SUGIFT Telescope 80mm Aperture 500mm Portable Astronomical Refracting Telescopes with 20-150X Magnification and Complete Accessories

I read a number of reviews on this telescope, along with many other telescopes as a beginner. Admittedly, I was going to purchase a refractor scope because the reflector scope seemed intimidating with the thought of having to collimate the mirrors. I watched a video on collimating to confirm my mirrors were aligned and then watched a video on how to focus the scope. I practiced a couple days focusing on something in the yard. It was a bit challenging but I really was hoping to be able to see the Christmas star.I went out to view Saturn and Jupiter tonight- took the scope and binoculars in case I couldn’t figure out the scope. After several attempts I finally located the two gas planets in this telescope and it was amazing!! I could actually see the rings around Saturn! I can’t wait to see what all I will discover with this telescope!

My wife has always been really interested in astronomy. She wanted a good first telescope and after a lot of research we settled on this. She didn't have any issues setting it up or using it right away.The quality seems good and it has survived a year of being setup and broken back down over and over again.Do your research on which type of telescope and adjustments are best for you but if you decide on this type and the German Equatorial adjustments this is a great set for beginners.

Bought this as a gift to myself for my birthday this year. My first telescope and a challenge I wholeheartedly accepted. After numerous Youtube videos to make sure I did everything right; not that I didn't read the paper instructions but I'm a visual learner so I need to see how it was done. I love it!!! Seeing the moon like I've never seen her before and having my first glimpse of Jupiter and it's Galilean moons this past weekend makes this such a worthwhile investment for the kid in me. I even have neighborhood parents and their kids come to see what the "nerd" is looking at; only to ooh and aah at the beauty that's out there. Certainly not for beginners; which I learned an hour into the first time into assembling her. But I'm down to 20 minutes now; between assembly, orienting, and alignment. Now to locate a Black Sky location to really marvel at this universe we live in.

Perfect for a beginner such as myself!!! It truly needs 0 tools to assemble completely. It is easy to use and once I played around with mine a few times I got pretty good at finding what I was looking for. I have only viewed the night sky with mine, the moon, visible planets and some stars. I wish it had more detailed instructions for first time users such as how to use the eye pieces and some common FAQ's. Also, the spotter scope is actually pretty difficult to adjust and calibrate for accurate use, I really had to spend some time to get mine even remotely on target. That being said, for the price I cant imagine there is anything significantly higher quality.

This is my first telescope and I am very pleased with it. Since I bought it, it has been cloudy out. Tonight was the first time that I was able to use it. There is a learning curve with the scope since it is a reflecting telescope; everything is backwards. Tonight, I was looking at the moon and if i wanted to see more to the right, I had to move the telescope to the left; it took a little getting used to. Overall I had a great experience with this telescope and I cannot wait to look at the sky again.The picture that I attached is a little blurry and it does not reflect well how the telescope can see; when looking through the telescope, assuming everything is focused, the image will be clear.

No issue just need to take time to learn

Great telescope for those on a budget. This is my first telescope, and I bought it because it is reasonably priced and is supposed to be a good model for beginners. Although I have not been able to make out the stripes on Jupiter, as some reviewers say they can, I can see Jupiter and its moons, and truly terrific detail of the moon. It is difficult to sight the telescope in on celestial objects other than the moon, requiring you to actually read and digest the instruction manual, but I doubt there are decently-priced telescopes that make that any easier - it's just the nature of viewing the stars. Keeping track of the objects through the moving sky is the toughest part - if you really plan on using this frequently you should buy a model with a motor. This model is not very portable - it's awkward to move through doors and I'm always afraid of losing pieces. Still, I had never before used a telescope and found Jupiter the first night I used it from just outside the city boundaries of Chicago (lots of light pollution).

awesome, My first telescope.Best for beginners.Could see jupiter, up to 8 jovian moonsSaturn and 2 moonsMoon, ofc.MarsVenusOrion NebulaAnd many other deep space objects given a crispy eye piece and no polution.

I'm sure it will be an amazing product with great features once I master this declination and R.A axis thing.. it looks much more expensive although the price was modest..easy assembly. And lightweight..

We are new to telescopes so we went with this one. My boyfriend spent about 5 days trying to figure it out. It isn't as easy as the description promises and I probably couldn't of done it without him. However, now that we have it figured out we look at the moon almost nightly and have seen Jupiter multiple times. We are going to attempt to see Saturn in this week. I do agree that this is for beginners even though the set up was more difficult than expected. We are already wanting to upgrade to a larger aperture and are now looking to invest in more expensive telescope now that we know what we are doing.

I love it. What's more to say. I look at the mon often and I bought a lens kit that makes it even better. Highly recommend buying the Celestron PowerSeeker Accessory Kit with it. it has filters and lens that will give you even better picture and clearer shadows of the moon and planets.

