29.05.2020 Vixen 90mm v Vortex Razor 85mm. Pt.2.

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I tried both telescopes on the sun at 50x using the same Baader solar foil, full aperture filter. The Vixen was clearly superior with a much sharper limb. Just finding the sharpest focus was a struggle with the Vortex. I certainly wouldn't bother to use the Vortex Razor for white light, solar viewing. Not even at a very modest 50x. The Vixen will easily allow over 100x with a Baader solar foil filter.

Given the problems with the floppy, eyepiece, rubber ring and the very stiff zoom collar. Then the optical quality just doesn't match the considerable asking price of £1400! Quality control seems absent if this is an average example. I have read glowing reviews of Vortex online. Even comparisons made with the considerably more costly Swarovski and Kowa 'scopes of the same aperture.

Later: 6pm. 62F, still bright sunshine but the moon was high in the SE. I compared the Vortex Razor with the Vixen again at several different powers provided by Meade 4000 eyepieces. The Vixen won each time. Small craters were clearly visible in the Vixen 90. Even though the bright sky made for poor contrast conditions. The Vortex seemed veiled and soft.

7.30pm : Over an hour later and the Moon was beginning to be interesting in the Vixen. Though the sky was still blue and the sun sinking behind the trees. In the Vortex the moon was washed out by the sky. Just like a badly baffled telescope. Or one without any baffles or blackening inside the tubes. I have been building my own telescopes for 60 years. I know when there is a problem!

A shooting forum member told how delighted he was to be able to clearly see his bullet holes in paper targets at 500 yards with the Vortex Razor 85mm. So I pointed both scopes at brightly sunlit trees at 500 yards. The Vixen was the clear winner at all powers in identifying small bare twigs against the sky and leaf detail.

Online and YouTube reviews repeatedly mention it being difficult to tell the Vortex and the leading, European and Japanese models apart. Seriously? Based on what level of personal experience? If the Vortex Razor 85mm can't even trash an elderly and damaged, Vixen 90mm achromat at only 50x, then what sort of comparisons are we talking about?

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