WO Star 71 f4.9

[JohnC64]

Spotted an interesting new scope on the William Optics Facebook page.  ( https://www.facebook.com/pages/William-Optics/464754920382?hc_location=timeline ) Its the WO Star 71 which is 71mm and 348mm focal length giving a fratio of 4.9.  Designed for imaging and having 5 elements.

Not sure what its availability is but it is also on the widescreen centres website https://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/Products/William_Optics_Star_71mm_.html so can't be too far away. (Ooooh  wonder if they will have one at the IAS???)

about $1000 in the States  so interesting price wise too.

Anyone heard anymore about these?

John

[ronin]

Read of it about 3 or 4 months back, it was mentioned on CN, but there was nothing much about it available. Still seems to be very little information, it's not on the WO site.

Seems WO took it to NEAF but again never seen anything about it afterwards.

Although nice I cannot see it ousting the 80mm apo's from their hold on the imaging fraternity. WO offer the 81's and the 102's and I cannot see people throwing away those in favour of a small 71.

[JohnC64]

Yep its going to be interesting to see where WO position it.

The ZenithStar 71+reducer/flattener is £459 and the GT81 + reducer is £830, So there isn't much wriggle room in there to fit in the Star 71.

John

[ronin]

Bit strange,

WO said they had it at NEAF, and all US, well 2, retailers have it as pre-order only = no actual stock.

Not on the WO site in any form.

The WO posts on Yahoo/Facebook or whatever seem to have ceased about March or early April.

Presently I just cannot really see the market for it.

It is somewhat "expensive" so the visual people would not bother, and imaging although popular is a small aspect of astronomy that is a small market in any case.

The GTF-81 is popular in the US but the GTF-102 seems even more popular - and it is bigger not smaller.

Would have preferred a visual FPL-53 ED doublet at f/7 in the 70-72mm range.