45 replies to this topic

[Marcus Roman]

Hi friends, I am collecting info about a very rare bird, the achromat VIXEN 120S five elements, a prototype of the following NA series, which was provided with a doublet objective and a triplet corrector group just before the focuser.
I read an article some time ago on CN but can't find it again...any feedback?

 

Thanks and clear skies!

Marcus

[Terra Nova]

I have one! It’s a really nice scope. I bought it last Spring from Koji Matsumoto and he shipped it to me from Japan. It has much better color correction than the Orion-branded Vixen 120mm Neoachromat that I purchased new from Orion back in 2001. While the 120S looks like the Neoachromat, is a much better scope optically. It has very sharp, contrasty images and a very flat field, with much less false color. I was never happy with the Orion/Vixen version (it didn’t have the triplet Petzval element in the rear like my 120S does. It’s my ‘big’ refractor and a keeper! 

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Edited by Terra Nova, 25 November 2019 - 09:13 PM.

[Joe Eiers]

  Now THAT is a cool piece of glass.  I haven't had the pleasure of looking through one!  Sweet!  How hard are they to find?  So the Vixen is the 120s and the Orion version is just the 120?  Is that correct?  F/6.6?

  Very cool, I find this super interesting!

    Joe

[Terra Nova]

Thanks. It’s the only one I’ve ever seen. The Orion version is equivalent to the Vixen NA120, this is the 120S. It’s focal length is 800mm so F6.67.

Edited by Terra Nova, 25 November 2019 - 11:24 PM.

[Marcus Roman]

Thank you Terra! I very much appreciate your report and the photos you posted, really a beautiful scope, very cool...I wish I found one...

If I can ask, have you tested on planets? What degree would you say the CA is?

 

Thanks you!!!!...:-) 

 

Marcus

[Terra Nova]

Thank you Terra! I very much appreciate your report and the photos you posted, really a beautiful scope, very cool...I wish I found one...

If I can ask, have you tested on planets? What degree would you say the CA is?

 

Thanks you!!!!...:-) 

 

Marcus

 

Yes, it’s performance on Jupiter and Saturn was breathtaking last summer. I had it to quite high powers with 3.8mm and 2.5mm Vixen Lanthanum eyepieces and the views were very sharp with CA very well controlled. I would say it performs about like a 5” F12 achromat, very similar to a 5” F12 D&G I’ve observed the planets with. I’m quite happy with it.

Edited by Terra Nova, 26 November 2019 - 03:36 PM.

[Marcus Roman]

Yes, it’s performance on Jupiter and Saturn was breathtaking last summer. I had it to quite high powers with 3.8mm and 2.5mm Vixen Lanthanum eyepieces and the views were very sharp with CA very well controlled. I would say it performs about like a 5” F12 achromat, very similar to a 5” F12 D&G I’ve observed the planets with. I’m quite happy with it.

Thank you Terra! It is really a unique piece, would say it is amazingly interesting......now, the hunt starts!....:-)

Clear skies, friend.

Marcus

[diglit]

I have Just get one of theese.
The 120s ancestor of NA line, hoping it's good as Terra says (no doubts about)

Paolo

[Marcus Roman]

I have Just get one of theese.
The 120s ancestor of NA line, hoping it's good as Terra says (no doubts about)

Paolo

Ciao Paolo, please share your experiences with it once you have tested, thanks!

[Terra Nova]

I can’t wait to get mine out for Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn in the ensuing months!

[diglit]

I'll do, don't worry.

I have only one problem: too many telescopes and no time enought to use them... 

For the "new" Vixen I have to wait a couple of weeks, then I'll test it and give you my personal impressions.

 

Paolo

[starman876]

I have the 5" NEO version with four elements.  Have alway been happy with it. Would love to look through the 5 lens version.

[Lucullus]

Thanks. It’s the only one I’ve ever seen. The Orion version is equivalent to the Vixen NA120, this is the 120S. It’s focal length is 800mm so F6.67.

I'm confused concerning Orion-branded Vixen. In your post #2 you agree that you have a Vixen 120S with five lenses and that it's better than the "Orion-branded Vixen 120mm Neoachromat" you got from Orion back in 2001. Was there Orion or Vixen on the tube? How can it be Orion and Vixen at the same time? What was it's official name: Orion NA120?

