Takahashi epsilon 130ED - any visual users?

[josefk]

hi all,

Can i tap into the hive mind and deep experience pool of the SGL community and ask if anyone has any thoughts (really experiences) with the Takahashi epsilon 130ED used as a visual instrument that they would be happy to share? i appreciate it’s a bit of a niche product used in a niche way.

I can find a few reviews online where SGL and CN posters use this or the larger e160 for night vision assisted visual for its f3.3 speed but i’m strictly interested in the standard visual experience and i don’t know enough if the EEA experiences “translate”. I guess not.

Are there any gotcha’s or issues with this fast astrograph “misused” in this way?

i’m basically simmering the classic debate - small (but in this case in particular physically short) reflector versus even smaller APO refractor. This could be a potential upgrade on my current grab and go kit. i’m assuming this particular execution of the newt recipe is going to give me a flat field with nice stars to the edge but critically with more reach than a similar weight and length (and therefore much smaller aperture) APO but i can’t find any user validation of those assumptions and actual usage experience visually so i’m wary of any downsides that i may not have appreciated.

i don’t need it to do everything for me - within the limits of it’s aperture - DSO performance (with a few doubles when the moon is up) and pleasure of use/nice ergonomics in the 25x …110x magnifying range is the target (limited mag because it will be on a lightweight mount).

Cheers

Edited February 6, 2023 by josefk

[Highburymark]

I use mine visually - but only for night vision, with magnifications rarely above 30x. Apart from the fast speed, its main strength is showing vast swathes of the night sky - so it’s perfect for imaging or viewing large nebulae with night vision. I’ve had a few glances (during the daytime and once at the Moon) with a traditional eyepiece (Tak TOE 4mm for around 100x), and the views are surprisingly good for an F/3.3 scope. But that was more to test the eyepiece’s ability to handle fast optics than establish the Epsilon’s visual credentials. Of course it also has an ED corrector which significantly reduces aberrations, and the owner’s manual does in fact include a section on visual, but much as I love the scope, I can’t imagine using it as a serious visual instrument, particularly for high power work on double stars. 

[josefk]

Thanks @Highburymark - i was hoping you may see the post because i've read your NV experiences. Your feedback is appreciated even if it's not really what i wanted to hear. I know I couldn't fully leverage the f3.3 capability visually - i would see the secondary below about 25x but even 25x would still give me 2.8 ish degrees of sky at 5mm ish exit pupil.

The f3.3 appeals more because it makes for a super compact packaging of 130mm of aperture and that had got me thinking...

Never mind and thanks.