antares vs celestron focal reducer

JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. 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. Yellow and orange members of open clusters stood out a bit more as the various stars displayed their individuality. Please re-enable javascript to access full functionality. But in the end they both do pretty much the same thing and it sounds like any performance difference is subtle. He tested this on an 8 Celestron , I have a Celestron 6SE. Another factor to consider: focal reducers also increase the angle at which light approaches the focal plane. I think that the FRs made in Japan in the day may have been better. The focal length and design working distance for this focal reducer were not available from the manufacturer. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. Generally, views through the Antares seemed a little more transparent and brighter. Sign up to get exclusive deals, observing tips, and new product announcements. Explore Scientific Keys to the Universe Sale. The visual back must be removed first. Clearly cost is a big factor for satisfied users. I've heard and read all kinds of things about the Antares being only a reducer and not a corrector, etc. 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. Go behind the scenes with Celestrons product development team and learn more about our award-winning and patented innovations. One focal reducer will not achieve optimum results with all types of telescopes, so there is no universal' focal reducer. Equation (4) shows the relationship between the distance d2 and the reduction factor MR. More about this below. Depending on the design of the telescope, they may require separate focal reducers if they require focal reducers at all. Sharpness is essentially the same. As another example,GSO makes focal reducers for their line of Ritchey-Chretien imaging telescopes. The reducer is we might presume designed to correct to some as yet un-measured extent, the image of a standard SCT. I happily cycle through LRGB filters to build the image rather than do a whole run of one filter at a time. 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. 1.2" in that scope is a field stop of 43mm at f/10 and 27mm at f/6.3. Theres a long-running debate in these forums and even statements from some reputable dealers that the Antares is just a reducer (even though it is labeled Reducer/Corrector), whereas the Celestron is a true R/C, which flattens the SCTs naturally curved field and provides some edge correction. * Not a Retail Store * 16313 Arthur StreetCerritos, CA 90703, USA, Availability: Item has been discontinued by Agena and we no longer carry this item. Celestrons aplanatic EdgeHD optics revolutionized astroimaging. 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). That includes, for example, a 1.25" eyepiece with an apparent field of view of 68 and a focal length of 24mm (eg. It covers the basic optics and design specifications of a focal reducer, and goes through some practical factors to consider when selecting and using a focal reducer. If yes, what kind of focal reducers can I use? 2023 Celestron, LLC. ), 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. No idea what the issue is. All Rights Reserved. Focal reducers for many SCTs and their flat-field equivalents usually have a back-focus distance of 105mm. Add a 0.63x reducer, and the brightness of extended objects increases by (1/0.63)2 = 2.5. if the illuminated field is 27mm wide without the reducer, it will be 27 x 0.63 = 17mm with it in place. For example, a 0.8x reducer placed at the working distance provides a reduction of (1 0.8) x 100 = 20%. A few people have reported issues with the male SCT thread diameter on this item being a bit larger than necessary. 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. which looks like the same one. As a result, the smaller tube may cut into the light cone and effectively reduce the working aperture of the telescope. So ab6110 is asking for a FR only without coma correction, there are a couple of brands who make special reducers for the ACF. We will match any online price that we confirm as valid. Like you, I am primarily visually observing but I have everything together now that so I am going to start experimenting with photography so we'll see how it does there. No results, please adjust your filters. 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. For example, many focal reducers designed for f/7 or f/8 ED refractors such as those from Tele Vue, William Optics, Sky-Watcher, and Meade are designed to have a working distance (or back focus) of 55mm. 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. Thanks Peter! Since the focal plane of an eyepiece is rarely precisely known(except for some brands such as Baader Planetarium and Tele Vue), and because the nosepiece of an eyepiece is of a fixed length, the actual reduction factor will be close to, but not exactly at, its designed reduction factor. Perhaps not exactly- there will be some uncertainty because of manufacturing tolerances and so forth, but it will be close. This focal reducer is made to attach to the rear cell of Schmidt-Cassegrain or Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes. For example, an 8" SCT without a focal reducer has an illuminated field of 38mm at 50% fall-off. 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. Opticstar F6.3 Focal Reducer / Corrector. 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. Meade and Celestron both sell such SCT-T adapters with the correct optical length. High power views will provide flatter fields all the way to the edge, both visually and photographically. 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. For me, I was looking for, and planning to keep, the one that yielded the greatest reduction. Some faster refractors with a focal ratio of f/6, for example, only require field flatteners and not focal reducers. There is one difference though the Antares came with only one lens cap whereas the Celestron had a cap for both ends. 