My experience is that CN sellers are way above those listing elsewhere. I've heard and read all kinds of things about the Antares being only a reducer and not a corrector, etc. In terms of reduction and correction - which are what reducer/correctors are supposed to do - both are superb. riklaunim Members 559 3,445 Location: Poland Posted October 11, 2010 They are reported as identical. Planetarium software package which provides easy-to-understand explanations and impressive visuals of all kinds. Steve I have/had both the Celestron (Japan) and Antares units. A reducer is a set of converging (or positive) lenses that cause the light from a telescope objective to converge at a steeper angle to the focal plane as if it were coming from an objective with a faster (lower) focal ratio and a shorter focal length. I read another thread in a different forum about F6.3 reducer correctors and one amateur posted an image about glue coming out of an astromania f6.3 reducer which he planned to return. But is there a difference in quality between the Antares and the Celestron or Meade focal reducers? They are reported as identical. Hello! Shipping will be via the cheapest shipping method which will vary depending on the items in your order. There is one difference though the Antares came with only one lens cap whereas the Celestron had a cap for both ends. Most Feather Touch focusers cost between $300-$350. Celestrons patented StarSense Technology makes it easier than ever to locate objects in the night sky, even if youve never used a telescope before. * Not a Retail Store * 16313 Arthur StreetCerritos, CA 90703, USA. Reproduction without permission prohibited. However, some focal reducers can be used on other models of telescopes, but this is not always possible. The Buyer's Guide To Eyepieces at the top of the Eyepieces forum has a column for this spec. The reduction factor MR can also be written in terms of d2 as: When the focal reducer is placed at the working distance, D, that is when d2=D, then the reduction factor MR is equal to the design reduction factor MRD: Equations (6) and (7) imply these important considerations: Most manufacturers do not publish the focal length of their focal reducers, so it is not usually possible to calculate the working distance and design reduction factor. A focal reducer does just the opposite of a Barlow lens or focal extender. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. Perfect for the serious student, professional scientist and discriminating hobbyist. If a stronger level of focal reduction is used, say 0.5x, then the image circle may be too small to fill the sensor of larger cameras. Focal reducers are essential optical accessories for astrophotography, electronically-assisted astronomy (EAA), and in some cases, for visual observation with long focal ratio telescopes. A wider field of view and a lower magnification is also useful, with some focal reducers and with some eyepieces, for visual observers with telescopes with long focal ratios. Some manufacturers will specify the working distance from the middle of the rear lens surface, and this number must then be converted into a practical working distance number by subtracting the amount by which the rear lens surface is recessed in its housing. Stars in the corner of the image frame are indistinguishable between the Antares and the Celestron. You may need spacers or a T-adapter to ensure the correcting working distance. One problem with getting opinions is that most of use do not have both reducers or have never done a side by side comparison. Nebula Filters. Melotte 15 - First Process in PixInsight (easy! In these equations: The combined focal length of the objective and focal reducer is given by Equation 1: For example, when d1=0, that is, the focal reducer is at the focal plane of the objective, Fcomb=Fo, so the focal reducer has no effect. 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. Learn more about extra solar planets imagery, 3D Star rendering, observation planning, telescope control, multiple-panel printing, and much more. As a consequence, the standard f/6.3 and f/3.3 focal reducers for SCT scopes do not work. Orders placed over the weekend will be shipped on the following Monday. This may be a problem if the focuser tube or the diagonal (for visual observing) is too narrow to accept light at this larger angle. To test this, I used three set-ups: 1. Now It only focuses near things, like some kind of macro zoom. It works fine but you should stick with 1.25 EPs; or can use 2" EPs without corrector. Please re-enable javascript to access full functionality. Specially-designed focal reducers are available for use with these telescopes. As a real-world example plot showing the above relationships, let's look at the 1.25" GSO focal reducer that provides a design reduction factor of 0.5x. I found both to be very good. High power views will provide flatter fields all the way to the edge, both visually and photographically. October 11, 2010 in Discussions - Scopes / Whole setups. And when used in some refractors, the field flattening is not as accurate as it is in the f/10 SCTs. SKU: CEL-94245. 