Vivitar Telescope with Tripod

by Vivitar

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 29 x 3.5 x 8.5 inches ; 12.3 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0017M3T4Y
• Item model number: 1607225
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,339 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
  • #84 in Camera & Photo > Binoculars, Telescopes & Optics > Binoculars
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 15, 2008

Product Description

Get a closer look with the Vivitar Refractor Telescope and Tripod. It makes a great companion at sporting events, under the night sky, or on a bird watching trek.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

73 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Avoid this at all costs, April 6, 2009

By 

Pen Name - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vivitar Telescope with Tripod (Camera)

I purchased one at Walgreen's for $12.75 on close out merely as a demonstration for others of what not to buy. Sure, it is much better than what Galileo made, himself, 400 years ago, but:
1) The product is advertised on the box by the magnification it yields. The manufacturer is betting that you do not know that "quality" is based on light gathering ability (the diameter of the front lens, for a refractor telescope, or the diameter of the rear mirror, in a Newtonian reflector) and NOT by the magnifications printed on the box.
2) The mount is totally flimsy. The constant wobbling prevents clear viewing. A good mount should be able to dampen the vibrations after focusing, for example, in about 2 seconds. This one took about 15 seconds or more. And never stopped even with a light breeze. A solid camera tripod would improve the setup 10-fold.
3) The lowest power eyepiece (12mm/50x) exceeds the performance ability of the telescope for nighttime viewing. A general rule is that the maximum useful magnification = 25 x the diameter (in inches) of the lens (or mirror). The 2" lens x 25 = 50.
4) The eyepieces are poor. Only the very center of them appears to come to focus, with the rest of the image being blurry. And that's with daytime viewing. I can only imaging the collimation flaws in the optics when looking at stars.
5) The eyepieces are inferior, obsolete 0.965" barrel diameter. Today's eyepieces are a universal 1.25" (and 2" diameter for highest quality ones).
6) The box shows color images of the Orion nebula and the Pleiades. Color can only be achieved through time-exposure photography with the telescope on an equatorial mount. With VERY few exceptions (such as a 12" Newtonian reflector), color will NEVER be visible through an eyepiece on any telescope. When color is perceived, it is only when viewing the brightest emission nebula, and then the effect is a slight green color effect.

If you are interested in a telescope, check out your local astronomy club for advice. Avoid any refractor less than 3" or any reflector less than 6 inches.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Chinese engineering marvel- like the Great Wall, May 24, 2009

By 

Robert Johnson (sANTA bARBARA ca) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vivitar Telescope with Tripod (Camera)

I purchased this knowing I wanted a bottom of the line disposable product and I was not dissappointed. It is OK for the price as long as you immediately pitch the tripod into the nearest handy active valcano. You are much better off using your hands and a nearby tree or other support. Everything else works just fine for watching wildlife, but I would not expect it to do well for stargazing.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Bad telescope, April 28, 2009

By 

D. chen "DC Chicago" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Vivitar Telescope with Tripod (Camera)

a pair of binoculars works better than this telescope. It's really hard to find the target and does not bring clearer picture than binoculars.

My 7 old son played with it two hours and has not touched for a few weeks. We'll see it can be used for birds watching.