 

Furthermore, I'm confused concerning the S and SS versions. The Vixen Neoachromats were called Vixen NA[aperture]SS, weren't they? So the Orion Neoachromat telescope you had was an SS version as well?

And the wonderful telescope you have now is a Vixen 120S which is not a Neoachromat. Was there also a 130S version of this?

Edited by Lucullus, 25 March 2020 - 05:23 AM.

[starman876]

What does all this have to do with classic telescopes?

[diglit]

No idea, Starman876, probably the fact first Vixen 120S has more or less 20 years old... 

By the way... Now I can anticipate some points better discussed in the next script on my personal site Dark Star about the Vixen 120S.

The full article is not ready yet but in few weeks it will be on line.

120S in my hands is really an incredible performer. Surely my english is not the best but my experience in testing telescope enough to say that the first version is a "super Vixen". The scope provide very good images on the moon, faint but visible clouds on Venus (!) and is able to split with no great difficulties double stars around 1" of separation and magnitude difference not more than 1,5 mag.

In one word: whow!

I had no chance yet to use it for deep sky observations... the city of Milan (Italy) is one of the worst sites in the world for this.. sorry.

 

Paolo

[Bomber Bob]

Trying to sort out Brands, Makers, Model Numbers, & Specs is relevant to this thread & forum.

 

I'm hoping someone will chime in on the year Orion started selling Vixen SP-type refractors.  I can't recall which I saw first ~30 years ago:

 

Orion by Vixen

 

Orion / Vixen

 

Orion (V)

 

I ordered my D&G 5" F10 in 1988.  I was pretty sure that I looked at the Orion / Vixen refractors before ordering, but I definitely don't trust my memory that far back!

[Terra Nova]

I'm confused concerning Orion-branded Vixen. In your post #2 you agree that you have a Vixen 120S with five lenses and that it's better than the "Orion-branded Vixen 120mm Neoachromat" you got from Orion back in 2001. Was there Orion or Vixen on the tube? How can it be Orion and Vixen at the same time? What was it's official name: Orion NA120?

 

Furthermore, I'm confused concerning the S and SS versions. The Vixen Neoachromats were called Vixen NA[aperture]SS, weren't they? So the Orion Neoachromat telescope you had was an SS version as well?

And the wonderful telescope you have now is a Vixen 120S which is not a Neoachromat. Was there also a 130S version of this?

i sold the Orion NA120 around fifteen years ago. I bought it new from Orion in 2001. It was branded Orion (Name and logo, in black), no Vixen branding but stated made by Vixen, Japan in small letters.The Orion model was called simply an NA120. If you have a 2001 Orion catalog you can find it. The also offered a 130mm, also called a Neoachromat. The tube was white with typical Vixen mint green accents. At the same time Orion was also offering the Vixen 102mm F9 fluorite and the 102mm F6.5 ED refractors, similar color and branding, (also in the catalog). The model that I currently have was acquired directly from Japan, used from Koji Matsumoto, a well known Japanese vendor last year. It is prominently branded Vixen in red letters. The model number on it is 120S. It was made by Vixen in Japan in the mid-‘90s. It has a triplet or three element Petzval unit in the rear. The ED102SS that I have has very similar livery. It is also prominently branded Vixen in red. It was made by Vixen in Japan a few years later. As to why one is an S and the other is an SS, I have no clue. If you’re confused, you’ll have to research model numbers and letters with Vixen to un-confuse yourself. Seek clarity with them, not me because I don’t care. Same with why the 102S is so labeled and later ones are NA120, except that to my knowledge the NA120 has a doublet Petzval element and the 120S has a triplet. I don’t think the triplet 120S was every marketed outside of Japan. If it was, I’m not aware of it.

[Terra Nova]

What does all this have to do with classic telescopes?

The Statement of Purpose for the Classics Forum includes this passage:

 

“From the 1780's to the mid-1990's - refractors, reflectors, and early SCT's.”

 

As far as we know, the Vixen 120S preceded the introduction of the NA Series and came out at a yet undetermined time in the 1990s.

[bulletdodger]

    Hi Terra!

 

     I have read Koji's ad description of your rare 5 element 120 as I was researching the 4 element version. Have you ever tried imaging with it. Koji said the telescope was specially made for imaging in addition to it's visual capabilities. Just curious about the unique 5th element and it's usage with a camera and what you have found about it since using it.

