Zhumell 76mm AZ Reflector Telescope Review

Celestron is one of the biggest names in telescopes on the market. Meade has its classic blue tubes that are instantly recognizable. Both of them make up a decent market share. However, when it comes to making high-quality reflector telescopes Zhumell has the bead on that. They are known for their massive Dobsonian telescopes but Zhumell also makes a reflector that is affordable but still carries the Zhumell quality.

The Zhumell 76mm AZ Reflector is one of the most affordable reflectors on the market coming in well under a hundred dollars but the quality is up there with other lower-end telescopes. This is not a terrible drug store quality telescope, this is a scope built by people who know how to make some of the best telescopes on the market just at an extremely affordable price.

Features

• Reflector design
• 76mm primary aperture
• f/9.6 focal ratio
• 224x highest theoretical magnification
• 7lbs assembled weight

If you do not want to pay the name brand tax for similar scopes in this price range, take a chance on the Zhumell model which still offers great magnification power and a host of accessories for a stunningly low price.

For the Price Conscious

If you do not want to spend much money on a telescope but still want to get one to try out or learn on then this is a fantastic option. It is also priced well to be given as a gift to a friend or child. Not many decent telescopes come in under the hundred dollar mark but this one does.

Usually, telescopes for less than a hundred dollars are flimsy or are found on the end cap of your local grocery store and are absolute junk. The Zhumell 76mm AZ Reflector is neither of those things. Zhumell has made some truly massive reflectors in the 8” and 10” and even 12” range so they are a manufacturer that knows how to make telescopes at the highest quality and biggest sizes.

They have distilled this experience and expertise down to the most affordable package with the Zhumell 76mm AZ Reflector. If the price is a big sticking point for you then you can buy this with confidence and not have to worry about it.  You could buy two of these for the price of another telescope in a similar range of usability and quality.

Still Packs a Punch

With a 76mm primary aperture, this telescope is not even a slouch in terms of light gathering ability. While it is not the biggest or best telescope on the market it has a great dollar to power ratio.

The high end of this telescope’s magnification capability is 200x all the way to a potential ceiling of 224x magnification. That is a lot of power for this little scope. This scope is not bulky or heavy or very large. It only weighs an extremely light 7lbs but can still offer potential views of 200x zoom.

If you are looking for a basic scope to get views of the moon, nearby planets, or choice constellations then this telescope will do the job. This is a perfect telescope for someone looking to start stargazing on a budget. It can see all of the sights you would expect to see from your first telescope.

The 76mm primary aperture and 700mm focal length even give you a decent focal ratio as well. You will not have to struggle with an extremely low or extremely high focal ratio. This means that this telescope will perform right in the middle of the road in terms of the focal ratio which is perfect for a novice just starting out.

With a focal ratio of f/9.8, the Zhumell 76mm AZ Reflector will be able to do some standard viewing sessions. It will be able to zero in on singular bright objects but still give you a wide enough angle to do some freehand viewing and exploring of the night sky.

Altazimuth Mount

The included altazimuth mount and tripod will allow you to get views of the entire night sky without any hassle. The smooth controls on this mount will give you the ability to freely explore the night sky with this scope and land on things that you find interesting or unique.

This is the easiest type of mount for beginners to use, it does not require assembly or special alignment with any planes or parts of the Earth. Simply move it to where and what you want to look at and line up the scope.

For this price, I am a little shocked that this telescope comes with a fully functional and sturdy tripod and an altazimuth mount. The shock did not stop there though.

Accessories at this price? Yes, please.

Zhumell did not leave anything out in their complete telescope kit, despite the affordable price point. It is standard to include some extra goodies to get you started when you purchase a telescope kit but the Zhumell 76mm AZ Reflector goes above and beyond in this respect.

This kit includes two eyepieces, a red dot finderscope, the tripod and mount as well as an accessory tray, 1.25” focuser, and a Barlow lens. What? That’s insane.

I have seen much fancier telescopes that go for a lot more money come with fewer accessories than the Zhumell 76mm AZ Reflector and that is not a lie.

What is the standout in the accessories?

The two eyepieces are standard, nothing to fret about there. The inclusion of a quality red dot sight, the focuser and the Barlow lens is what puts this accessory batch over the edge. Again, some telescopes that go for four or five times this price do not come with a Barlow lens.

The Barlow lens will double the magnification of the included eyepieces which in turn doubles the number of useful eyepieces this telescope has from two to potentially four. The finderscope is a great addition to add to the altazimuth mount making lining up perfect shots easier than ever.

The accessory haul in this kit was so large and so unexpected I had to double-check the price. In fact, I’m going to double-check it one more time to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. Nope, I wasn’t. Still less than a hundred dollars.

You Get What You Pay For?

The majority of the reviews for this scope online are overwhelmingly positive. They speak about the incredible value, how the scope works great for beginners and for people on a budget. However, there are a couple of gripes that cropped up enough to mention them here.

The first was a lack of good documentation. Many people, especially first time telescope buyers, complained that there was not a good instruction manual included with the telescope to help them get set up for the first time.

The lack of proper instructions or a good manual led to some people getting confused which led to frustration. This is not a good way for first-time telescope buyers to feel and if you are in this boat you might find the lack of good documentation frustrating as well.

The second major complaint was also concerning and that was that sometimes the Zhumell 76mm AZ Reflector came out of the box damaged or defective. Some people said the telescope came with broken pieces or damaged outer casing. I don’t know if this is a shipping problem or a manufacturing issue.

Some people also said the telescope would not work properly when setup. I don’t know if that could possibly stem from the lack of a good instruction manual. There are a lot of unknowns to this problem but people did mention them more frequently than I would have liked.

This could be a problem with the low price. At this price perhaps quality and consistency slipped a little but for those who did not have any out of the box issues, they said this telescope was amazing for the money.

Verdict

If you are an astronomer on a budget, are looking to give a bomb gift, or want to get into astronomy without breaking the bank then the Zhumell 76mm AZ Reflector is a great buy. It is less than a hundred dollars, offers decent power, and a whole host of accessories that are perfect for the budget stargazer and novice alike.

There are telescopes twice this price that offer the same optical features but come with far fewer accessories. If you are looking for a bargain or a great value to get started in astronomy then this is the telescope for you. Only skip this model if you want to spend more money on a scope. If you are in the less than a hundred dollar price point there is no better value on the market today.