Vivitar TEL-50600 50 mm Refractor: What It Is and How to Get the Most From It

The Vivitar TEL-50600 (model VIV-TEL-50600) is a small refracting telescope sold as an easy, all-in-one starter kit. B&H Photo now lists it as no longer available, but many are still around as gifts or second-hand. This page replaces an earlier short post with a practical guide. Specifications come from B&H’s product listing.

Verified specifications

From B&H Photo’s listing:

• Optical design: refractor
• Aperture: 50 mm (2 in)
• Focal length: 600 mm (so the focal ratio is f/12, from 600 ÷ 50)
• Eyepieces: 12 mm and 6 mm (advertised as 60x and 120x)
• Mirror diagonal, angling the eyepiece 90° for comfortable viewing
• A 3x finderscope
• Altazimuth mount on an adjustable metal tripod with extendable legs
• Optical tube dimensions: 28.7 x 8.5 x 3.5 in
• Weight: 3.1 lb (1.5 kg)
• Blue lens coating, an integrated lens shield and storage cases for the eyepieces

How magnification works

Magnification equals the telescope’s focal length divided by the eyepiece’s focal length:

• 12 mm eyepiece: 600 ÷ 12 = 50x
• 6 mm eyepiece: 600 ÷ 6 = 100x

B&H’s listing quotes 60x and 120x for the two eyepieces, which does not match the simple formula. We could not find a source explaining the difference, so treat the advertised figures as approximate. The formula is the reliable way to check any eyepiece.

What matters more is that both are fairly high powers for a 50 mm lens. A small aperture gathers limited light, so very high magnification makes images dimmer and softer. The lower-power 12 mm eyepiece will give the most satisfying views most of the time.

What can you see?

With a 50 mm lens you can expect:

• The Moon: the best target by far. Craters stand out along the line between light and shadow.
• Jupiter: a small disc with up to four tiny star-like moons beside it.
• Saturn: a small image where the rings can be made out at the higher power on a steady night.
• Star clusters: the Pleiades and other bright clusters, though the high minimum power makes the widest clusters hard to fit in.
• Daytime views: birds, boats and landscapes at a distance.

Faint galaxies and nebulae are mostly beyond a 50 mm telescope, especially from towns.

Getting the best from it

• Steady the tripod. Light tripods shake easily. Spread the legs fully, keep the centre column low and hang a bag from the tripod if there is a hook.
• Align the finder by day. Centre a distant treetop in the main telescope with the 12 mm eyepiece, then adjust the finder until it points at the same spot.
• Let vibrations settle. After touching focus, wait a second or two before judging the image.
• Use the 6 mm sparingly. Save it for the Moon and bright planets on calm nights.
• Consider a lower-power eyepiece. If the focuser takes standard 1.25-inch eyepieces, a 20 mm or 25 mm eyepiece would give about 24x to 30x, making objects much easier to find. Check your eyepiece barrel size before buying.

Safety

Never point any telescope or finder at the Sun. Only use a certified solar filter that fully covers the front of the telescope, and remove or cap the finder.

Who is it for?

The TEL-50600 is a light, simple scope for a first look at the Moon and bright planets, or for casual daytime viewing. Owners who catch the astronomy bug usually find that a larger aperture, around 70 mm to 130 mm, on a steadier mount is the most noticeable upgrade.

Quick summary

• 50 mm refractor with a 600 mm focal length (f/12).
• 12 mm and 6 mm eyepieces. The formula gives 50x and 100x, though they are advertised as 60x and 120x.
• Mirror diagonal, 3x finderscope and an altazimuth mount on an adjustable metal tripod.
• Weight 3.1 lb (1.5 kg). B&H now lists it as no longer available.

Jargon buster

• Refractor: a telescope that uses a lens at the front to collect light.
• Focal ratio: focal length divided by aperture, here 600 ÷ 50 = f/12.
• Diagonal: a mirror that turns the light 90° so you can look down into the eyepiece comfortably.
• Altazimuth mount: a mount that moves up-down and left-right, like a camera tripod.
• Finderscope: the small aiming scope on top of the main tube; align it in daylight first.