Should I keep my SW ed100

[triggertrevor]

Hi I'd like people's thoughts on wether to keep my ed100 seen as I'm buying a sw ed80.

I've just got into imaging so that's what both scopes I'll be used for.

Would it be a good idea to get rid of the 100 and buy a say a sct so I've the best of both worlds or?

Advise would be great

Cheers kev

[Luke]

Hi Kev,

For me this is a tricky one to answer and it depends! Have you got the .85 reducer already? What type of objects do you want to image and what mount would you be using it on?

We do have a SW ED100, and we do intend to use it for imaging on a HEQ5 mount, but I would not have bought it specifically for imaging, as I would find it a bit slow for me in this focal length at F9. We're planning to use it mostly as a visual scope (I love it!), with imaging as a nice bonus.

If I was 100% imaging only and had budget to buy other scopes, and if the mount could take much heavier scopes, I would probably sell it.

re: "best of both worlds", do you mean you'd use the ED80 for short focal length imaging and the SCT for long focal length imaging? If yes, if it was me I would get plenty of imaging done with the ED80 first before thinking about the next imaging scope. I find an ED80 easier to image with than an SCT, and I think it would give you a better idea where you want to go next, and how badly the dark side has taken you over!

Hope the thoughts help. Best of luck with the imaging!

Luke

[emadmoussa]

Why downsizing?

[Grotemobile]

Buying a ED80 & selling the ED100.???

I could understand, the other way round.

Steve

[RikM]

Why downsizing?

Buying a ED80 & selling the ED100.???

I could understand, the other way round.

Steve

Using an ED80 for imaging instead of an ED100 makes perfect sense. The ED80 has a shorter focal length, so gives a wider field of view and is easier to guide plus it has a faster focal ratio, so gives a brighter image (for the same exposure time) than the ED100. Especially important if you use a DSLR. For deep sky imaging, aperture is largely irrelevant and often brings disadvantages with it.

For visual use, I would love an ED100, but not for imaging.

[emadmoussa]

Using an ED80 for imaging instead of an ED100 makes perfect sense. The ED80 has a shorter focal length, so gives a wider field of view and is easier to guide plus it has a faster focal ratio, so gives a brighter image (for the same exposure time) than the ED100. Especially important if you use a DSLR. For deep sky imaging, aperture is largely irrelevant and often brings disadvantages with it.

For visual use, I would love an ED100, but not for imaging.

I think this answers it all

[JamesF]

I agree with Rik's point of view. Of the ED80, ED100 and ED120 the ED100 has always seemed to be to be the least suited for imaging. I can see that the 120 may well be useful if there are specific requirements for image scale that the ED80 struggles to provide, but the slower ED100 doesn't really seem to fit.

James

[lensman57]

Hi I'd like people's thoughts on wether to keep my ed100 seen as I'm buying a sw ed80.

I've just got into imaging so that's what both scopes I'll be used for.

Would it be a good idea to get rid of the 100 and buy a say a sct so I've the best of both worlds or?

Advise would be great

Cheers kev

Hi,

I take it that you wish to do widefield imaging, in which case your new ED 80 will be the better choice for imaging but almost totally useless for anything else but wide field viewing of the sky, the ED100 is a lovely scope and with a decent 2.5 X Barlow is quite capable of planetary imaging too, no way with the short focal length ED80, so my advice is to keep both if money is not an object. If you sold the ED100 you'd soon be chasing a long focal length scope such an SCT of at least 8" aperture and the good ones cost an arm an a leg or 3 legs if you needed to upgrade the mount.

Regards,

A.G

[The Sailor]

I use the 80ED for DS and the 6" SCT for planetary AP with the ST80 for guiding, have the dual mount system so an easily changeover to DS or planetary with ease, all works quite well.

Jim

[Bizibilder]

Jim finally mentioned planets! I would keep the ED100 and maybe treat yourself to a 2x Barlow or, better a 2.5x Telemate (not cheap!). This would give you a scope of roughly equivalent f/l to an SCT suitable for Lunar and planetary imaging. It is also a very nice visual scope in its own right.