Orion Apex 90mm Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a great little scope to use as a spotting scope and for the occasional astronomical gazing. It works just fine as a nice big telephoto lens for your SLR camera as well with the appropriate T-adapter. Comes with a decent carrying case too, so it really is a perfect grab-and-go scope for terrrestrial viewing and light astronomy.
It does not have the aperture to really pull in any dark-sky objects, but is just wonderful on bright planets, the moon, and easy doubles. Do not expect to really use this scope to see very many Messier objects, unless you have incredibly dark skies and lots of patience.
The build quality is very good for what you pay for. Other scopes in this price range can be really junky, but this one seems decent. I am not an expert but I do know what good optics are and this one gets an all-around very good rating, excellent for the price. No problems with collmination or other abberations. The optics are much better than my last scope of similar size, a Meade ETX-70. I also briefly owned a Meade ETX-125AT UHTC - a $1,200 scope. The little Apex 90 is severely outmatched compared to that, but when you can own 5 Apex 90's for the same price, it really puts things into perspective! Again, great value here.
So why not 5 stars? It took Orion three tries to ship me a scope that worked. On the first two scopes, the focus was broken. Exact same problem with both scopes. Straight out of the box, neither would focus as the focus knob would only make a couple of revolutions before hitting the stops (the focus knobs should turn 25ish times). Both times replacements were shipped via 2-day Fedex at absolutely no charge to me, and the returns were prepaid as well. On this note, their customer service is some of the best I have ever used (period). Real people who actually speak English answer the phone on the first or second ring. Astounding. No automated voice system, no outsourced help. Two thumbs way, way up there. It was still just a bit of hassle to get two defective scopes in a row.
In the end, I'm happy with my purchase and look forward to purchasing other Orion scopes in the future. Their reputation of inexpensive but decent scopes seems true.

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With a tube length of 11 inches, a 90mm (3.5") precision-polished fully multi-coated meniscus front lens, and solid uncompromising construction. the Apex 90 Compact Mak is a paragon of portability, optical excellence, and durability. Better still, it's one of the most versatile scopes we offer. The Apex 90 delivers bright, high-contrast images, and with a focal length of 1250mm (f/13.9) you also get a generous image scale. It features a built-in 1/4"-20 adapter plate that makes it easy to mount onto a standard photo tripod for viewing grand daytime vistas. Attach a 35mm camera to the scope's visual back (with a T-ring adapter sold separately) and use the whole assembly as powerful telephoto lens for astrophotography and terrestrial shooting. What more could you want? Includes a 25mm Plossl eyepiece, 6x20 finder scope, 45-deg correct-image diagonal, and fully padded carrying case. One-year limited warranty.

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