Features:

  • Aperture: 80mm(3.2"). Focal Length: 400mm. Focal Ratio: f/5. Rack-and-Pinion Focuser
  • Altazimuth mount with panhandle and slow motion controls for precision tracking means you can easily track objects day or night
  • Low (26mm), medium (9mm), and high (6.3mm) magnification eyepieces give you variety for any viewing situation & 2x barlow lens doubles the magnifying power of each eyepiece
  • Red dot viewfinder helps you point your scope at objects you want to observe & accessory tray stores accessories while observing
  • Includes Astronomical Software and Instructional DVD
It has fine tuning knobs so you can track during celestial viewing

I read many reviews for various telescopes in this price range before choosing this one. In the end I chose this for the following reasons: 1. The specifications of the scope. 90mm is the largest refractor scope in this price range. 2. The image is not reversed or upside-down. This means daytime terrestrial viewing is possible. 3. The mount is not a typical alt-azimuth. It has fine tuning knobs so you can track during celestial viewing. 4. This scope came with 3 eyepieces and a 2x Barlow lens. It also has a red dot view finder. I was very skeptical due to the lack of reviews but it came with everything I wanted as a first time buyer. It arrived professionally packaged and with all the pieces. It was simple to assemble and I was outside calibrating the view finder within about 10 minutes. The moon is amazing, especially when less than half full. I can see Jupiter with 4 of its moons and if focused properly I can see the two major bands across its surface. To see Jupiter clearly I found the best method is to choose your eyepiece, focus it using the surface of the moon, and then use the view finder to target the planet. The only thing I think this telescope could benefit from is a finer focus knob. It is however adequate if you are patient or use the method I mentioned above. I am attaching a photo of the moon I took my first day of use. I took the picture using my phone by just holding it up to the eyepiece so it is not crystal clear. The image you see through the eyepiece is very clear. I hope this helps others who are considering this purchase.

Meade Infinity 70mm AZ Refractor Telescope

I purchased the Meade Infinity 70mm as my beginning telescope. The telescope arrived quickly and was easily assembled. The Meade itself visually appears to be very well made and that considerable effort went into the telescope's overall design. One of the main reasons why I picked this particular telescope was due to the diagonal prism, which performs as expected. The two lenses are serviceable but the 26mm is the standout among the included optics. The barlow is usable, but I would consider upgrading this piece. The viewfinder works and I have little issue finding the moon. However, if you are using the barlow, this will reduce the viewfinder's efficiency. I would consider upgrading this component if you are mainly interested in viewing distant objects. The mount and slow motion control turned out to be better than expected. My only issue with the mount beyond the light material is that I wanted to use a chair when looking for any extended period of time. What I like the most about this purchase is the inclusion of the Autostar and Virtual Moon Atlas software. I have spent more time with the software than with the telescope. A few components here and there could be upgraded, but the Meade Infinity 70mm is a great product for beginners interested in astronomy. In a few days, I have become exceptionally more knowledgeable regarding the positioning of outer space objects and have experienced clearly defined views of the Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn.

Meade Instruments infinity 60mm. AMAZING

This telescope is awesome. It is the best choice for beginners to astronomy. It is very affordable and gives you the best bang for your buck. This telescope can see Jupiter and it's 4 moons, saturn, mars, and Venus. Not to mention the moon. Also, you can see the andromeda galaxy and the Orion Nebula. Those are just the highlights. You can see much, much more! I highly recommend this thing to everyone who is curious of what's out there.

Great portable telescope for the money!

I already own a larger telescope equipped with an equatorial mount and motor drive for astronomy. But it takes about 10 - 15 minutes to set up, and is too heavy for casual observing or terrestrial use. I bought this because I wanted a quality scope that's lighter and more portable for both astronomy and observing (and photographing) wildlife right here on earth. I've only had it about a week, but so far I'm quite pleased with the optical quality, light weight, sturdy tripod, and ease of setup. I also purchased, and highly recommend, the Meade carrying case that's tailored to their Infinity line of scopes. Although I'm an experienced amateur astronomer and photographer, this scope would also make a perfect gift for an older child about 13 and up, because it's not a toy, but a quality instrument that they'll enjoy for a long time. The only negative I could find is that the software that comes with it is "user unfriendly" and essentially worthless. But the instruction manual is quite clear, and there are lots of low-cost (and even free) astronomy programs available.

