Customer Reviews

Orion EZ Finder II Telescope Reflex Sight

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I like the EZ Finder because the little thumbwheels make it super easy to adjust when you align it to your eyepiece. I own several others, but all of them require a tool of some type, either a screwdriver or an allen wrench, to adjust. Battery life is very good, I've had one for over four years and as long as you don't forget to turn it off you should get plenty of life out one battery. Everything else about it is what you'd expect, it's a simple tool that does a simple job and does it well.

When it worked it was great. Had great eye relief, adjustable brightness and I was able to align it to the scope quite simply. However, after only a few months of use, it will not work anymore - even with brand new batteries. It just quit one night and will not work no matter what. I was hoping for something a little more durable than just a few months of use for $30+ ...

I bought this but ended up returning it and getting a Telrad (which is working great, though I wouldn't recommend it on anything smaller than a 6").

The dot brightness is variable, but even at the lowest setting it's still too bright. I couldn't even see Polaris once I had the red dot shining at me. Also, don't let the look fool you--this unit is completely plastic and definitely feels a bit flimsy. At $32 plus tax and shipping, I'd definitely recommend just throwing another $10-$20 in and getting a better unit.

But on a positive note, Orion made the return very quick and easy, even prividing a printable UPS label. Well done!

The Ez View Finder was a Christmas present as requested on recipients Christmas wish list. They were very pleased with the item, and was of good quality. The company shipped right away. It was an overall good experience and would recommend product and company.

I received the Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope as a gift two years ago. I use it rarely -- possibly eight to ten times in total, so far. On a viewing a few months into ownership, I noticed that the light on the EZ Finder II Telescope Reflex Sight was out. I made note to purchase a new watch battery for it. A few weeks later, I replaced the battery, only to realize that the problem was not with the battery, but with the on/off/dimmer knob. The light would flicker as the knob was moved. Again, I dismissed the issue as one requiring only a bit of contact solvent. When I finally return to the issue, I realized that it was actually a matter of a bad contact, and not a corroded or oxidized one.

I wrote an email to Orion, asking if they would replace the unit. I offered to ship the broken part back to them. They declined, explaining that it was out of warranty. Again, I put the matter off, as this represents a tiny problem in the scope (no pun intended) of my life. Today, I finally, found a moment to call Orion, to seek further assistance. After being transferred to a customer service manager, I was asked to hold as the manager sought a solution to my problem. He returned with an offer to take 30% off of the price of a replacement unit, since, as he explained, 'it wouldn't make sense to send it in for a fifty dollar an hour repair, being as the unit only costs $40.'

Dumbfounded, I asked the manager whether it makes sense to refuse the replacement of a part that costs $5 to manufacture, after a customer had made a $350 purchase, and is likely to be purchasing a suite of complimentary eyepieces, filters, etc. (In fact, today I placed my order for a set of new eyepieces manufactured by Meade.) He replied that, in his defense, the warranty had expired. He also expressed that the item is of more than five dollars value. For all purchasers, I provide to you photographs of the inner workings of the Orion EZ Finder II Telescope Reflex Sight. You decide whether it costs more than five dollars to produce.

Note that the potentiometer is a brass pin, pushed through the plastic casing, with contacts glued around it. No question that it is a small pot, well designed for the small amount of available space. It would be an engineering marvel if it were only robust enough to last, and not actually designed as a cost cutting measure. See others' reviews to see that I am not alone.

Oh, and as if you had to ask, yes, it's made in China.

I sincerely hope that shoppers will take a good, hard look at Orion's product manufacturing and customer service before committing to a purchase. To be fair, aside from this part, and the fairly cheap eyepiece, the XT8 Classic Dobsonian is a very enjoyable telescope. However, given my experience, and having had the opportunity to use their products, I want to recommend that you give the Dobsonians made by Meade, Sky-Watcher, and especially Zhumell a very serious look. They all offer more at very competitive prices.

Thanks for reading.

One of these came with my Orion XT-6. It's good for bright stars but hard to use with dim objects. The red dot will obscure them leaving you guessing.

I've removed it and installed a Telrad Telrad Finder Sight. The Telrad projects rings instead of a red dot so you can still see the object. Also the Telrad uses AA batteries instead of a lithium coin battery.

I gave this four stars instead of three because this is more compact. It would be very useful for a high powered terrestrial scope.

This only gets three stars if you're only using it for astronomy or on a larger scope.