Tak FC-100 - what will I gain?

[Star Struck]

I do visual astronomy only. Mostly solar system viewing but some deep sky when seeing permits.

I currently own a SkyWatcher Equinox 120ED and was wondering what I would gain if I bought a Tak 100DL or Tak TSA 102?

Will the stars be sharper? Will the moon look a thousand pounds better?

 

What are your experiences?

Tony

 

 

[xtreemchaos]

a lighter wallet .. charl.

[Timebandit]

 

If deep sky is also your cup of tea then you are going to loose aperture by going from a 120mm to 100mm. The last thing you want to do with the fainter DSO is go backwards with aperture. You wish to be increasing your aperture with DSO

I also have a Equinox 120ed . I am not convinced that the extra expenditure of a Tak is going to be worth it. You may get very slightly better optic performance, when sky conditions allow. But is it going to be a woow compared to the existing 120ed , not so sure. As the 120ed is a very fine and quality scope. 

If it was me I would find or phone a friend? and ask to have a look through their Tak ,and see for yourself if the extra 1k will be worth it to" your "  individual eyes.

Hope this helps.

 

 

 

[alan potts]

Whilst I personally would never pour water onto peoples dreams, and mine too maybe, I feel the 120mm is a very good scope already. You could argue that the stars may well be shaper and tighter, as Tak optics are up there with the very best. I feel fellow Mod John is the one to ask as he has a Tak and I believe he also has a 120mmED, I am sure he will be able to give you firsthand information.

Alan

[John]

I have both the ED120 and a Tak FC-100DL. The Tak equals the ED120 on many things, shows no CA at all and is lighter. I still very much enjoy the ED120 though and it's really not outclassed in the company of my much more expensive scopes so I'm definitely keeping it.

I know one Tak FC 100 owner who feels that it does best the ED120 in performance but, so far, thats not been my experience, much as I like my Takahashi.

 

 

[Stu]

I have used and very much enjoyed a couple of 120EDs, but ultimately now have an FC100DC. I have never directly compared them side by side but have never felt I’m missing anything.

I get fantastic results on solar, planetary and double stars which I enjoy very much. I think for me, the key thing is the combination of portability and performance. I used to use a variety of smaller fracs which I travelled around in the UK and occasionally abroad with. I can now do the same thing with the Tak and have much better performance where a 120 Equinox would just be too big.

Would I sell an Equinox for a Tak if I just observed at home and didn’t want portability? Probably not. I think though some one has recently done just that, possibly @avtaram so he may have some useful input to give.

[GavStar]

7 minutes ago, Stu said:

I think for me, the key thing is the combination of portability and performance.

I agree completely. The FC100DC/F with a skywatcher azgti is a fantastic portable combo. I also had a 120ed but found the mounting requirements materially more significant.

[avtaram]

16 minutes ago, Stu said:

I have used and very much enjoyed a couple of 120EDs, but ultimately now have an FC100DC. I have never directly compared them side by side but have never felt I’m missing anything.

I get fantastic results on solar, planetary and double stars which I enjoy very much. I think for me, the key thing is the combination of portability and performance. I used to use a variety of smaller fracs which I travelled around in the UK and occasionally abroad with. I can now do the same thing with the Tak and have much better performance where a 120 Equinox would just be too big.

Would I sell an Equinox for a Tak if I just observed at home and didn’t want portability? Probably not. I think though some one has recently done just that, possibly @avtaram so he may have some useful input to give.

I did put up my 120ed for sale but withdrew it after a few days as I had this gut feeling that I would regret selling it. I've not compared the fc100 dc and 120ed side by side but from memory I can't say that one stands out from the other.

The fc100 dc is a lot lighter and is a joy to use on the AZgti mount. The whole setup can be picked up and moved around the garden to get the best views when necessary, I can't do that with the 120ed on an EQ5 mount. For me both are keepers.

Avtar

[Timebandit]

1 hour ago, John said:

I have both the ED120 and a Tak FC-100DL. The Tak equals the ED120 on many things, shows no CA at all and is lighter. I still very much enjoy the ED120 though and it's really not outclassed in the company of my much more expensive scopes so I'm definitely keeping it.

I know one Tak FC 100 owner who feels that it does best the ED120 in performance but, so far, thats not been my experience, much as I like my Takahashi.

 

 

 

18 minutes ago, avtaram said:

I did put up my 120ed for sale but withdrew it after a few days as I had this gut feeling that I would regret selling it. I've not compared the fc100 dc and 120ed side by side but from memory I can't say that one stands out from the other.

The fc100 dc is a lot lighter and is a joy to use on the AZgti mount. The whole setup can be picked up and moved around the garden to get the best views when necessary, I can't do that with the 120ed on an EQ5 mount. For me both are keepers.

Avtar

 

The Equinox 120Ed is doing quite well for its self at the moment. But as a user of one then this feedback does not surprise me. Obviously on size and weight then the bigger 120ed scope is going to come second, for ease of use obvious the 100mm. 

Still waiting for MikeDnight to put in an appearance and try and convince us 120ed holders the virtues of the advantages of the Tak ?

But for me at the moment the 120ed is certainty holding its own against a far more expensive competitor. And considering I purchased my Equinox 120ed used then this does make this scope such good bang for buck. I also understand they no longer make the Equinox, so become a rare scope ☺

 

 

[John]

I ought to have said that my ED120 is the Evostar Pro one but it has the same optics in that they use in the Equinox 120.

