Evostar 72 for visual, EAA and Solar?

[Ags]

I am looking for a step up from my ST80, which serves many functions.

With my Herschel wedge and solar continuum filter, it is a solar scope, but I have doubts it can really deliver at magnifications of 100-120x.

It works as my EAA scope but stars are of course bloated.

It works as a superfinder mounted alongside my C6 on a giro mount, but can't go much beyond that role. It would be nice for the superfinder to be a refractor that can also show doubles as pinpoints with correct colors for example.

Not wanting to spend a lot of money, the Evostar 72 seems like the right option.  It's about the same aperture as the ST80.

It should also be good for DSO photography with my AZ-GTi...

What are people's experiences with the scope? Are there any realistic alternatives?

Edited April 12, 2020 by Ags

[PEMS]

I assume you refer to the 72ED. If so the focuser travel is limited.

Will say the Az GTi is not recommended for DSO AP. It is not intended for that use and will I expect deliver poor results. Or need a lot of work to get results. Exposures will need to be short even with a 72ED. 420mm focal length I understand.

[Ags]

I don't want to get sidetracked by a discussion on the AZ GTi (or indeed astrophotography), but there are plenty of resources online about using the mount for AP, and I have direct experience of doing so myself.

Regarding focus travel I believe there was an update to to the 72ED whereby the tube was shortened in more recent models?

Edited April 12, 2020 by Ags

[Mark at Beaufort]

Agnes I once considered the 72ED as a solar and travel scope (well I still might). I never bought it because I wanted an assurance that there would be enough inward travel to focus when using a 1.25" Lunt HW. I am still not sure about this point although I could ask FLO.

[Size9Hex]

5 minutes ago, Mark at Beaufort said:

Agnes I once considered the 72ED as a solar and travel scope (well I still might). I never bought it because I wanted an assurance that there would be enough inward travel to focus when using a 1.25" Lunt HW. I am still not sure about this point although I could ask FLO.

Hi Mark, I use a 72ED with a 1.25 Lunt wedge for solar. Reaches focus with all the eyepieces I’ve tried (ES82 mostly). However, inward focus travel is too limited on this scope with some other combos (e.g. adding a focal extender if I recall correctly).

[Size9Hex]

1 hour ago, Ags said:

 

What are people's experiences with the scope? Are there any realistic alternatives?

Hi Ags, commenting for visual only, I think it’s optically superb, versatile, and lovely to use too. It’ll do wide field, high power fine detail (within the laws of physics for its aperture), nighttime and solar.

[Mark at Beaufort]

2 hours ago, Size9Hex said:

Hi Mark, I use a 72ED with a 1.25 Lunt wedge for solar. Reaches focus with all the eyepieces I’ve tried (ES82 mostly). However, inward focus travel is too limited on this scope with some other combos (e.g. adding a focal extender if I recall correctly).

Thanks Paul very helpful.

[Ags]

On 12/04/2020 at 18:03, Size9Hex said:

I think it’s optically superb, versatile, and lovely to use too. It’ll do wide field, high power fine detail (within the laws of physics for its aperture), nighttime and solar.

That sounds very good indeed! 

[Louis D]

The difference between my Astro Tech 72ED and my ST80 is huge.  No star bloating, no spherical aberration, no violet color below 100x and very mild above that in the 72ED.  It has an excellent focuser except that it slips with loads above 2 pounds at high inclinations no matter how much I tighten the tension and rough up the flat of the tube.  I was pleased enough I moved up to a 90mm TS Optics APO triplet after 6 years.  It's definitely better, especially the focuser, but the difference between the FPL-51 doublet in the 72ED and the FPL-53 triplet in the 90mm isn't nearly as much as the difference between the achromatic doublet and the FPL-51 doublet.

The AT72ED does not quite have enough in-travel for binoviewers, but might have enough for advanced solar usage.  It has about 8cm of travel with the default focus position about in the middle with a 1.25" diagonal.  It is annoying that the focuser won't accept a 2" diagonal nosepiece further than about an inch or so.  With the dew shield retracted and the focuser racked all the way in, it is very compact.

I would expect the optical performance of the SW72ED to be similar to the AT72ED, but with different mechanicals.  It is definitely worthwhile to step up to an ED scope.

[Ags]

In terms of alternatives, I see this is available for 50 euros less than the Skywatcher 72ED currently:

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p1151_TS-Optics-70-mm-F6-ED-Travel-Refractor-with-modern-2--RAP-Focuser.html

Seems to be more travel friendly (retractable dew shield) and offers 81mm of drawtube travel. Also looks nicer to my eyes.

Edited April 15, 2020 by Ags

[Bobby1970]

I use an Altair 72mm ED scope for pretty much the same things as you by the sound of it. I also use it on my AzGti. But more for EEVA in AltAz mode than full on Astrophotography. I'm pretty chuffed with how it performs for Solar with my Herschel wedge, and also for EEVA with my ZWO 178 camera.