Skywatcher 80ED visual performace

[MY Yau]

Hi, 

I know that the 80ED is primarily for imaging. I intend to get this scope with together with the flattener for imaging, but would like an idea on how it performs visually. Any owners can feedback on the performance for visual?

Thanks

[xtreemchaos]

it works very good for vis,nice and contrasty and hardly any Ca, a good ed barlow is a must to get you in close with the moon and planets,ive had mine for over a year with no regrets.clear skys charl.

[Commanderfish]

I have the Explore Scientific Triplet Apo ED80 and it is EXCELLENT for visual.  The views are super sharp, there's nothing like an Apo frac for visual.  The short focal length of 480mm means you can get seriously wide views.  I prefer it with an Ethos 21mm giving 4.4 degrees at x23 magnification, which is as wide a field as a typical 9 x 50 finderscope.  I can also use an ES 30 mm 100 degree for 5.2 degree at x15 but the sky background is a little bright and lacks contrast.

The Skywatcher ED80 isn't actually a triplet if I remember rightly, but it should still provide a very nice view.  The focal length is longer (600mm) so it won't produce as wide a field.

[mikeDnight]

38 minutes ago, MY Yau said:

Hi, 

I know that the 80ED is primarily for imaging. I intend to get this scope with together with the flattener for imaging, but would like an idea on how it performs visually. Any owners can feedback on the performance for visual?

Thanks

The ED 80 is a terrific visual scope. I bought one a couple of years ago - mine was the Equinox version- and I found I used it more than my Equinox 120. I would just nip out for a five minute look at the moon and find myself still observing an hour later. Jupiter would reveal five belts easily, including the great red spot and shadow transits. Wide field views of star fields uising 31mm and 20mm Naglers under a dark sky were very pleasing. The star images were text book perfect. Obviously the 80 mm aperture limits you to viewing only the brighter DSO's, but the scope is still one of the best 3" refractors you can buy today and performs moor like a 4" than a 3".

They are great!

Mike

[Highburymark]

No it's not a triplet, but it's a great value doublet. I have the SW Equinox 80mm, and I only use it for visual. Stars are beautifully sharp, and two weeks ago I had stunning views of Mars and Saturn in Tenerife - polar ice caps, Cassini division in rings and other surface details - at 166x with Nagler zoom. Evostar has longer focal length than Equinox (600 v 500mm) and is cheaper, so it's a great choice as an affordable apo for visual. Final important attribute is that it fits in cabin luggage for foreign travel.

[recceranger]

I've had mine for around 6 years now and it get more use than any other scope.  Pin sharp views of stars and M45 and M31 under dark sky are some of the best views I've had.  Additionally the Orion Nebula and the Double/Beehive Clusters are outstanding.

On Jupiter the detail for an 80mm is excellent and really sharp.  I also had my first ever visual of Saturn on my SW ED80 Pro and I was nearly in tears! This was an object I always wished to observe and although small in the FoV the division in the rings and detail on cloud bands was stuning.

Everyone has there own tastes but I believe you will be hard pushed to find a better ED80 for the money.

Good luck

[John]

Another big thumbs up for the Synta / Skywatcher ED80 here

I've owned 3 of them (2 Skywatcher and one Orion USA) and the optics have been excellent in all of them. At focus they don't show much if any false colour visually, to my eye at least. Maybe just a touch around the brightest stars and Venus.

The glass used in these lenses is Japanese I believe and the figuring and lens coatings seems to be well above normal mass produced chinese objective lens quality.

Synta "got it right" with these ED doublets 

 

[PeterCPC]

Great little scope and great for imaging as well.

Peter

[Moonshane]

I have a Meade 80mm f6 triplet which is very similar.  really lovely wide field views,  hardly any ca and pretty good on planets too. I use it mainly for caravan holidays for white light solar plus night time obs

I'd recommend it.