antares vs celestron focal reducer antares vs celestron focal reducer

Michael 1 ronin Members I think I remember hearing the reduction factor is slightly different, cant remember more or less reduction. But nearly every observer who installs one of these devices is pleased with their performance. How does it look thats what matters. Hello! Free shipping $189.95 For imagers using longer focal-length refractors and SCTs, especially when using smaller sensors that place less demand on the focal reducer, there are economical alternatives for focal reducers from manufacturers such as GSO, Agena, and Antares. This is the simplest way to attach your ASI121 to your telescope. Explore Scientific - Keys to the Universe Sale. It is recommended for . I have the Antares and have no complaints. Best evidence would by obtained by using a camera and evaluating the image both by eye and with a computer analysis. InternetSales@optcorp.com. Since the focal length of the reducer, FR, is fixed, as d2 increases then MR decreases. However, with appropriate spacers and a camera with a known back-focus, it is easy to determine the exact amount of focal reduction for a given setup (some imaging software packages will also let you derive this from images). and you will be fine. One problem with getting opinions is that most of use do not have both reducers or have never done a side by side comparison. I've seen some older threads saying that the Celestron, Meade and Antares FRs are all the same and manufactured in the same factory. Download the Celestron PWI Telescope Control Software. M44 was a perfect target for this, as its large size maxes out the FOV on a C8 with a corrector, and its bright stars make great targets for measuring the very edge of the visible field. If you want to save a few buck watch the classifieds on CN. * Not a Retail Store * 16313 Arthur StreetCerritos, CA 90703, USA, Availability: Item has been discontinued by Agena and we no longer carry this item. For me the Antares was a little brighter and had the least scatter by a bit so the better coatings won. Oceanside Photo & Telescope wants our customers to shop with confidence knowing that you will always get the best deal available. 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. This appendix summarizes how this works based on simple equations from the book Telescope Optics by Rutten and van Venrooij. This is especially true when these reducers are used with cameras with smaller sensors with a dimension of about 1/4 to 1/3 the diameter of the reducer, and with telescopes with a focal ratio of f/7 or larger. All additional accessories mount onto the exterior/male threads. The Antares focal reducer comes in small box. Reducer Lens .7x - EdgeHD 925 Learn More. Not a bit. These scopes are compatibles with focal reducers. This focal reducer is made to attach to the rear cell of Schmidt-Cassegrain or Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes. As a Barlow's magnification increases with increasing distance from the Barlow, a focal reducer's reduction increases with increasing distance from the reducer. Any comments gratefully received. Practical Considerations of Focal Reducers, 4.2 Back Focus Requirements of Focal Reducers, GSO makes focal reducers for their line of Ritchey-Chretien, Celestron makes a series of focal reducers for the Edge HD line, 0.75x focal reducers for these telescopes, focal reducer for an 8-inch Celestron EdgeHD, A Primer on T-Rings and T-Adapters for Astronomy and Astrophotography, Choosing the Best Telescope for Beginners 2023, Top Night Sky & Astronomy Events in August 2022, Top Night Sky & Astronomy Events in July 2022, Selecting a Baader Planetarium Star Diagonal, A Guide to Choosing Astronomy Eyepieces for Binoviewers, Choosing a Magnifying Finder Scope for Your Telescope, A focal reducer will provide its design reduction factor only when it is placed at the exact working distance from the focal plane of the eyepiece or camera, Reducing the operating distance, that is, moving a focal reducer closer to the eyepiece or camera increases its reduction factor, or conversely reduces the amount of focal reduction. 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). I've seen some older threads saying that the Celestron, Meade and Antares FRs are all the same and manufactured in the same factory. He tested this on an 8 Celestron , I have a Celestron 6SE. As mentioned in Section 2.3, the reduction factor for these focal reducers can be varied by adding spacers to move the reducer further from the camera sensor or eyepiece. However, this also came at a cost, as the sky background in the Antares was slightly brighter. It seems right to put some distance between the camera and the focal reducer, right? I have a made in Japan 6.3 R/C and a made in China 6.3 R/C. Performance wise what differences might there be using the reducer on a smaller scope. 