Telescope Comparison
Explore Scientific ED80 Essential vs Vixen A80Mf
The Vixen A80Mf is a complete setup. The Explore Scientific ED80 Essential needs a mount before it's usable.
First light
Explore Scientific · 80mm · £249
The custom-rig optical tube
- 80mm refractor — optical tube only, no mount included
- 480mm focal length at f/6
- Requires a compatible mount before you can observe anything
- Best for: observers who already own a suitable mount or are building a specific imaging rig
- Not a complete purchase — budget at least £100–300 extra for a mount before observing
Vixen · 80mm · £329
The simple alt-az visual scope
- 80mm refractor on a simple alt-az mount
- Good for: Moon, planets, bright open clusters
- No alignment required — quick to set up, intuitive to move
- Finding objects requires learning to star-hop: navigate with a finder scope and sky chart
- 6kg total — manageable to carry to dark-sky sites
The full picture
The numbers that separate these two scopes — and what they mean at the eyepiece.
Aperture
Equal light-gathering. Aperture won't settle this comparison — the mount, focal ratio, and observing experience are what differ.
Focal length
Vixen A80Mf's longer focal length reaches higher magnification with the same eyepiece — better reach for planetary detail. Explore Scientific ED80 Essential's shorter focal length gives a wider true field — better for large open clusters and extended nebulae.
Focal ratio
Explore Scientific ED80 Essential's faster f/6 delivers wider fields with any eyepiece — better for open clusters and large nebulae. Vixen A80Mf's f/11.38 provides more magnification per eyepiece — better for fine planetary detail.
Mount type
Explore Scientific ED80 Essential has no mount — add a compatible mount before you can observe. Vixen A80Mf is a complete ready-to-use system.
Weight (OTA)
Similar optical tube weight. Any portability difference between these setups comes from the mount, not the tube itself.
Optical design
Both are refractors — no mirrors to collimate, good contrast, colour-free stars with ED or APO glass. The differences between them are in aperture, focal ratio, and glass quality.
At the eyepiece
Both scopes · same aperture
Both refractors share essentially the same aperture — views through each will be very similar on all standard targets. The hallmarks of good refractor optics are sharp stars and good contrast on planetary targets, with no false colour on ED or apochromatic glass. Saturn's rings are distinct from the disk; Jupiter shows two equatorial bands. The Orion Nebula (M42) is bright and well-defined. Open clusters are a strength — the Double Cluster in Perseus and the Pleiades look good at low power. The differences between these two scopes show up in focal ratio, focal length, and what they're optimised for, not in fundamental light-gathering capability.
The real tradeoff
Both scopes are capable. The question is which one fits the way you actually observe.
The Vixen A80Mf is a complete package — everything arrives in one box and you can observe the same day. The Explore Scientific ED80 Essential is a bare optical tube that needs a separate compatible mount before you can point it at anything, adding significant cost and complexity. Unless you already own a suitable mount, the Vixen A80Mf is the practical choice.
The dark side
Every scope has a personality. Here’s where each one gets difficult.
Explore Scientific
Explore Scientific ED80 Essential
No mount included
You cannot observe until you buy a separate compatible mount — add at least £100–300 before you have a working telescope.
Nothing to look through on day one
Until a mount arrives, the optical tube is a piece of glass you cannot point at the sky.
Vixen
Vixen A80Mf
Finding faint objects from a light-polluted garden is genuinely hard
Star-hopping to a globular cluster or dim galaxy from a suburban sky requires learning. Users report a real demoralising phase in the first weeks — landing on the wrong star field, convincing yourself it's the target, then finding out later it wasn't. This improves rapidly with experience.
Which is right for you?
Two different buyers. Two different right answers.