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? Reproduction without permission prohibited. First, let's have a look at some key optical parameters are needed to understand focal reducers. The price for an item/offer must be listed and valid at the time of match. They never really recovered from selling a few 15 years back with element reversed. To calculate how much back focus spacing you need to add, take the thickness of the filter and divide it by 3. To test this, I used three set-ups: 1. None of this was offensive, nor did it interfere with views in any significant way. 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). I only have the Celestron f/6.3. However, some focal reducers can be used on other models of telescopes, but this is not always possible. 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. Hmmm . CPWI has an extensive object database, employs PointXP mount modeling, and more. The f/6.3 reducer is operating at f/5-f/5.5 with a 2" diagonal, depending on the back focus length of the diagonal. Also read the reviews here, including those at 4 stars. For this shoot-out, I used a standard Celestron C8 with Starbright coatings. A little longer light path with a 2 Baader click-lock, low profile 1.25 adapter, and the 1.25 diagonal; One of the most important factors in a telescope is its transmissionthe percentage of light that reaches the focal plane. Focal reducers are essential optical accessories for astrophotography, electronically-assisted astronomy (EAA), and in some cases, for visual observation with long focal ratio telescopes. It seems right to put some distance between the camera and the focal reducer, right? This innovative software solves the time-consuming problem of trying to pinpoint the North Celestial Pole. When using the diagonal, keep the field stops of the eyepieces under 20mm. Focus misses by about 1 turnof the focus knob.Here is my solution:Buy a shorter 1.25 visual back for my scope. 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. Normal shipments will resume on Monday, March 6, 2023. nleash the full pointing accuracy of your Celestron computerized telescope with a specialized telescope control software suite. Start here to find the perfect telescope for you! Once focused it's pretty good. 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. However, this also came at a cost, as the sky background in the Antares was slightly brighter. Refractors, or SCTs with external focusers, may not have sufficient in-travel to reach focus in some configurations. But is there a difference in quality between the Antares and the Celestron or Meade focal reducers? Here, there was a subtle difference . 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. They both are great and I doubt my eyes could detect a difference in any one of them including the Japan version. The designed reduction factor (0.5x in the case of the GSO reducer example above) should be considered a rule of thumb or approximate value in most cases, rather than a very precise number. Since 2008, Brian has taught astronomy to tens of thousands of stargazers through his websites OneMinuteAstronomer.com and CosmicPursuits.com. Like many of us with SCTs, I have bought and sold a number of f/6.3 reducer/correctors over the years, and I have always been curious how they really stack up to each other. Read our guide! If the reducer is placed closer to the eyepiece or camera than the distance D, the reduction factor decreases. Dedicated focal reducers for refractors are intended primarily for imaging, not visual observation. I also used several eyepieces including the ES 24mm/68, 17.5mm and 12.5mm Morpheuses, and a 10.5mm Pentax XL. 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. An f/6.3 reducer is designed to reduce the focal ratio of an f/10 SCT to f/6.3. (Note: Using the simple equations above, the focal length of this reducer can be estimated to be about 350mm). If used with other f/ratios, the field flattening characteristic may be unpredictable. Oceanside Photo & Telescope wants our customers to shop with confidence knowing that you will always get the best deal available. 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. 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. Very helpful, thanks a lot for this article! Contiguous US Customers:All items we sell ship for free within the Contiguous US. This is a. They usually have a 2" barrel that slides into the telescope focuser. Description. On the camera side, the focal reducer has male M42x0.75 or M48x0.75 threads that attach directly to the T-ring (with an M42-M48 adapter if necessary). So Celestron buyers like Celestron, Meade buyers like the Meade and Antares buyer like the Antares. 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. Focal reducers (and focal reducer/field flatteners combos) are usually used with two types of telescopes, refractors and compound telescopes such as Schmidt-Cassegrain or Ritchey-Chretien. My application is mostly visual now, but I'm looking to do more astrophotography over time. Antares Click Lock Visual Back - posted in Cats & Casses: Here is the situation:I bought a Celestron CPC 1100 for visual use.Want to put on the scope simulteanously a6.3 focal reducer, filter wheel, and aneyepiece turret. How does it look thats what matters. How about for visual observers? The reducer fits all Meade and Celestron . Stock focusers in an SCT move the mirror of the scope to change the position of the focal plane, and they have sufficient travel to accommodate a focal reducer. Enter it during checkout! Thank you so much for the informative article, I now understand better how to integrate my reducer into my system to get better performance. This would tell us exactly how well aberrations are corrected. 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. 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. Better images are also obtained when using these focal reducers at a reduction factor of 0.5x 0.8x, approximately. Not one detectable iota of discernable difference. Stars had a tiny bit more sparkle and pop. You also wont be unhappy spending the few extra bucks on the Celestron for the pretty orange lettering, particularly if you can pick one up used, as I did. . Optically, it consists of a four-element lens that is fully multi-coated for high contrast and resolution.

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