Hi yes I have one.
I acquired a as new VMC 100 Vixen about 2 months ago.
I was going to get the Celestron C90 but this came up and for great price and I thought the extra 20 mm aperture would greatly help.
I had is out last night and compared it to some other similar sized scopes I have, a Vixen 100 ED [Synta] and my modified Terabeam Meade 125 ETX. [I like collecting / selling scopes.]
It summary, I like the little Vixen 110, it is a well-built all metal scope with good but not excellent optics. [ Yes, it’s a ‘compromise’ scope which Catadioptric scopes are.]
On the brighter planets it gives good sharpish images, it makes an excellent lunar scope, but is limited on DSOs. [Naturally]. It does make a nice day time spotting scope.
Some reviewers as you have read do give it mixed results and collimation can be difficult but this one is well collimated.
Cool down is around 30 minutes. The FOV is slightly wider being an F/9 compared to other MC designs at F/14 or so but don't expect wide image views.
Maximum magnification is around the 200x mark, best range is 100x – 160x, after that the image softens.
I have it generally on a Vixen Porta 11 Mount so it is an easy grap and go scope. I do not use the flip mirror. There is no mirror flop which some SCT's appear to have.
On planets the Vixen 100 ED wins and beats the Meade 125 Terabeam in ultimate sharpness. The Meade is slightly brighter however. The little Vixen 110 came in a reasonably close third but was going to be beaten any way. The Vixen is half the weight of the 125 Meade and certainly far more portable.
The Vixen is good scope, it gives good images and is reasonably user friendly, however, [there is always a but], you also need to look at many of the 80 mm doublets available also as an option.
An 80 mm doublet ED, [I have had several doublets and triplets ], will give you sharper planetary images esp. at higher mags and with a similar brightness as to the Vixen 110. The light transmission of the Vixen 110 is about the same as a 90 mm refractor. [ CO and other factors like excessively thick vanes.] A used 80 APO doublet should be available as the same price as a new 110 Vixen. Remember that is you specifically want to observe planets only a 80 mm ED may be the way to go. [Then of course a 100 mm ED would be even better !]
Still, I do recommend the little Vixen VMC 110 scope it is well made, easy to use, it gives a good images and is highly portable.
Chris
Edited by chris charen, 25 October 2017 - 12:14 AM.