Advice for a new 80mm triplet

[Orion1]

Hi! I enjoy imaging and would like to step up from camera lenses. I looking into buying a 80mm triplet for imaging. My mount is a Celelestron AVX

What do you recommend? I'm currently looking at the TS Photoline 80mm FPL53 triplet and the Altair Astro 80mm FCD-100 Triplet which are both within my budget.

What would be your choice? Thank you!

[Galen Gilmore]

Hi Orion, welcome.

Do you already have suitable EQ mount?

[Orion1]

Just added to the initial post that I have a Celestron AVX mount. Yes, I believe I have a suitable mount. Thank you

[Tim]

In many ways those two are likely similar in performance and function. You might also consider the slightly more expensive but optically faster/wider 80mm Esprit.

Have fun deciding

[Ikonnikov]

Not a refractor owner (yet) but in the 80mm category I would go for the Esprit 80 too (with the FLO bench test), money permitting. Plus the matching flattener if you have a larger chip.

Paul

[Orion1]

I've been looking at the Espirit but the scope rings on the others allow piggy back guide scope. And I would like to have that.

[m.tweedy]

I like my William Optics GT81. However at 5.9 it is slightly slower than the Esprit

[Thalestris24]

Hi

I have the TS 80mm triplet APO and love it. It's very well engineered and comes with nice cnc tube rings. I also purchased the tsflat2 and 2a to go with it.

Louise

[Jkulin]

1 hour ago, Orion1 said:

I've been looking at the Espirit but the scope rings on the others allow piggy back guide scope. And I would like to have that.

I have just fitted one of my ST80's piggy back to my Esprit 100 as I prefer to do so for guiding, however I have now changed my guide scope/OTA to use the fantastic Skywatcher Guide Scope Mount, it has taken a little time to match the rails/spacing etc. but I am now very satisfied with how this sits and no more knocking guide rings or the guidescope being fixed and unable to change course for an alternative star to guide on.

As for the Esprit, I can't say as hopefully first light on Sunday, now I have cocked things up!

I couldn't afford a seriously expensive Tak and the reviews of the Esprit were really very good, I'll report back when I have used it.

[Ben the Ignorant]

I own the TS triplet, the optics are impeccable. It has the 2" crayford focuser that's very good for my visual-only needs, but the new generation carries a 2.5" hybrid crayford/rack-and-pinion focuser that's better for heavy loads and photo.

[Astrobug]

+1 for the TS triplet. You can't go wrong for the price.

[Orion1]

58 minutes ago, Astrobug said:

+1 for the TS triplet. You can't go wrong for the price.

Thank you for all recommendations.

Both the Altair 80mm and the TS 80mm looks like essentially the same telescope only the glass being different. Guess the FPL53 has the edge over FCD-100?

[Thalestris24]

2 hours ago, Orion1 said:

Thank you for all recommendations.

Both the Altair 80mm and the TS 80mm looks like essentially the same telescope only the glass being different. Guess the FPL53 has the edge over FCD-100?

Yes, fpl53 is considered better. However, cooldown time might be a bit longer, especially bearing in mind it's a triplet  

Louise

[ronin]

FCD-100 is the Schott Glass (think it is Schott) version of FPL53. So the reality is likely to be very little difference if any. Kind of the difference is in the third decimal place of the dispersion of Green light sort of thing.

[RayD]

I have the TS 80 and it is very good. 

I had an Esprit 80 but as you have eluded to the foot mount I found a little restrictive and perhaps its only flaw.  I now have the Esprit 100 and it is excellent.

The TS 80 Photoline I have is fitted with a 2.5" R&P and this is very good (almost identical to the WO focusers) and silky smooth.  The only downside I have found is that I only use fully screwed trains, and with the TS tube being 63mm it needed some odd adaptors to accommodate the FF.  TS make them but they aren't cheap, so if using fully screwed factor that in to your costs.  Otherwise a very capable OTA in the price range.

[Orion1]

2 hours ago, ronin said:

FCD-100 is the Schott Glass (think it is Schott) version of FPL53. So the reality is likely to be very little difference if any. Kind of the difference is in the third decimal place of the dispersion of Green light sort of thing.

From what I understand FCD-100 is Hoya. Minor differences in aberration numbers of FPL53 and FCD-100
I will use APS-C camera (Canon 550D) with this telescope.

Another thing, the focuser on these scopes looks a bit different. Can anyone comment on one being better (more practical for adding camera) than the other? The Altair has a Planostar flattener that convert from M69 to M48 in one adapter - while TS seems to have multiple adapter rings to do the same.

[rl]

+1 for the GT81 if it's still available, and at a reasonable price. But I don't think there are any really bad choices in the 80mm triplet range..I'd factor in the dealership you buy from just in case you get the lemon picked on a friday...

RL

[Orion1]

2 hours ago, rl said:

+1 for the GT81 if it's still available, and at a reasonable price. But I don't think there are any really bad choices in the 80mm triplet range..I'd factor in the dealership you buy from just in case you get the lemon picked on a friday...

RL

Found a TS distributor in Germany that check and adjust all telescopes before shipping. That should help to avoid a lemon