I want to get an 80mm APO for astrophotography. Help me decide....Orion ED....Meade ED APO......Williams optics megrez Fl.....Astro tec AT80EDT.....or what...
2007-08-29 12:22:24 · 5 answers · asked by comethunter 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
These 80mm short-focus Apo's are great for wide-field imaging, but are not the greatest choice for planetary work where a longer focal length is required to get a decent image scale.
All of the brands you mention are eminently suitable for Astro-imaging and all have enthusiastic supporters.
As far as all-round value, nothing beats the Orion ED. The combination of price and performance just can't be matched by any of the others.
So it becomes a question of how much do you want to spend to get the last ounce of refinement out of the instrument.?
The serious Astro Imager will spend the last penny in his pocket if it will buy him one iota of improvement in his image.
I have seen exceptional images taken with all of these telescopes.
The other important part of the equation, of course are the Camera and the Mount.
For deep sky, long exposure Astro imaging, the mount becomes the single most important part of the setup. I can get very good images with a mediocre telescope on an excellent mount, but the inverse is deninitely not true!
Of course, cameras can range from a digital SLR on the low end to the latest film sized SBIG product which makes the price of the scope irrelevant.
Good Luck !
Adolph
2007-08-30 02:37:16 · answer #1 · answered by Adolph K 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would go with the William Optic 80mm Megrez. Of all you mentioned, it is perhaps the most finely crafted scope. It also comes with a microfocser for fine focus adjustments standard. Probably a little more in terms of cost, but you wouldn't be disappointed. Occasionally, you can find these used on Astromart as well as the others. I think the Megrez 80mm is no longer made so Astromart may be your only hope unless a retailer has one in stock.
I've not heard of an Astro Tec scope and a websearch didn't turn up anything. I have heard of TEC telescopes, but they are large aperture, high end refractors.
2007-08-29 12:50:39 · answer #2 · answered by Scott B 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Apochromatic Refracting Telescopes (APO's for short) are probably the best telescopes for lunar, solar and planetary imaging, because they do not have the central obstruction (secondary mirror) that simple Newtonian reflectors, SCTs, MCTs, and the like share, which reduces contrast on a planet's surface or cloud tops.
Knowing this, the only REAL constraint to a would- be buyer is cost. Aperture is important.. the bigger the objective lens (or mirror) in any telescope determines the amount of light gathering power the particular scope has.
My advice: shop around, read product reviews, and buy the most 'bang' you can afford for your bucks!
2007-08-29 12:59:24 · answer #3 · answered by Bobby 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd also add Stellarvue to your list of manufacturers to consider. The Meade and the Orion may be less attractive than the others for photography due to their lack of fine focus; most apos designed for photography will have a dual-speed focuser. There are quite a few good equipment reviews at cloudynights.com - http://www.cloudynights.com/category.php?category_id=2
You might also browse the Yahoo tech groups for refractor- and astrophotography-related groups.
2007-08-29 12:57:58 · answer #4 · answered by injanier 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi. First I would want a good definition of what that meant. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apochromat The next step is to review ALL candidates for optical quality. Then decide based on needs and budget. My opinion. (I own a Schmidt-Newtonian and have enjoyed it.)
2007-08-29 12:42:16 · answer #5 · answered by Cirric 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