antares vs celestron focal reducermost awkward queer eye moments

The Antares is supposed to be pretty comparable. There are many different types of focal reducers and they all effect. Today, our world-class team of optical and electronic engineers continues to push the boundaries of technology. Focal reducers for many SCTs and their flat-field equivalents usually have a back-focus distance of 105mm. This part is no longer in production, but it is sometimes available used and may be used with cameras with smaller sensors. Details: The item must be the identical item, brand name, size, weight, color, quantity and model number. In the 1960s, Celestrons founder, Tom Johnson, created groundbreaking new telescopes never before seen on the consumer market. Here, there was a subtle difference . I think I remember hearing the reduction factor is slightly different, cant remember more or less reduction. In your opinion, is the Celestron is worth the added cost ($150 vs. $90)? Once focused it's pretty good. 2023 OPT Telescopes. I must admit, as well, that I no longer place a lot of stock in the notion that Chinese optics are inferior to Japanese or Taiwanese any longer, as manufacturing technology has really leveled the playing field today, with most Chinese optics being excellent. Take control of your telescope! DUE TO EXTREMELY HIGH DEMAND, WE WILL NOT BE TAKING NEW ORDERS UNTIL MONDAY, DECEMBER 14. CEL-94245. He tested this on an 8 Celestron , I have a Celestron 6SE. Learn more about extra solar planets imagery, 3D Star rendering, observation planning, telescope control, multiple-panel printing, and much more. Whereas the Celestron threaded smoothly onto the scope, the Antares chattered and squeaked a bit more so when being removed. - thanks. In some cases, focal reducers also act as field flatteners by correcting for field curvature and coma of the objective lens. For example, an 8" SCT without a focal reducer has an illuminated field of 38mm at 50% fall-off. Again, these focal reducers are often provided by the telescope manufacturer. Thanks Peter! It seems right to put some distance between the camera and the focal reducer, right? If I had to go out on a very thick limb, I would have to say that these two reducers/correctors are, indeed, identical the exact same glass in slightly different housings with different lettering. Please re-enable javascript to access full functionality. 800-483-6287 I have the Antares and am not unhappy with it, but for AP I would want more back focal distance if those numbers are accurate. Unique focal reducer and field corrector lens accessory, Reduces the focal length and f/ ratio of your Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope by 37%, Provides a dual focal ratio instrument, without sacrificing image quality, Compatible with all Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes (see compatible list in description). Explore Scientific Keys to the Universe Sale. Never noticed any anomalies with this unit. Sign up for OPT news, exclusive offers, and updates on the latest gear! The focal length and design working distance for this focal reducer were not available from the manufacturer. It works fine but you should stick with 1.25 EPs; or can use 2" EPs without corrector. Blue Fireball M42 T/T2 Thread Camera Adapter for Prime Focus Photography - 2" # P-06, Celestron T-Ring for Canon EOS Camera # 93419, GSO 2" Crayford Focuser for SCTs - Dual Speed, Length of male SCT thread = 5mm (0.2") but this is preceded by an unthreaded part on the eyepiece side making the total length = 8.8mm (0.35"), Length of female SCT thread = 7.5mm (0.3"). Telescope Optics, Rutten and van Venrooij, Chapter 15, Willman-Bell (1988). Unscrew that wide angle lens and put it away, then attach the ASI120 to the nose-piece that came with the camera and fit that into the eyepiece holder. Much to my surprise, swapping back and forth between the two correctors using all three diagonal configurations, I also could detect absolutely no change in reduction between the two reducers. We tested GSO's 1.25" 0.5x focal reducer at a variety of operating distances and calculated the field of view through a telescope to derive the actual reduction factor that is plotted below. It was also a little brighter in the center of the field with subtle darkening in the outer 20% or so. The resultant reduction factor was measured to be 0.46x. Just one question. * Not a Retail Store * 16313 Arthur StreetCerritos, CA 90703, USA. Designed distancing using the reducer with a 1.25 visual back and 1.25 Televue mirror diagonal; Reducer - Corrector Learn More. a Tele Vue Panoptic), or a Plossl eyepiece with an apparent field of view of 50 and a focal length of 32mm. Yet, the Antares still easily and fully threaded without any hitches. