antares vs celestron focal reducer

antares vs celestron focal reducer

That said any comparison reviews are helpful. Learn more about extra solar planets imagery, 3D Star rendering, observation planning, telescope control, multiple-panel printing, and much more. Focal Reducer for SCT - ACF - Stargazers Lounge 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. 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. The threads were similar on the eyepiece end, but a bit smoother. The EdgeHD .7x Focal Reducer Lens makes your EdgeHD 1100 one full F-Stop faster than f/10, reducing your exposure time by half to capture the same brightness of object . It seems right to put some distance between the camera and the focal reducer, right? The lens is housed in machined aluminum for are machined aluminum black anodized. 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. For example, an 8" SCT without a focal reducer has an illuminated field of 38mm at 50% fall-off. If you do so, you will achieve the design reduction factor. Images made with my ZWO 533 camera testing both show them to be essentially the same. We have corrected # (iii) after equations 6 & 7. Designed distancing using the reducer with a 1.25 visual back and 1.25 Televue mirror diagonal; Reducer - Corrector Learn More. Figure 1 shows the relationship between the focal reduction factor MR and the position of the reducer in the optical path. I even lost track of which reducer I was using. With both, using the same diagonal set-up, the exact same stars were visible at the very edge of the FOV. 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. 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. WiFi technology encircles the globe in a web of connectivity, knowledge, and information. For these items, please contact us to obtain a shipping quote before you check out using the online shopping cart.International Customers:Free shipping does not apply to international orders. However, the China 6.3 R/C has noticeable internal reflections that I haven't figured out yet. If the reducer is placed elsewhere, at a position called the operating distance, the focal reduction factor will not be as advertised. 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. 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. Enter it during checkout! First, let's have a look at some key optical parameters are needed to understand focal reducers. * Not a Retail Store * 16313 Arthur StreetCerritos, CA 90703, USA. Reviews. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Many focal reducers are meant to be used within a few millimeters of the specified working distance to achieve the best possible image results. The stars at the edge could be worse or better. The working distance or required back focus, explained above, is usually specified and is far more important in practice. In this configuration, the 29.5mm camera nosepiece and a 6mm extension ring positions the reducer at a working distance of 53.5mm from the camera sensor, which is located 12.5mm inside the front edge of the camera. Another factor to consider: focal reducers also increase the angle at which light approaches the focal plane. A few large telescopes and mounts are excluded from this free shipping offer. As another example,GSO makes focal reducers for their line of Ritchey-Chretien imaging telescopes. Some refractors such the TeleVue Nagler-Petzval (NP), the Takahashi "FSQ", and the William Optics Redcat/WhiteCat 51 have inherently flat fields because of internal optical elements. 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. This is very impressive performance given how hard this problem is to mitigate in general. We only send interesting emails and will never sell your data. I have a Raspberry HQ camera, a Sony TV Zoom 12.5-75mm f1.8 and a Astromania 1,25" 0.5x focal reducer. 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. Not one detectable iota of discernable difference. 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. High power views will provide flatter fields all the way to the edge, both visually and photographically. 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. A former wireless communications consulting engineer and management consultant to various Fortune 500 companies, Manish started Agena AstroProducts in 2003. My experience is that CN sellers are way above those listing elsewhere. Astro-Tech Schmidt-Cassegrain f/6.3 Focal Reducer Field Flattener Most focal reducers are designed to operate optimally at the working distance in the optical path to achieve their specified reduction factor, which is usually between 0.5x and 0.8x. That includes, for example, a 1.25" eyepiece with an apparent field of view of 68 and a focal length of 24mm (eg. Unlike . I've seen some older threads saying that the Celestron, Meade and Antares FRs are all the same and manufactured in the same factory. Because of their distinct optical design, slower Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes (SCT) with focal ratios of f/10 require a different design of focal reducer compared to refractors. For this test, I used a single configuration R/C, Click-lock, and 1.25 diagonal with the adapter. The Celestron f/6.3 is ~150 compared to the Antares at ~70. This filter threads on to the rear cell of your Celestron or Meade SCT telescope. There is one difference though the Antares came with only one lens cap whereas the Celestron had a cap for both ends. With the Celestron Reducer/Corrector Lens, thats precisely what you get. 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, these will not impact optical performance. 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. Stars had a tiny bit more sparkle and pop. So it provides a 0.63x design reduction factor when used with an f/10 SCT at the specified working distance. This fully multi-coated lens provides maximum light transmission with near full-field illumination. 3. Well done. Because most modern Newtonians already have relatively fast focal ratios, these telescopes do not usually use focal reducers. 