Skywatcher Esprit 120ED

[Notty]

After 8y or so building up my ED80/HEQ5 based imaging rig I have just sold it in order to go "big bang" on upgrading it, (scope, mount, ASIair) hopefully with one good enough that I will always be the limiting factor for the rest of my AP days.  I'd done my research and had decided the Esprit 120ED on an EQ6R-pro would suit my purposes with my ASI1600MM, but what I hadn't appreciated was quite how little of anything there was in the UK and how it's literally drip feeding in from China. The wait for the Esprit is October! Now I don't mind waiting and missing out all summer for the right kit but it's given me pause to just run this by to see if there might not be a better choice of scope for a similar price range. I'd love a Tak but that's always going to be out of my league, or perhaps someone's heard of something gorgeous just around the corner? Thanks for any input.

[PeterCPC]

Rother Valley Optics have a Esprit 120 in stock according to their website. But check.

Peter

[Stuart1971]

10 minutes ago, PeterCPC said:

Rother Valley Optics have a Esprit 120 in stock according to their website. But check.

Peter

Yes, do check, as they never have any items out of stock, 🤔 I fell foul of that, so I always ask now, and it’s amazing how many items they do not have in stock but have, according to the website...

[scitmon]

How about a StellaMira 104?  or is that aperture too small?

[Notty]

 

17 minutes ago, PeterCPC said:

Rother Valley Optics have a Esprit 120 in stock according to their website. But check.

Peter

Thanks, but they don't I checked yesterday. In fact while I was on the phone confirming they had the last EQ6R-pro in the country in stock, someone bought it. It's that mad at the moment

[Notty]

5 minutes ago, scitmon said:

How about a StellaMira 104?  or is that aperture too small?

Yes, really I want a bigger step up from my ED80 for galaxy resolution - if I could afford the 150 triplet I would! but thank you

[Stuart1971]

Have you asked here, they are very good....

https://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/sky-watcher-esprit-120ed-pro-super-apo-triplet-refractor-telescope.html

[Stuart1971]

Also here too...

https://www.harpersphoto.co.uk/refractortelescopes/skywatcher-esprit-120ed-f5-professional-apo-triplet-refractor.html

[Stuart1971]

And here, and states you can have it for the 6th July.... 👍

https://www.raig.co.uk/skywatcher-refractor-esprit-120-ed-apo-optical-tube-b27a/

[johnturley]

Rother Valley Optics website says everything normally in stock, and the Wide Screen Centre does not state whether items or in stock or not, and for example they still list a couple of Nagler eyepieces that were discontinued some time ago.

As an alternative there is the Explore Scientific 127mm FCD 100 Refractor, which according  Harrison Telescopes website is in stock at £1,890, it is quite good optically (I have one), but build quality is not as good as the Esprit.

The Altair Wave Series, which I think are sold under several different brand names with minor variations, have quite a good reputation, the 125 EDF f7.8 FPL 53 is listed at Harrison Telescopes at £1,699 and the 130 ED f7 at £2,299, the latter uses FPL51 glass so colour correction maybe not quite as good. However both these scopes are currently listed as being out of stock.

John 

 

Edited June 30, 2020 by johnturley

[Notty]

Thanks all. I hadn't heard of Raig or Harpers, but they're quite significantly more expensive than everywhere else I've checked, and its the same story, they can't make them fast enough for demand!

[ollypenrice]

Second hand items are always in stock...

Olly

[gorann]

I have two Esprits, 100 and 150 and I love them, so I am sure the 120 would be an excellent scope. However, an alternative from which I have seen great images is the 130 from TS. You can see on Astrobin what "pete xl" https://www.astrobin.com/users/pete_xl/ can do with it, very impressive, and it comes at a very reasonable price. There are two versions that only differ with regard to the size of the focuser (according to TS - I asked them since I am tempted to get one myself):

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p6679_TS-Optics-PHOTOLINE-130-mm-f-7-FPL53-Triplet-APO-Refractor.html

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p7717_TS-Optics-PHOTOLINE-130-mm-f-7-FPL53-Triplet-Apo---3-7--Focuser.html

and the one with the smaller focuser is in stock and in my experience TS do not lie about this but you should ask them.

If you google this scope you find some good info, especially on Cloudy Nights

 

Edited June 30, 2020 by gorann

[johnturley]

15 minutes ago, gorann said:

I have two Esprits, 100 and 150 and I love them, so I am sure the 120 would be an excellent scope. However, an alternative from which I have seen great images is the 130 from TS. You can see on Astrobin what "pete xl" https://www.astrobin.com/users/pete_xl/ can do with it, very impressive, and it comes at a very reasonable price. 

 

I think that this is very similar to the Altair version, but the TS version is cheaper, and uses FPL53 rather than FPL51 glass. 

