Best refractor between 90mm and 120mm

[TareqPhoto]

Hi,

Well, i am planning to start soon to get scopes, i started this thread in another forum, and also another thread for another scope for planetary, but i want to focus on one topic now, so it will be about refractor.

Which refractor is the best to have in the range of 90mm and 120mm [larger than 90mm andshorter than 120mm]? i don't want to go with 80mm or wider.

If you ask about budget then i will make it easier, forget budget, assume the budget is good enough, or say up to $4000-5000 if a must, so which scope you will get then? i really look for top quality or high end scope now, i don't think i should more or waste on something just good and upgrade later, better spend a lot and gt one for lifetime, so waiting your recommendations.

[Peter Drew]

A 100mm Takahashi seems to be a favourite high end telescope.

[TareqPhoto]

2 minutes ago, Peter Drew said:

A 100mm Takahashi seems to be a favourite high end telescope.

Yes, but which 100mm? 100mm or 106mm you mean?

[mikeDnight]

Takahashi TSA 120mm triplets are as good as it gets off the shelf. You could also pick up a second hand TSA 102mm if you shop around, but Tak stopped their production recently. Tak replaced the TSA 102 triplet with the FC100D fluorite doublet series which are truly superb!

Alternatively you could go for a SW 120ED Pro for visual which are also superb!

Attached is a pic that someone put on a previous post some time ago. It shows the TSA 120 and the FC100D. Both are photo visual apochromat.

[Peter Drew]

Choice will depend on the prime use for the telescope, visual or imaging.

[TareqPhoto]

3 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

Takahashi TSA 120mm triplets are as good as it gets off the shelf. You could also pick up a second hand TSA 102mm if you shop around, but Tak stopped their production recently. Tak replaced the TSA 102 triplet with the FC100D fluorite doublet series which are truly superb!

Alternatively you could go for a SW 120ED Pro for visual which are also superb!

I don't know, i wasn't think to go that larger, i mean not 120mm or larger, but do you think i should look at those then and ignore anything shorter than 120mm?

I saw many use Takahashi FSQ-106, so i thought it is the best out there, but there are many options then

[TareqPhoto]

1 minute ago, Peter Drew said:

Choice will depend on the prime use for the telescope, visual or imaging.

Definitely imaging!

[Peter Drew]

I'll leave further advice to the imagers then.  

[PhotoGav]

Are you looking for a scope for imaging? I am in the process of choosing a telescope in that range for imaging and have narrowed it down to:

Takahashi FSQ106ED, 530mm, f5, around £5000

Skywatcher Esprit 100ED, 550mm, f5.5, around £1500

Now, I thought that the Takahasi would be the obvious choice as they have the reputation of being the best. However, people on here have suggested that while very good, I am unlikely to take advantage of what the Tak offers, e.g. the large image circle, and I would not notice a difference in image quality with the Esprit, which seems to be a corking scope of extremely good value. 

I am interested to see what other people add to this thread and wish you luck in your search.

Edit - I see you are looking for an imaging scope...

[TareqPhoto]

2 minutes ago, PhotoGav said:

Are you looking for a scope for imaging? I am in the process of choosing a telescope in that range for imaging and have narrowed it down to:

Takahasi FSQ106ED, 530mm, f5, around £5000

Skywatcher Esprit 100ED, 550mm, f5.5, around £1500

Now, I thought that the Takahasi would be the obvious choice as they have the reputation of being the best. However, people on here have suggested that while very good, I am unlikely to take advantage of what the Tak offers, e.g. the large image circle, and I would not notice a difference in image quality with the Esprit, which seems to be a corking scope of extremely good value. 

I am interested to see what other people add to this thread and wish you luck in your search.

Indeed, in another forum they brought out Vixen NP101is and Stellarvue SVQ100 in the options too, and also Takahashi FCD100, even someone mentioned he may go with Takahashi Epsilon over refractor too, i was looking at Esprit first because it is cheaper, but then i though i shouldn't look at scopes according to prices, but according to optics quality and performance.

[TareqPhoto]

Maybe i should add Esprit 120mm in the equation, because i said shorter than 120mm, but i don't know what i will miss if i ignore many options.

[TareqPhoto]

I posted here in imaging section, not visual or observe section, so it is about imaging, i don't care about visual at all now in astronomy, all scopes i will be will be 99% imaging and 1% visual, if i want visual then i very easy will buy a Dobsonian such as 12" or 16" and call it a night.

[PhotoGav]

It then becomes a question of focal length / image scale with whatever camera you will use and how the targets you are wanting to image fit in with that. I am looking around the 550mm zone to go with my QSI 683. The interesting thing with the Tak 106 is that you can use a reducer to give 385mm @ f3.6 or an extender to give 850mm @ f8. I do find that quite appealing, but the price tag is then over £6k.

[TareqPhoto]

1 minute ago, PhotoGav said:

It then becomes a question of focal length / image scale with whatever camera you will use and how the targets you are wanting to image fit in with that. I am looking around the 550mm zone to go with my QSI 683. The interesting thing with the Tak 106 is that you can use a reducer to give 385mm @ f3.6 or an extender to give 850mm @ f8. I do find that quite appealing, but the price tag is then over £6k.

For that Tak scope price i found it for less than $5000, so i can try harder and afforded, i thought it will be over $5000-6000, but good i found it for less and with free shipping, so it can be possible.

My camera is QHY163M, it is same sensor of ASI1600MM.

[Andyb90]

Is the weight of the scope a consideration? Will you have a permanent setup? I setup and tear down each session. I find the Esprit 100 is weighty, but manageable.

Andy.