800-483-6287 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. I wish there was. To calculate how much back focus spacing you need to add, take the thickness of the filter and divide it by 3. Completely stuck, completely frustrated. The most popular accessories for your new telescope! These reducers have a back focus (or design working distance) of 80mm. More details are found in the Appendix of this article. As a real-world example plot showing the above relationships, let's look at the 1.25" GSO focal reducer that provides a design reduction factor of 0.5x. If used before or beyond the working distance, unwanted image distortion may result. Who cares? The problem with those SCT reducers is that they cause chromatic aberration and require refocusing when using parfocal RGB/other filters. USD $80.00. Clearly cost is a big factor for satisfied users. However, because the field curvatures in refractors and SCTs vary a lot, I would predict unpredictable effects inre: field curvature. The visual back must be removed first. 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). InternetSales@optcorp.com. This article explains the basics of how focal reducers work with an astronomy telescope. Once installed, you can add additional accessories like T-Adapters, 1.25 Visual Back, Star Diagonal, or Off-Axis Guider. So Celestron buyers like Celestron, Meade buyers like the Meade and Antares buyer like the Antares. On the trail, at the job site, in the classroom, or simply sitting at home relaxing the Celestron Elements ThermoTank 3 will keep your hands toasty. 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. This means that there must be sufficient travel on the telescope focuser to make up for this. The Antares f6.3 focal reducer screws directly to the visual-back thread of all popular SCTs and converts f10 instruments to f6.3. 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. It has only one cover, which surprised me. Focal reducer for 8SE - Celestron vs. Antares - Cloudy Nights I have a made in Japan 6.3 R/C and a made in China 6.3 R/C. However, this also came at a cost, as the sky background in the Antares was slightly brighter. More important, its clear that the Antares is a reducer/corrector, just like the Celestron and not merely a reducer. I happily cycle through LRGB filters to build the image rather than do a whole run of one filter at a time. As a Barlow's magnification increases with increasing distance from the Barlow, a focal reducer's reduction increases with increasing distance from the reducer. At a significantly lower price point, the Antares is a steal, and theres no need to upgrade to the Celestron if you already have one. Some faster refractors with a focal ratio of f/6, for example, only require field flatteners and not focal reducers. This focal reducer from Celestron reduces the effective focal length by 0.63X Enjoy the wider field of view & faster exposure times at f/6.3 with f/10 telescopes f/11 telescopes, such as the C14 will perform at f/7 The Celestron f/6.3 Reducer has four fully-multicoated elements Reduce your exposure times by a factor of 3! Specially-designed focal reducers are available for use with these telescopes. These scopes are compatibles with focal reducers. 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. There will be no shipments on 3/1/2023, 3/2/2023, or 3/3/2023 (March 1st - March 3rd, 2023). At least these two units I tested make the answer - whatever. ED stands for "extra-low dispersion," which refers to the composition and optical properties of the glass used for the lenses. A focal reducer does just the opposite of a Barlow lens or focal extender. 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. Increase that distance, and greater reduction results and visa versa. 160K views 9 years ago This video is a complete overview of focal reducers and how they function applying to telescopes. For imagers, the main purpose of a focal reducer is to increase the brightness of the image at the focal plane. And, the reality is that every F/6.3 RC out there Celestron, Hirsch, Astromania, etc., etc. Also, the focusers of most Newtonians do not have enough in-travel to accommodate a focal reducer. Edited by bluewater, 05 September 2020 - 11:27 AM. Weasner's Meade and Antares Focal Reducers Review All rights reserved. You attach the focal reducer to the rear port on a SCT and can keep it covered. 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. For example, a 0.8x reducer placed at the working distance provides a reduction of (1 0.8) x 100 = 20%. This standard distance is a consequence of the design of DSLR cameras for which the distance of the sensor to the outer edge of the flanges is about 45 mm, while the T-ring that attaches to the flange for astrophotography is about 10mm thick. Celestrons award-winning Nature DX binocular gets a major upgrade with the addition of ED objective lenses. Yet, the Antares still easily and fully threaded without any hitches. Opticstar F6.3 Focal Reducer / Corrector. F6.3 Focal reducer for F/10 or higher telescopes, 43mm aperture, 4-Element, Fully Multicoated. Check out our 2022 telescope buying guide here! Focal reducers for many SCTs and their flat-field equivalents usually have a back-focus distance of 105mm. Newtonian reflectors will seldom be able to accommodate the in-focus travel demanded by focal reducers. Celestron Solar Safe filter technology is GUARANTEED SAFE for direct solar observation and has been independently tested by SAI Global Assurance Services. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. No difference. That was fun. If it's positioned further from the eyepiece or camera and closer to the telescope objective, the reduction factor increases. An eyepiece with a 27mm field stop yields a true field of 1.03 in the C6 at f/10. In your opinion, is the Celestron is worth the added cost ($150 vs. $90)? Easy solution found a very tiny dab of super lube on the threads and all was well and quiet. Reducer Lens .7x - EdgeHD 800 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. Years ago, I bought the Antares version, and moved over to the Celestron. The working distance of the GSO 0.5x focal reducer with 1.25" barrel and the GSO 0.5x focal reducer with 2" barrel is about 51mm to 53mm, approximately, from the middle of the metal cell that holds the lens. Since the Celestron and Antares are supposed to have different focal lengths and spacing specs, I expected different results. Now, Celestron is using that same technology to allow star gazers to connect to the night sky and enhance their experience of the cosmos in fun and unique ways. Copyright 2021 Stargazers Lounge 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. Never noticed any anomalies with this unit. Hello! An image of about 24mm across, approximately, allows an observer to use a 1.25" eyepiece with a maximal field stop. Field stop diameters are one of the specified specs of eyepieces. Manish Panjwani has been an active amateur astronomer since before Halley's Comet last flew by our neighborhood. Today, our world-class team of optical and electronic engineers continues to push the boundaries of technology. Reducer Lens .7x - EdgeHD 925 Learn More. Your eyepieces are the first accessories you should learn to use with your telescope. Given the results of Test #1, I wanted to see if there was any truth to this assumption. It's an either/or proposition: reducer and 1.25", or 2", but not 2" and reducer. What is likely is that fatigue sets in, and also that as the targets move toward or a way from the meridian there will be changes for that reason alone. Thks for that and its not for visual it for astrophotography. Several functions may not work. Antares or Celestron? Therefore, a 55mm back focus with a filter that is 3mm thick added to the imaging train would become 56mm. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. The Celestron f/6.3 is ~150 compared to the Antares at ~70. 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? Sign up for our newsletter to get exclusive deals, observing tips, and new product announcements. Increasing the operating distance, that is, moving a focal reducer away from the eyepiece or camera reduces its reduction factor, or conversely increases the amount of reduction. 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. Nebula Filters. Bear in mind you can't squeeze blood out of a turnip, i.e. Celestron & Antares f/6.3 Reducer/Corrector Shoot-out In such cases, we will be happy to take the item back as per our standard return terms. It's highly unlikely that they could be so precisely identical unless they were. Benefits limited to hardware and conditions? 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. Many focal reducers for refractors have a working distance (or back focus distance) of 55mm. All Rights Reserved. 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. I think I remember hearing the reduction factor is slightly different, cant remember more or less reduction. 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. 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. I have Hirsch focal reducer, which is yet another clone of the Celestron reducer. 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. 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! This filter threads on to the rear cell of your Celestron or Meade SCT telescope. Meade does not make an equivalent line of focal reducers for the ACF scopes, although some models of Meade ACF are already at f/8, faster than the f/10 ratio of Celestron Edge HD scopes. Is that distance D= Fo-d1=Fo-(d2/MR)? Some coma is visible in the corners, but the image is quite good for EAA applications. The brightness, shape, and distortion of specific stars in the exact same position at the edge of the field was precisely identical in both reducers. 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. 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. Getting the proper back-focus for your imaging camera is a vital step in getting the best data possible out of your telescope imaging/research rig. It was used strictly for imaging, not visual observing. Any comments gratefully received. These 0.63x focal reducers were originally designed to optimize for an image circle to match 36mm x 24mm film or its digital equivalent for astrophotography. Generally, views through the Antares seemed a little more transparent and brighter. My Celestron was made in China and the Antares in Canada. In some cases, focal reducers also act as field flatteners by correcting for field curvature and coma of the objective lens. Stars in the corner of the image frame are indistinguishable between the Antares and the Celestron. During check-out, you will be presented with several shipping choices and costs. 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. 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"). These reducers can also be used for visual observing with SCT scopes with eyepieces with a field stop as large as 24-27mm. The previous post shows the reducer on what appear to be two different refractors. 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. If yes, what kind of focal reducers can I use? Now It only focuses near things, like some kind of macro zoom. He also holds a Ph.D. in engineering physics from McMaster University. It also leads to larger (although fainter) images of extended objects like the Moon or planets for astrophotographers or visual observers. 2023 Celestron, LLC. 2023 OPT Telescopes. Figure 7 shows an example of an image of the Dumbbell Nebula taken with a 1.25" GSO focal reducer at a reduction factor of 0.63x with an 85mm f/7 refractor and a QHY5III-290M camera with a sensor with a 6.4mm diagonal. A slight nod to the Antares for heft and higher transmission, but points to the Celestron for nice threads and better contrast. When the camera sensor is placed at this distance, the reduction factor of these reducers is 0.75x. and you will be fine. The Antares focal reducer comes in small box. All rights reserved. Reducer Lens .7x - EdgeHD 1100 - Celestron More about this below. 0.63x Starizona Focal Reducer for SCTs- Awesome Astrophotography There may have been an almost imperceptible difference, but the Antares and Celestron were producing precisely the same reduction. 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. Focal reducers are essential optical accessories for astrophotography, electronically-assisted astronomy (EAA), and in some cases, for visual observation with long focal ratio telescopes. 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.

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