Sky-Watcher Esprit 80mm F5 Super Triplet APO - First look

[Fogboundturtle]

Ooohh errr That's not on - the EFW2 is 20mm and that's slim then there's 16mm for OAG which comes to 36mm. Surely 18mm can't be right? If it is then this scope will NOT be for me

I just don't believe that SkyWatcher would produce a scope that can't be used with OAG and filter wheel - who would buy it? I think there must be some crossed wires here. I suggest increasing the distance and seeing if the field flattens. I would have though they would have followed the Evostar 80 ED and made it 54mm then anyone upgrading could swap scopes without any problem.

You can read his response here : http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/5950387/page/1/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1

[Sp@ce_d]

Ok so it sounds like its 75mm back focus and you needed an 18mm spacer to achieve that. That sounds much better.

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[Gina]

Yes indeed That's where the confusion arose - needing an EXTRA 18mm extension tube - not that the back focus was 18mm. So no problem then

[DirkSteele]

The case that comes with it is big and using this scope for visual is kind of a waste if you ask me. This is primarely an imaging scope. When visually I looked through the scope with an 30mm quality eyepiece, I had some pretty heavy field curvature. I think this is one of the reason why SW includes a field flattener with it.

There was always the possibility that field curvature at f/5 might make it less desirable as a visual use instrument. Sounds like it is a scope I would definitely want to try first before purchasing, if at all.

[ollypenrice]

I can understand Steve's frustration with this rather half baked initial review and I'm at a loss to understand why Skywatcher would encourage it to appear. I've nothing against fog bound turtles (though I prefer to use my real name, myself) but, as a magazine reviewer, I take a little time to be sure to have everything as right as I can get it before posting a review. When I don't seem to have got it right (and I like to have a second and third opinion before concluding on that) I'm still super cautious. I have a scope on test which I still cannot pronounce on one way or the other because... it could be me!

So, what is all this about?

Tim Jardine is a serious imager posting serious images from a six inch Esprit. His name is Tim Jardine.

Olly Penrice, Les Granges, Etoile St Cyrice, 05700, France.

[dmahon]

But this isn't a review for the manufacturer/dealer on the back of a loan scope, nor a paid article for a magazine - this is someone who has paid for the scope giving his thoughts, for free.

I prefer it this way - there's no conflict of interest issues at all (not that I think most reviewers in the astronomy workd aren't completely honest - though I know that's not always the case in other industries).

[Fogboundturtle]

I can understand Steve's frustration with this rather half baked initial review and I'm at a loss to understand why Skywatcher would encourage it to appear. I've nothing against fog bound turtles (though I prefer to use my real name, myself) but, as a magazine reviewer, I take a little time to be sure to have everything as right as I can get it before posting a review. When I don't seem to have got it right (and I like to have a second and third opinion before concluding on that) I'm still super cautious. I have a scope on test which I still cannot pronounce on one way or the other because... it could be me!

So, what is all this about?

Tim Jardine is a serious imager posting serious images from a six inch Esprit. His name is Tim Jardine.

Olly Penrice, Les Granges, Etoile St Cyrice, 05700, France.

I am not a magazine reviewer. I am just one little guy who was excited to share my first raw impression of a scope that no one has in the world. I certainly don't qualify myself as a world class imager but we have to be honest here, very little are. I do have some decent gear and I will give my thorough review once I got everything setup the right way. I never had to work with a flattener before because the scope I have didn't needed one. So excuse me if my comments are not good enough for you. You would just have to skip them or buy the scope for yourself somewhere in the fall and make your own judgement.

[Fogboundturtle]

But this isn't a review for the manufacturer/dealer on the back of a loan scope, nor a paid article for a magazine - this is someone who has paid for the scope giving his thoughts, for free.

I prefer it this way - there's no conflict of interest issues at all (not that I think most reviewers in the astronomy workd aren't completely honest - though I know that's not always the case in other industries).

There is always issue with new setup. so I apparently I was 5mm out with the spacer I was using. Sky-Watcher did reply to me AS a CUSTOMER and give me the correct info. The information is not available anywhere as I am the ONLY person WORLDWIDE who has one. Either way. I can stop posting if it's aggravating the royalty that populate this forum.

[FLO]

Hey, please don't stop posting on my behalf.

I only advised (in the other thread) if your supplier and Skywatcher enabled you to buy an Esprit-80 ahead of the official launch because they felt you were the right person to write a review (I am sure that is what you said) then you probably owe it to them to check things like spacing before publishing images. It was intended to be constructive criticism. Really it was

Olly does have a point but this is a forum so genuine owner reviews carry more weight than retailer opinions or magazine reviews.

