William Optic focusers...

[skye at night]

Hello,

I notice that the Wo 98 now comes with a digital readout focuser...

Can anybody tell me what advantages this may give?

Does it let you know if focus has shifted or can you record a set value for a particular setup and return to it knowing that focus should be OK?

Thanks

Steve

[Takahashi]

I'll let you know when I receive my 110, hopefully early next week.

As far as I can tell, it should help in repeating focus positions with more ease than repetitive testing via zoomed pre-shot exposures, but that's just pure speculation until I see it "in the flesh". How accurate it might be is something that troubles me, but I guess if the focuser itself is nice 'n' tight, it should prove accurate.

...and doesn't it look just damn cool?

/looks out red-film to mask the blue glare.

[GazOC]

...and doesn't it look just damn cool?

Yep, it certainly does!!

[brianb]

How accurate it might be is something that troubles me, but I guess if the focuser itself is nice 'n' tight, it should prove accurate.

Assuming, of course, that the focus doesn't shift significantly with changes in temperature.

[Takahashi]

True... I am still sceptical of the real-world value of the display. Time (and use) will tell.

[Yoddha]

If this digital readout can be connected to PC somehow, it can be quite handy

BTW is there place where more info can be read?

[Takahashi]

BTW is there place where more info can be read?

None that I know of, but I'd like to know a bit more in advance of receiving it.

[Yoddha]

None that I know of, but I'd like to know a bit more in advance of receiving it.

It looks that you will be one of the first sources I'll look forward in this thread with great interest!

[skye at night]

My fear for it would be that ..at the very times when most relying on it.. ie. with a camera load on it.. the focuser may slip (as we know crayfords can do) and that the 'point of reference for the digital readout' is then lost...

Sounds like a great idea but feel that t may work better on an good r and p focuser.

Steve

[MG1]

I agree that they look cool, but doesn't it Strike you as odd that they decided to go with a blue display rather than red? I wonder sometimes if WO actually employ any astronomers in their R&D dept.

I think the feathertouch version is the way to go, then as pennies allow add their electonic focuser upgrade which can be programmed to allow for thermal creep. Very clever stuff, but also very expensive.

[Takahashi]

doesn't it Strike you as odd that they decided to go with a blue display rather than red?

Yes, hence the footnote in my first post in this thread. The blue looks great, but practicality could be a real issue, without a bit of red-gel application.