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. Please note, orders placed after 10am on 2/28/2023 will be delayed. It was used strictly for imaging, not visual observing. An f/6.3 reducer is designed to reduce the focal ratio of an f/10 SCT to f/6.3. 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. This filter threads on to the rear cell of your Celestron or Meade SCT telescope. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. How to Set the Correct Back Focus for Your Telescope (Guide) This "speeds up" the optical train by reducing the focal length and magnification of the scope, requiring less time to integrate the same signal. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Maybe I got a lemon. 2023 OPT Telescopes. Still not sure what is the right gear for you? Learn more about extra solar planets imagery, 3D Star rendering, observation planning, telescope control, multiple-panel printing, and much more. Powered by Invision Community. 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. Clearly cost is a big factor for satisfied users. Planetarium software package which provides easy-to-understand explanations and impressive visuals of all kinds. All Rights Reserved. I've looked through one from Meade and first impression was that it was like the Celestron version. This was most noticeable on the eyepiece end of the RC, where the metal rim surrounding the lens was about 1mm thicker than on the Celestron. Even though they may have been slightly dimmer, galaxies were a bit easier to tease out of the urban light soup I deal with. Unleash the full pointing accuracy of your Celestron computerized telescope with a specialized telescope control software suite. Regardless, the difference was miniscule and is more than adequate on both and exceeds a 8 or 6 SCTs baffle tube diameter. Astro-Tech Schmidt-Cassegrain f/6.3 Focal Reducer Field Flattener If you do so, you will achieve the design reduction factor. 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. Since the focal length of the reducer, FR, is fixed, as d2 increases then MR decreases. Again, these focal reducers are often provided by the telescope manufacturer. The Reducer/Corrector can also be used for terrestrial digiscoping. Thanks for the extremely valuable article. Antares f/6.3 Focal Reducer for SCTs - Awesome Astro 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. Sign up to receive sale alerts, news about upcoming celestial events, and telescope tips from our experts! When the camera sensor is placed at this distance, the reduction factor of these reducers is 0.75x. Place the plastic covers on the lens when not in use to reduce the dust collection. I don't know. Celestron or Antares? Obviously bright objects like Jupiter or The Moon show the reflections. Nowadays I tend to use the Celestron more with my refractors for imaging and viewing. More aggressive reduction, or using these reducers with larger sensors, will result in aberrations and distortions near the edge of the image. In your opinion, is the Celestron is worth the added cost ($150 vs. $90)? Whereas the Celestron threaded smoothly onto the scope, the Antares chattered and squeaked a bit more so when being removed. Yet, the Antares still easily and fully threaded without any hitches. To test this, I used three set-ups: 1. 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. Agena's Guide to Focal Reducers - Agena Astro Meade and Celestron both sell such SCT-T adapters with the correct optical length. This innovative software solves the time-consuming problem of trying to pinpoint the North Celestial Pole. I use the same back spacing for both on a small 6" Celestron SCT. Is that distance D= Fo-d1=Fo-(d2/MR)? Generally, views through the Antares seemed a little more transparent and brighter. control and Sky Viewer display makes selecting your target easy. Reducer Lens .7x - EdgeHD 1100 - Celestron For example, an 8" SCT without a focal reducer has an illuminated field of 38mm at 50% fall-off. However, even though the imprint on the item states "Reducer / Corrector" please note that his is a reducer only. The Buyer's Guide To Eyepieces at the top of the Eyepieces forum has a column for this spec. 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. I use the Celestron version and it seems OK for both visual and imaging. 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. Stars in the corner of the image frame are indistinguishable between the Antares and the Celestron. Your price: $579.00. 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. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. What I do know is that the Antares and the Celestron samples that I have perform exactly the same from the center right out to the edges. They are designed (assuming you are referring to the f/6.3 version) for the f/10 light cone. Based on Test 1 and Test 2, I think there is perhaps more validity to opposing statements here in these forums that the Antares and current China-made Celestron do, indeed, have exactly the same optics just with different housings and branding. The most significant mechanical variation, however, is the quality and precision of the threading. 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 would pay slightly more for the Japan produced version, just because Hirsch was not bad either but sold it since I had 2 already. However, it will not thread into William Optics accessories, and with GSO it is a hit or miss. Stars had a tiny bit more sparkle and pop. No small animals were harmed in making these observations. All additional accessories mount onto the exterior/male threads. More important, its clear that the Antares is a reducer/corrector, just like the Celestron and not merely a reducer. 