Steve

[FLO]

PS: As far as I can tell you really do have the only Esprit-80 model available so can I ask a quick question please?

Is the mounting shoe removable? I am guessing it is but I'd be grateful if you can confirm. If you look underneath you will hopefully find it is fastened with an Allen screw.

Steve

[DirkSteele]

Either way. I can stop posting if it's aggravating the royalty that populate this forum.

I hope you will continue to offer your considered thoughts on the scope as a great number of us on this forum are interested in the possibilities this scope presents. I don't think I would categorize anyone as "royalty" on SGL, just that a lot of us will read what is being written and perhaps take on thinking that does not reflect the true potential of the product in question.

Clear skies,

[Gina]

Amen to that.

[ollypenrice]

Fair enough. It's good to know that the spacing was a long way out. I'd have been more than a little surprized if they'd got the flattener as wrong as that, though more than one manufacturer has needed a couple of goes to get flatteners right so they seem to be tricky things.

I must admit that I found something odd in the fact that SW should do you a favour and then have their new product presented under a cloud in this way. My apologies for being overly suspicious.

Olly

[Fogboundturtle]

Fair enough. It's good to know that the spacing was a long way out. I'd have been more than a little surprized if they'd got the flattener as wrong as that, though more than one manufacturer has needed a couple of goes to get flatteners right so they seem to be tricky things.

I must admit that I found something odd in the fact that SW should do you a favour and then have their new product presented under a cloud in this way. My apologies for being overly suspicious.

Olly

Take into consideration the following : Brand new camera, laptop, new to Maxim Dl 5 and new scope. It was an recipes for disaster :-) I was 5mm out. I order an 18mm spacers from precises parts. I will get this right and I will come back with a capture that is worthy of this scope. I just need more time.

[ollypenrice]

Take into consideration the following : Brand new camera, laptop, new to Maxim Dl 5 and new scope. It was an recipes for disaster :-) I was 5mm out. I order an 18mm spacers from precises parts. I will get this right and I will come back with a capture that is worthy of this scope. I just need more time.

Yes, a bit more time should sort it.

Edit; it usually pays to factor in a third of the thickness of your filters when calculating the spacing.

Olly

[Earl]

Spacing. great fun, almost as much fun as the dentists and a rainy day, with a broken down car and the wind wrecked your brolly.

[ollypenrice]

Spacing. great fun, almost as much fun as the dentists and a rainy day, with a broken down car and the wind wrecked your brolly.

Heh heh. Perfect description. If I wrote reviews for a living I'd earn a penny an hour, max, given the time spent on spacing, adapters, adapters cold welding to each other, adapters with different thread sizes...

Olly

[dmahon]

If the flattener is also a reducer, someone pointed out the other day that using astrometry to ensure that the focal length is as expected is a very good way of checking that the spacing is correct.

[Fogboundturtle]

PS: As far as I can tell you really do have the only Esprit-80 model available so can I ask a quick question please?

Is the mounting shoe removable? I am guessing it is but I'd be grateful if you can confirm. If you look underneath you will hopefully find it is fastened with an Allen screw.

Steve

If its removable I don't know how. There is no visible screw

[FLO]

It is difficult to tell. They might be under the rubber pad but please don't remove it. We can wait til we have some here

I see what you mean about there being little room for tube-rings. Yes, a clamshell would be nice.

Thank-you,

Steve

[Skyline]

That's a very nice scope, I am looking to replace an ageing 80ED with something more exotic, is there a UK price available.

[FLO]

It is difficult to tell. They might be under the rubber pad but please don't remove it. We can wait til we have some here

I see what you mean about there being little room for tube-rings. Yes, a clamshell would be nice.

I just remembered this post by melsky which includes a photo of the Esprit-80 with tube-rings. It is a beta model so the final product might not have the option. Time will tell

That's a very nice scope, I am looking to replace an ageing 80ED with something more exotic, is there a UK price available.

Unfortunately not.

HTH,

Steve

[Stu_2011]

If its removable I don't know how. There is no visible screw

Any further updates then? Have you managed to sort out the correct spacing between the reducer and CCD and taken any more images yet?

Thanks

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[Fogboundturtle]

I got an Precise part 18mm spacer milled and I will receive it by the end of the week or next week. This was based on the SW PD team recommendation. Yeah. Images are coming. Just hang thight for another week or so.

[Fogboundturtle]

The spacer is in so is the clear sky. Capture incoming this weekend.