antares vs celestron focal reducer

These scopes are compatibles with focal reducers. Unlike . Reducer Lens .7x - EdgeHD 1400 Celestrons patented StarSense Technology makes it easier than ever to locate objects in the night sky, even if youve never used a telescope before. Focal reducer for 8SE - Celestron vs. Antares - Cloudy Nights Both exhibited consistent reduction, identical field flattening, and edge correction properties, and both were high quality optically and mechanically. Thanks guys, appreciate the feedback. ED glass is specially formulated and contains rare-earth compounds that greatly reduce a visual defect called chromatic aberration. I have the Japanese version and although I haven't used it in quite awhile, the views through it were superb with no internal reflections at all. Focal reducers for refractors are easy to use. 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. We process your personal data as stated in our. Nada. . Back-Focus 101: DSLR Cameras & the Celestron f/6.3 Reducer - YouTube Because most modern Newtonians already have relatively fast focal ratios, these telescopes do not usually use focal reducers. Depending on the design of the telescope, they may require separate focal reducers if they require focal reducers at all. I have/had both the Celestron (Japan) and Antares units. Copyright 2021 Stargazers Lounge But is there a difference in quality between the Antares and the Celestron or Meade focal reducers? The review is a subjective visual impression, which is interesting but not best evidence. 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. What an enjoyable read and detailed comparison. Easy solution found a very tiny dab of super lube on the threads and all was well and quiet. 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. This focal reducer is made to attach to the rear cell of Schmidt-Cassegrain or Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes. 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. The threads were similar on the eyepiece end, but a bit smoother. 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? But in the Japan version I have never noticed any anomaly like the ghosting in the China R/C. 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. Some third-party vendors also make reducers for SCT scopes. A f/10 focal ratio now achieves a f/6.3, while an f/11 focal ratio now achieves a f/7. Yet, the Antares still easily and fully threaded without any hitches. Celestron is considered better in terms of QA, less likely to come with free dust, hair or fingerprint. 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). 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. Shipping will be via the cheapest shipping method which will vary depending on the items in your order. Antares F/6.3 SCT Focal Reducer | OPT Telescopes Due to the design, the Reducer/Corrector lens does diminish a small amount of field curvature common to all Schmidt Cassegrain telescopes but does not eliminate it. The Antares focal reducer comes in small box. A few people have reported issues with the male SCT thread diameter on this item being a bit larger than necessary. 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). Description. 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. Thanks Peter! Telescope Optics, Rutten and van Venrooij, Chapter 15, Willman-Bell (1988). I am a purely visual observer, so will evaluate for visual use only. Sign up to get exclusive deals, observing tips, and new product announcements. And, the reality is that every F/6.3 RC out there Celestron, Hirsch, Astromania, etc., etc. Weasner's Meade and Antares Focal Reducers Review Details: The item must be the identical item, brand name, size, weight, color, quantity and model number. I think I remember hearing the reduction factor is slightly different, cant remember more or less reduction. 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. This would tell us exactly how well aberrations are corrected. The amount of reduction is simply the percentage by which a reducer shortens the effective focal length of a telescope and is calculated as (1 Reduction Factor) x 100%. The Celestron f/6.3 is ~150 compared to the Antares at ~70. Can you help me? With spring galaxy season here, I decided to pick up a couple more to compare in a head-to-head shoot out. 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. If yes, what kind of focal reducers can I use? The stars at the edge could be worse or better. Field stop diameters are one of the specified specs of eyepieces. Manish holds a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. I have had the Japan unit on the back of my C5 since 1994 or thereabouts. 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. This factor is designated by a power that is less than 1, and it usually lies between 0.5x or 0.8x. Figure 1 shows the relationship between the focal reduction factor MR and the position of the reducer in the optical path. The lens is housed in machined aluminum for are machined aluminum black anodized. Looking forward to the day when I can do a shoot-out between a Japan and China Celestron, just for kicks. Reducer Lens .7x - EdgeHD 925 It also leads to larger (although fainter) images of extended objects like the Moon or planets for astrophotographers or visual observers. However, it will not thread into William Optics accessories, and with GSO it is a hit or miss. Antares f/6.3 Focal Reducer for Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes - Agena Astro 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. Newtonian reflectors will seldom be able to accommodate the in-focus travel demanded by focal reducers. Despite never removing it no matter what I was looking at. OPT Product Number: AE-SCTFR specifications Warranty 2 Year Warranty Works as advertised! However, the China 6.3 R/C has noticeable internal reflections that I haven't figured out yet. You cannot, for example, use a 0.63x focal reducer intended for a standard