Nice all-round telescope

I have this scope and a Meade Polaris 130 but this Infinity 90 gets more use. The Polaris 130 gathers more light and shows more stars at night, but the Infinity 90 is better for daytime viewing as well as viewing the moon and planets at night. It seems that the lenses in the Infinity 90 produce a higher resolution image than the mirrors in the Polaris 130. If you're considering this for daytime use or just for looking at the moon then I would suggest a moon filter. Using a moon filter for daytime viewing allows you to enjoy longer viewing sessions without straining your eyes too much. A moon filter is almost a necessity for viewing the moon, otherwise your eyes will get overpowered. This scope does show chromatic aberration under certain circumstances, notably when the image has high contrast sharp differences between light and dark. You'll see a violet fringe in some areas and a yellow fringe in others. More expensive apochromatic scopes will reduce the aberrations but I've used very expensive apochromatic (+ED glass) optics and they're better (and way more expensive), but even those may show chromatic aberration given the 'right' circumstances. If you're predominately using the scope for daytime viewing and you want to point it downwards (because you're on a hill or mountain and want to look down) then you may consider alternative products. This scope can only point straight or upwards. You can turn it around on the tripod mount but then you can only point straight and down and the handle on the mount is then facing away from you. I've seen Vixen scopes with tripod mounts that can be pointed downwards and upwards but they're at least $ 100 more expensive than this scope. I have an old webcam with a telescope adapter that I attached to this scope with which I shot attached moon picture. I did sharpen the image using a photo editor (GIMP). The webcam only has a 640x480 resolution but I think it does a decent job. This is a very nice all-round telescope that will do a good job for both daytime and planetary/moon viewing at night.

Easy to use and punches well above its weight class

I purchased this telescope for my wife. It had to meet the following criteria: easy to use, not too heavy, easy to use, works well, and... is easy to use. So, here's the good news. It is really easy to use. My wife opened the box, put it together herself and we brought it out and got the red dot finder aligned in just a few minutes using a chimney a few blocks away. We took it out the same night and here's what we found. The fact that the optics are this clear on a telescope of this price is crazy and yet it is. The fact that it has the slow motion controllers that work really well on a telescope of this price is also crazy and yet here we are again. We saw the Moon, Venus, Mars and Saturn that night before the clouds rolled in. We couldn't do any deep space objects because we were in the backyard and light pollution here is terrible. You'll need to get away from heavy city lights for that. We could very clearly see the rings of Saturn, so that was a thumbs up. The mount was reasonably stable. It isn't the best and there is some vibration, but it settles down fairly quickly and if you use a light hand on the slow motion controllers then you'll have a great viewing experience. The eyepieces are slightly above average, but nothing to write home about. I would also recommend getting a filter for moon viewing as it can be overly bright. I also purchased a mount that allows my wife to connect her phone to the eyepiece. It was a nice addition if you have little kids who can't hold still while looking through a telescope. Overall this has to be one of the best beginner level telescopes I've ever used. It is of course not an equatorial mount. Which honestly, for beginners, is the right choice. It just means that you'll have to rely on the slow motion controllers to keep things in view. The red dot finder works fairly well and is adjustable. Pro tip: Don't forget to turn it off when you're done. An easy thing to do and you'll save yourself from having to buy new batteries for it. I would definitely recommend this telescope. I plan on ordering another one for my brother for Christmas. My personal opinion is that barlow lenses are a weak link in a telescope. After you get comfortable with this, go ahead and buy a couple of nicer 1.25" eye pieces. Or even a decent adjustable eye piece (don't tell anyone I told you that, they'd yell at me because snooters gonna snoot), but they're fun because they do the work of four or five eyepieces and you don't have to swap them out while you're out having fun. A good eyepiece will make a massive improvement on your telescope. Trust me on that one. Clear skies!