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. I was referring to the C6 to answer you specifically. These reducers can also be used for visual observing with SCT scopes with eyepieces with a field stop as large as 24-27mm. Powered by Invision Community. Reducer Lens .7x - EdgeHD 1400 Learn More. That's partly because focal reducers correct for field curvature, which itself depends on the focal ratio and other optical design factors of the telescope. Figure 1 shows the relationship between the focal reduction factor MR and the position of the reducer in the optical path. The most popular accessories for your new telescope! As a Barlow's magnification increases with increasing distance from the Barlow, a focal reducer's reduction increases with increasing distance from the reducer. It also leads to larger (although fainter) images of extended objects like the Moon or planets for astrophotographers or visual observers. Reducer Lens .7x - EdgeHD 800 Learn More. All rights reserved. Thanks for any advice or experience you could share. Using these numbers in equation 4 in the Appendix, below, we can easily calculate that the focal length of this unit is approximately103mm (it will be 103mm plus the small amount by which the rear lens surface of the reducer is recessed beneath the reducer housing). Celestron's EdgeHD reducers feature a custom 5 element optical design engineered to maintain the flat-field performance of our award-winning EdgeHD optical system. Looking forward to the day when I can do a shoot-out between a Japan and China Celestron, just for kicks. What I do know is that the Antares and the Celestron samples that I have perform exactly the same from the center right out to the edges. Bear in mind you can't squeeze blood out of a turnip, i.e. If you do so, you will achieve the design reduction factor. It is not a corrector or flattener. This rugged, 3-in-1 device features a true tactical 3-mode flashlight, a hand warmer, and a portable power bank for recharging your personal electronics on the go. Dedicated focal reducers for refractors are intended primarily for imaging, not visual observation. Watch this before you buy Celestron 8SE SCT, or a Focal Reducer or a Hyperstar 7,758 views Mar 28, 2018 145 Dislike Share Ray's Astrophotography 42.3K subscribers Note: I am not paid or. In terms of reduction and correction - which are what reducer/correctors are supposed to do - both are superb. Perhaps not exactly- there will be some uncertainty because of manufacturing tolerances and so forth, but it will be close. Can you help me? In every configuration, there were essentially parfocal, requiring only a tiny fine focus adjustment when changing correctors. Equation 6 & 7 item two & three does not make sense, both say increase its reduction (one should say reduce its reduction?). The Antares f6.3 focal reducer screws directly to the visual-back thread of all popular SCTs and converts f10 instruments to f6.3. This Antares 1.25" 0.5x focal reducer lens (tele-compressor) is used under the Orion brand name to thread into the nosepiece of Orion StarShoot Solar System cameras and StarShoot Deep Space Color Imaging Camera. Reducer - Corrector Many reducers, such as the Celestron HD focal reducer mentioned above, and many focal reducers for apochromatic refractors, are meant to be used within a few millimeters (or less) of the specified working distance to achieve the best possible image results. Because most modern Newtonians already have relatively fast focal ratios, these telescopes do not usually use focal reducers. Most Feather Touch focusers cost between $300-$350. Does anyone have any experience with the Celestron and Antares focal reducers? In this case, an additional T-adapter (with an optical length of 50mm) is needed to get the spacing correct for a DSLR or other camera with a 55mm back focus. Upon close inspection, it was clear that the housing of Antares assembled in Canada version was a little more substantial than the Celestron. To further factor out my natural astigmatism (I normally wear glasses while observing), I did the tests with my regular progressive lenses, single vision glasses I use when observing, and naked eye. Never used one, but read the reviews here that suggest a coating problem. I happily cycle through LRGB filters to build the image rather than do a whole run of one filter at a time. We will match any online price that we confirm as valid. He also holds a Ph.D. in engineering physics from McMaster University. Celestrons patented StarSense Technology makes it easier than ever to locate objects in the night sky, even if youve never used a telescope before. If used with other f/ratios, the field flattening characteristic may be unpredictable. It has only one cover, which surprised me. Read our 101 article or get in touch. And when d1 = FR, that is, when the focal reducer is placed at a distance from the focal plane of the objective that's equal to the reducer's focal length, the focal length of the combined optical system is Fo, so it acts as a 0.5x reducer. A little longer light path with a 2 Baader click-lock, low profile 1.25 adapter, and the 1.25 diagonal; This would tell us exactly how well aberrations are corrected. I read another thread in a different forum about F6.3 reducer correctors and one amateur posted an image about glue coming out of an astromania f6.3 reducer which he planned to return. For Ritchey-Chretien telescopes such as those manufactured by GSO, there are also dedicated focal reducers with a reduction factor of 0.7x to 0.8x. When you said, "in some cases" a focal reducer also works as a flattener/corrector, are you saying that not all focal reducers are flatteners/corrector? I also used several eyepieces including the ES 24mm/68, 17.5mm and 12.5mm Morpheuses, and a 10.5mm Pentax XL. They provide 0.75x focal reducers for these telescopes that takes an f/8 instrument down to f/6. