antares vs celestron focal reducer

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. More details are found in the Appendix of this article. Well done. We only send interesting emails and will never sell your data. Shipping will be via the cheapest shipping method which will vary depending on the items in your order. 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. Right off the bat, I was struck by how similar the two R/Cs were. Enter it during checkout! Get ready for a night of astroimaging with your mount faster than previously thought possible with All-Star Polar Alignment. Hi. The Best Dedicated Astronomy Cameras for Beginners, Astronomik OIII 12nm CCD Filter - T-Threads, Pegasus Astro Dual Motor Focus Controller, 10 Micron 12kg (26.45lbs) Stainless Steel Counterweight- GM 2000, I would like more information regarding stock availability dates. Sign up for OPT news, exclusive offers, and updates on the latest gear! In most cases, the easiest option is to choose the focal reducer made specifically for your telescope. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. WiFi technology encircles the globe in a web of connectivity, knowledge, and information. A couple of tiny dust particles between lens elements, uneven lens edge blackening, very minor coating blemishes, or even a very small fine lens scratch or two are very common in this Antares product and must be accepted as normal for this item. I would pay slightly more for the Japan produced version, just because Hirsch was not bad either but sold it since I had 2 already. Learn more about extra solar planets imagery, 3D Star rendering, observation planning, telescope control, multiple-panel printing, and much more. Images made with my ZWO 533 camera testing both show them to be essentially the same. As often noted in reviews and forum threads, Antares products tend to have threads that are a little less precise, and this specimen certainly demonstrated this. Who cares? A longer effective focal length leads to higher magnification with a given eyepiece for visual observers. Celestron Reducer Lens .7x - EdgeHD 925 The EdgeHD .7x Focal Reducer Lens makes your EdgeHD 925 one full F-Stop faster than f/10, reducing your exposure time by half to capture the same brightness of object 5-element lens design Maintains similar. The female end attaches to the rear cell of the telescope. Please Log in to save it permanently. That said any comparison reviews are helpful. Just point the telescope at any three bright objectsstars, bright planets, or even the Moonand your telescope can orient itself with the night sky. The click-lock with a 2 dielectric diagonal with a somewhat shorter light path, using both a 2 ES 28mm/68 and the same low-profile adapter with a 1.25 ES 24mm/68. This was most noticeable on the eyepiece end of the RC, where the metal rim surrounding the lens was about 1mm thicker than on the Celestron. The design reduction factor of a focal reducer is the relative amount by which the effective focal length of the telescope is reduced when the focal reducer is used at its specified working distance or back focus. 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. Focal reducers for refractors are easy to use. Assuming you use the reducer with the stock 1.25" diagonal, it will operate at f/6.3. ), but stars seemed a bit tighter and their colors were richer and more dramatic. Performance wise what differences might there be using the reducer on a smaller scope. Easy solution found a very tiny dab of super lube on the threads and all was well and quiet. The reducer features fully coated optics in an anodized aluminum filter ring with an ergonomic rubber grip. The visual back must be removed first. 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. I would not use the reducer with a 2" diagonal or eyepiece in the C6. Melotte 15 - First Process in PixInsight (easy! This focal reducer is made to attach to the rear cell of Schmidt-Cassegrain or Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes. 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. It was used strictly for imaging, not visual observing. If you place your camera at a different working distance, you will get a different reduction factor and perhaps unwanted distortion in the image. The working distance or required back focus, explained above, is usually specified and is far more important in practice. Using this same example of an 8" SCT and a 0.63x reducer, a visual observer can also enjoy brighter images and a wider field of view. So, this past week I challenged the Antares and Celestron models to a head-to-hear on my C8 on some decent nights of good seeing and transparency in my Bortle 5-6 urban skies. Wow, that is a very detailed discussion! For this shoot-out, I used a standard Celestron C8 with Starbright coatings. He received his first telescope at the age of 5 and completed his first university course in astronomy at the age of 12, eventually receiving a master's degree in the subject. Designed distancing using the reducer with a 1.25 visual back and 1.25 Televue mirror diagonal; Celestron makes a series of focal reducers for the Edge HD line that are matched to the 8", 9.25", 11", and 14" apertures of these scopes. The equations and argument in the Appendix of this article shows the relationship between the working distance and the reduction factor. It features a standard male SCT thread (2" OD, 24 TPI) on one side and a standard SCT female thread on the other. Celestron or Antares? In terms of reduction and correction - which are what reducer/correctors are supposed to do - both are superb. Unlike . How does it look thats what matters. Sign up for a new account in our community. 