[Simoncwr]

Tony,

Until you have exhausted the possibilities of your current scope I wouldn’t. You pay a massive premium for the last 5 or 10 percent,  and everything I have read in hundreds of hours of research says you have a great piece of kit already...

[25585]

4 hours ago, John said:

I have both the ED120 and a Tak FC-100DL. The Tak equals the ED120 on many things, shows no CA at all and is lighter. I still very much enjoy the ED120 though and it's really not outclassed in the company of my much more expensive scopes so I'm definitely keeping it.

I know one Tak FC 100 owner who feels that it does best the ED120 in performance but, so far, thats not been my experience, much as I like my Takahashi.

 

 

I own a 120 Equinox & like John a FC100DL. Both are 900mm FL. 

The Equinox is half as heavy again as the Tak. A Tak DC or DF is lighter still, they are both 750mm FL, better rich field at F7.5, your 120 is F9. 

If you want a much more portable refractor you can mount on a lighter mount get the DC or DF. Their FL can be elongated with an extender 0.70x. 

I love my Equinox with its all-black finish, deluxe focuser & sliding dew shield. The Tak has screw on dew shield, stronger but single speed focuser & a strange clamp (no bar) instead of 2 rings & a bar. Also a Fisher Price sized finder in the standard kit. So light weight & best doublet lenses made are the Tak's big plus points. Improvement over your Equinox will be at higher powers on planets. For DSOs, a 150mm Newtonian will show more, you could buy 10 for the price of a Takahashi FC. 

(Why did I buy a DL? Why did I buy another 100mm refractor, especially an expensive one? The answer is OCD. Thankfully it's not the same for reflectors, refractors are jewels, reflectors are glassware.) 

[Simoncwr]

Brown,

You have me there tbh, but I was trying to be sensible on the op’s behalf. I have just ordered a DL from Flo to go with my TV85 and APM152....

Simon

[25585]

48 minutes ago, Simoncwr said:

u have me there tbh, but I was trying to be sensible on the op’s behalf. I have just ordered a DL from Flo to go with my TV85 and APM152....

Simon

I think most FCs, let alone DL type owners in this country must be on this forum!

Must be some kind of hive mentality. OK, I'll buzz off...

[Pig]

My Tak certainly performs better than my previous 110mm frac...... it’s the only scope I have had that is more expensive than the eyepieces..... do I regret the purchase ....... not at all ? If I knew then what I know now I would have bought one from the start ? but hey everything is easy with hindsight.

[Timebandit]

9 minutes ago, Pig said:

My Tak certainly performs better than my previous 110mm frac...... it’s the only scope I have had that is more expensive than the eyepieces..... do I regret the purchase ....... not at all ? If I knew then what I know now I would have bought one from the start ? but hey everything is easy with hindsight.

 

Totally agree. If you buy quality from the start then it saves upgrading at a later date. The trouble is when you first start in the hobby a lot of the time you don't have the money to buy the best, or the knowledge.

I am luck that I did a bit of research and had a couple of top quality second hand scopes come up for sale at the right time. No complaints with the OO UK reflectors. And the Equinox 120ed a really good scope for the money I paid. Still would like a look through a Tak though just to make sure ?

 

 

 

[25585]

I would have gone for a Tak TSA102 had they still been made (but still have kept the Equinox). I think that's why I chose the DL, nearest to triplet perfection. But my 120 Equinox is my main lens scope. 

Taks are a lot of expensive glass to sweep up if they shatter in an accident. Check its covered by insurance!

 

[25585]

1 hour ago, John said:

I ought to have said that my ED120 is the Evostar Pro one but it has the same optics in that they use in the Equinox 120.

100 likewise for the ED. However an ED 80 has different lenses & longer FL, reported to be better than the 80 Equinox. 

[Highburymark]

I think Stu's post above says it all. For me the 120ED and Tak FC-100s are different telescopes in different markets - in July I'll be taking my FC in cabin baggage to Spain - a premium 4" that weighs 2.8kg and can accompany you anywhere. The Equinox is well over twice that weight. If it were just a case of buying a decent ED for use at home then I'd probably have gone for the Equinox. 

[25585]

5 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

I think Stu's post above says it all. For me the 120ED and Tak FC-100s are different telescopes in different markets - in July I'll be taking my FC in cabin baggage to Spain - a premium 4" that weighs 2.8kg and can accompany you anywhere. The Equinox is well over twice that weight. If it were just a case of buying a decent ED for use at home then I'd probably have gone for the Equinox. 

How much is holiday insurance to cover your FC Mark?

[Stu]

2 hours ago, 25585 said:

your 120 is F9

F7.5 surely? 900/120....

[25585]

Just now, Stu said:

F7.5 surely? 900/120....

Oops my bad! Got mixed up with my 100 Equinox @_@

[Stu]

53 minutes ago, 25585 said:

Check its covered by insurance!

Or better still, wrap it in corduroy?  

[Stu]

54 minutes ago, 25585 said:

 

I would have gone for a Tak TSA102

 

I understand the desire for perfection, but then lightweight and lovely fluorite contrast of the DC are the things that are important, the 102 triplet is that much heavier and takes long to cool so I think I would push up to a 120 if taking that compromise. Each to their own of course, all these scopes are things you should be pleased, no delighted, to own!

[Highburymark]

1 hour ago, 25585 said:

How much is holiday insurance to cover your FC Mark?

Can't remember the details. I'll get back to you in July.....