John 

[gorann]

8 hours ago, johnturley said:

I think that this is very similar to the Altair version, but the TS version is cheaper, and uses FPL53 rather than FPL51 glass. 

John 

And Altair says "Out of stock",

[Xsubmariner]

  I have a TS130 photoline 3.7 and AA130 telescopes and they are both very good scopes for AP.  If I could only keep one it would be the TS due to the focuser and camera rotator facility. Good luck with your search.

[Notty]

23 hours ago, gorann said:

I have two Esprits, 100 and 150 and I love them, so I am sure the 120 would be an excellent scope. However, an alternative from which I have seen great images is the 130 from TS. You can see on Astrobin what "pete xl" https://www.astrobin.com/users/pete_xl/ can do with it, very impressive, and it comes at a very reasonable price. There are two versions that only differ with regard to the size of the focuser (according to TS - I asked them since I am tempted to get one myself):

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p6679_TS-Optics-PHOTOLINE-130-mm-f-7-FPL53-Triplet-APO-Refractor.html

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p7717_TS-Optics-PHOTOLINE-130-mm-f-7-FPL53-Triplet-Apo---3-7--Focuser.html

and the one with the smaller focuser is in stock and in my experience TS do not lie about this but you should ask them.

If you google this scope you find some good info, especially on Cloudy Nights

 

Wow, that chap knows what he's doing, and has same camera as me too. definitely worth a look, thank you and everyone else who's chipped in.

[Simon P]

I am looking at the  same sort of set up to start deep sky and am trying to decide between the 100 which is an f5.5 and the 120 at f7, eventually I would hope to get a zwo1600.

 Any advice would be appreciated.

I was interested to see the problem with availability.

[sputniksteve]

On 30/06/2020 at 12:00, Stuart1971 said:

And here, and states you can have it for the 6th July.... 👍

https://www.raig.co.uk/skywatcher-refractor-esprit-120-ed-apo-optical-tube-b27a/

Crikey. Their prices are ... astronomical.

[gorann]

On 01/07/2020 at 23:06, Notty said:

Wow, that chap knows what he's doing, and has same camera as me too. definitely worth a look, thank you and everyone else who's chipped in.

Found another successful user of the TS 130:

https://www.astrobin.com/users/jdurand/

[tomato]

On 30/06/2020 at 22:57, gorann said:

I have two Esprits, 100 and 150 and I love them, so I am sure the 120 would be an excellent scope. However, an alternative from which I have seen great images is the 130 from TS. You can see on Astrobin what "pete xl" https://www.astrobin.com/users/pete_xl/ can do with it, very impressive, and it comes at a very reasonable price. There are two versions that only differ with regard to the size of the focuser (according to TS - I asked them since I am tempted to get one myself):

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p6679_TS-Optics-PHOTOLINE-130-mm-f-7-FPL53-Triplet-APO-Refractor.html

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p7717_TS-Optics-PHOTOLINE-130-mm-f-7-FPL53-Triplet-Apo---3-7--Focuser.html

and the one with the smaller focuser is in stock and in my experience TS do not lie about this but you should ask them.

If you google this scope you find some good info, especially on Cloudy Nights

 

+1 for the Esprit 150, and I agree you can’t go far wrong with the 120. Having said that Petexl’s images are outstanding, fairly modest integration times and from a Bortle 4 or worse sky  if I have identified the location correctly.

[Notty]

On 03/07/2020 at 21:48, Simon P said:

I am looking at the  same sort of set up to start deep sky and am trying to decide between the 100 which is an f5.5 and the 120 at f7, eventually I would hope to get a zwo1600.

 Any advice would be appreciated.

I was interested to see the problem with availability.

and here comes a possible trade war with China, so Sept/Oct might be optimistic!

[Miguel1983]

13 hours ago, tomato said:

+1 for the Esprit 150, and I agree you can’t go far wrong with the 120. Having said that Petexl’s images are outstanding, fairly modest integration times and from a Bortle 4 or worse sky  if I have identified the location correctly.

Wouldn't the 150 be a tad on the heavy side for the EQ6R for AP ?

I have the 120 , witch to me is a perfect fit for the EQ6R @ 67% of the rated maximum load capacity.

Also have the SW corrector for it and a great performing TS 0,75 reducer making it a 630mm f5,25 for nebula season, alltough that 0,65 Apex reducer from Starizona would make it even faster at 546mm and f4,55...

[tomato]

Agreed, the 150 is leaning on an EQ6R, but it will take it if well balanced and no wind. The 120 is a better choice for that mount.
 

The point I was making is that the whole Esprit  range are very good refractors, I have seen no reports that one aperture size is particularly better than another, from a quality perspective.

[gilesco]

I've ordered the Esprit 120 Pro, onto the waiting list. If these things are coming from China, then they're probably coming by boat, and in my experience that is typically a 6-8 week journey + customs time. oh and +7 days for a bench test.