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. In such cases, we will be happy to take the item back as per our standard return terms. Generally, views through the Antares seemed a little more transparent and brighter. I would not use the reducer with a 2" diagonal or eyepiece in the C6. If you are using a camera that has a back focus of less than 55mm, additional spacer rings will be required between the reducer and the camera. DUE TO EXTREMELY HIGH DEMAND, WE WILL NOT BE TAKING NEW ORDERS UNTIL MONDAY, DECEMBER 14. Details: The item must be the identical item, brand name, size, weight, color, quantity and model number. An eyepiece with a 27mm field stop yields a true field of 1.03 in the C6 at f/10. I am new to these optic topics, and I want to ask you what happens with Masutov like SW or Celestron 4 or 7 inches. Your price: $579.00. The reduction factor MR can also be written in terms of d2 as: When the focal reducer is placed at the working distance, D, that is when d2=D, then the reduction factor MR is equal to the design reduction factor MRD: Equations (6) and (7) imply these important considerations: Most manufacturers do not publish the focal length of their focal reducers, so it is not usually possible to calculate the working distance and design reduction factor. GSO, for example, has a 0.75x reducer for RC scopes with a back focus of 80mm, which is usually enough room for a wide range of astronomy cameras and accessories and spacers as needed. Copyright 2003-2022 Agena AstroProducts. Perfect for the serious student, professional scientist and discriminating hobbyist. Start here to find the perfect telescope for you! Celestron or Antares? For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. 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. You can probably eke out 1.2 without noticing serious vignetting, which is a field stop of 31.5mm. Figure 1 shows the relationship between the focal reduction factor MR and the position of the reducer in the optical path. Stars had a tiny bit more sparkle and pop. The Antares is supposed to be pretty comparable. Many focal reducers are meant to be used within a few millimeters of the specified working distance to achieve the best possible image results. 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. Focus misses by about 1 turnof the focus knob.Here is my solution:Buy a shorter 1.25 visual back for my scope. 2. Reducer Lens .7x - EdgeHD 800 Depending on the design of the telescope, they may require separate focal reducers if they require focal reducers at all. This is a. a Tele Vue Panoptic), or a Plossl eyepiece with an apparent field of view of 50 and a focal length of 32mm. 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. Celestron Nexstar+ 127 SLT, several budget plossl eyepieces, Celestron 8-24mm zoom EP and a 12.5mm illuminated double reticle EP, Svbony SV205 camera w/.5 focal reducer, Celestron SkyMaster 20x80 binos on a 40 yr old QuickSet PanHead tripod, Stellarium, Sharpcap and ManyCam on my laptop, SkyView and Nightshift on my phone and a dandy little $9 . However, some focal reducers can be used on other models of telescopes, but this is not always possible. A reducer is a set of converging (or positive) lenses that cause the light from a telescope objective to converge at a steeper angle to the focal plane as if it were coming from an objective with a faster (lower) focal ratio and a shorter focal length. * Not a Retail Store * 16313 Arthur StreetCerritos, CA 90703, USA. You don't need to follow these equations to use a focal reducer, but they do show how the reduction factor changes with the placement of the reducer. All Rights Reserved. Go behind the scenes with Celestrons product development team and learn more about our award-winning and patented innovations. Start Chat Given the results of Test #1, I wanted to see if there was any truth to this assumption. So it provides a 0.63x design reduction factor when used with an f/10 SCT at the specified working distance. It also leads to larger (although fainter) images of extended objects like the Moon or planets for astrophotographers or visual observers. This factor is designated by a power that is less than 1, and it usually lies between 0.5x or 0.8x. The Antares FR2-0.7X is the same 4-element f/6.3 lens system used for f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes but in a 2" barrel threaded for standard filters. I think that the FRs made in Japan in the day may have been better. Style: Article Agena AstroProducts, 2019. High power views will provide flatter fields all the way to the edge, both visually and photographically. The reducer features fully coated optics in an anodized aluminum filter ring with an ergonomic rubber grip. We will match any online price that we confirm as valid. 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. I found both to be very good. A focal reducer does just the opposite of a Barlow lens or focal extender. I think there may be some confusion here, because Antares makes a variety of reducers for eyepieces and scopes in addition to this SCT R/C but this definitely is a reducer/corrector. Better images are also obtained when using these focal reducers at a reduction factor of 0.5x 0.8x, approximately. 