography and had no trouble focusing my DSLR. Could resolve the globular cluster M13 with many pinpoint stars. Detail on Mars and Saturn are excellent the large center obstruction is not a problem for me. I find the scope to be better that a SCT as far as edge sharpness is concerned. Very happy with this telescope. I own several high end telescopes and rate this Vixen very highly. That being said it is not comparable to a very high end APO costing 5 or 6 times the cost. You get what you pay for and the VMC200L is an excellent telescope.

[1.25", 2"] Great telescope! Easy to setup and use.

[1.25", 2"] So far, the telescope has performed beyond my expectations. It arrived perfectly collimated and images have been sharp. Please.

[f/11.5] I am just getting started in astronomy, and this is my first telescope. It was a priority that the kit be lightweight and portable, as well as high quality. This kit fills the bill. Much easier to take outside for a few minutes than a dob. Both the OTA and the Porta II mount are excellent quality. The new Porta II mount is already legend among amateur astronomers, as it is VERY stable/well made. The EPs included by Vixen are *not* NPL plossls as the website suggests- instead they are a no name plossl set and are not as high a quality as the NPLs. (I have since acquired an NPL- which is great.) The included EPs are adequate but not great. The kit was very well packed by Vixen and was easy to set up. While instructions were included, I didn't need them, and I'm a beginner. The scope is intuitive to use. I haven't used it as much as I would like yet, due to cloudy skies, but with what little I've seen it seems the scope arrived well collimated. I would buy this kit again.

[3000 mm] I have had it out a couple of nights so far doing moon observing and second night using camera to take pics without motor drives going. It isn't as sharp as my 4 inch apo is on the moon but I would say similar f6 or above dobs I've owned and used in the past. It did better at taking photos of the moon than my apo due to it handling the brightness of 3/5 of a moon.

[f/11.5] I purchased this after doing some research. I had heard that these could have a problem with collimation and may not work all that great for observation. I found neither of these to be a problem. When the IOptron 150mm f/9 Ritchey- Chretien arrived I set it up the first opportunity I had for clear skies and checked the collimation using a de-focused star and it was fine. I tried a few photos of DSOs which also turned out good. A few night later I had a chance to try it out on lunar observation and again it worked well. So, Im happy with the purchase.


 B&H shipping was right on time...

[3000 mm] I've purchased this equipment for two reasons:
1- It was available! (Rare these days),
2- I just watched a guy on youtube making a review about this exact model. He just showed every aspect of the equipment in real life. He mentioned that he did not even needed to collimate out of the box and also said the image is very sharp for astro-photography. That was the point that really got me. After that I decided to take the plunge. Here I am, after about a month using it, I can tell it's a great telescope. The image is great. I did not collimate as well and yes the image is great! No chromatic aberration, no coma and the likes. I will later on check the collimation just out of curiosity. Yes, it's a great telescope! I have nothing to complain about it. The focusing system is very precise, and smooth. It's a solid piece of equipment. The design and color choice also is also pleasing to me. B&H had this BIG BOX from NY to AZ for FREE in two days! YEEPEEE! Very happy with my purchase.

[0.45 Arcsec] Exceptional optics and worth the price with low weight for entry level mounts.
Takes better images than 2-3 times pricier triplet apos.