[TareqPhoto]

4 minutes ago, Andyb90 said:

Is the weight of the scope a consideration? Will you have a permanent setup? I setup and tear down each session. I find the Esprit 100 is weighty, but manageable.

Andy.

I only tear down the scope, but not the mount+tripod, so i always or i will just take off the scope only from mount and i carry the mount as usual as i do now, so it is not a big deal of weight.

[Doc]

For the price the Skywatcher 120ED Esprit is a very good scope. 

[TareqPhoto]

10 minutes ago, Doc said:

For the price the Skywatcher 120ED Esprit is a very good scope. 

Funny i was thinking to keep it out, now i have to bring it back to my options.

I was thinking about Takahashi as all keep saying it is a dream scope, but now i see most recommendations keeping it out, it is because it is too much money or because it is not necessary to waste that much on it when there are other options as good [i can't say better]?

[Doc]

It's a difficult one this is. I have never looked through a Takahashi but for the life of me I could not imagine it being that much better then a 120ED Triplet Esprit, even if it is a tad better is it worth the extra money, are you paying the extra bucks for a name. 

If money was no option then I and most of us would love a 6" Takahashi triplet but do we really need it. You could buy a set eyepieces with your Esprit 120ED and still maybe have change from a Takahashi. Also remember the bigger your scope the heavier it is, and the bigger the mount you need.

 

[TareqPhoto]

8 minutes ago, Doc said:

It's a difficult one this is. I have never looked through a Takahashi but for the life of me I could not imagine it being that much better then a 120ED Triplet Esprit, even if it is a tad better is it worth the extra money, are you paying the extra bucks for a name. 

If money was no option then I and most of us would love a 6" Takahashi triplet but do we really need it. You could buy a set eyepieces with your Esprit 120ED and still maybe have change from a Takahashi. Also remember the bigger your scope the heavier it is, and the bigger the mount you need.

 

So what are you saying or trying to say? what do you recommend?

[Doc]

I'm not recommending nothing. All I'm saying is don't get hooked by a name, there are a lot more telescopes that are just as good. I think you would find it hard pressed to find any major improvements between Takahashi, Stellavue, Pentax, Borg, APM, Televue to name but a few.

[TareqPhoto]

Just now, Doc said:

I'm not recommending nothing. All I'm saying is don't get hooked by a name, there are a lot more telescopes that are just as good. I think you would find it hard pressed to find any major improvements between Takahashi, Stellavue, Pentax, Borg, APM, Televue to name but a few.

Yes, sure, but after all i have to choose one, so if you are in my place and have good budget, which one you will buy? many choose according to price, so that i asked so i don't want to limit myself to price, i hear a lot of posts such as "If i have the budget i will get this scope ....", "My SV scope is amazing, but there is no match to ... scope", so it is like because budget is limited someone can't choose a scope they dream about, and most of the time i see that Takahashi is like a dream scope with NP over skywatcher and Stellarvue or similar, so i hope it is not about budget then, i can buy Skywatcher 120mm Esprit and i will be happy with it, but i don't want to hear someone saying "SW Esprit is a great lens, but my Astro-Physics outperforms and blow away that Skywatcher Esprit", so what it is about then?

[Doc]

If my budget was only for a scope and no eyepieces then I would go for 1.  Astro Physics, 2. Takahashi, 3. Skywatcher 120Ed Esprit.

If I had to include a good set of eyepieces as well as a scope then I would go for a Skywatcher 120ED Esprit.

What eyepieces do you have. It's no good having an Astro Physics Triplet and putting in a basic £20 plossl.

[ronin]

One of the Asto Physics triplets, or a scope with a LZOS lens. They are as close to custom made as you will get and supurb.

APM do scopes with LZOS objectives. Although Astro Physics seem to have a waiting list I am sure I have read of a retailer in the EU that stocks them. Guess they have a supply from AP that is external to the waiting list. Say this as someone on SGL purchased one about 6 to 8 months back.

The AP scopes appear to be 130mm, the Starfire, so out of the diameter you give.

LZOS objectives seem also to be 123mm diameter, but I know I have seen smaller. Contact APM for clarification I suppose.

TMB scopes are out of production, they were another excellent one. Think that the TMB objectives were LZOS also. There is a used TMB for sale here on SGL. Additionally you will find that some of the William Optics refactors are LZOS.

Officina Stellare were another that produced high end refractors but they list only RC "type" scopes on their site now. You may find that one of the German retailers stock their scopes.

To an extent unless you can line up 4 or 5 scopes on a very good test bench and subject each in turn to a battery of tests then select the "best" one there is no specific "best" refractor. Best will be a personal opinion. What you will get here is opinions based on name or "Get one as I have one and like it." Time to do your own research and decison making.

Could you visit NEAF when it is held as that is about the biggest Astro Show I know of, usually around March I think. April 21 it seems, later then I thought.

[TareqPhoto]

30 minutes ago, Doc said:

If my budget was only for a scope and no eyepieces then I would go for 1.  Astro Physics, 2. Takahashi, 3. Skywatcher 120Ed Esprit.

If I had to include a good set of eyepieces as well as a scope then I would go for a Skywatcher 120ED Esprit.

What eyepieces do you have. It's no good having an Astro Physics Triplet and putting in a basic £20 plossl.

Honestly speaking, visual or observe isn't my main reason, sure i will get EPs later, but my main is imaging, even if i buy an expensive scope doesn't mean i will buy very cheap eyepiece, even Televue EPs are in $300-800 range, i may choose one, and mostly those scopes could come with one or 2, but Eyepieces will be another story later once i can decide which scope, and it will have a separate budget too.