Alternative to Skywatcher 80mm Equinox?

[johninderby]

Remember that both the Equinox 80 or the Telescope House versions have a much higher quality tube assembly than the ED80. The tube dia. is 90mm instead of 100mm and with the retractable dew shield it makes it much more compact when transporting it.

Once you get used to a dual speed focuser you just don't want to go back to a single speed.

John

[Beardy Bob]

argh, my brain hurts! All this information is really, really helpful, but it's making the decision between the celestron 80ed and telescope house 'equinox' more difficult rather than easier!

I think I'm actually edging towards the celestron, particularly after seeing those fab pics you took with it (any equinox astrophotographers out there have any comments of a comparative nature on those pics with the celestron ed80?)

My current scope has a R&P focuser so I know I can get focus with it. I also reckon I would buy a mask of some sort to help focus when I get my new scope. I guess what I'm saying is that, although a dual speed crayford would probably be far nicer to work with, if I got the celestron with a R&P I would never know what I was missing, and what you don't know can't hurt you, right!?

[blinky]

My ZS66 has a dual speed but the single speed of the ED80 does not bother me at all.

[jgs001]

Bob, that worked fine for me

[Beardy Bob]

Hey johninderby,

Thanks for the input. I'm not too interested in the tube being particularly short (for ease of transportation and the like), but is the different tube diameter an issue in some way?

[jgs001]

Bob, there's 2 different tube diameters. The Sywatcher ED80 tube diameter is 100mm or uses 100mm tube rings, the Celestron 80ED has a 90mm tube diameter and uses the 90mm tube rings. I don't think it makes any difference, just something to bear in mind.

[johninderby]

There are so many good choices now. If you were to go for the C80 ED, later on you could get an inexpensive focuser adaptor (C80 screw on fitting to regular synta type) from Agena Astro in the US that lets you fit a GSO crayford to it.

Pass the paracetamol !!!

John

[Beardy Bob]

Wow, I had no idea you could fit a focuser adapter. I will check that out now...

[Beardy Bob]

Interesting piece of kit that focuser and adapter. You can see where the extra cost of the equinox comes from. I think that has decided it for me. I'm going to leave this thread for the night and have a final look tomorrow afternoon at any other opinions that come in overnight and tomorrow morning. Thanks for all the help everybody. I will let you know what I order in the end.

Celestron 80ed (http://firstlightoptics.com/proddetail.php?prod=celestron_c80ED_ota&cat=49) versus skywatcher equinox clone (http://www.telescopehouse.com/acatalog/Apochromatic_Refractor_80mm_OTA__1856.html) for astrophotography of bright DSOs with a DSLR - discuss!!!

[jgs001]

Bob, it doesn't have to be bright DSO's.... I've got the horsehead with the C80ED and an unmodded camera. Ok, it needed several hours more data than I had time for but it was there, and I wasn't guiding so sub length was limited to 3 minutes.

http://stargazerslounge.com/showthread.php?t=75246

I'm sure the SW Equinox clone would work just as well though.

[FLO]

The Equinox 80 is available from Telescope House under their own name the FPL 53-ED Astrograph at £362.12 delivered. Identical lens to the Equinox.

The Equinox 80 uses a Synta-made optic with Japanese FPL-53 for the ED element and German Schott glass for the matching crown element. The Revelation houses a different optic.

[johninderby]

The Telescope House FPL53-80ED has totaly different optics to the old Revelation 80 APO which had FPL-51 glass and is a good buy while it's still at the old price.

Going with the C80-ED you could add a better focuser later on, but the standard focuser is not too bad for a rack & pinnion, and would do for now.

To me the decision would come down to which focal length better suits you. While both are very good as far as CA is concerned with allmost none, the longer focal length will have slightly less.

John

[Beardy Bob]

Yes, optics are the most important thing here. The telescope house FPL-53 ED80 has a rotatable 'neck' to orientate the camera and a nice retractable dew shield to slim it down. It also has the lovely dual speed crayford-type focuser, so I can see where the extra expense over the celestron ED80 comes from.

However, I use a rack and pinion focuser at the moment and will get a mask of some sort to help with focusing (especially seeing as the celestron is £150 cheaper for the same optics!).

The big question is, are the optics the same? And if not, would I actually see the difference in my photos?

[johninderby]

Well I don't think that you can go wrong whichever one you choose. After having used both the FPL-53 ED and an Orion USA 80ED (same as Skywatcher) I couldn't tell the difference in optics quality.

The 6.25 fl will have some advantages for astrophotography due to the faster fl and shorter exposure times, but at the expense of slightly more CA. If the longer exposure times needed by the 7.5 fl are no problem then yes it will give you slightly better images. And of course with the C80-ED you have the crayford as an option later on if you decide that you need it.

John

[FLO]

The Telescope House FPL53-80ED has totaly different optics to the old Revelation 80 APO which had FPL-51 glass and is a good buy while it's still at the old price.

Yes (I used to own the original Revelation 80) but neither version has the same optic as the Equinox.

Sorry to be pedantic

...would I actually see the difference in my photos?

I doubt anybody has carried out a side-by-side test but I do think German Schott glass (for the crown element) is a bit special. Even so, assuming both are built to spec, there is no wrong choice between these two and any difference will be subtle and more likely as a result of them having different lens cells (holds the lens elements) spacer materials, etc.

HTH

[Beardy Bob]

OK, just put an order in for the celestron ED80 with First Light Optics (with a few extras that I discussed on the phone earlier today). I figured that it was the best choice as my first imaging scope. I can always upgrade the focuser etc or use it as a tracking scope if I buy a better one. Thanks for all the advice folks.

[Panagiotis Papadakos]

What is your opinion about Sterne und Planeten - Teleskope (ED-Apochromaten) und Zubehör zu günstigen Preisen ?

Thanks.