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. It might work but it does not tell us anything about how well or to what extent the product works to correct the field of an SCT. It's an either/or proposition: reducer and 1.25", or 2", but not 2" and reducer. These RC reducers cannot be used with other types of telescopes. I wonder whether, for example, Antares focal reducer for SCT belongs to the latter category. Most different was that the sky background was a little darker and more uniform, providing a tiny contrast boost for fainter objects. If you place your camera at a different working distance, you will get a different reduction factor and perhaps unwanted distortion in the image. I don't know. Celestrons aplanatic EdgeHD optics revolutionized astroimaging. More about this below. This award-winning optical system reduces visual defects like field curvature and coma, creating an ultra-flat field for pinpoint stars all the way to the edge of todays largest imaging sensors. The most commonly available focal reducers for SCTs are the f/6.3 reducers from Celestron and a similar f/6.3 focal reducer from Meade. I'm going with the Celestron. Some are available in 1.25" barrel format but with C threads. Hi - most interesting - may I ask .. the brighter guys - "if a camera sensor is too small for a n adaper, will a focal reduer allow me to get greater use from the camera? Increase that distance, and greater reduction results and visa versa. First, I wanted to compare the actual reduction provided by these competitors, as many threads here cite different ideal spacing from the reducer to eyepiece focal plane to achieve the correct f/6.3 result. Scope size might influence choice as well, as a C6 might benefit from the Antares' transparency, while larger scopes might benefit from the Celestron's higher contrast. Focal reducers are essential optical accessories for astrophotography, electronically-assisted astronomy (EAA), and in some cases, for visual observation with long focal ratio telescopes. You cannot, for example, use a 0.63x focal reducer intended for a standard Celestron or Meade SCT and use it on a Celestron Edge HD or a Meade ACF. Optically, it consists of a four-element lens that is fully multi-coated for high contrast and resolution. Copyright 2003-2022 Agena AstroProducts. This may be a problem if the focuser tube or the diagonal (for visual observing) is too narrow to accept light at this larger angle. Add a 0.63x reducer, and the brightness of extended objects increases by (1/0.63)2 = 2.5. Obviously bright objects like Jupiter or The Moon show the reflections. Thanks guys, appreciate the feedback. Celestron or Antares? No rainchecks will be issued for items out of stock at OPTcorp.com to match a competitor's price. Brightness, color, and contrast were subtly different, but could be as much the day they were coated as any real difference in the two brands. These scopes are compatibles with focal reducers. Reviews. The lens is housed in machined aluminum for are machined aluminum black anodized. All rights reserved. CPWI has an extensive object database, employs PointXP mount modeling, and more. Overall, this reducer does a phenomenal job at preventing gradients due to internal reflections from the camera sensor back to the glass in the reducer, as I suffered with the Antares reducer. Not noticed any optical problems. Great for home, classroom, or home-school use, this kit includes all the essential items youll need to begin exploring the wonders of the microscopic world. Meade and Celestron both sell such SCT-T adapters with the correct optical length. For visual use, this means you get lower power with the same eyepiece and a wider field of view. If used before or beyond the working distance, unwanted image distortion may result, especially when using cameras with larger sensors. Orders placed after 12:00 PM Pacific Time will be shipped the next business day. But the smaller image circle means there is a limit to the field stop of an eyepiece that can achieve an unvignetted image. The Buyer's Guide To Eyepieces at the top of the Eyepieces forum has a column for this spec. The lens that the ZWO comes with give a perfect wide angle image of what is in front of it. Reducer Lens .7x - EdgeHD 800 The reducer features fully coated optics in an anodized aluminum filter ring with an ergonomic rubber grip. because they really dont matter. Please let us know what topics you are interested in. Antares' f/6.3 focal reducer provides a faster f/6.3 system for imaging or visual use when used with an f/10 SCT or other compatible telescopes. In this case, d2 = FR/2, which means the back of the focal reducer is located at a distance FR/2 from the camera or eyepiece. For example, a 0.8x reducer placed at the working distance provides a reduction of (1 0.8) x 100 = 20%. I found both to be very good. Even though they may have been slightly dimmer, galaxies were a bit easier to tease out of the urban light soup I deal with. Many Ritchey-Chretien telescopes available today are made by GSO. No negative issues to report. Performance wise what differences might there be using the reducer on a smaller scope. Clearly cost is a big factor for satisfied users. Free shipping $189.95 They usually have a 2" barrel that slides into the telescope focuser. Since 2008, Brian has taught astronomy to tens of thousands of stargazers through his websites OneMinuteAstronomer.com and CosmicPursuits.com. When the camera sensor is placed at this distance, the reduction factor of these reducers is 0.75x. Most manufacturers provide this specification. For example, with a 0.8x focal reducer, a telescope with a focal length of 800mm will operate at 800 x 0.8 = 640mm when the reducer is placed at the working distance specified by the manufacturer. Yellow and orange members of open clusters stood out a bit more as the various stars displayed their individuality. A former wireless communications consulting engineer and management consultant to various Fortune 500 companies, Manish started Agena AstroProducts in 2003. This filter threads on to the rear cell of your Celestron or Meade SCT telescope. This article explains the basics of how focal reducers work with an astronomy telescope. This superb fully multi-coated multi-element focal reducer takes advantage of the latest computer aided design techniques to achieve the highest standards of performance set by the brand leaders at a fraction of the cost. This filter threads on to the rear cell of your Celestron or Meade SCT telescope. They are also less expensive than many external focusers of similar build quality. 