Mercury 707 or 70ED?

[Ags]

I have been in a box for a while thinking about getting a 70mm ED scope for visual use. Thinking outside that box why not a Mercury 707 instead? I have never looked through one, but at F10 and only 2.7" aperture, CA should be well controlled. The scope is let down by it's mount, but I would buy OTA only. The 707's price and weight are very attractive, and only the length makes it a bit doubtful as a travelscope. Could it replace my ST80 as a green light solar scope without melting? Is the focuser as bad as it looks?

There is also a 60mm 700mm focal length OTA for even less money - there should be no CA in that...

[Clarkey]

I'm not sure about the 707 but I got a used 705 with an AZ3 mount (I was only after the mount for a lightweight set up)and it was pretty awful. Optically it was just about ok, but it was poorly made with masses of slop in the focuser and just felt cheap. I was thinking of replacing my ST80 with the longer FL 705 for use as a guide scope but it was not good enough.

Optically the 707 may be marginally better, but the build quality I suspect will be the same.

[neil phillips]

Sky watcher capricorn 70mm F12.8 is better i reckon. Quite sharp optics. False colour is minimal at nearly F13

heres some moon taken with mine 

1406529554_swcapricorn70GFG.png2.png.494e06bbbdaf90749e9ad11f2e190190.png (2322×2858) (stargazerslounge.com)

Edited June 14, 2021 by neil phillips