antares vs celestron focal reducer

Hi - most interesting - may I ask .. the brighter guys - "if a camera sensor is too small for a n adaper, will a focal reduer allow me to get greater use from the camera? The reducer features fully coated optics in an anodized aluminum filter ring with an ergonomic rubber grip. 3. In some cases, focal reducers also act as field flatteners by correcting for field curvature and coma of the objective lens. It's highly unlikely that they could be so precisely identical unless they were. The distances d1 andd2 can also be expressed in terms of the focal length of the focal reducer FR with the lens equation: Using Equation 2, Equation 1 can also be expressed in terms of d2: The focal reduction factor of the focal reducer depends on its focal length and its distance from the focal plane of the objective as shown by Equation 4: Again, for example, when the focal reducer is placed at the original focal plane of the objective, d1=0 and MR=1, which means there is no focal reduction. For this shoot-out, I used a standard Celestron C8 with Starbright coatings. This article explained the basics of how focal reducers work with various kinds of telescopes and how their working distance affects their reduction factor, and it provided sufficient detail to help amateur astronomer choose and use the right focal reducer for a particular application. Oceanside Photo & Telescope wants our customers to shop with confidence knowing that you will always get the best deal available. For imagers, the main purpose of a focal reducer is to increase the brightness of the image at the focal plane. The working distance or required back focus, explained above, is usually specified and is far more important in practice. A f/10 focal ratio now achieves a f/6.3, while an f/11 focal ratio now achieves a f/7. The Antares is supposed to be pretty comparable. My experience is that CN sellers are way above those listing elsewhere. The Antares f/6.3 Focal Reducer for Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes is a low-price option for reducing the focal length of your Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope from f/10 to f/6.3. Depending on the design of the telescope, they may require separate focal reducers if they require focal reducers at all. For visual use, this means you get lower power with the same eyepiece and a wider field of view. The two samples I have PERFORM IDENTICALLY. I happily cycle through LRGB filters to build the image rather than do a whole run of one filter at a time. Celestron's EdgeHD reducers feature a custom 5 element optical design engineered to maintain the flat-field performance of our award-winning EdgeHD optical system. I use it on my C8 SCT with a 1000d, and it seems to do everything written on the tin. What I do know is that the Antares and the Celestron samples that I have perform exactly the same from the center right out to the edges. Using these numbers in equation 4 in the Appendix, below, we can easily calculate that the focal length of this unit is approximately103mm (it will be 103mm plus the small amount by which the rear lens surface of the reducer is recessed beneath the reducer housing). I only have the Celestron f/6.3. Well done. That is definitely a 2" eyepiece, but it is not a large or long focal length 2" eyepiece. Planetarium software package which provides easy-to-understand explanations and impressive visuals of all kinds. I don't know. Whereas the Celestron threaded smoothly onto the scope, the Antares chattered and squeaked a bit more so when being removed. So ab6110 is asking for a FR only without coma correction, there are a couple of brands who make special reducers for the ACF. I have the Japanese version and although I haven't used it in quite awhile, the views through it were superb with no internal reflections at all. For Ritchey-Chretien telescopes such as those manufactured by GSO, there are also dedicated focal reducers with a reduction factor of 0.7x to 0.8x. Watch this before you buy Celestron 8SE SCT, or a Focal Reducer or a Hyperstar 7,758 views Mar 28, 2018 145 Dislike Share Ray's Astrophotography 42.3K subscribers Note: I am not paid or. This "speeds up" the optical train by reducing the focal length and magnification of the scope, requiring less time to integrate the same signal. That's partly because focal reducers correct for field curvature, which itself depends on the focal ratio and other optical design factors of the telescope. Because most modern Newtonians already have relatively fast focal ratios, these telescopes do not usually use focal reducers. Thanks guys, I'm trying to get my ZWO ASI120MC-S to work with my 90mm Meade. Perhaps not exactly- there will be some uncertainty because of manufacturing tolerances and so forth, but it will be close. The review is a subjective visual impression, which is interesting but not best evidence. A couple of tiny dust particles between lens elements, uneven lens edge blackening, very minor coating blemishes, or even a very small fine lens scratch or two are very common in this Antares product and must be accepted as normal for this item. All rights reserved. That was fun. This fully multi-coated lens provides maximum light transmission with near full-field illumination. The working distance of the GSO 0.5x focal reducer with 1.25" barrel and the GSO 0.5x focal reducer with 2" barrel is about 51mm to 53mm, approximately, from the middle of the metal cell that holds the lens. The reducer