Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope

by Orion

Product Details

Product Manual [236kb PDF]

• Shipping Information: View shipping rates and policies
• ASIN: B0000XMTCY
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: November 1, 2003

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

I have been looking for quick "setup and go" telescope of superior quality for a few years, and I believe I have found that scope in the Orion 80ED. This is an amazingly compact, well performing little instrument that combines all the features I have been looking for in a single package.

The only word for the optics is superb. When using the Orion 80ED to view the Moon and Planets, with magnifications at or below "Dawes Limit" (a theoretical limit to the maximum power of any telescope, 160 power in this case), I saw no false color of any kind. The contrast was excellent, and the views of the Moon and planets were tack sharp. As I increased the power beyond "Dawes Limit," I noted only the slightest hint of false color, a very slight drop in contrast, and the tiniest softening of the image. Saturn looks like a small ringed jewel sitting on black velvet, the cloud belts of Jupiter are clear colorful and sharp, and the Moon is nothing short of amazing. Deep Sky Objects show well with this instrument as well--I was able to easily see structure in the Great Nebula in Orion, and detail in the Andromeda Galaxy.

The Optical Tube Assembly (OTA), is one hundred millimeters in diameter, a bit larger than most instruments of this size. The focuser is a 2" aluminum Crayford-type focuser that accepts 2" or 1 ¼" eyepieces or accessories. I can use a 2" eyepiece for a wider field of view than I would normally get using the standard 1 ¼" eyepiece, this makes for fine viewing of extended objects such as Nebula and Open Star Clusters. The focusing mechanism is smooth and silky, and incorporates a focus lock along the bottom of the focuser assembly. The rubber coated 42 mm (1.6") focus control knobs on each side of the drawtube make for a good grip and easy control of focus during photography or viewing. The telescope focuser easily supports a 35-MM camera or an ST-7 CCD camera using an optional T-Ring and two-inch adapter.

The Dew shield is removable; this shortens the telescope's overall length from 23" to 18.75" which makes for easy storage and portability. A set of mounting rings is available from Orion as well as from third party vendors, allowing me to quickly mount the telescope on either a small Equatorial platform, or piggyback it on my much larger Nexstar11GPS telescope. This little telescope is built well, looks nice, performs well, and is small enough to take on the road. --Dave Cole

Pros

• Small and lightweight
• Affordable
• Superb optics
• Well constructed
• 1 ¼" eyepiece adapter included

Cons

• Tripod mounting block could be a bit larger
• Aperture is only 80 mm
• Does not come with a carry case

Product Description

We love those premium apo refractors as much as the next guy. We just don't think you should have to work a second job or put the family heirlooms on eBay to own one. Now you won't, thanks to our amazingly affordable 80mm ED refractor. Its multi-coated 80mm objective doublet contains one element crafted from extra-low-dispersion FPL-53 glass. Images are virtually free of chromatic aberration! With a focal length of 600mm (f/7.5), the "ED80" is wonderfully suited for visual applications on both solar system and deep-sky objects as well as for prime-focus astrophotography and CCD imaging. Sold as optical tube assembly only, without accessories. Finished in gunmetal gray metallic enamel. Compatible tube rings are #7371, sold separately. One-year limited warranty.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Orion 80mm ED Apochromatic Refractor - Outstanding!!, March 24, 2004

By 

Bill (Louisiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope (Electronics)

The Orion ED80 refractor is an outstanding little telescope! The ED80 is a fantastic bargain in the world of apochromatic refractors, and it is worth every penny. Orion really made a genius decision when they decided to distribute this scope. I've had my ED80 for about 6 months now, and it impresses me more & more every time I use it.

One of the biggest selling points of the ED80 is that it shows a significant reduction in chromatic aberration, the infamous "purple haze" that surrounds bright celestial objects viewed in achromatic refractors. The only hint of false color shown through the ED80 is around the brightest stars, such as Vega, Sirius, Rigel, etc. And even then, the purple is barely detectable. It's really not even noticeable unless the observer is specifically looking for it.

Views of the planets are absolutely purple-free and razor-sharp. The ED80 will show planets at magnifications much higher than one would expect of an 80mm telescope. I routinely observe Saturn at 200x, and on nights of excellent seeing, I can crank the magnification to 240x. One night when the seeing was exceptional, I shot up to 300x with very little image breakdown! The Cassini Division is a very easy target in the ED80. Cloud bands are visible, and I've also seen as many as five of Saturn's moons. I find that Jupiter shows itself best at about 150x in the ED80. Moving up to 200x usually results in a slightly soft image. The Great Red Spot is readily visible, as are multiple cloud bands. The four Galilean satellites, easy targets in any scope, display sharp, inky-black shadows on the cloud tops when they transit.

Open clusters are very beautiful through the ED80. Stars appear as pinpoints and stellar colors are apparent. Bright stars show textbook Airy disks with nice diffraction rings. Other bright deep sky objects that are within reach of an 80mm scope are wonderful targets.

The Crayford focuser on this telescope is silky-smooth. Focusing on planetary detail at 200x is an easy task; details "snap" into focus and the image doesn't shift when racking in & out of focus. The focuser also has a tension adjustment screw, which is very helpful if you use a heavy diagonal/eyepiece combination.

In conclusion, this telescope is an excellent performer. I very highly recommend it for anybody looking for a small refractor!!