I received this scope a couple of days ago. I ordered it after reading the 4 and 5 star reviews. I had NO trouble assemblingthis telescope by following the directions. I am not a pro on telescopes. This scope looks to me. to be a highly fancy one.The reason for the 5 stars is because it appears to be made very well. It is sturdy and is made of mostly metal.It is much heavier than I expected. I have a lot to learn trying to use it. I am having problems, trying to get it focused tosee through it. This is not the scope, it is something that I am doing wrong. I am just advising you that this scope is well madefor the price and looks as the picture and as described on the seller's page. I cannot take away the rating for this scope formy not knowing how to adjust it. For someone that knows what they are doing with a telescope, I would highly recommendthis telescope for the quality and price.....P.S. 11-27-13 Additional information: I have assembled this scope by the instructions and did it right. I have worked with this scope since I received it. I cannot see anything through it. I cannot get it to work. I ask a question and received answers from several owners, they replied that they were having the same problem. I will not take away any rating stars, since I still believe that this is a very well made telescope for the money. I do believe that I received a not so good of a scope. As I said earlier, I am not a pro on telescopes. I have an older scope and used it well. I know that I would have been able to use and see something out of it by now. I am returning this telescope....

I got this because of the price, it is an excellent telescope for a beginner, the mount not so much, I got this just to see how much sky I could see being in so much light pollution. I have since moved on to other scopes and mount but still use this as a second scope on my Meade LX65 mount that allows me to put on 2 telescopes at the same time. included is a picture from this telescope with stacked images....

This is my first telescope ever. I spent weeks trying to find one that was of good quality but for a good price. As an amateur astronomy enthusiast I didn’t want to spend a small fortune on something so sophisticated that it would discourage me from using it. The other reviews on here are inciteful and informative which helps significantly, so if you’re on the fence and need solid information about this item, I recommend leaning on those reviews. Definitely make sure you have space in your home to set up and store this because it’s tall and takes up a few feet with the legs extended. I looks beautiful in my living room and kind of adds to the decorum. Getting a case for this would also be a great idea if you plan on traveling to remote already with minimal light pollution, it packs well if you have the proper equipment to keep it safe and secure.

Great beginner telescope! (4.5 stars...) We've been very happy with what we can see with this telescope! My 12 y/o daughter is very excited with everything we have been able to see (lunar surface and Orion's stars so far), and asks me every night if we can go out! I think we're going to tackle polar-alignment of the EQ mount next, and maybe hunting for something a bit more exciting (a planet? or nebula?)Assembly is a bit involved, and Celestron includes multiple different sets of instructions of varying quality. It would be best just to choose one and stick with it. That being said, assembly wasn't too tough, just required attention to detail.We've had a very tough time with the finder scope. The d@#$ thing doesn't adjust well to align with the main telescope, and then doesn't stay put, which results in it being misaligned with the primary telescope when we take it out in the eveninings. I have not yet figured out how to remedy this. Very frustrating, we end up hunting around a bunch with the main telescope to find what we're looking for.It does not come with any sort of protective case for the telescope, so I'm not sure how well it will move when/if we take it somewhere away from home. It seems like that will be tough.We have not yet experienced collimation, so unsure how that will affect my view of the telescope. That being said, no noticeable issues yet.

I know most in the astronomy community savage this scope (including some forums recommending people returning it to get something more expensive). I do not see why. Perhaps it is because we have not had to collimate, we have had clear pictures from the beginning. My son and I primarily use it for planetary viewing, though we have not even tried to view any nebulae yet. So far, we have observed the Moon, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.Overall, Mars was a disappointment, showing to me as only a bright red dot, but Jupiter and Saturn have been amazing. Once we got used to viewing, with Jupiter we are easily able to see the Galilean moons and cloud bands on the planet itself. Saturn shows itself to be small, but the rings are clearly distinct and visible. The moon looks huge, but the details stand out in the view finder.What I have found is that it is best to simply use the 20 mm eyepiece. The 4mm does not offer a clear image on anything other than the moon so far. I will get a range of other lenses and filters to help as well. We also got the mount to use a smart phone, but have found that it was not worth the cost.The reason it was not worth the cost is because when the button is pushed to take a picture, the tripod is shaky enough that the picture is never clear, plus it is very hard to get lined up. I've included a couple photos, but they are not indicative, really, of what you can see with the naked eye.Still, for a beginner scope (though not to a beginner in astronomy), this has served us quite well. I live in an area of light pollution (Columbus, Ohio) and have not had a single issue. The Starry Night software that is included helps to plan well. I'm sure that those who have much nicer telescopes will disdain this one, but for those who want simple enjoyment, it's worth it.*edited to correct lens type.*

I love this telescope.For the Amateur Astronomer, or backyard enthusiast like me, this scope offers power, affordability, and quality.The precision of a German Equatorial mount allows for easy tracking of objects across the sky, and has the ability to be upgraded with a motor drive for under $50.It also comes with a 3x Barlow Lens, which most comparable Telescopes do not.Setup was quick and easy.The mount is extremely sturdy as well.I would recommend to anyone purchasing this model, a collimation tool/eyepiece is an important accessory.If you are looking for more bang for your buck this is a great choice.

The only downside to this that I've found so far is that it's REALLY sensitive to touch, so if you finally get what you're looking at lined up and in focus and you accidentally put pressure on the eyepiece with your eye, you'll have to readjust to find what you're looking for again.

Great for the money. East to use and set up. Close up of the moon is breathtaking but if you think you'll see a close up Jupiter think again. You can see it but it is a small white sphere without upgrading your equipment.

I've had it for almost two years now, besides upgrading the eyepieces, I haven't spent much more else on upgrades, and this beginner's scope has got this old guy checking the seeing conditions every night, and then staying up, much of that night, only to be amazed and humbled at what can be seen out there for less than $200. I do intend to upgrade to the new cosmos edition. An inexpensive way to use and own a computerized scope. $399. I have proved that I will use it.