is we might presume designed to correct to some as yet un-measured extent, the image of a standard SCT. When placed in the focal plane in front of a camera or eyepiece, a focal reducer leads to a wider field of view and a brighter image of extended objects, which is important for reducing the exposure times when imaging faint extended objects like nebulae or galaxies. I think there may be some confusion here, because Antares makes a variety of reducers for eyepieces and scopes in addition to this SCT R/C but this definitely is a reducer/corrector. The stars at the edge could be worse or better. However, these will not impact optical performance. WiFi technology encircles the globe in a web of connectivity, knowledge, and information. No negative issues to report. A few large telescopes and mounts are excluded from this free shipping offer. Focus misses by about 1 turnof the focus knob.Here is my solution:Buy a shorter 1.25 visual back for my scope. More important, its clear that the Antares is a reducer/corrector, just like the Celestron and not merely a reducer. Torazz https://www.celestron.com/products/reducer-corrector, //cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1935/4371/products/94175_reducer_corrector_01.jpg?v=1603736883, //cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1935/4371/products/94175_reducer_corrector_01_medium.jpg?v=1603736883, Popular Science by Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 5" Smartphone App-Enabled Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope, Advanced VX 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, C9.25 Optical Tube Assembly (CGE Dovetail), Advanced VX 6" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, Advanced VX 700 Maksutov Cassegrain Telescope, CGX-L Equatorial 925 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, CPC 1100 GPS (XLT) Computerized Telescope, CGX-L Equatorial 1400 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, CGX-L Equatorial 1100 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, CGX Equatorial 925 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, CGX Equatorial 800 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, CGX Equatorial 1100 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, CGEM II 1100 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, Advanced VX 9.25" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, Advanced VX 11" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, Not compatible with #93648 Off-Axis Guider, not compatible with #93519 2" Mirror Diagonal (discontinued), Currently not compatible due to mechanical interferences. Does anyone know if the Antares 4000 focal reducer is as good as the Celestron focal reducer. The problem with those SCT reducers is that they cause chromatic aberration and require refocusing when using parfocal RGB/other filters. Our proprietary StarBright XLT optical coatings dramatically increase transmission, up to 97.4% on our Schmidt corrector lenses. Using this same example of an 8" SCT and a 0.63x reducer, a visual observer can also enjoy brighter images and a wider field of view. Description. Please note, orders placed after 10am on 2/28/2023 will be delayed. Field stop diameters are one of the specified specs of eyepieces. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. ), but stars seemed a bit tighter and their colors were richer and more dramatic. * Not a Retail Store * 16313 Arthur StreetCerritos, CA 90703, USA, Availability: Item has been discontinued by Agena and we no longer carry this item. First, I wanted to compare the actual reduction provided by these competitors, as many threads here cite different ideal spacing from the reducer to eyepiece focal plane to achieve the correct f/6.3 result. Since the Celestron and Antares are supposed to have different focal lengths and spacing specs, I expected different results. Celestron Nexstar+ 127 SLT, several budget plossl eyepieces, Celestron 8-24mm zoom EP and a 12.5mm illuminated double reticle EP, Svbony SV205 camera w/.5 focal reducer, Celestron SkyMaster 20x80 binos on a 40 yr old QuickSet PanHead tripod, Stellarium, Sharpcap and ManyCam on my laptop, SkyView and Nightshift on my phone and a dandy little $9 . And when d1 = FR, that is, when the focal reducer is placed at a distance from the focal plane of the objective that's equal to the reducer's focal length, the focal length of the combined optical system is Fo, so it acts as a 0.5x reducer. During a twenty-year scientific career, he developed laser systems to detect molecules found in interstellar space and planetary atmospheres, and leveraged his expertise to create laser technology for optical communications networks. However, even though the imprint on the item states "Reducer / Corrector" please note that his is a reducer only. - thanks. Perfect for the serious student, professional scientist and discriminating hobbyist. As often noted in reviews and forum threads, Antares products tend to have threads that are a little less precise, and this specimen certainly demonstrated this. Also, the focusers of most Newtonians do not have enough in-travel to accommodate a focal reducer. and you will be fine. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. No idea what the issue is. They are commonly available in 1.25" and 2" threaded cells that conveniently thread into the nosepiece of a compatible camera or the barrel of an eyepiece. We will be glad to help. Maybe I got a lemon. Contiguous US Customers:All items we sell ship for free within the Contiguous US. Focal reducers also move the effective focal plane of the objective inward, that is, towards the objective (see Figure 1). The designed reduction factor (0.5x in the case of the GSO reducer example above) should be considered a rule of thumb or approximate value in most cases, rather than a very precise number. With spring galaxy season here, I decided to pick up a couple more to compare in a head-to-head shoot out. They are reported as identical. As a result, the smaller tube may cut into the light cone and effectively reduce the working aperture of the telescope. In many cases, the answer is yes, especially for electronically-assisted astronomy (EAA). The distance d2, which measures the position of the new focal plane of the objective from the back of the focal reducer is given by Equation 5: In these equations, d1, d2, and MR are all variables that depend on each other through Equations 2 and 4. During check-out, you will be presented with several shipping choices and costs. Despite never removing it no matter what I was looking at. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. Reducer Lens .7x - EdgeHD 1100. Manish holds a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Unlike SCT telescopes, Ritchey-Chretien telescopes and Celestron Edge HD or Meade ACF scopes have internal optics that provide an inherently flat field, so these telescopes require a special focal reducer than does not provide additional correction for field curvature. This standard distance is a consequence of the design of DSLR cameras for which the distance of the sensor to the outer edge of the flanges is about 45 mm, while the T-ring that attaches to the flange for astrophotography is about 10mm thick. Focal reducers for refractors with focal ratio of f/7 to f/9, roughly, have a design reduction factor of about 0.75x to 0.8x and produce a flat field by correcting for the curvature of the objective lens. ED glass is specially formulated and contains rare-earth compounds that greatly reduce a visual defect called chromatic aberration. Get ready for a night of astroimaging with your mount faster than previously thought possible with All-Star Polar Alignment. control and Sky Viewer display makes selecting your target easy. * Not a Retail Store * 16313 Arthur StreetCerritos, CA 90703, USA. Scope size might influence choice as well, as a C6 might benefit from the Antares' transparency, while larger scopes might benefit from the Celestron's higher contrast. As per the OP I still can't see any reason to buy the Celestron for significantly more $$$. It works fine but you should stick with 1.25 EPs; or can use 2" EPs without corrector. Or, when the distance of the focal reducer to the focal plane of the objective d1 equals the focal length of the focal reducer FR, the reduction factor MR = 0.5x. Normal shipments will resume on Monday, March 6, 2023. nleash the full pointing accuracy of your Celestron computerized telescope with a specialized telescope control software suite. StevieDvd Members 1,182 1,812 Location: Stevenage, UK Posted March 9, 2021 (edited) Don't know but your welcome to try out my Meade 6.3 sct reducer next time you are passing. Nowadays I tend to use the Celestron more with my refractors for imaging and viewing. The lens has a knurled surface, providing a tremendous gripping surface for threading/unthreading. One problem with getting opinions is that most of use do not have both reducers or have never done a side by side comparison. I have an 8SE, and am thinking about getting a focal reducer. Figure 2 shows the effective of a focal reducer on the light from a telescope objective. I have this one Opticstar F6.3 Focal Reducer / Corrector. . Focal reducers for refractors are easy to use. Meade once made an f/3.3 focal reducer for SCT scopes. Since 2008, Brian has taught astronomy to tens of thousands of stargazers through his websites OneMinuteAstronomer.com and CosmicPursuits.com. I have Hirsch focal reducer, which is yet another clone of the Celestron reducer. Using an eyepiece with a 27mm field stop with the reducer will illuminate the edge the same as using an eyepieces with a 42.9mm field stop without it. It might work but it does not tell us anything about how well or to what extent the product works to correct the field of an SCT. The Celestron f/6.3 is ~150 compared to the Antares at ~70. Celestron Focus Motor for SCT, EdgeHD & 8" RASA, Celestron C6 0.63 reducer/flattener back focus. How does it look thats what matters. We have tested our current batch and it works with Meade, Celestron, and Baader SCT accessories. The focus barely shifts between filters and I suspect any shifts I do get are down to the filters and changes in temp. If I had to go out on a very thick limb, I would have to say that these two reducers/correctors are, indeed, identical the exact same glass in slightly different housings with different lettering. Take control of your telescope! As mentioned in Section 2 of this guide, the reduction factor of a focal reducer depends on its position in the optical path relative to the eyepiece or camera. We do not price match competitors if they are out of stock. Great for home, classroom, or home-school use, this kit includes all the essential items youll need to begin exploring the wonders of the microscopic world. Specially-designed focal reducers are available for use with these telescopes. The previous post shows the reducer on what appear to be two different refractors. Focal reducers are essential optical accessories for astrophotography, electronically-assisted astronomy (EAA), and in some cases, for visual observation with long focal ratio telescopes. It was also a little brighter in the center of the field with subtle darkening in the outer 20% or so. Sign up to get exclusive deals, observing tips, and new product announcements. