Zhumell Z100 Portable Altazimuth Reflector Telescope

For reference, I am a complete beginner. I did a lot of research prior to getting one of these. After stumbling on r/dontbuyapowerseeker, I felt very lost in the process of getting one. From what I've learned over research, dobsonians are the way to go. They're the best bang for your buck and this particular model doesn't stray away from that. While buying this, I also had bought a Celestron FirstScope. I figured I'd test both to see what works better for me. They both are fantastic beginner telescopes. However, the FirstScope was lacking a few areas that this one fulfilled which is why I picked this over that. I do believe the price difference is well worth the added benefits. So, with that being said, let's get into this.The Good:Lens: The lens that come with are two wide angles that are 10 mm and 17 mm. Both are perfect for viewing and are great for kids since it is so wide that it gives a lot of room to look around. All the pictures taken with exception to the Flame Nebula, were taken on these lens.Portability: The scope itself can be taken off of the clanky mount that its on. This is especially handy when trying to transport the telescope since the mount is awkwardly shaped that it wouldn't really fit in any case. I have yet to find a case for this exact scope, so I made my own out of an old suitcase, but it's not necessarily a necessity. You can perfectly transport this anywhere you'd like.The red dot piece: Probably one of the most underrated tools of a dobsonian, especially when this small, is the red dot finder. You'll find it very hard to use a finderscope with the awkward shape of the dobsonian so it is very nice to have simple red dot sight to angle the telescope at a given location. Just make sure to turn it off one you're done so you don't drain the battery. It really feels like a GPS tracking telescope with how easy it is to find objects with the red dot.The eh:Viewing capability: This is purely based on what comes out of the box. The viewing power is better than the First Scope just because it is a larger and wider, but the scopes that are provided don't get you much magnification for any close ups to planets or deeper space objects. I'd recommend getting a good Barlow lens with this and something lower in mm. A 6 mm or 4 mm will dramatically increase your magnification and with how wide the scope is, it won't compromise brightness significantly. The picture of the nebula was taken on a 6mm lens.Materials: It is a study scope and everything does feel robust, but it is a pain too clean. It's very easy to get finger prints on and cleaning the inside is a long process but necessary for good viewing. It should be known that this is the case with almost every telescope, but if you have OCD like me and hate to see finger prints on it, then you'll be cleaning the outside constantly.The oof:Collimation: So, for most telescopes, you'll have to endure a process of collimation. This basically is aligning your telescope so that you'll be able to see objects with more clarity beyond what the focuser can bring. This telescope, doesn't let you do that. It is a fixed collimation. Albeit, coming out of the factory it is near perfect, but I'm unsure how it will last in the long run. The reason this can be bad is because as a beginner telescope, it's important to learn all of the mechanics of basic viewing and collimation is very important to learn.Platform: This is a standard among almost all tabletop dobsonians. They're very awkward to operate. You will find it difficult to find a spot to view with this given it doesn't have a tripod. DO NOT TRY TO MAKE A TRIPOD. There are reasons why dobsonians excel in stability and are genuinely good at viewing. This is something you'll have to find for yourself. I usually go about putting it on my the back of my car and it works just fine. However, in instances when all you have is the ground. It becomes a little more difficult. Larger dobsonians usually are as tall as you while standing up, so this isn't really an issue for those.Why it's better then the FirstScope:For $40 more, you'll get a better red dot finder, better lens, overall better viewing, stronger base, and sturdier materials. The FirstScope is made of dense plastic whereas this is a thin metal sheet. The First Scope comes with plastic 20 mm and 4 mm lens whereas this comes with metal 17mm and 10 mm (also wide angle). THEY BOTH ARE GREAT BEGINNER TELESCOPES. To be honest, if I was more tight on budget, I'd get the FirstScope because I'm still getting a great viewing experience. It is very hard to find good telescopes with this viewing capability under $100. These 70x400 telescopes that are being sold cannot get nearly the images that this is producing. And for a beginner telescope, why would you even want to try and equatorial mount that the Celestron power seekers are advertising. These both are great telescopes, but the z100 is worth, in my opinion, the $40 more then the FirstScope.Conclusion: It's very hard to find telescopes that aren't plastic junk. To be fair, if you've even found this telescope, consider yourself lucky. Many people get doomed by the 70x400 or PowerSeeker hobby killers and never get to see the true beauty of astronomy. It's a pretty clear choice, in my opinion, that this is the best bang for your buck. Great for kids, great for beginners, great for college students wanting something small for their dorm, great for anyone for that matter. It's one of the best viewing experiences I've seen with a telescope under $100. And if you can shell out the money for Z114 or Z130.. do it. Zhumell has done a fantastic job with this line of scopes and I don't see a better product on the market for this price.

This is a nice little 'scope for both the beginner and for the experienced user who just wants to go outside and take a look at something quickly. Assembly and setup are VERY quick and easy. The instruction manual is clearly written and straightforward. The laser spotter feature on the spotter 'scope makes locating objects quick and painless.I was initially worried that the lack of a tripod would be a detriment to most sky viewing (because you have to put the 'scope on some surface: a table, fence, or similar) but I found it very easy to just put it on the hood or trunk of my car and start viewing. (The rubber feet make sure that you won't damage the paint job.) The unit is very lightweight and the carrying handle lends itself to "spur of the moment" impulse viewing of whatever strikes your fancy. You can start viewing within five minutes of the time you pick it up. And despite the fact that it doesn't weigh much, it has a surprisingly solid, well-built feel to it.The first couple of nights I had some nice views of Mars, Jupiter (including the Galilean satellites), Saturn, and the Pleides. A few nights later I enjoyed exploring the Moon again. Even in an area with a lot of light pollution (I live near Los Angeles), you can still get in some fun skywatching. One feature I liked about the Dobsian mount was the ability to easily scan of an arc of the sky by slowly rotating the base with the palm of your hand.A couple of minor nits (and they really don't seriously detract from the viewing experience): 1) the slip fit for the eyepieces tends to be very tight, so inserting and swapping out eyepieces can be a little tricky in the dark, 2) the retention set screws for the eyepiece don't always hold them in place as securely as you might like, and 3) locating and viewing objects near zenith can be a little problematic because the upright position of the telescope's body tube means you may have to do some serious neck contortions to use the spotter 'scope. I was able to get around these issues and still thoroughly enjoy using this unit.Overall I'm quite happy with it and have it on my desk next to me for when the sky viewing mood hits!

This was my first telescope, and it is great for someone just getting into amateur astronomy. The manual that it comes with is very well and clearly written. Manual also includes some tips for beginners. The mount is great, and the two eyepieces that come with it (10mm and 17mm) are amazing. I would recommend to anyone getting it to get a 2x Barlow lens along with it as it’s a good companion to use alongside the eyepieces that it already comes with. If you’re wondering, you can easily see the close planets and Moon with this. You can see the colors and atmosphere of Jupiter and it’s moons, along with a clear picture of Saturn and it’s rings. The Moon is also stunning to look at with this telescope.