SVBONY SV41Pro 80mm Mak Spotting Scope, Compact Spotter Scope, 28-84X Zoom Eyepiece, 1.8kg Lightweight, Spotting Scopes for Target Shooting, Bird Watching, for Both Terrestrial and Astronomical Use

I purchased the SvBony SV41 Pro 80mm f/10 Maksutov spotting scope for use at the shooting range, however, I believe it can be used as an entry-level astronomy telescope. The scope was shipped double-boxed with a custom Amazon one on the outside and the SvBony one inside. I was impressed that the SvBony package had two layers of shrink wrap to keep out foreign material. In addition, both the scope and the tripod were wrapped in plastic and cushioned by foam.The best attributes of this product are the clean optics, smooth double-focuser (course and fine) and the ability to install an optional universal dovetail mount. I chose the dovetail mount option since it was on sale during Prime Day and I have lots of finderscopes. The fine focus is useful during high-power observation or the bit of refocus required during a power (zoom) change. You can also remove the zoom eyepiece to add other 1.25" eyepieces or cameras.The scope outer shell is made with a black metal optical tube and an army-green plastic rear assembly. The lens cap is plastic and threads on in front of the meniscus corrector lens. There is also a rubber cap to cover the top of the zoom lens. Everything is sealed and there are no external collimation points. The body is waterproof, nitrogen filled and has a standard 1/4-20 tripod hole on the bottom. The 28.8mm to 9.6mm (28X to 84X) zoom eyepiece features a plastic eyecup assembly vice a folding rubber cup. This is a nice feature for folks who wear glasses and will last longer than a rubber eyecup. Eye relief of 16mm to 19mm is also good for eyeglasses or providing play space for cell-phone eyepiece projection photography. Below the zoom eyepiece is a 45 degree silver-plated prism that provides correct image orientation.The tripod is made of plastic and metal. It's lightweight but really only useful in a static setup such as a shooting range. If I was using this for astronomical purposes, I would get a tripod with slow-motion azimuth and elevation controls. The slow-motion type of mount is really needed for high-powered viewing. Amazon carries these types of tripods.The carry bag included is padded and has an internal fold-down partition to keep the scope protected from the tripod. I found that the fit was a bit tight but it is possible to get both tripod and scope in it after some careful maneuvering.A small multi-language handbook and cleaning cloth are included. These were found hiding under the carry bag during the unpacking. Most of the spotting scope features are intuitive, especially to seasoned amateur astronomers.Overall, the quality of the scope is great for its price point, especially when on sale. It has nice views during the day and preliminary star tests look promising for the night observations. This scope looks like a winner for use at the shooting range, wildlife observation and some astronomical viewing.

For a sub $200 scope you are not likely to find something that will beat this at the 80mm aperture. Yes, this will collect less light than a 80mm refractor, but unless you spend a lot more money, the lens on a cheap 80mm refractor will never be as crisp as this scope.The stubby SV41 is pretty convenient to carry. The main lens cap is screwed on which is way more secure than those cheap soft plastic caps. This can easily fit inside any backpacks with room to spare. I'll be keeping this in the car as my goto scope.The tube construction seemed solid and the scope has a good weight to it. It doesn't feel like you're holding some cheap plastic scope. The Celestron Mini Mak 70 unfortunately does feel like that. Of course, heavier means it's less portable if you're planning on a hike, just something to consider.The dual focuser is very handy, especially at high magnification. You'll never know you need it until it's here. If you plan to use this for astronomy or taking pictures, it's very helpful.The eyepiece holder uses a ring at the base that you turn clockwise to tighten. It's a great design which rids of the typical tiny thumb screw that most telescope use to secure the eyepiece. Unlike the Mini Mak, it doesn't require any adapters to use with the standard astronomy eyepiece.The included zoom eyepiece is actually pretty impressive. It has decent eye relief and the eye cup is the hard plastic type that extend by unscrewing, which i much prefer over the rubber cups which you know will eventually break. I expected average performance since the scope cost less than the price of a fancy eyepiece, but I just pointed the scope to Saturn tonight and I was very surprised that I could see Saturn's rings in clarity. The quality is very close to my Vixen 80mm refractor that cost 5 times as much.You can put an 8mm eyepiece in there, you will be zooming in at 100x and still get a pretty sharp image while making the scope easier to carry with a smaller eyepiece in place. Great for spotting 150+ yard targets.The included tripod is basic but solid enough to use on a table. No where as bad as the atrocious tripod that came with the Celestron Mini Mak 70. Though if you're using this for astronomy you'll need a proper tripod.Overall this scope is great as a powerful spotting scope, as well as a portable scope for viewing the stars and planets. The quality of both the main optics as well as the eyepiece punches well above its weight for a sub $200 scope. It blew the Celestron Mini Mak out of the water.I've heard that the SV41 was pretty poor in quality, but SVBONY hit it out of the park with the SV41 Pro. I just wish they didn't keep the same model number as the pro is completely resigned with a larger aperture (80mm vs 70mm) and excellent in quality.

Wanted a compact scope that I could use for moon/star-gazing with the kid and at the range or spotting game in the field. Thus far, it has only been used to view the moon, and it is very impressive. Detail, clarity and sharpness of the image is really good (this was during a day-time moonrise) so good in fact that you could resolve the elevation of the surface on the bottom half of the moon. Quite impressed with the quality of the scope and its ability to do what it is designed for. Will update review as further use allows.

Great scope. I use it primarily for lunar and planetary observations. Very easy to focus and very solid. I chose this scope over a telescope because of it's solid build quality. I paired my scope with a Celestron alt-az mount because the mount was as heavy duty as this scope.

For the price, this scope is quite impressive. It rides the line between spotting scope and entry-level telescope. I've used it for both. Clarity goes down significantly at high zoom, but it's pretty good at low to mid zoom. Good for viewing the moon, and does okay for planets. One annoying problem, though, is that fitting both the scope and tripod in the included case is a little difficult.

I've bought other Svbony products and have been reasonably satisfied with their quality. The SV41 Pro is a disappointing exception. I've used this unit at the shooting range to spot 22lr hits at 100yds and the view is unclear at magnifications above 50x. I tried this scope on the Moon and had similar disappointment viewing detail on all but the largest craters. I wouldn't buy this scope again and regret not sending it back within the 30 day trial.

Very good quality