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Both exhibited consistent reduction, identical field flattening, and edge correction properties, and both were high quality optically and mechanically. Who cares? For Stephen Wilkerson: The ZWO ASI120MC-S does come with a wide angle lens, HOWEVER, it is NOT intended to used when you are using the ASI120 camera attached to your telescope. With this telescope and this focal reducer, it does not help to move to a 2" eyepiece and a 2" diagonal as the visual view will be akin to looking through a porthole within the larger apparent field of view of the eyepiece. Again, these focal reducers are often provided by the telescope manufacturer. Sign up for a new account in our community. It must be in stock at the time of Price Match for us to make a guarantee. 1.2" in that scope is a field stop of 43mm at f/10 and 27mm at f/6.3. As mentioned in Section 2.3, the reduction factor for these focal reducers can be varied by adding spacers to move the reducer further from the camera sensor or eyepiece. We only send interesting emails and will never sell your data. The most commonly available focal reducers for SCTs are the f/6.3 reducers from Celestron and a similar f/6.3 focal reducer from Meade. I was going to measure the difference in grams, but my lovely wife caught me trying to use her precious, high-tech kitchen scale for the cause, and put the kibosh on it. Using one on such a scope would make demands on the eyepiece design and increase the exit pupil to an extent that focal reduction on fast Newts is not practical. An f/6.3 reducer is designed to reduce the focal ratio of an f/10 SCT to f/6.3. Due to the design, the Reducer/Corrector lens does diminish a small amount of field curvature common to all Schmidt Cassegrain telescopes but does not eliminate it. In the 1960s, Celestrons founder, Tom Johnson, created groundbreaking new telescopes never before seen on the consumer market. The C8 has no noticeable vignetting with a 32mm Plssl in the f/6.3 reducer. Sign up for our newsletter to get exclusive deals, observing tips, and new product announcements. Most reducers have a design reduction factor, MRD, that assumes the reducer is placed at a specific working distance, D, from the back surface of the focal reducer itself. Celestrons patented StarSense Technology makes it easier than ever to locate objects in the night sky, even if youve never used a telescope before. Stars in the corner of the image frame are indistinguishable between the Antares and the Celestron. In most cases, the easiest option is to choose the focal reducer made specifically for your telescope. Looking forward to the day when I can do a shoot-out between a Japan and China Celestron, just for kicks. The equations in the Appendix show how this all works. Celestron is considered better in terms of QA, less likely to come with free dust, hair or fingerprint. Enter it during checkout! Meade does not make an equivalent line of focal reducers for the ACF scopes, although some models of Meade ACF are already at f/8, faster than the f/10 ratio of Celestron Edge HD scopes. There may have been an almost imperceptible difference, but the Antares and Celestron were producing precisely the same reduction. No results, please adjust your filters. It's an either/or proposition: reducer and 1.25", or 2", but not 2" and reducer. And, the reality is that every F/6.3 RC out there Celestron, Hirsch, Astromania, etc., etc. Celestron or Antares? Can these economical focal reducers from GSO and other vendors result in good images? But when not in the box or on the telescope, there is no cover for the other end. riklaunim Members 559 3,445 Location: Poland Posted October 11, 2010 They are reported as identical. These reducers have a back focus (or design working distance) of 80mm. I use the same back spacing for both on a small 6" Celestron SCT. It's usually specified in millimeters. Most manufacturers provide this specification. Does anyone know if the Antares 4000 focal reducer is as good as the Celestron focal reducer. Much to my surprise, swapping back and forth between the two correctors using all three diagonal configurations, I also could detect absolutely no change in reduction between the two reducers. Meade and Celestron both sell such SCT-T adapters with the correct optical length. That means the base of the mounting threads of the focal reducer needs to be 55mm from the camera sensor to achieve the design reduction factor, which is usually 0.8x or 0.85x. As a Barlow's magnification increases with increasing distance from the Barlow, a focal reducer's reduction increases with increasing distance from the reducer. They are also less expensive than many external focusers of similar build quality. Read our 101 article or get in touch. 2.2 Using a Focal Reducer at the Working Distance, 2.3 Adjusting the Reduction Factor of a Focal Reducer, 3.3 Focal Reducers for Compound Telescopes, 3.5 Focal Reducers for Ritchey-Chretien and Field Flattened Scopes, 3.6 Focal Reducers in 1.25" and 2" Barrel Formats, 4.

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