antares vs celestron focal reducer

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antares vs celestron focal reducerbluntz strain indica or sativa

Will not focus with the stuff I have. But the smaller image circle means there is a limit to the field stop of an eyepiece that can achieve an unvignetted image. If you want to save a few buck watch the classifieds on CN. Newtonian reflectors will seldom be able to accommodate the in-focus travel demanded by focal reducers. Please note, orders placed after 10am on 2/28/2023 will be delayed. Better images are also obtained when using these focal reducers at a reduction factor of 0.5x 0.8x, approximately. They are reported as identical. 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. 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. 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. 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. Reducer Lens .7x - EdgeHD 800 Copyright 2003-2022 Agena AstroProducts. Such an image circle is still large enough to encompass the relatively large sensor of many deep-sky astronomy cameras. The most popular accessories for your new telescope! I've only used it a few times but it looks good to me. An image of about 24mm across, approximately, allows an observer to use a 1.25" eyepiece with a maximal field stop. The female end attaches to the rear cell of the telescope. If the focal reducer is to be used for visual observation, the visual back is threaded onto the eyepiece side of the reducer, and then a star diagonal and eyepiece are installed as usual. If I had to chose one, I would base my decision on your level of light pollution perhaps the Antares for its slightly higher transmission if you live under less light polluted skies, but the Celestron for its greater contrast if you are dealing with a suburban or urban light dome. Telescope Focal Reducers & Correctors - High Point Scientific 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. control and Sky Viewer display makes selecting your target easy. A f/10 focal ratio now achieves a f/6.3, while an f/11 focal ratio now achieves a f/7. The reducer features fully coated optics in an anodized aluminum filter ring with an ergonomic rubber grip. If it's positioned further from the eyepiece or camera and closer to the telescope objective, the reduction factor increases. Using an eyepiece with a 27mm field stop with the reducer will illuminate the edge the same as using an eyepieces with a 42.9mm field stop without it. With spring galaxy season here, I decided to pick up a couple more to compare in a head-to-head shoot out. In most cases, the easiest option is to choose the focal reducer made specifically for your 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. 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. 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. That was fun. Perfect for the serious student, professional scientist and discriminating hobbyist. The Reducer/Corrector is easy to install by threading the unit onto the rear cell of your Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope (or the reducer plate of the C11 and C14). Celestrons FREE planetarium app is an astronomy suite that redefines how you experience the night sky. We will match any online price that we confirm as valid. If you place your camera at a different working distance, you will get a different reduction factor and perhaps unwanted distortion in the image. Astro-Tech Schmidt-Cassegrain f/6.3 Focal Reducer Field Flattener 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 this case, d2 = FR/2, which means the back of the focal reducer is located at a distance FR/2 from the camera or eyepiece. 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. 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. Some manufacturers will specify the working distance from the middle of the rear lens surface, and this number must then be converted into a practical working distance number by subtracting the amount by which the rear lens surface is recessed in its housing. Reducer Lens .7x - EdgeHD 1100 Learn More. 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. Edited by Tony Bonanno, 16 April 2021 - 06:44 PM. Focal Reducer for SCT - ACF - Stargazers Lounge But nearly every observer who installs one of these devices is pleased with their performance. That means the base of the mounting threads of the focal reducer needs to be 55mm from the camera sensor to achieve the design reduction factor, which is usually 0.8x or 0.85x. 3. control and Sky Viewer display makes selecting your target easy. Does anyone have any experience with the Celestron and Antares focal reducers? This also resulted in the clear aperture of the Antares being about 39-39.5mm, versus the Celestrons 41mm. Ive owned Celestron, Meade, and Antares models over the years at least a couple of each. A little longer light path with a 2 Baader click-lock, low profile 1.25 adapter, and the 1.25 diagonal; 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. This article explained the basics of how focal reducers work with various kinds of telescopes and how their working distance affects their reduction factor, and it provided sufficient detail to help amateur astronomer choose and use the right focal reducer for a particular application. 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. For visual use, this means you get lower power with the same eyepiece and a wider field of view. Hmmm . The Antares is supposed to be pretty comparable. 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. Specially-designed focal reducers are available for use with these telescopes. Since 2008, Brian has taught astronomy to tens of thousands of stargazers through his websites OneMinuteAstronomer.com and CosmicPursuits.com. However, this also came at a cost, as the sky background in the Antares was slightly brighter. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. I have both the Antares and the Celestron reducers. 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. Even though the manufacturer did not specify the working distance or focal length of this reducer, it is easy to see from this plot that this item provides its stated reduction of 0.5x when it is placed at a working distance of 51.5mm between the base of the threads on the mount and the focal plane of the eyepiece or camera. So Celestron buyers like Celestron, Meade buyers like the Meade and Antares buyer like the Antares. How to Set the Correct Back Focus for Your Telescope (Guide) Many focal reducers for refractors have a working distance (or back focus distance) of 55mm. When placed in the focal plane in front of a camera or eyepiece, a focal reducer leads to a wider field of view and a brighter image of extended objects, which is important for reducing the exposure times when imaging faint extended objects like nebulae or galaxies. Yet, the Antares still easily and fully threaded without any hitches. