SkyWatcher Field Flattener for Evoguide 50 ED

[FLO]

Sky-Watcher have released a Field Flattener for the Evoguide 50 ED 🙂 

 

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Would this do anything for me if just used as a guide scope ?

[Chris]

I think this could make the Evoguide the most affordable ED astrograph for 1.25" CMOS cameras! Stick the Evoguide and flattener on a Star Adventurer and away you go. 

[steppenwolf]

18 minutes ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

Would this do anything for me if just used as a guide scope ?

I can't think of any real advantage in doing this for just guiding as guiding software is only interested in the centre of the star and is usually very tolerant of star shape.

[vineyard]

I'm still waiting for my Starizona EvoFF to ship!  Maybe I should cancel that & switch to this one instead...

[teoria_del_big_bang]

16 minutes ago, steppenwolf said:

I can't think of any real advantage in doing this for just guiding as guiding software is only interested in the centre of the star and is usually very tolerant of star shape.

Thanks, I didn't think it would but just in case I was missing something 🙂 

Steve

[Magnum]

Have they said what the back focus distance is with this flattener?

Lee

[Stuart1971]

3 minutes ago, Magnum said:

Have they said what the back focus distance is with this flattener?

Lee

17.5mm according to the website.. 👍😀

[Magnum]

ignore that, I see its 17.5mm, its listed in the specs  as back focal length rather than back focus LOL

[happy-kat]

Interesting product and attractive price, but not enough back focus for a mirrored DSLR, perhaps one to be tested.

[Magnum]

Yes the Starizona flattener for this is going to have about 45mm spacing for DSLR, but Its been in production all year and never seems to get announced, I wonder now this official one is out they have decided to cancel their one.

Edited September 7, 2020 by Magnum

[FLO]

23 minutes ago, Magnum said:

ignore that, I see its 17.5mm, its listed in the specs  as back focal length rather than back focus LOL

Oops. Sorry. Typo corrected 🙂 

[Macavity]

It's a NICE little scope (I have one!) 😎 I assume it is a 1x flattener?
For my more "ersatz" VIDEO finding, I do use a focal reducer etc. 😛

Edited September 7, 2020 by Macavity

[happy-kat]

Just .5mm short for a canon mirrorless DSLR possibly more when factor in the T ring thickness. It's great there is a flatener available for this, it's on my procrastination list.

[Adam J]

On 07/09/2020 at 09:50, vineyard said:

I'm still waiting for my Starizona EvoFF to ship!  Maybe I should cancel that & switch to this one instead...

It is interesting isn't it. But for now the Evo FF is not proven, while as I have seen good correction from the Starizona one. I would be inclined to hold off myself. 

When I saw this I did initially think that I could have saved money and gone with this solution instead of my ASKAR FMA180 but on closer inspection this would not work with my ASI1600MM pro without serious vignetting. 

Also you cant fit a filter wheel into a 17.5mm backfocus so its dedicated OSC cameras only on that basis. 

Adam  

Edited September 10, 2020 by Adam J

[szymon]

2 hours ago, Adam J said:

It is interesting isn't it. But for now the Evo FF is not proven, while as I have seen good correction from the Starizona one. I would be inclined to hold off myself. 

When I saw this I did initially think that I could have saved money and gone with this solution instead of my ASKAR FMA180 but on closer inspection this would not work with my ASI1600MM pro without serious vignetting. 

Also you cant fit a filter wheel into a 17.5mm backfocus so its dedicated OSC cameras only on that basis. 

Adam  

I am thinking future plans for my guide scope and ASI1600MM, along with a TS Optics filter drawer.  The filter drawer is 10mm, and it fits direct to the camera's 6.5mm male M42.  I'm thinking it will work as a very portable light-weight setup, and I don't think it will vignette more than can be handled by flats (28mm imaging circle, 13x10mm sensor).  I will give it a try at some point and if the flats correct the vignetting enough then I'll consider the flattener for megaportable...

[vineyard]

5 hours ago, Adam J said:

It is interesting isn't it. But for now the Evo FF is not proven, while as I have seen good correction from the Starizona one. I would be inclined to hold off myself. 

When I saw this I did initially think that I could have saved money and gone with this solution instead of my ASKAR FMA180 but on closer inspection this would not work with my ASI1600MM pro without serious vignetting. 

Also you cant fit a filter wheel into a 17.5mm backfocus so its dedicated OSC cameras only on that basis. 

Adam  

Thanks, that is helpful. Yes I've heard good things about the Starizona & seen some pretty decent images.  And it's apparently shipping end Oct (I won't hold my breath just yet though...).  Yep, the gleam in my eye is to use the flattened Evoguide w a SkyWatcher Pro as a v lightweight holiday rig - a lot cheaper than a Redcat!

Cheers

[Adam J]

3 hours ago, szymon said:

I am thinking future plans for my guide scope and ASI1600MM, along with a TS Optics filter drawer.  The filter drawer is 10mm, and it fits direct to the camera's 6.5mm male M42.  I'm thinking it will work as a very portable light-weight setup, and I don't think it will vignette more than can be handled by flats (28mm imaging circle, 13x10mm sensor).  I will give it a try at some point and if the flats correct the vignetting enough then I'll consider the flattener for megaportable...

The ASI1600mm is 17.7 x 13.4mm.

[szymon]

 

13 hours ago, Adam J said:

The ASI1600mm is 17.7 x 13.4mm.

Whoops, yes you're right, google failure.  The point however is that the diagonal is such that it should be reasonable, with flats, in the imaging circle of the scope.  Pythagoras says slightly under 20mm diagonal with those sensor measurements...

[Neko]

Here's a video review regarding the Evoguide practical uses for astrophotography, including the Skywatcher Evoguide dedicated Field Flattener. It seems it does a good job correcting the field, although is true that the back focus is very limited.. I was hoping to try it with my Qhy8-L but it is 20mm backfocus...so maybe not. 
 

[vineyard]

That's a nice video.  I hadn't thought about solar with it.  I did get the Evoguide flattener and am quite happy with that as a v light & portable wide-field AP set for holidays.  (I figured out a way of mounting 1.25" filters as well - exactly as the gentleman in the video did with the little adapter ring!)