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6SE from 5SE worth it ?


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Hi all

I'm just (still :)) comparing these two Celestron Telescopes.

If you exclude the obvious differences in optics, I've noticed that the 5SE comes with a (built in ?) wedge and camera control.

Should I ignore these and concentrate on the fact that the 6SE sits on a better mount and HAS the better optics?

I just wonder why the features on the 5SE have been excluded from the 6SE ?

Any thoughts ?

Thanks as always

Neil

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The wedge looks like it is a simple steel rod that allows you to angle the base. I can see the bolt which will be the pivot in the SE5 picture. Not necessarily accurate but it does allow you to approximate to a wedge.

I see mention of the camera release and have no idea what it is. Can only suggest the Celestron web site or a retailer, possibly Hinds as they are now the importer, they should be able to supply details.

Otherwise the 6 is bigger which as you state is obvious. The 4 and 5 share a mount, the 6 and 8 share a mount. So the mount on the 6 is more then able to take the 6 as it also handles the 8. Might make a difference if you use it a lot for astrophotography. It should be able to take the DSLR weight - if rebalanced. The SE5 may be attempting to drive too much weight if a DSLR is added, since it's mount is intended only for the SE5 OTA and nothing additional.

You can get "thingys" for the camera release and timing, cannot recall the name but ask in the imaging section. Don't think they are that expensive.

The "wedge" may therefore be the deciding factor.

I do not image so really cannot say much.

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Personally i'd go for the 6SE (since thats what I did)

If your planning on doing some astro photography then the wedge is obviously a selling point

BUT

for lunar and planetary photography i believe you can achieve this with the standard alt-az mount by stacking lots of short exposure images,

and for dso you're going to need a very stable mount (which i don't know if the 5se is stable enough) as well as a larger apeture (the larger the better)

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but whether you're planning on observing or imagaing it looks like the 6se is the better choice if you can afford it

Good luck,

Steve

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Hi,

I was just recently (until today) contemplating the 6 SE myself. I wanted to try my hand at some astrophotography and saw that the 5 SE had a built in wedge so assumed the 6 SE would have the same. Turns out it does not. There are seperate wedges available for the 6 SE but they are pretty costly (£250 +).

After further reading I realised that neither scope on the Alt/Az mount would be good for photography because the wedge setup on the 5SE isn't meant to be great, and the 6SE without wedge suffers from field rotation on anything over a few seconds of exposure.

If it is astrophotography you are specifically looking for I would reccommend going for a scope on a sturdy motorised EQ mount as this will track targets a lot more accurately for photography.

I ended up discarding both of the SE scopes and opted for a Celestron C6 SGT on a GOTO Equatorial mount. It's a bit more pricey, but am hoping the improvement in mount will be worth it.

However, if you are not really looking to do much astrophotography, the 6SE will give great views and the setup is very portable (much more than the C6 SGT).

Others will probably have more to offer than me as I am fairly new to this, although I did a LOT of reading up on the 6SE scope before making up my mind.

Great for viewing, not so great for imaging.

Hope that helps

Cheers

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Thanks again for the input.

I'm glad I'm not in a rush to purchase (want to get it right)

Food for thought there.

I keep ignoring imaging and then think I'd really like something that's going to allow imaging.

It'll be interesting to see what I decide.

Thanks for the answers to my topic title.

Neil

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I've got the 4SE (same mount as the 5SE) and the wedge is a bit dinky - the graduations on the metal rod are very coarse - 5 degrees between the marks. I don't think you can use it for proper astrophotography.

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I have the 5 on one of those wedge mounts and it really isn't up to the job i woulf forget about that wedge as a factor and get the 6 its a better mount and bigger apparture if you want to image get the c6 on a gem mount if you want portability then get the 6se if you need extreme portability. (i often carry mine in a backpack) get the 5se

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The 6SE is a great visual telescope and can probably do a decent job on planetary imaging. However the SE mount aren't suitable for long exposure. Alt-az aside you cannot set backlash compensation or periodic error correction on the SE, so even if you have it on a wedge, it won't track too well for long exposure.

The wedge for 6 and 8 SE is expensive, so expensive in fact that I can get a second hand CG5-GT for about the same price. Since no one bought the wedge, it is hopeless looking for one used.

If I have a choice between 5 and 6SE, I'd go for the 6SE. The larger mount is more versatile and stable.

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actually you can set backlash on the 6 but you're right it doesnt have pec. basically it comes down to this the 5 put on a mount designed for the 4 or the 6 put on a mount designed for the 8 I know which one is the steadier and has more spare capacity

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Hi again

Been looking at so many different options that I just stopped.

I was (theoretically) spending thousands of pounds ! :)

Had a reality check.

Went back to the 6SE which I think is going to be an excellent telescope for me.

Imaging ( DSO ) is off the menu.

So I've just ordered a 6SE and look forward to using it.

Cheers

And thanks for all the varied comments.

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I ended up discarding both of the SE scopes and opted for a Celestron C6 SGT on a GOTO Equatorial mount. It's a bit more pricey, but am hoping the improvement in mount will be worth it.

I've did the same thing, and if you shop around you can get the C6 for approx the same price - I've just ordered my C6-SGT for £860 which was the same price my nearest dealer had the SE6 up for. However it seems that the distributors are out of stock of teh C6-SGT (and C8-SGT for that matter) so it could be a couple of months before my scope arrives.

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  • 3 years later...

The 6se is a good scope and a good compromise between portability and useful for many things. I have managed to get some reasonable DSO images such as M42. With a bit of work you can stretch to 25s subs for DSOs from the alt Az mount. A good scope and mount to cut ones teeth

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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I have the 6se and am delighted with it.  Got some good planetary images with a webcam and was then lucky enough to get a 2nd hand wedge cheaply - the older version not the current expensive one.  This works well although it isn't the sturdiest of wedges.  However, am in the process of upgrading to something like the Celestron AV 9.25 and will probably keep the 6se as an alt/az one for visual and star parties.  So in a couple of months time I may have a wedge for sale.

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