[Rack-and-Pinion] 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"] I love my telescope and the slow motion control on the tripod is awesome

[45° Flip] Exceptional optics and worth the price with low weight for entry level mounts.
Takes better images than 2-3 times pricier triplet apos.

[Rack-and-Pinion] The Tripod is a perfect match with my Porta II mount and very stable with my ES AR102. These are my first Vixen products and very happy with their portability. Only draw back was the extremely long wait on the tripod!

[f/9.5] 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.

[f/9.5] I have many astronomical telescopes and this one has become one of my favorites,! Powerful and very handy to use, easy to balance on the mount, and having crisp clear optics is an important plus! Very fine optics from Vixen in Japan. Awesome product!

[1.25", 2"] The Vixen VMC200L offers excellent value in a telescope. The 200mm primary mirror provides nearly 8 of aperture, which provides sufficient light grasp to observe many astronomical objects. Focusing is done via a smooth operating rack and pinion focuser with a 2 drawtube so the primary mirror does not move while focusing and there is absolutely zero image shifting while focusing as a result. Also unlike a more common SCT, the tube is not enclosed by a corrector plate, which allows the scope to cool down (reach ambient temperature) significantly faster than an enclosed SCT or MCT. Also, no corrector plate reduces the dewing issue unless the humidity is extremely high and the wind is calm. The included attached metal handle makes mounting the optical tube to a GEM much more convenient and feels a lot safer holding the scope while securing the dovetail. Although the spider vanes holding the secondary are fairly thick, the structure holds collimation well and the scope was delivered without need for of collimation. Also this made in Japan optical tube is backed by a Vixen 5 year warranty.

[1000 mm] Excellent package--got as first scope for beginning astronomer. Wanted a large aperture scope at a reasonable price. Optics superb for the price of this combination mount/optical tube assembly. Altazmith mount is superb, with fine adjustments for tracking. The total combination is easily portable.

[f/9.5] Excellent Newtonian for imaging and viewing. No false color and I did not do any collimation. It worked out if the box.
I have taken cool pictures of Orion Nebula, Rosette Nebula, Horsehead nebula, Pleiades when mounted on a GEM.
I can upload these images if BH can facilitate.
The porta mount is another excellent piece and highly recommend for alt azimuth viewing. Light sturdy and design is excellent.