2. ), ASI Air Plus - Connected items are 'greyed out', Cost of ordering used equipment U.S. - Can can more than double figure, Tuthill Isostatic Mount and Star Trap Power Module. The Reduction Factor and the Amount of Reduction are inversely related. Celestron Solar Safe filter technology is GUARANTEED SAFE for direct solar observation and has been independently tested by SAI Global Assurance Services. Therefore, a 55mm back focus with a filter that is 3mm thick added to the imaging train would become 56mm. Community Forum Software by IP.BoardLicensed to: Cloudy Nights, E of San Francisco Bay and W of the Awahnee, This is not recommended for shared computers, reviews here that suggest a coating problem, Back to Celestron Computerized Telescopes, Looking for advice on first refractor and camera. Turn it on and push Align. In about three minutes, youre ready to observe! The author finds differences in throughput and color balance, but then says he thinks the lenses are identical and he reaches his conclusions based on very long observing session. Explicitly designed for Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes, this unique lens reduces your telescopes focal length and f/ ratio by 37%, turning your long focal length telescope into a fast, short focal length instrument. It's usually specified from the base of the mounting threads on the reducer's housing, and this is the most practical way of providing this specification. During checkout, you may also be shown other optional faster shipping choices.US Customers in Hawaii and Alaska: Free shipping applies to almost all products. But the diameter of the image circle decreases by a factor of 0.63 to about 24mm. A few people have reported issues with the male SCT thread diameter on this item being a bit larger than necessary. riklaunim Members 559 3,445 Location: Poland Posted October 11, 2010 They are reported as identical. The equations and argument in the Appendix of this article shows the relationship between the working distance and the reduction factor. Article Agena AstroProducts, 2019. 2.2 Using a Focal Reducer at the Working Distance, 2.3 Adjusting the Reduction Factor of a Focal Reducer, 3.3 Focal Reducers for Compound Telescopes, 3.5 Focal Reducers for Ritchey-Chretien and Field Flattened Scopes, 3.6 Focal Reducers in 1.25" and 2" Barrel Formats, 4. The female end attaches to the rear cell of the telescope. This also resulted in the clear aperture of the Antares being about 39-39.5mm, versus the Celestrons 41mm. Many focal reducers are meant to be used within a few millimeters of the specified working distance to achieve the best possible image results. It was used strictly for imaging, not visual observing. We do not price match competitors if they are out of stock. Just point the telescope at any three bright objectsstars, bright planets, or even the Moonand your telescope can orient itself with the night sky. Imagine having two telescopes in one a long focal length instrument for lunar and planetary work and a short focal length scope for deep sky observing and astrophotography. And when used in some refractors, the field flattening is not as accurate as it is in the f/10 SCTs. Some manufacturers will specify the working distance from the middle of the rear lens surface, and this number must then be converted into a practical working distance number by subtracting the amount by which the rear lens surface is recessed in its housing. The lens has a knurled surface, providing a tremendous gripping surface for threading/unthreading. If a stronger level of focal reduction is used, say 0.5x, then the image circle may be too small to fill the sensor of larger cameras. It can also be used with any other small chip CCD camera having a 1.25" nosepiece, such as the Celestron NexImage, Meade DSI . Fortunately, my neighbors are not out in their backyards at 11 pm, or they may have thought I was torturing a small mammal. Quite interestingly it bears the very same engravings of the Meade 4000 r/c (including "series 4000") except for "MEADE". Given the results of Test #1, I wanted to see if there was any truth to this assumption. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. Check out our 2022 telescope buying guide here! More details are found in the Appendix of this article. Place the plastic covers on the lens when not in use to reduce the dust collection. Start Chat Celestron Focus Motor for SCT, EdgeHD & 8" RASA, Celestron C6 0.63 reducer/flattener back focus. For imaging, a T-adapter is threaded to the camera side of the focal reducer, which in turns connects to the camera with the appropriate hardware. StevieDvd Members 1,182 1,812 Location: Stevenage, UK Posted March 9, 2021 (edited) Don't know but your welcome to try out my Meade 6.3 sct reducer next time you are passing.

Hudson, New York Grazin Diner Nearest Hospital To Stranger, Franklin, Tn Police Department Salary, Christiana Care Employee Handbook, Steve Watts Wife, Articles A