SW Evostar 72ED DS Pro as imaging scope?

[Astroblagger]

Hello

Iv been looking for a shorty focal length imaging scope and seen the SW 72ED on the FLO website, Has anyone been using it for imaging with a CCD? I was also considering the WO zenithstar 61, but this is considerably more expensive (plus I would need to buy the Field Flattener££). I already have the 0.85 SW reducer and my finder guider would slot right ontop of the evostar unlike the WO scope. My intention would be to use it with an Atik 460EX and filter wheel. Does the focuser rotate on this scope? and can the focuser be upgraded? Any thoughts and experience/advice would be welcome.    

[Marky1973]

Hello! I have just started using it and then had to take a break when I broke my camera....? I am by no means an expert, but I think it has promise as a nice little scope - at least for someone working at my level. My first (proper) light with the ED72 and my Atik Horizon is at this link

Just 3 hours or so of 5 minute Ha subs. This was without the flattener as this just turned up when the camera was info repair. Looking at the Astronomy Tools website CCD suitability calculator I can't see that the 460 would be a bad match. I was actually considering it myself, but went with the Horizon in the end as it was a little cheaper, had a slightly larger FOV and was slightly less under-sampled....although, at these figures I am not sure this is really much of an issue.

I posted some other thoughts about the scope in this thread

which is why it got a bit lost as I got confused and posted on the wrong thread - but it is a very brief account of my first thoughts! But there might be some useful stuff in that thread!

The focuser doesn't rotate unfortunately and I am not sure about upgrades, I am not sure there are any "official" ones yet, but I am sure some will appear in the near future. It might be that some existing 3rd party focusers will work, but I am not sure which ones. 

Its ideal if you have the SW FF/FR already as it will work fine with the scope if you have the 2" nosepiece to attach to it. If not you will need the adapter that SW is sending out with it to work with the ED80 FF/FR - not sure if it available separately, but I am sure FLO will be able to sort you out if needed. I guess that, if you use the FF/FR with the nosepiece, that will allow for some rotation in the imaging train if that is an issue - you can also get a compression ring adaptor for the ED72 now, rather than have everything hang off the two grub screws!

There has been a bit of debate out the reducer-sensor distance required with the focal reducer if using with the adapter to screw directly to the draw tube and that will be the next thing to sort when my camera comes home (all sorted with Atik, hurrah!) to figure out the best distance to sort out those pesky stars in the corners!

Ultimately, for the price, I think it is a very nice little scope, although not without its shortcomings - I don't think it is ideal for visual work as I found it didn't work so well with some eyepiece/barlow combinations as the draw tube has limited outward focus, but I haven't come across anything too serious from an imaging point of view, but it is early days! ?