Celestron or Meade SCT and use it on a Celestron Edge HD or a Meade ACF. Turn it on and push Align. In about three minutes, youre ready to observe! We do not price match competitors if they are out of stock. Sign up for our newsletter to get exclusive deals, observing tips, and new product announcements. This innovative software solves the time-consuming problem of trying to pinpoint the North Celestial Pole. 800-483-6287 All Rights Reserved. Hi. They never really recovered from selling a few 15 years back with element reversed. The distances d1 andd2 can also be expressed in terms of the focal length of the focal reducer FR with the lens equation: Using Equation 2, Equation 1 can also be expressed in terms of d2: The focal reduction factor of the focal reducer depends on its focal length and its distance from the focal plane of the objective as shown by Equation 4: Again, for example, when the focal reducer is placed at the original focal plane of the objective, d1=0 and MR=1, which means there is no focal reduction. 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. There are also third-party vendors such as Hotech. Just point the telescope at any three bright objectsstars, bright planets, or even the Moonand your telescope can orient itself with the night sky. 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. Assuming you use the reducer with the stock 1.25" diagonal, it will operate at f/6.3. You attach the focal reducer to the rear port on a SCT and can keep it covered. 3. Most different was that the sky background was a little darker and more uniform, providing a tiny contrast boost for fainter objects. Since 2008, Brian has taught astronomy to tens of thousands of stargazers through his websites OneMinuteAstronomer.com and CosmicPursuits.com. I only have the Celestron f/6.3. Right off the bat, I was struck by how similar the two R/Cs were. So ab6110 is asking for a FR only without coma correction, there are a couple of brands who make special reducers for the ACF. However, some focal reducers can be used on other models of telescopes, but this is not always possible. I have a made in Japan 6.3 R/C and a made in China 6.3 R/C. More aggressive reduction, or using these reducers with larger sensors, will result in aberrations and distortions near the edge of the image. The lens that the ZWO comes with give a perfect wide angle image of what is in front of it. There are many different types of focal reducers and they all effect. As one increases, the other decreases. Does anyone know if the Antares 4000 focal reducer is as good as the Celestron focal 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. 0.5X focal reducer for Celestron, Meade, and Orion CCD imaging cameras However, because the field curvatures in refractors and SCTs vary a lot, I would predict unpredictable effects inre: field curvature. 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. Focal Reducer, 2", 0.7X - Antares Well done. Completely stuck, completely frustrated. More about this below. If you want to save a few buck watch the classifieds on CN. The equations and argument in the Appendix of this article shows the relationship between the working distance and the reduction factor. Reviews. Celestron & Antares f/6.3 Reducer/Corrector Shoot-out This focal reducer and field flattener consists of a four-element multicoated 40mm lens in a metal cell. It's usually specified in millimeters. This fully multi-coated lens provides maximum light transmission with near full-field illumination. 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. This is very impressive performance given how hard this problem is to mitigate in general. 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). 1.2" in that scope is a field stop of 43mm at f/10 and 27mm at f/6.3. We will match any online price that we confirm as valid. 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. I use it on my C8 SCT with a 1000d, and it seems to do everything written on the tin. Most Feather Touch focusers cost between $300-$350. 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. Also, the focusers of most Newtonians do not have enough in-travel to accommodate a focal reducer. 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. For example, a 0.8x reducer placed at the working distance provides a reduction of (1 0.8) x 100 = 20%. I have an 8SE, and am thinking about getting a focal reducer. These reducers have a back focus (or design working distance) of 80mm. 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). Please note, orders placed after 10am on 2/28/2023 will be delayed. Each focal reducer has a fixed specification called the working distance or required back focus. A few large telescopes and mounts are excluded from this free shipping offer. 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. Sign up for a new account in our community. 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. Equation (4) shows the relationship between the distance d2 and the reduction factor MR. We reserve the right to verify a competitor's advertised price and the availability of the item. Great report and verifies what I had thought all along, Fortunately, my neighbors are not out in their backyards at 11 pm, or they may have thought I was torturing a small mammal. If used with other f/ratios, the field flattening characteristic may be unpredictable. Just one question. 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. 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. This is the simplest way to attach your ASI121 to your telescope. Performance wise what differences might there be using the reducer on a smaller scope. Does anyone have any experience with the Celestron and Antares focal reducers? Clean, fun jokes the tradition continues - Page 106 The previous post shows the reducer on what appear to be two different refractors. 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. An image of about 24mm across, approximately, allows an observer to use a 1.25" eyepiece with a maximal field stop. