Customer Reviews

Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Telescope with Bonus Accessory Pa

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This is not only the ideal scope for beginners but enough of an instrument to show you new things in the sky for years to come. It is sturdy and simple to operate. It has enough light-gathering power (more important than magnification) to reveal dim star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies and good enough optics to show you the surface of planets like Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars.

Dobsonians like this one offer by far the most view for the dollar, and the price on this one is superb. Affordable as this scope is, there is no reason to give so much as a glance at the numerous trashy 60mm refractors with exaggerated magnification claims that litter the market.

Some advice on selection. Dobsonians come in a range of sizes. A 114mm (4 ½") is a bit on the small side but still a fine instrument, especially if your ability to carry large objects is limited. A 200mm scope like this one is right in the middle of the recommended range. A 250mm (10") is on the big side, and you should buy one only if you are able-bodied.

Some advice on use. Viewing through a telescope is less like playing a CD and more like playing a guitar. Finding objects takes a little bit of practice. Make sure you know what kind of finder is supplied, as the package that comes with this scope varies. If it comes with a 9x50mm finder, great. If if comes with a 6x30mm, discard it and get a a 50mm. Also, get a reflex "red-dot" finder to aid in initial pointing. You will also need to buy an atlas (Sky & Telescope's Pocket sky Atlas is the best available), a red flashlight to view the charts without blowing out your badly-needed night vision, and a guidebook to lead you to interesting objects. These investments will greatly add to your enjoyment.

What more can I say? This is the kind of scope that experienced observers have been trying to steer novices towards for decades. Although, I recommend that you do your homework before buying any scope--learn the sky and get to know experienced stargazers who can advise you--when it comes time to purchase, you could hardly do better than this scope.

For more advice, see my encyclopedic guide here on Amazon, "So you want to buy a telescope."

Well, I had a long travel with different telescopes. In the past month and a half, I ordered FIVE telescopes. My first telescope was a 70mm refractor. At that time, I didn't know much about telescopes. It was only $99 plus shipping, so I though I got a great deal until I started to read books on telescopes, and I sent it back. I educated myself and learned that you can get more aperture for the buck with a reflector, so I bought a 130mm (5.1")spaceprobe (from Orion), which was great, but as a beginner, I didn't know how to work the equatorial mount very well. Too many gadgets....frustrating! Then I read "Nightwatch" by Terrence Dickinson and according to him, the best scopes for beginners are Dobsinian mounts. They are easy to set up and take down in just minutes. That was another that thing annoyed me about the spaceprobe. I was reluctant to take it down because I spent so much time putting it up (however, that's not the case with everyone). Dickinson recommends reflectors in the range of 6-10 inches (4.5 inch scopes are not bad either), but his optimal preference is 8 inch, so I bought the skyquest XT6 (6 inch), and it was great! It came with a free DVD and software to help me locate celestrial objects and a free laser collimator. Finally for the first time in these light polluted New York City skies, I saw Venus, Jupiter and Saturn very well! The 6 inch was a gem! HOWEVER, everthing on the internet was praising the 8inch Dob including Dickinson himself, so I sent the skyquest XT6 back in exchange for the skyquest XT8 (8 inch). I know I sound VERY indecisive, but I'm putting all this information out there for people who are currently indecisive. I wasted a lot of money on shipping. Thank God my colleague bought my 130mm spaceprobe. Anyways, Orion has great costumer service EXCEPT Sundays is for ordering only. There are no techs on Sundays who can help you with questions beyond what is seen in the catalgue about an item.

Ok getting to the XT8 It's big as compared to the XT6. As everyone mentionned before, it's a bit bulky. You'll have to carry the tube separate from the base even thought there's a handle to carry both as one whole unit. That's the only con. I looked at Venus, Saturn and Juptier last night. All three objects were amazing! Better optics than the XT6 obviously. I'm still a beginner at this. Unfortunately I live in a light polluted area, so I'll have to drive a great distance to see some real DSO.

I also have a short tube 80mm refractor (by Orion) for travelling purposes because you can buy a hard case for it. You can't travel (by plane) with an XT8. You can only buy soft padded case for these types scopes.

If you're still confused about what you want then buy "The Bakyard Astronomer's Guide" By Terrence Dickinson and Alan Dyer FIRST. This book is owned by many amateur astronomers. Had I known about this book before my 2 months of telescope horror, I would have saved a hell of a lot of money. Amazon sells this book. It's no lie, this is the astronomers Bible! Read the reviews on this book and decide for yourself. He discusses many different telescopes, what to avoid, what he recommends, must have accessories, what is a waste of money, how to save money, EVERYTHING is in this book! So buy this book first before making you purchase at least you did your homework before making a big investment or making a big mistake because trust me, lugging that big cumbersome telescope back to the post office is no fun :(

You can't get a better scope without paying twice what this one costs. And the old XT8 that doesn't accept the 2" Crawford, but uses the old rack and pinion 2"/1.25" focuser is even over a hundred dollars cheaper at Orion's website. This is a bargain scope without getting any drawbacks. I did find the flat teflon bearing surfaces seem rather cheap, but perfectly adequate for what they have to do. Their tolerances are right on when assembling the base. Everying goes together simply and easily. I love my XT8 and spend all of my spare time watching and learning about the night sky.

I ordered this scope last week. After speeding months researching which scope to buy my decision was to go with the XT8. The reason. Price and size. This scope is huge! The aperture on this baby is gigantic and at this price range you really can't beat it.

This scope comes in two boxes one for the base, and the tube in another. Shipping is somewhat high for this item, but what do you expect. Assemble was pretty straight forward. The instructions for assembling the base were....ok. They could have been better. It took me about an hour to get it out of the box assembled and in my back yard. I'm somewhat of a novice, but I easily found star clusters, nebulas and plants very quickly. I've had smaller scopes in the past, and the views from this one knocked my socks off. I was able to see the Orion's Nebulae with very good clarity. My first time seeing through a scope. I'm so ready to get out tonight and find more.

The only drawback is that it's not a very good scope to use for astrophotography. You really need a scope that will track the stars for something like that. The dobsonians really are not made for that function. This model does not come with a tracking motor, nor can you buy one I belive. Even though I'm a photoraphyer, I didn't buy this one for astrophotography. Mainly to star gaze and show my kids the night sky.

Bottom line, this is a awesome scope for the price. I've read several reviews on this scope that are very positive and it lives up to it's reputation.