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. Celestrons aplanatic EdgeHD optics revolutionized astroimaging. This focal reducer is made to attach to the rear cell of Schmidt-Cassegrain or Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes. And when used in some refractors, the field flattening is not as accurate as it is in the f/10 SCTs. If I had to guess, the difference is maybe 10-15 grams. Can you tell me about the use of reducers in Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes? This is very impressive performance given how hard this problem is to mitigate in general. You currently have javascript disabled. For example, the focal reducer for an 8-inch Celestron EdgeHD telescope has a design reduction factor of 0.7x and a specified working distance (or back focus) of 105mm. The lens is housed in machined aluminum for are machined aluminum black anodized. These reducers have a back focus (or design working distance) of 80mm. 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. But is there a difference in quality between the Antares and the Celestron or Meade focal reducers? In the 1960s, Celestrons founder, Tom Johnson, created groundbreaking new telescopes never before seen on the consumer market. A wider field of view and a lower magnification is also useful, with some focal reducers and with some eyepieces, for visual observers with telescopes with long focal ratios. The female end attaches to the rear cell of the telescope. Please re-enable javascript to access full functionality. Is there likely to be any differences in performance between using these on an 8 or something smaller like my 6SE? Antares or Celestron? 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 happily cycle through LRGB filters to build the image rather than do a whole run of one filter at a time. The lens that the ZWO comes with give a perfect wide angle image of what is in front of it. For both imaging and visual observing, these reducers also improve image sharpness at the edge of the field by correcting for coma and field curvature. Reproduction without permission prohibited. No idea what the issue is. There are many different types of focal reducers and they all effect. Read our guide! EclipSmart solar products feature Solar Safe filter technology providing the ultimate protection from harmful solar radiation, including both IR and UV light, and filters 99.999% of visible light. Will not focus with the stuff I have. The faster f/ratio allows you to use slower film or shoot in lower light level situations and still properly expose your subject. Rather than a direct side-by-side, I swapped the reducers so that I was using them on the exact same, well-collimated instrument. 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. Can you help me? This is one of our best-selling items, and customers have reported that this product is at least as good as, and probably better than, other leading f/6.3 focal reducers sold on the market for a lot more. Easy solution found a very tiny dab of super lube on the threads and all was well and quiet.. 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. However, I noticed immediately that the Antares had a bit more of an heft to it, giving it a solid feel the Celestron didnt possess. This would tell us exactly how well aberrations are corrected. Focal Reducer, 2", 0.7X. Manish Panjwani has been an active amateur astronomer since before Halley's Comet last flew by our neighborhood. The Celestron f/6.3 is ~150 compared to the Antares at ~70. It's important to match the back focus to within a millimeter or two to get an optimal image, especially with cameras with larger sensors. Have always disliked the crude, noisy SCT threads, but I get it. All Rights Reserved. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. Sign up for our newsletter to get exclusive deals, observing tips, and new product announcements. 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. However, doesn't fit in the telescope and even if it did wouldn't work. You may need spacers or a T-adapter to ensure the correcting working distance. Sign up for OPT news, exclusive offers, and updates on the latest gear! This should not be the case if they have their purportedly different focal lengths. Theoretically each of these combinations all varied-length light paths should have resulted in slightly different reductions between the Celestron and Antares, since they supposedly have different focal lengths. If the reducer is placed closer to the eyepiece or camera than the distance D, the reduction factor decreases. This part is no longer in production, but it is sometimes available used and may be used with cameras with smaller sensors. Hmmm . More aggressive reduction, or using these reducers with larger sensors, will result in aberrations and distortions near the edge of the image. Take control of your telescope! 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. The camera side of the focal reducer is threaded for a T-adapter with wide M48 threads, or in some cases, with smaller M42 threads. So ab6110 is asking for a FR only without coma correction, there are a couple of brands who make special reducers for the ACF. Things change but when I rebought I got an Antares and it seems about the same to me. I wonder whether, for example, Antares focal reducer for SCT belongs to the latter category. riklaunim Members 559 3,445 Location: Poland Posted October 11, 2010 They are reported as identical.