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Unleash the full pointing accuracy of your Celestron computerized telescope with a specialized telescope control software suite. They provide 0.75x focal reducers for these telescopes that takes an f/8 instrument down to f/6. CPWI has an extensive object database, employs PointXP mount modeling, and more. These reducers can also be used for visual observing with SCT scopes with eyepieces with a field stop as large as 24-27mm. 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. The naming convention of SCT focal reducers is a little confusing. At least these two units I tested make the answer - whatever. No rainchecks will be issued for items out of stock at OPTcorp.com to match a competitor's price. Explore Scientific Keys to the Universe Sale. Place the plastic covers on the lens when not in use to reduce the dust collection. Not one detectable iota of discernable difference. These RC reducers cannot be used with other types of telescopes. Obviously bright objects like Jupiter or The Moon show the reflections. For this shoot-out, I used a standard Celestron C8 with Starbright coatings. Stars had a tiny bit more sparkle and pop. which looks like the same one. 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. F6.3 Focal reducer for F/10 or higher telescopes, 43mm aperture, 4-Element, Fully Multicoated. . So, if you have a filter that is 3mm thick, you need to add 1mm of spacing to your imaging train to retain the correct back focus. If used before or beyond the working distance, unwanted image distortion may result. Again, these focal reducers are often provided by the telescope manufacturer. 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. The internal surfaces are blackened and glare-threaded to provide the highest contrast. No difference. It's an either/or proposition: reducer and 1.25", or 2", but not 2" and reducer. Therefore, a 55mm back focus with a filter that is 3mm thick added to the imaging train would become 56mm. 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. No retailers currently carry this product. It has only one cover, which surprised me. 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. Unlike SCT telescopes, Ritchey-Chretien telescopes and Celestron Edge HD or Meade ACF scopes have internal optics that provide an inherently flat field, so these telescopes require a special focal reducer than does not provide additional correction for field curvature. 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. I was referring to the C6 to answer you specifically. As another example,GSO makes focal reducers for their line of Ritchey-Chretien imaging telescopes. The Celestron is both a corrector and focal reducer and the Antares is just a focal reducer. 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. How does it look thats what matters. Such an image circle is still large enough to encompass the relatively large sensor of many deep-sky astronomy cameras. If the reducer is placed elsewhere, at a position called the operating distance, the focal reduction factor will not be as advertised. 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 visual back must be removed first. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. 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. I doubt there is any difference between the Antares and the Celestron except price. All rights reserved. Thanks guys, I'm trying to get my ZWO ASI120MC-S to work with my 90mm Meade. Reproduction without permission prohibited. He tested this on an 8 Celestron , I have a Celestron 6SE. Article Agena AstroProducts, 2019. The faster f/ratio allows you to use slower film or shoot in lower light level situations and still properly expose your subject. Benefits limited to hardware and conditions? That is definitely a 2" eyepiece, but it is not a large or long focal length 2" eyepiece. For imagers, the main purpose of a focal reducer is to increase the brightness of the image at the focal plane. I've heard and read all kinds of things about the Antares being only a reducer and not a corrector, etc. 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. A useful thing to know is how far from the objective lens (for a refractor) is the focal reducer located. I've seen some older threads saying that the Celestron, Meade and Antares FRs are all the same and manufactured in the same factory. Some faster refractors with a focal ratio of f/6, for example, only require field flatteners and not focal reducers. 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. Because I have not heard any complaints about the made in China R/C. Astro-Tech Schmidt-Cassegrain f/6.3 Focal Reducer Field Flattener Once focused it's pretty good. You may need spacers or a T-adapter to ensure the correcting working distance. Can these economical focal reducers from GSO and other vendors result in good images? 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. Anyway, when purchased my R/C the "original" Celestron unit was not readily available and was offered instead the one sold under the shop's own label (in my case Tecnosky, but I saw the same product offered under TS label). 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. They usually have a 2" barrel that slides into the telescope focuser. However, some focal reducers can be used over a wider range of working distances, especially those with simpler optical design, and especially when used with cameras with smaller sensors. I even lost track of which reducer I was using. Is that distance D= Fo-d1=Fo-(d2/MR)? Hello! The Celestron f/6.3 is ~150 compared to the Antares at ~70. But when not in the box or on the telescope, there is no cover for the other end. I'd favor the Japanese Celestron version over the others that are commercially available. We have tested our current batch and it works with Meade, Celestron, and Baader SCT accessories.

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