[photoracer18]

In Vixen SS means short F-ratio (probably in Japanese). The ED102S was F9 while the ED102SS was F6.5. Likewise the ED114SS was F5.3. I owned all of those at one time. Also the Neoachros were 120S and 140S. The 130 was an ED130SS not a Neo. All the Neos were F6.7 if I remember correctly. The Fluorites were all F8 if I remember, pretty much the same as the Tak Fluorites. I have never seen one of the 5-element 120S models. Likely a JDM only model. There is a guy on here right now from Italy selling a Vixen 70/600 Semi-Apo. Never seen one of those either. Supposedly from the 80's.

Edited by photoracer18, 01 February 2021 - 07:23 PM.

[scopeboy42]

Based on old Vixen and Orion catalogs all of the Japan made Neo-Achromat's had a 800mm focal length. 120S - f/6.7, 130SS - f/6.2, and 140SS - f/5.7. All were made in Japan. Some of the 140's had the 'SSf' designations but still made in Japan. I have yet to see a photo of a NA140SSf with the "made in China" label. All other Vixen scopes that had the 'f' designation (fun series?) were made in China. I have not heard the reason why Vixen did this oddity with the NA140SSf label.

 

The A62SS is different from the other 3 models. It is simply referred to as a Petzval and Vixen does not call it a neo-achromat. It was made in China (but no 'f' designation) with a focal length of 520mm - f/8.4. Notice it is labelled 'SS' but f/8.4. Maybe should have been the A62S. 

 

In Vixen terminology: SS = very short (super short?), S = short, M = medium, and L = long.

 

If someone has a NA140SSf labelled "made in China" please sent me a photo.

Edited by scopeboy42, 01 February 2021 - 09:43 PM.

[Terra Nova]

    Hi Terra!

 

     I have read Koji's ad description of your rare 5 element 120 as I was researching the 4 element version. Have you ever tried imaging with it. Koji said the telescope was specially made for imaging in addition to it's visual capabilities. Just curious about the unique 5th element and it's usage with a camera and what you have found about it since using it.

Nope, I don’t image, I’m purely visual (I do a little real time video as well). It’s a great visual scope tho.

[bulletdodger]

    Thanks Terra!, I, too, am pretty strictly visual.

Just curious what the extra level of correction might do for camera work. I am posting a photo to see if these are the same items came with yours. It came with a 2 inch adapter and a pretty long extension before it ends with the eyepiece. Do you have any issues with using a diagonal with or without the extension.

    Thanks for any info in advance!

 

P.S. The finder scope is very high quality.

 

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[Terra Nova]

    Thanks Terra!, I, too, am pretty strictly visual.

Just curious what the extra level of correction might do for camera work. I am posting a photo to see if these are the same items came with yours. It came with a 2 inch adapter and a pretty long extension before it ends with the eyepiece. Do you have any issues with using a diagonal with or without the extension.

    Thanks for any info in advance!

 

P.S. The finder scope is very high quality.

Mine had the M60 to M43 adapter ring, the M43 2” extension, the M43 to 36.4mm adapter, and the 36.4mm to 1.25” visual back. I’m didn’t need the extension in order to use a 1.25” prism diagonal.

My current configuration is M60 to M43 adapter ring, Baader Vixen M43 Male to T2 Male Adapter # T2-2, Baader T-2 Quick Change adapter, and the larger Baader T-2 Maxbright Dielectric Mirror Diagonal, with Baader T-2 1.25" Click-Lock Eyepiece Holder.

 

And yes, the heavy 50mm Vixen finder with the matching Vixen-mint green accoutrements is truly excellent. It also perfectly matches my Vixen ED102SS and is currently serving on it while I have a 50mm correct image Explore Scientific illuminated finder on the 120S.

Edited by Terra Nova, 03 February 2021 - 03:01 PM.

[bulletdodger]

   Nice! Thanks so much for information, Terra!  It sounds like a serious performer. The reason Japanese optics were top notch was the level of competition between the manufacturers. Most of the best stuff is in the hands of Japanese collectors and never were exported. We are lucky to have a rare conduit in unique goods such as Koji Matsumto. I was reminded recently there was Japanese importer long before Koji that used to advertise back in the old Starry Messenger. Will see if I can find his name in an old mag.

      Can't wait to try mine under good skies. It's like having a TV 101 and a TV 102 in the same telescope. Great super wide fields but great on planets. A little false color has never bothered me. Sharp views and pushing high magnification without breakdown is only possible with great optics.