9x50 Finder Scope - Black

The unit is quite sturdy but light. I purchase it with the illuminator, rings and SCT bracket to use on an 8" SCT that had an original straight finder scope - a little neck breaking at times. I have found the 90 degree angled view to be comfortable and the optics to be very sharp and the unit

This is my second Stellarvue 9x50 RA Finder. I upgraded both my Explore Scientific AR102 refractor and Celestron 6" Schmidt Cass to this finder. It is extremely well made and and saves my back and neck from the pain of using a straight thru finder. The Stellarvue is really a second telescope on both systems. I was able to observe M81 and many other DS objects in the finder; field of view and resolution with the 23mm 1.25" eyepiece are excellent. I was able to use the original mounting rings on the refractor. Packaging and shipping were great. Good customer service. Will buy from Stellarvue again. Clear skies!

Good overall quality. However the rubber focus adjustment ring slips and has to be gripped very hard in order to adjust the focus. Overall a very good product.

Reply from Stellarvue: Thank you for your review! We actually glue the rubber in place to avoid this but must have missed it on yours. If you like we will gladly send you a replacement no charge. Just email me at vic@stellarvue.com. Thank again. Vic Maris

Really excellent item! Has all the right features re the helical focusing, separate focusing for the eyepiece/reticle.

I'd prefer a double-line reticle but that is a nit.

Also, when the eyepiece is focused, the reticle rotates in the field. This is a small detail, but I use the reticle to note up-down/east-west directions. As long as I don't refocus, no problem.

OK finder scope but has a few warts. The edge sharpness is not good causing excessively distorted and elongated stars around the periphery which is also evident after converting it to guide scope use with the F050HNR. The other annoying problem is the focus ring does not have a lock screw and the weight of the LED illuminator causes the scope to constantly defocus and also rotate the cross-hairs. Frankly, I expect better from Stellarvue even at this price point.

I ordered the 50mm finder with the clam shell mounting base and illuminator for the supplied eyepiece. The finder is solidly built and very light for its size. The included dual ring system holds it in place and it returns to zero after removing and remounting. The supplied eyepiece has a nice field of view however it suffers with the edge sharpness where the outer 20% of field is noticeably out of focus when the center is focused. This is a normal problem with cheaper eyepieces and it appears that Vic offers some better alternative eyepieces with wider field but at a substantially higher price. The supplied mounting base although adequate to mount the scope did start to bend with just modest tightening to my clam shell ring. All in all this is an excellent finder.

THE most solid and well crafted finder scope I've come across. Worth every cent.

I was using a Celestron 9 x 50 RACI finder scope on my C8 but was unhappy with the optics and the ability of the finder scope to maintain alignment. A small bump was all it took to throw it off. I did some research and learned about this excellent finder scope. I am VERY impressed with the optical quality and the materials and build quality are first rate. This is actually a fine little telescope in its own right. When used with the Stellarvue mounting rings, this finder scope is easy to align precisely and HOLDS its alignment, even with a hard bump. Sure, it costs more than some competing products but is worth every penny.

A reflex finder is adequate for most Stellarvue refractors, but if you have to place a planet in the FOV of an f/15 instrument, you need a good finder. Given that Vic has never disappointed me with any of his products, buying one of his 50 mm finders (with the reticule illuminator and mounting rings) seemed a no-brainer.

The finder is actually a very fine little telescope and the ability to use different eyepieces is a definite plus. Most basic finders have mounting rings with two adjustable screws and a third spring-loaded pivot point. This makes them easy to align when calibrating the finder with you scope, but, in my experience they don't always hold that alignment. The rings for this finder each have three adjustable screws, which means it will take longer to do the initial calibration, but the finder will not lose alignment with normal handling!

This is a fine piece of equipment and the last one you are likely to need!