Thoughts on imaging lens/scope.

[Allinthehead]

Hi all, I'm heading off on holidays for 10 days at the end of August to Kerry dark sky reserve and looking for something portable as I won't have room for the Epsilon. Budget around £350, maybe more for something special. Open to very wide field lens for Milky Way shots or something up to around 200mm. I don't even know were to begin, I'll be using my Eq3-2 and Asi2600mc.

Thanks,

Richard.

[Astro Noodles]

4 minutes ago, Allinthehead said:

Hi all, I'm heading off on holidays for 10 days at the end of August to Kerry dark sky reserve and looking for something portable as I won't have room for the Epsilon. Budget around £350, maybe more for something special. Open to very wide field lens for Milky Way shots or something up to around 200mm. I don't even know were to begin, I'll be using my Eq3-2 and Asi2600mc.

Thanks,

Richard.

How about one of these?

Askar FMA180 f/4.5 Astrograph Lens & Reducer | First Light Optics

[vlaiv]

Samyang 135mm F/2 or Samyang 85mm F/1.4.

Both will need to be stopped down to about F/2.8 for sharpness and I think that is better done via 3d printed aperture mask than by using lens aperture ring (since blades leave diffraction spikes on stars).

[Allinthehead]

11 minutes ago, Astro Noodles said:

How about one of these?

Askar FMA180 f/4.5 Astrograph Lens & Reducer | First Light Optics

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll look into it.

6 minutes ago, vlaiv said:

Samyang 135mm F/2 or Samyang 85mm F/1.4.

Both will need to be stopped down to about F/2.8 for sharpness and I think that is better done via 3d printed aperture mask than by using lens aperture ring (since blades leave diffraction spikes on stars).

I had a 135mm and it was the lens I was going to go with but the price has gone way up since I sold mine. About 500 euro now here in Ireland, I think I paid about 380. Hard to find in stock here too.

I like the look of that 85mm.

[ollypenrice]

7 minutes ago, vlaiv said:

Samyang 135mm F/2 or Samyang 85mm F/1.4.

Both will need to be stopped down to about F/2.8 for sharpness and I think that is better done via 3d printed aperture mask than by using lens aperture ring (since blades leave diffraction spikes on stars).

Agreed, but you don't need a 3D printer.  These only became essential when somebody invented them. Prior to that there was a sensible solution costing nothing and working every time...

I think that Samyang lens knocks out some great stuff. I had a brief adventure with their 85mm...

Olly

[Alien 13]

The Samyang 135mm f/2 would have been my choice but expensive especially when you add in the price of a foot and adapters but will run at f/2 in most systems if you focus off center. 

Alan

[Allinthehead]

3 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

Agreed, but you don't need a 3D printer.  These only became essential when somebody invented them. Prior to that there was a sensible solution costing nothing and working every time...

I think that Samyang lens knocks out some great stuff. I had a brief adventure with their 85mm...

Olly

Nice solution and image.

 

2 minutes ago, Alien 13 said:

The Samyang 135mm f/2 would have been my choice but expensive especially when you add in the price of a foot and adapters but will run at f/2 in most systems if you focus off center. 

Alan

I had a feeling it would be a popular choice😀, it would also come in handy for adding ha to my mosaics.

[Allinthehead]

12 minutes ago, Alien 13 said:

expensive especially when you add in the price of a foot and adapters

This was my solution for keeping costs down, plumbing pipe supports😂

Edited July 29, 2021 by Allinthehead