It’s low power, but remember, image quality is excellent. One of the down sides to any Dobsonian telescope, including this Orion XT8, is the cool down time. In fact, the only time I have used my tensioners on my Zhumell Dob is when I was doing something the telescope was never designed to do in the first place so I am not going to penalize the Orion XT8 for not having it. Better image quality, usable light, focused rays, and images free of aberration pays for itself. The new one has eliminated one eyepiece and the map, but thrown in a few enhancements we will look at. For the price and quality of the telescope, you can justify spending more on additional eyepieces that you would want from the get-go and not stock ones that are usually mediocre in quality at best. They’re legitimate concerns, and with a long run on the block, it’s worth doing a thorough once-over. There are smaller Dobs and larger, but 8” is considered a good entry-level model size to explore the skies with. Fortunately, the Orion maintains the higher image quality a parabolic mirror provides. It’s still rather large and bulky to transport. With such a large aperture, more light is available and transmitted to the eyepiece. Orion 8945 SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope. However, it’s been said it’s a little difficult to attach and remove, but that should add to its durability and dependability in performance, right? I much prefer Orion’s Orion EZ Finder Deluxe which sadly is not available any more. The XT8 comes with The Starry Night Special Edition Software. It also comes with a 2”-1.5” eyepiece adapter that allows you to use both sizes and this will provide flexibility when it comes time to purchase extra eyepieces. You can get Stellarium for free off the internet but really, who has a computer out next to their telescope unless they are doing astrophotography? Now . I bought this telescope several years ago and paid less than the Orion Skyquest XT8 price on Amazon, but like most things, prices have gone up a little and they have changed the scope a little.My old Orion XT8 came with a couple of eyepieces and I believe one of Orion’s Deepmap 600 maps which I love. The XT8 is somewhat portable for travel as far as Dobsonian telescopes go. My astrophotography & astronomy equipment, Free Star Maps / Star Charts, Mirrors and Links, The TriAtlas Project Mirror, Free Star Charts, Best Fountain Pen Book for Beginning Collectors, Pen Collecting can give you a lot of enjoyment, Build your own drop trap for small animals. This may present some noticeable difference in adjustment quality for experienced users, but many newbies may not notice anything at all. There’s nothing really fancy about the particle-board mount and base itself, but it can be replaced DIY-style if it gets roughed up. Find out what we liked & disliked about it in our extensive review! For its simplicity, price, and accurate imaging, it’s still a winning buy. The newer single speed crayford in the new version of the Orion XT8 I am sure is an excellent focuser. Subscribe to our mailing list to receive notice of new book releases, updates, sales, free giveaways, and more! This is the older version which only had a 1.25″ rack and pinion focuser whereas the newer ones seem to come with a 2″ crayford which I can say would be a huge improvement. As such, it’s not a good model for long exposure astrophotography. The Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian telescope rates well and is very popular. It’s large and there’s zero plastic to be worried about. Astromania Finder Deluxe Telescope Reflex Sight, Zhumell Z8 Dobsonian Review, not all dobs are equal. ... As such, it’s not a good model for long exposure astrophotography. One such feature is the parabolic optics. You must have a PC that runs with Windows 10 or Macintosh OS X 10.10 or higher to run the software. Let’s change that. The focuser included with the Orion XT8 is a single-speed 2” Crayford-style focuser. I am not a fan. As mentioned, this XT8 Dobsonian has parabolic mirrors instead of spherical. Astrophotography forum back up and running. Once the base was assembled, you can just set the tube in the base and attach the side springs which put tension on the setup so the scope stays where you put it. This telescope has offered up a nice view of a lot of objects but for some reason I have never written about it. Orion says they’re heavy-duty springs, so they essentially serve two purposes: keep the telescope in place from drifting and keep the tube coupled to the base. We’ll go over both the good and bad to see if it still deserves to be ranked as one of the best telescopes for beginners. Whichever Orion XT8 you decide on, you will have a telescope that should last for many years and provide excellent views. The XT8 Dobsonian telescope will bring the wow-factor to a beginner astronomer. For the price, it offers more optical quality and ease of use than other types of telescopes, but it is lacking in the accessory department. This model is an 8” Dob that is simple in optics and design but with all the right features that makes it a winner. As a reflector telescope, images will be upside down. Depending on where you live, light pollution will obscure some of those dim and deep-sky catalogs, but most of the Messier catalog will be visible and should be easy enough to locate. Better options include Orion’s own Deepmap 600 which is awesome in the field, a nice Planisphere (be sure to select the right one for your location!) Ads are what helps us bring you premium content! As a Dobsonian, it already has a long track record that gives it a heads up in the market. Thank you! The two pieces can be detached for transportation. The tube itself is 46.5” long and the base is 19” wide. Once assembled, it’s relatively easy to take apart if necessary. No. Is this Orion Telescope set up on the Ground or on a Table? As smooth as the more expensive scopes that use high end ball bearings for everything? Its optically and mechanically up to par with modern expectations and actually lacks nothing compared to other more expensive 8” Dobs. It does come with a red dot EZ Finder II reflex sight and 2-1.25” Crawford-style focuser, but the reflex sight is rather limited on a big scope like the XT8. For most people under 5’7”, this would be suitable. It also provides various Internet links I found regarding astronomy photography with my xt10. The 25mm eyepiece provided with the scope is a solid eyepiece for a beginner and provides excellent views of the moon, Andromeda galaxy, Orion nebula, and a host of other popular beginner targets. My Zhumell Z8 scope is a much nicer scope to use than this Orion XT8 and came with better accessories, but for the money, this is an awesome starter scope and no one will regret buying one. Astrophotography with the Orion Skyquest XT10i: This section contains info and pictures discussing astrophotography techniques in particular aimed at the Orion Skyquest XT range of telescopes. This temperature variance causes terrible viewing as the mirrors cool down (or warm up). Orion SkyQuest XT8g Computerized GoTo Dobsonian Telescope, Orion SkyQuest XX16g GoTo Truss Tube Dobsonian Telescope Review, Explore Scientific Firstlight AR152 Telescope Review (EXOS-2 GoTo Refractor), Celestron Advanced VX800 RASA Telescope Review, Celestron Advanced VX 6 Refractor Telescope Review. Monochrome vs OSC CCD cameras, which is right for you? I guess the main gripe is that it comes with only one eyepiece, the 25 mm Orion Sirius Plossl 1.25” eyepiece.