The custom-rig optical tube
Explore Scientific · Explore Scientific ED80 Essential
You’ll love this if…
- You already own a compatible equatorial or alt-az mount — this is the optical tube you've specifically chosen to put on it
- You're building an imaging rig piece by piece and know exactly what you need at the end of a focuser
- Choosing an optical tube independently of the mount gives you more flexibility over your overall system
This will frustrate you if…
- You buy it without fully accounting for the mount — add at least £100–300 to the purchase price before you have a working telescope
- You expected a complete package and didn't realise this is a bare optical tube that cannot be used without a separate mount
The simple alt-az visual scope
Vixen · Vixen A80Mf
You’ll love this if…
- You want the fastest possible setup — no alignment, no polar alignment, just point and look
- Learning the sky by star-hopping feels like part of the appeal, not a barrier to it
- Portability matters — this mount is manageable to carry to a dark-sky site without a car full of equipment
This will frustrate you if…
- You try to find faint objects from a light-polluted garden and mostly fail — users report a real demoralising phase in the first weeks of star-hopping that improves quickly but is genuinely discouraging at the start
Our verdict
This comparison has a catch: the Explore Scientific ED80 Essential is a bare optical tube. You cannot use it without a separate mount — which adds meaningful cost and complexity. The Vixen A80Mf is a complete, ready-to-observe package.
For most buyers, the Vixen A80Mf is the right choice — you can observe the same night it arrives. The Explore Scientific ED80 Essential makes sense if you already own a compatible mount, or are deliberately building a specific imaging setup piece by piece. If I had to choose for a first telescope: the Vixen A80Mf, without hesitation.
Explore Scientific ED80 Essential
View Explore Scientific ED80 Essential →Vixen A80Mf
View Vixen A80Mf →Deep field: Full specifications
Every data point, for those who want to go further.
Full specifications
Fields highlighted in blue or amber indicate the better value for that spec. Data is manufacturer-stated and may vary.
How much can it see?
| Spec | Explore Scientific ED80 Essential | Vixen A80Mf |
|---|---|---|
Aperture The most important spec — bigger = more light = better views | 80mm | 80mm |
Focal Length Longer = more magnification potential | 480mm | 910mm |
Focal Ratio Lower f-number = wider field of view; higher = more magnification per eyepiece | f/6 | f/11.38 |
Optical Design The type of optics — each design has different strengths | Refractor | Refractor |
Coatings Better coatings = more light transmission through the optics | Fully multi-coated ED doublet (FCD-1 glass) | Multi-coated achromatic doublet |
How do you point it?
| Spec | Explore Scientific ED80 Essential | Vixen A80Mf |
|---|---|---|
Mount Type The mechanical system that holds and moves the telescope | None (OTA only) | Alt-Az |
GoTo Computer-controlled pointing — finds any of thousands of objects automatically | ||
Tracking Motor keeps objects centred as the Earth rotates — essential for astrophotography |
The focuser
| Spec | Explore Scientific ED80 Essential | Vixen A80Mf |
|---|---|---|
Focuser Size 2" accepts wider eyepieces and gives better low-power views | 2" | 1.25" |
Focuser Type Rack-and-pinion is standard; Crayford and dual-speed are smoother | 2-inch dual-speed Crayford | Rack and pinion |
Size & weight
| Spec | Explore Scientific ED80 Essential | Vixen A80Mf |
|---|---|---|
OTA Weightⓘ Optical tube only — useful for comparing mount load capacity | 1.9kg | 1.6kg |
Total Weight Full setup including mount — this is what you lug to the car | — | 6kg |
Tube Length | 410mm | 910mm |
Tube Material | Aluminium | Aluminium |
What's in the box?
| Spec | Explore Scientific ED80 Essential | Vixen A80Mf |
|---|---|---|
Eyepieces Included eyepieces — more is better, but quality matters more than quantity | — | 25mm eyepiece |
Finder Scope Helps you locate areas of the sky before switching to the main eyepiece | — | 6x30 optical finder |
Diagonalⓘ Tilts the eyepiece 90° for comfortable viewing — useful on refractors |
Blue highlight: Explore Scientific ED80 Essential advantage · Amber highlight: Vixen A80Mf advantage · Greyed cells: equal or subjective.