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. Fumbling around in the dark, fine threads might be a problem. During check-out, you will be presented with several shipping choices and costs. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Therefore, a 55mm back focus with a filter that is 3mm thick added to the imaging train would become 56mm. https://www.celestron.com/products/reducer-corrector, //cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1935/4371/products/94175_reducer_corrector_01.jpg?v=1603736883, //cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1935/4371/products/94175_reducer_corrector_01_medium.jpg?v=1603736883, Popular Science by Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 5" Smartphone App-Enabled Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope, Advanced VX 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, C9.25 Optical Tube Assembly (CGE Dovetail), Advanced VX 6" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, Advanced VX 700 Maksutov Cassegrain Telescope, CGX-L Equatorial 925 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, CPC 1100 GPS (XLT) Computerized Telescope, CGX-L Equatorial 1400 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, CGX-L Equatorial 1100 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, CGX Equatorial 925 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, CGX Equatorial 800 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, CGX Equatorial 1100 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, CGEM II 1100 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, Advanced VX 9.25" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, Advanced VX 11" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, Not compatible with #93648 Off-Axis Guider, not compatible with #93519 2" Mirror Diagonal (discontinued), Currently not compatible due to mechanical interferences. I think I remember hearing the reduction factor is slightly different, cant remember more or less reduction. He tested this on an 8 Celestron , I have a Celestron 6SE. * Not a Retail Store * 16313 Arthur StreetCerritos, CA 90703, USA. Just one question. It features a standard male SCT thread (2" OD, 24 TPI) on one side and a standard SCT female thread on the other. These RC reducers cannot be used with other types of telescopes. I've heard and read all kinds of things about the Antares being only a reducer and not a corrector, etc. These reducers can also be used for visual observing with SCT scopes with eyepieces with a field stop as large as 24-27mm. 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. It was also a little brighter in the center of the field with subtle darkening in the outer 20% or so. This superb fully multi-coated multi-element focal reducer takes advantage of the latest computer aided design techniques to achieve the highest standards of performance set by the brand leaders at a fraction of the cost. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. I wonder whether, for example, Antares focal reducer for SCT belongs to the latter category. Start Chat The Antares f/6.3 Focal Reducer for Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes is a low-price option for reducing the focal length of your Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope from f/10 to f/6.3. 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. More about this below. A few large telescopes and mounts are excluded from this free shipping offer. In these equations: The combined focal length of the objective and focal reducer is given by Equation 1: For example, when d1=0, that is, the focal reducer is at the focal plane of the objective, Fcomb=Fo, so the focal reducer has no effect. 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. The reducer is we might presume designed to correct to some as yet un-measured extent, the image of a standard SCT. Reducer Lens .7x - EdgeHD 1400 With both, using the same diagonal set-up, the exact same stars were visible at the very edge of the FOV. 1.2" in that scope is a field stop of 43mm at f/10 and 27mm at f/6.3. That was fun. 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! These reducers have a back focus (or design working distance) of 80mm. The equations and argument in the Appendix of this article shows the relationship between the working distance and the reduction factor. I really don't see any difference in the current crop except the "Meade" is usually the cheapest. Manish Panjwani has been an active amateur astronomer since before Halley's Comet last flew by our neighborhood. Read our 101 article or get in touch. 