antares vs celestron focal reducer
I am a purely visual observer, so will evaluate for visual use only. That was fun. 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. Fumbling around in the dark, fine threads might be a problem. The stock Celestron visualback is just under 2 long. Will not focus with the stuff I have. However, it will not thread into William Optics accessories, and with GSO it is a hit or miss. 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%. 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). 3. The Antares focal reducer comes in small box. 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 image of about 24mm across, approximately, allows an observer to use a 1.25" eyepiece with a maximal field stop. Stars in the corner of the image frame are indistinguishable between the Antares and the Celestron. 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. This also resulted in the clear aperture of the Antares being about 39-39.5mm, versus the Celestrons 41mm. During check-out, you will be presented with several shipping choices and costs. The stars at the edge could be worse or better. One of the most important factors in a telescope is its transmissionthe percentage of light that reaches the focal plane. 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). That includes, for example, a 1.25" eyepiece with an apparent field of view of 68 and a focal length of 24mm (eg. And, the reality is that every F/6.3 RC out there Celestron, Hirsch, Astromania, etc., etc. Quite interestingly it bears the very same engravings of the Meade 4000 r/c (including "series 4000") except for "MEADE". But while the image gets brighter, the size of the image circle gets proportionately smaller. 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. 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. Each focal reducer has a fixed specification called the working distance or required back focus. 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. 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. 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. The Reducer/Corrector can also be used for terrestrial digiscoping. Newtonian reflectors will seldom be able to accommodate the in-focus travel demanded by focal reducers. 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. Also, the focusers of most Newtonians do not have enough in-travel to accommodate a focal reducer. Sky recognition technology that has revolutionized the manual telescope by eliminating the confusion common among beginners and enhancing the user experience for even seasoned telescope users. A little longer light path with a 2 Baader click-lock, low profile 1.25 adapter, and the 1.25 diagonal; During a twenty-year scientific career, he developed laser systems to detect molecules found in interstellar space and planetary atmospheres, and leveraged his expertise to create laser technology for optical communications networks. I have/had both the Celestron (Japan) and Antares units. A slight nod to the Antares for heft and higher transmission, but points to the Celestron for nice threads and better contrast. I'm going with the Celestron. I wish there was. As mentioned in Section 2 of this guide, the reduction factor of a focal reducer depends on its position in the optical path relative to the eyepiece or camera. All Rights Reserved. Style: If yes, what kind of focal reducers can I use? 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. More important, its clear that the Antares is a reducer/corrector, just like the Celestron and not merely a reducer. 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. 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. I even lost track of which reducer I was using. I had a Celestron, Antares and Hirsch for awhile and compared them over about a year. Things change but when I rebought I got an Antares and it seems about the same to me. But nearly every observer who installs one of these devices is pleased with their performance. All additional accessories mount onto the exterior/male threads. They never really recovered from selling a few 15 years back with element reversed. He also holds a Ph.D. in engineering physics from McMaster University. 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. Celestron Nexstar+ 127 SLT, several budget plossl eyepieces, Celestron 8-24mm zoom EP and a 12.5mm illuminated double reticle EP, Svbony SV205 camera w/.5 focal reducer, Celestron SkyMaster 20x80 binos on a 40 yr old QuickSet PanHead tripod, Stellarium, Sharpcap and ManyCam on my laptop, SkyView and Nightshift on my phone and a dandy little $9 . Increase that distance, and greater reduction results and visa versa. 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. 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. Please note, orders placed after 10am on 2/28/2023 will be delayed. It also leads to larger (although fainter) images of extended objects like the Moon or planets for astrophotographers or visual observers. Turn it on and push Align. In about three minutes, youre ready to observe! No retailers currently carry this product. Generally, views through the Antares seemed a little more transparent and brighter. There will be no shipments on 3/1/2023, 3/2/2023, or 3/3/2023 (March 1st - March 3rd, 2023). Powered by Invision Community. SKU: CEL-94245. Thanks for pointing this out. Torazz Still not sure what is the right gear for you? Product Details. This Antares 1.25" 0.5x focal reducer lens (tele-compressor) is used under the Orion brand name to thread into the nosepiece of Orion StarShoot Solar System cameras and StarShoot Deep Space Color Imaging Camera. We only send interesting emails and will never sell your data. 