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) Share Customers Also Purchased Description There is one difference though the Antares came with only one lens cap whereas the Celestron had a cap for both ends. In every configuration, there were essentially parfocal, requiring only a tiny fine focus adjustment when changing correctors. Because most modern Newtonians already have relatively fast focal ratios, these telescopes do not usually use focal reducers. 3. From the SkyProdigy, a telescope so smart it can align itself, to our high-performance EdgeHD optical system, weve revolutionized the hobby of astronomy for beginners and advanced amateurs alike. Nebula Filters. The female end attaches to the rear cell of the telescope. I use the Celestron version and it seems OK for both visual and imaging. Celestrons aplanatic EdgeHD optics revolutionized astroimaging. 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. However, the China 6.3 R/C has noticeable internal reflections that I haven't figured out yet. I've looked through one from Meade and first impression was that it was like the Celestron version. One of the most important factors in a telescope is its transmissionthe percentage of light that reaches the focal plane. Reducer Lens .7x - EdgeHD 1100. Celestrons patented StarSense Technology makes it easier than ever to locate objects in the night sky, even if youve never used a telescope before. However, some focal reducers can be used on other models of telescopes, but this is not always possible. The stock Celestron visualback is just under 2 long. Sign up for our newsletter to get exclusive deals, observing tips, and new product announcements. Equation 6 & 7 item two & three does not make sense, both say increase its reduction (one should say reduce its reduction?). However I've also read that the back focal distance on the Celestron is 105mm while the Antares is 81mm so they couldn't be identical. An eyepiece with a 27mm field stop yields a true field of 1.03 in the C6 at f/10. USD $80.00. . Can these economical focal reducers from GSO and other vendors result in good images? With this telescope and this focal reducer, it does not help to move to a 2" eyepiece and a 2" diagonal as the visual view will be akin to looking through a porthole within the larger apparent field of view of the eyepiece. Most reducers have a design reduction factor, MRD, that assumes the reducer is placed at a specific working distance, D, from the back surface of the focal reducer itself. Its a good thing I have the super lube handy or my neighbors wont be happy with me.come to think of it, Im sure the small mammals here wouldnt be thrilled either! Some third-party vendors also make reducers for SCT scopes. And, the reality is that every F/6.3 RC out there Celestron, Hirsch, Astromania, etc., etc. Looking forward to the day when I can do a shoot-out between a Japan and China Celestron, just for kicks. In practice, it's important to remember that you will rarely operate at the exact working distance and at the exact reduction factor that is specified. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use. Fastar Technology allows imagers the option of drastically increasing the speed and sensitivity of their Celestron optical tube, allowing bright, detailed images with short exposures. I have a made in Japan 6.3 R/C and a made in China 6.3 R/C. For imagers, the main purpose of a focal reducer is to increase the brightness of the image at the focal plane. The stars at the edge could be worse or better. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. 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. Quite interestingly it bears the very same engravings of the Meade 4000 r/c (including "series 4000") except for "MEADE". How about for visual observers? This telescope control software replaces the hand control and allows the user to remotely control their Celestron computerized telescope from their personal PC or laptop. Planetarium software package which provides easy-to-understand explanations and impressive visuals of all kinds. They are reported as identical. While most Barlow lenses and focal extenders work with most kinds of telescopes available to amateur astronomers, focal reducers are designed to work in a narrow range of focal ratios of a telescope objective. I use the same back spacing for both on a small 6" Celestron SCT. Can you tell me about the use of reducers in Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes? Not a bit. I happily cycle through LRGB filters to build the image rather than do a whole run of one filter at a time. I have an 8SE, and am thinking about getting a focal reducer. Thanks for pointing this out. because they really dont matter. Once installed, you can add additional accessories like T-Adapters, 1.25 Visual Back, Star Diagonal, or Off-Axis Guider. However, the export of some items may be restricted outside the US due to size or manufacturer restrictions. Focal reducers also move the effective focal plane of the objective inward, that is, towards the objective (see Figure 1). However, these will not impact optical performance. If you do so, you will achieve the design reduction factor. It's highly unlikely that they could be so precisely identical unless they were. 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. 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). Your mileage may vary. 2023 OPT Telescopes. CPWI has an extensive object database, employs PointXP mount modeling, and more. The same illumination you have at the edge of a 27mm field, the C8 has at the edge of a 38mm field. 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? Thanks guys, appreciate the feedback. No rainchecks will be issued for items out of stock at OPTcorp.com to match a competitor's price. Most manufacturers provide this specification.