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. Focal reducer for 8SE - Celestron vs. Antares - Cloudy Nights I use it on my C8 SCT with a 1000d, and it seems to do everything written on the tin. StevieDvd Members 1,182 1,812 Location: Stevenage, UK Posted March 9, 2021 (edited) Don't know but your welcome to try out my Meade 6.3 sct reducer next time you are passing. No idea what the issue is. Most reducers have a design reduction factor, MRD, that assumes the reducer is placed at a specific working distance, D, from the back surface of the focal reducer itself. Explore Scientific Keys to the Universe Sale, Antares f/6.3 Focal Reducer for Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes, Skip to the beginning of the images gallery. This factor is designated by a power that is less than 1, and it usually lies between 0.5x or 0.8x. You currently have javascript disabled. If the reducer is placed closer to the eyepiece or camera than the distance D, the reduction factor decreases. Now It only focuses near things, like some kind of macro zoom. It threads onto the rear cell of 5" to 16" Celestron and Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes, making it possible to have a dual focal ratio instrument without sacrificing image quality. The nominal design reduction factor of these reducers is typically 0.5x. A f/10 focal ratio now achieves a f/6.3, while an f/11 focal ratio now achieves a f/7. The distance d2, which measures the position of the new focal plane of the objective from the back of the focal reducer is given by Equation 5: In these equations, d1, d2, and MR are all variables that depend on each other through Equations 2 and 4. When using the diagonal, keep the field stops of the eyepieces under 20mm. They only publish the value of D, the working distance (sometimes called the back focus distance) and the design reduction factor MRD. But in the end they both do pretty much the same thing and it sounds like any performance difference is subtle. Photographically you also get a wider field and much shorter exposures. 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 the illuminated field is 27mm wide without the reducer, it will be 27 x 0.63 = 17mm with it in place. To calculate how much back focus spacing you need to add, take the thickness of the filter and divide it by 3. 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. Celestron is considered better in terms of QA, less likely to come with free dust, hair or fingerprint. This is a. Please re-enable javascript to access full functionality. What an enjoyable read and detailed comparison. 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. This article explains the basics of how focal reducers work with an astronomy telescope. Focal reducers for these relatively fast ED refractors are generally for imaging only, not for visual observation. I focus using a moonlight electronic focuser and focusmax. This should not be the case if they have their purportedly different focal lengths. I have a made in Japan 6.3 R/C and a made in China 6.3 R/C. Several functions may not work. As another example,GSO makes focal reducers for their line of Ritchey-Chretien imaging telescopes. Also read the reviews here, including those at 4 stars. 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 focal reducer is made to attach to the rear cell of Schmidt-Cassegrain or Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes. The problem with those SCT reducers is that they cause chromatic aberration and require refocusing when using parfocal RGB/other filters. More details are found in the Appendix of this article. 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. 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, 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. We only send interesting emails and will never sell your data. Since the Celestron and Antares are supposed to have different focal lengths and spacing specs, I expected different results. Possibly the design of the Antares was changed .. No negative issues to report. The lens that the ZWO comes with give a perfect wide angle image of what is in front of it. An eyepiece with a 27mm field stop yields a true field of 1.03 in the C6 at f/10. But is there a difference in quality between the Antares and the Celestron or Meade focal reducers? Will not focus with the stuff I have. A focal reducer does just the opposite of a Barlow lens or focal extender. However, doesn't fit in the telescope and even if it did wouldn't work. Some third-party vendors also make reducers for SCT scopes. Equation (4) shows the relationship between the distance d2 and the reduction factor MR. (Note: Using the simple equations above, the focal length of this reducer can be estimated to be about 350mm). Right off the bat, I was struck by how similar the two R/Cs were. 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. Thanks for any advice or experience you could share. 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. It's easy! 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. This also resulted in the clear aperture of the Antares being about 39-39.5mm, versus the Celestrons 41mm. 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. Can you help me? 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. As I understand it, compared to the old Meade SCT's, the ACF is already "coma corrected", so the standard Meade, Celestron etc F6.3 focal reducers are not suitable and will only worsen the images. . Thanks Peter! Never noticed any anomalies with this unit. 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). Both exhibited consistent reduction, identical field flattening, and edge correction properties, and both were high quality optically and mechanically. 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. This filter threads on to the rear cell of your Celestron or Meade SCT telescope. Optically, it consists of a four-element lens that is fully multi-coated for high contrast and resolution. Not one detectable iota of discernable difference. There is a way to make subjective data more useful and that way is proper blind, or better still. 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. Upgrading the Focuser of Your Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope - Agena Astro
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