Barlow or TeleExtender for Lunar Mosaics

[pi_co100]

I am looking at a 2x Barlow or Extender for imaging of the Moon (mosaics given the size of my camera) so flatness of field would really help. There is one obvious choice (2x Powermate) but it seems really expensive. Are the cheaper alternatives out there that would give a flat field?

A shortlist may be:

ES 1.25 focal extender

Baader VIP 2x Barlow

Altair Lightwave 2x Flat Field APO

I am imaging with an Esprit 150. I would be interest to have thoughts from someone who owns the above. Thank you,

Piero

[CraigT82]

I have both the 2x and 3x ES focal extenders.... really pleased with them both though the 2x gets much more usage. Heard good things about the Baader VIP too which is more versatile and cam offer different powers in different configurations. 

Cant really comment on FC correction as my 1620mm FL newt doesn't have much.  Is your camera chip that big it picks up the edges of the field? 

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I have the Meade Series 5000 2x and 3x TeleXtenders which are optically the same as the ES 1.25 focal extenders, I am told. I also have the Tele-Vue 2.5x and apart from magnification, I cannot really tell them apart. The combination of Meade 2x TeleXtender, APM 80mm F/6, and   and ZWO ASI183MC got me this lunar shot:

Which isn't bad, I would say

[Merlin66]

I have the Meade 5000 x3 extender and the ES x3 version and they look and perform the same.

I also regularly use the x2.5 PM for solar and hoped that these x3 versions would reduce the Newton Rings I experience with the ASI 174. No such luck!! Still need the T2 tilter.

 

[pi_co100]

13 hours ago, CraigT82 said:

I have both the 2x and 3x ES focal extenders.... really pleased with them both though the 2x gets much more usage. Heard good things about the Baader VIP too which is more versatile and cam offer different powers in different configurations. 

Cant really comment on FC correction as my 1620mm FL newt doesn't have much.  Is your camera chip that big it picks up the edges of the field? 

Hi I have an ASI1600 which using a 2x Barlow I would need a 2 frame mosaic for an half Moon and 4 frames mosaic for a full Moon.

 

13 hours ago, michael.h.f.wilkinson said:

I have the Meade Series 5000 2x and 3x TeleXtenders which are optically the same as the ES 1.25 focal extenders, I am told. I also have the Tele-Vue 2.5x and apart from magnification, I cannot really tell them apart. The combination of Meade 2x TeleXtender, APM 80mm F/6, and   and ZWO ASI183MC got me this lunar shot:

Which isn't bad, I would say

No, I would say it is really good for a 80mm, very sharp. It is similar to the one I had taken with my 10cm Takahashi.

 

12 hours ago, Merlin66 said:

I have the Meade 5000 x3 extender and the ES x3 version and they look and perform the same.

I also regularly use the x2.5 PM for solar and hoped that these x3 versions would reduce the Newton Rings I experience with the ASI 174. No such luck!! Still need the T2 tilter.

 

Are the Newton rings due to small misalignment between the optics the extender and the camera? Do you just get that with Sun imaging?

Thank you all for your responses. I will probably go with the ES 2x. It is £78 compared to £287 of the TV (and an additional £44 ring is required for the TV)...

[Merlin66]

The Newton Rings are only a problem when imaging the Sun in Ha.

 

[pi_co100]

Thanks!