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. Enter it during checkout! Designed distancing using the reducer with a 1.25 visual back and 1.25 Televue mirror diagonal; He also holds a Ph.D. in engineering physics from McMaster University. 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! 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. The reducer fits all Meade and Celestron . However, in principle, the reduction factor of a focal reducer can be varied by changing the distance from the back of the focal reducer to the camera or eyepiece. 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. 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. But I am rusty, can you condense a bit for me please? 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 Now It only focuses near things, like some kind of macro zoom. 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. No rainchecks will be issued for items out of stock at OPTcorp.com to match a competitor's price. This focal reducer and field flattener consists of a four-element multicoated 40mm lens in a metal cell. Some are available in 1.25" barrel format but with C threads. If yes, what kind of focal reducers can I use? As another example,GSO makes focal reducers for their line of Ritchey-Chretien imaging telescopes. 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. Manish holds a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. 3. Focal reducers for these relatively fast ED refractors are generally for imaging only, not for visual observation. Sharpness is essentially the same. CEL-94245. Have a promo code? 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. 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. Wonder how they would stack up with a Japanese 6.3. The Buyer's Guide To Eyepieces at the top of the Eyepieces forum has a column for this spec. a Tele Vue Panoptic), or a Plossl eyepiece with an apparent field of view of 50 and a focal length of 32mm. 2023 Celestron, LLC. That includes, for example, a 1.25" eyepiece with an apparent field of view of 68 and a focal length of 24mm (eg. 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). 800-483-6287 Clean, fun jokes the tradition continues - Page 106 Your eyepieces are the first accessories you should learn to use with your telescope. 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. 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. Melotte 15 - First Process in PixInsight (easy! This filter threads on to the rear cell of your Celestron or Meade SCT telescope. Article Agena AstroProducts, 2019. The lens has a knurled surface, providing a tremendous gripping surface for threading/unthreading. Explicitly designed for Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes, this unique lens reduces your telescopes focal length and f/ ratio by 37%, turning your long focal length telescope into a fast, short focal length instrument. Orders placed over the weekend will be shipped on the following Monday. As one increases, the other decreases. All Rights Reserved. Have always disliked the crude, noisy SCT threads, but I get it. One problem with getting opinions is that most of use do not have both reducers or have never done a side by side comparison. Steve If the reducer is placed elsewhere, at a position called the operating distance, the focal reduction factor will not be as advertised. The Celestron f/6.3 is ~150 compared to the Antares at ~70. Your price: $579.00. However, even though the imprint on the item states "Reducer / Corrector" please note that his is a reducer only. Using one on such a scope would make demands on the eyepiece design and increase the exit pupil to an extent that focal reduction on fast Newts is not practical. And when d1 = FR, that is, when the focal reducer is placed at a distance from the focal plane of the objective that's equal to the reducer's focal length, the focal length of the combined optical system is Fo, so it acts as a 0.5x reducer. The key points are as follows: So just remember that a smaller distance (from the camera or eyepiece) means a lower amount of reduction (and vice versa). . JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. 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. No results, please adjust your filters. 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. I must admit, as well, that I no longer place a lot of stock in the notion that Chinese optics are inferior to Japanese or Taiwanese any longer, as manufacturing technology has really leveled the playing field today, with most Chinese optics being excellent. Once focused it's pretty good. 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. 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. By I am a purely visual observer, so will evaluate for visual use only. However, manufacturers virtually never provide this specification. Here, there was a subtle difference . The working distance or required back focus, explained above, is usually specified and is far more important in practice. Does anyone know if the Antares 4000 focal reducer is as good as the Celestron focal reducer. Antares' f/6.3 focal reducer provides a faster f/6.3 system for imaging or visual use when used with an f/10 SCT or other compatible telescopes. Each focal reducer has a fixed specification called the working distance or required back focus. I don't know. 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. So it provides a 0.63x design reduction factor when used with an f/10 SCT at the specified working distance. This filter threads on to the rear cell of your Celestron or Meade SCT telescope. A former wireless communications consulting engineer and management consultant to various Fortune 500 companies, Manish started Agena AstroProducts in 2003. Nebula Filters. 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. They are commonly available in 1.25" and 2" threaded cells that conveniently thread into the nosepiece of a compatible camera or the barrel of an eyepiece. Never used one, but read the reviews here that suggest a coating problem. (Note: Using the simple equations above, the focal length of this reducer can be estimated to be about 350mm). . The author finds differences in throughput and color balance, but then says he thinks the lenses are identical and he reaches his conclusions based on very long observing session. Just one question. 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. 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. F6.3 Focal reducer for F/10 or higher telescopes, 43mm aperture, 4-Element, Fully Multicoated. The Celestron is both a corrector and focal reducer and the Antares is just a focal reducer. 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. 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. Telescope Optics, Rutten and van Venrooij, Chapter 15, Willman-Bell (1988).

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