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Most dependable scope manufacturer in the moderate price range

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#1 grif 678

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Posted 30 January 2025 - 12:45 PM

Back in the 80's and 90's, which scope would you feel more comfortable with, as far as quality build and optical performance, but in the price range of the average income observer , would you trust. For me it would be the Vixen, they are well built, hardly ever hear of any that do not have great optics, and in the price range for most. For around $500, you could get the C-80, and the famous altaz mount. This scope performs excellent and will last a lifetime. For a few hundred dollars more, you could get the 102. These scopes are still around, and a great scope for collectors also. The Japan scopes of that era were well known for great optics, but the Vixen was ( I think ) there most popular scope.


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#2 Astrojensen

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Posted 30 January 2025 - 01:08 PM

Vixen really had their stuff together in the 80'ies and 90'ies. Their line of scopes were second to none, and the quality was good to excellent (with the exception of some of their very lowest priced scopes, that were, quite frankly, garbage). Their middle and high end stuff was legendary.  

 

 

Clear skies!

Thomas, Denmark


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#3 CHASLX200

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Posted 30 January 2025 - 06:55 PM

Back in the 80's and 90's, which scope would you feel more comfortable with, as far as quality build and optical performance, but in the price range of the average income observer , would you trust. For me it would be the Vixen, they are well built, hardly ever hear of any that do not have great optics, and in the price range for most. For around $500, you could get the C-80, and the famous altaz mount. This scope performs excellent and will last a lifetime. For a few hundred dollars more, you could get the 102. These scopes are still around, and a great scope for collectors also. The Japan scopes of that era were well known for great optics, but the Vixen was ( I think ) there most popular scope.

Vixen. Uintron was dead.  SCT's were all over the board.  Big EQ mounted Newts were done in the later 80's.



#4 luxo II

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Posted 30 January 2025 - 07:21 PM

Intes and Santel (not Intes-Micro). Superb optics, well constructed mechanically, built like a tank, and DIY maintainable. And what's interesting is that 30 years later their coatings are still surprisingly good on the ones I've seen. A bit heavy perhaps, but then they did actually machine the OTA - as in turned on a lathe - they weren't rolled and welded thin wall steel tubes.

 

Intes-Micro likewise had good glass but there are aspects that aren't starting with their focusers.

 

But the Russians had zero idea about how to make a scope look good (starting with the paint) nor marketing.


Edited by luxo II, 30 January 2025 - 07:29 PM.


#5 rmorein

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Posted 01 February 2025 - 11:52 AM

In those days, I wanted a C8. That it did not typically reach the potential of the design was minor. The alternative to aperture was Japanese perfection.


Edited by rmorein, 01 February 2025 - 11:55 AM.


#6 ccwemyss

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Posted 01 February 2025 - 12:28 PM

When I worked in the shop in the early 80's we sold quite a few of the Celestron refractors. They were good, and at a  price point the customers liked, but didn't compare in build quality to the Pentax refractors. For the price of a Pentax refractor, however, you could buy a C8. We also sold a fair number of C90's. The C5 didn't seem to hit the mark, as most people who would think about stepping up to it would then go right over to the C8. Once we started importing the JSO 5" SCTs, their better build quality did cause people to reconsider that size. 

 

Chip W. 


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#7 Terra Nova

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Posted 01 February 2025 - 01:42 PM

Vixen!


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#8 Jay_Reynolds_Freeman

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Posted 01 February 2025 - 04:49 PM

Vixen!

Agreed, during the 1980s and 1990s, Vixen. I have encountered little newer Vixen stuff, so have no opinion about later dates.


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#9 bjkaras

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Posted 02 February 2025 - 11:17 AM

Vixen. Uintron was dead.  SCT's were all over the board.  Big EQ mounted Newts were done in the later 80's.

That’s a shame. There are still some of us who continue to use them.



#10 starman876

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Posted 02 February 2025 - 05:45 PM

The celestron scopes made by vixen and the vixen scopes were very good. The vixen mounts were also very good. Together they were a very reliable product in mechanics and optical performance.  AP was also making its debut in the 80's and were producing awesome mounts and scopes.  Though they were a bit pricy a 5" APO for less then 1500 was  a darn good deal then and now and finding a used scope or mount from that era is always a bargain for a superb performer. 


Edited by starman876, 02 February 2025 - 05:46 PM.

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#11 CHASLX200

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Posted 02 February 2025 - 05:50 PM

The celestron scopes made by vixen and the vixen scopes were very good. The vixen mounts were also very good. Together they were a very reliable product in mechanics and optical performance.  AP was also making its debut in the 80's and were producing awesome mounts and scopes.  Though they were a bit pricy a 5" APO for less then 1500 was  a darn good deal then and now and finding a used scope or mount from that era is always a bargain for a superb performer. 

Best scopes that C sold and they never made them.


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