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. Sign up to get exclusive deals, observing tips, and new product announcements. To further factor out my natural astigmatism (I normally wear glasses while observing), I did the tests with my regular progressive lenses, single vision glasses I use when observing, and naked eye. A focal reducer does just the opposite of a Barlow lens or focal extender. Assuming you use the reducer with the stock 1.25" diagonal, it will operate at f/6.3. This "speeds up" the optical train by reducing the focal length and magnification of the scope, requiring less time to integrate the same signal. Focal reducers for these relatively fast ED refractors are generally for imaging only, not for visual observation. There are many different types of focal reducers and they all effect. 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. It has only one cover, which surprised me. The working distance or required back focus, explained above, is usually specified and is far more important in practice. 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. Stars had a tiny bit more sparkle and pop. Hence, there is a chance that you may not be able to thread your SCT diagonal or other SCT accessory on to this reducer for these or for any other brand. DUE TO EXTREMELY HIGH DEMAND, WE WILL NOT BE TAKING NEW ORDERS UNTIL MONDAY, DECEMBER 14. 2. 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. This is very impressive performance given how hard this problem is to mitigate in general. The focus barely shifts between filters and I suspect any shifts I do get are down to the filters and changes in temp. Most refractor manufacturers such as William Optics, Tele Vue Optics, Explore Scientific, Sky-Watcher, William Optics, and Stellarvue make their own focal reducers optimized for use with their telescopes. Manish holds a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. They usually have a 2" barrel that slides into the telescope focuser. When the camera sensor is placed at this distance, the reduction factor of these reducers is 0.75x. 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. Regardless, the difference was miniscule and is more than adequate on both and exceeds a 8 or 6 SCTs baffle tube diameter. They provide 0.75x focal reducers for these telescopes that takes an f/8 instrument down to f/6. Easy solution found a very tiny dab of super lube on the threads and all was well and quiet. If the reducer is placed closer to the eyepiece or camera than the distance D, the reduction factor decreases. 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. They are designed (assuming you are referring to the f/6.3 version) for the f/10 light cone. I found both to be very good. Wonder how they would stack up with a Japanese 6.3. Nebula Filters. Does anyone have any experience with the Celestron and Antares focal reducers? You can probably eke out 1.2 without noticing serious vignetting, which is a field stop of 31.5mm. To test this, I used three set-ups: 1. This is a. I have the Antares and have no complaints. * Not a Retail Store * 16313 Arthur StreetCerritos, CA 90703, USA. M44 was a perfect target for this, as its large size maxes out the FOV on a C8 with a corrector, and its bright stars make great targets for measuring the very edge of the visible field. A few large telescopes and mounts are excluded from this free shipping offer. - thanks. Not noticed any optical problems. Planetarium software package which provides easy-to-understand explanations and impressive visuals of all kinds. 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. External Focusers for Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes 3.1 The Basics of SCT Threads With both, using the same diagonal set-up, the exact same stars were visible at the very edge of the FOV. A couple of tiny dust particles between lens elements, uneven lens edge blackening, very minor coating blemishes, or even a very small fine lens scratch or two are very common in this Antares product and must be accepted as normal for this item. We will be glad to help. That is definitely a 2" eyepiece, but it is not a large or long focal length 2" eyepiece. So it provides a 0.63x design reduction factor when used with an f/10 SCT at the specified working distance. 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. I doubt there is any difference between the Antares and the Celestron except price. I was originally hoping to do this with a made in Japan Celestron, but ended up with a newer China version but thats probably better in the end since it is the version now available, with the Japan ones rarer and only available used. 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. More details are found in the Appendix of this article. Again, swapping back and forth for a couple of hours on M44, M35, and several brighter stars, I examined the shape of specific stars near the edge of the field with both correctors. ED glass is specially formulated and contains rare-earth compounds that greatly reduce a visual defect called chromatic aberration. No idea what the issue is. This is the distance at which the reducer must be placed in front of the eyepiece or camera focal plane in order to operate at the design reduction factor.
antares vs celestron focal reducer