90mm AZ Plenty of Features and Versatility with Low Maintenance Simplicity for the Amateur

This telescope performs as promised. For <$200, I was skeptical that I'd see anything more than a good view of the moon. Even though I had read from other reviews that the stripes of Jupiter and rings of Saturn would be visible, I thought to myself they would be too indiscernible to matter. In fact after clicking the order button, I began to seriously consider getting the 102AZ instead before it was too late. Ultimately, I waited for the 90AZ to arrive in the mail to see how it would fare. I think I got more than my money's worth. Jupiter and Saturn both look great on a clear night. Also, there are other notable objects in the sky that have been an experience to gaze upon, but I'll stick to what are perhaps the two most watched celestial objects for beginners. Simply put: the "point and shoot" ease of operation of this altazimuth telescope is precisely why I chose it over other configurations. I didn't want to hassle with collimation and the other chores that go into owning and operating an EQ scope. Perhaps I've lost some preciseness with the simple AZ set-up, but for this totally amateur star gazer, it's hear no evil see no evil. So, as a total package, Meade delivers a full complement of accessories with the 90AZ. The red dot finder is reliable and accurate. I wouldn't know where to start without it. Once I've got a bead on the desired object, I start off with the lowest magnification eyepiece to lock in a general location. Then I work my way through the remaining eyepieces along with the barlow attachment until it's time to go to the L/R U/D micro-adjusters to dial it in dead-on. It's that easy. So, it's simple, easy-to-use, and yet powerful and accurate enough to enjoy the amateur star gazer's go-to objects in the night sky. What more could I possibly want for <$200? Not to mention it's also quite sturdy. The tri-pod is stable and highly adjustable. The construction of the telescope is solid and functional. There are no dummy knobs or structural vulnerabilities. That is, there is nothing about its construction that leaves me thinking, "Be careful with that or it will break." Overall very satisfied if not outright impressed.

If the stars come out at night a telescope only makes it better

This is my first telescope. First thing I noticed when I took it out of the box was its size. It is large but it still fits in the corner of my little apartment for easy storage. Once I got it out of the box everything went together easily. The tray is installed from the bottom of the tripod and is screwed in with the central screw, this was the one thing that gave me any gruff. To be fair though I did not use any instructions putting it together. I did a fair amount of research before picking this scope and one thing that I don't think I read was that the dew shield is removable. If removed though the dust cover does not make a tight fit over the front objective. Also the dew shield is not secured to the scope in any way. The three eye pieces work really well. Like all other quality reviews I've read I can't stress enough to use the lowest power first. Center the object then quickly put in the next magnification and focus then center. Once it is centered and in focus move to the highest. And the slow motion control knobs are awesome. The moon has been large and high in the sky since I got it but I've had it out every night since I got it and the morning of the blue blood lunar eclipse of 2018. I can have it set up and viewing objects in less than 10 minutes. The pictures below were just taken from my cell phone through the EP. The first is of the Pleiades open cluster. Jupiter and the four moons, I was able to see the bands and zones but wasn't sure If the red spot was in transit. Also Jupiter has been out in the morning so not exactly ideal viewing conditions. The moon with a 25% filter and a day from full. The moon during the lunar eclipse. One final thought on astronomy. One thing that kept me away was people saying that its too bright at night to see anything good. I think that if one can go outside and see stars then a telescope is only going to make it better. Starting off with binoculars is what I did for about 2 months and then I finally bought this scope and couldn't be happier with it. -Nick

One of the best buys we've ever made.

This was a Christmas gift for my 17-year-old son and he loves it. A few nights ago he showed me Saturn and we were both thrilled to discover that we could see the RINGS around Saturn! This has whet his appetite for space exploration and maybe even a bigger telescope.

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