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. In most cases, the easiest option is to choose the focal reducer made specifically for your telescope. I have both the Antares and the Celestron reducers. We do not price match competitors if they are out of stock. I've seen some older threads saying that the Celestron, Meade and Antares FRs are all the same and manufactured in the same factory. With both, using the same diagonal set-up, the exact same stars were visible at the very edge of the FOV. In this configuration, the 29.5mm camera nosepiece and a 6mm extension ring positions the reducer at a working distance of 53.5mm from the camera sensor, which is located 12.5mm inside the front edge of the camera. How does it look thats what matters. The most significant mechanical variation, however, is the quality and precision of the threading. For example, with a 0.8x focal reducer, a telescope with a focal length of 800mm will operate at 800 x 0.8 = 640mm when the reducer is placed at the working distance specified by the manufacturer. Photographically you also get a wider field and much shorter exposures. 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. This is especially true when these reducers are used with cameras with smaller sensors with a dimension of about 1/4 to 1/3 the diameter of the reducer, and with telescopes with a focal ratio of f/7 or larger. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. We will be glad to help. Just one question. a Tele Vue Panoptic), or a Plossl eyepiece with an apparent field of view of 50 and a focal length of 32mm. Telescope Optics, Rutten and van Venrooij, Chapter 15, Willman-Bell (1988). This innovative software solves the time-consuming problem of trying to pinpoint the North Celestial Pole. If used before or beyond the working distance, unwanted image distortion may result, especially when using cameras with larger sensors. However, I noticed immediately that the Antares had a bit more of an heft to it, giving it a solid feel the Celestron didnt possess. He also holds a Ph.D. in engineering physics from McMaster University. I've seen some older threads saying that the Celestron, Meade and Antares FRs are all the same and manufactured in the same factory. Increase that distance, and greater reduction results and visa versa. - thanks. Now, Celestron is using that same technology to allow star gazers to connect to the night sky and enhance their experience of the cosmos in fun and unique ways. That was fun. However, these will not impact optical performance. Celestrons aplanatic EdgeHD optics revolutionized astroimaging. Will not focus with the stuff I have. Many Ritchey-Chretien telescopes available today are made by GSO. But nearly every observer who installs one of these devices is pleased with their performance. A little longer light path with a 2 Baader click-lock, low profile 1.25 adapter, and the 1.25 diagonal; In some cases, focal reducers also act as field flatteners by correcting for field curvature and coma of the objective lens. This focal reducer is made to attach to the rear cell of Schmidt-Cassegrain or Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes. Torazz Celestrons FREE planetarium app is an astronomy suite that redefines how you experience the night sky. Optically, it consists of a four-element lens that is fully multi-coated for high contrast and resolution. Celestron is considered better in terms of QA, less likely to come with free dust, hair or fingerprint. For this test, I used a single configuration R/C, Click-lock, and 1.25 diagonal with the adapter. Designed distancing using the reducer with a 1.25 visual back and 1.25 Televue mirror diagonal; Please note, orders placed after 10am on 2/28/2023 will be delayed. Turn it on and push Align. In about three minutes, youre ready to observe! I happily cycle through LRGB filters to build the image rather than do a whole run of one filter at a time. All Rights Reserved. So, this past week I challenged the Antares and Celestron models to a head-to-hear on my C8 on some decent nights of good seeing and transparency in my Bortle 5-6 urban skies. Nowadays I tend to use the Celestron more with my refractors for imaging and viewing. CEL-94245. 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. Most amateur astronomers are familiar with a Barlow lens (or a focal extender), a negative or diverging lens that effectively increases the focal length and the focal ratio of a telescope's objective lens. Regardless, the difference was miniscule and is more than adequate on both and exceeds a 8 or 6 SCTs baffle tube diameter. The Antares focal reducer comes in small box. The Antares f6.3 focal reducer screws directly to the visual-back thread of all popular SCTs and converts f10 instruments to f6.3. Yet, the Antares still easily and fully threaded without any hitches. Thanks for the extremely valuable article. If you want to use them for visual - try maybe long focal length eyepieces rather than the reducer. For me the Antares was a little brighter and had the least scatter by a bit so the better coatings won. Most refractor manufacturers such as William Optics, Tele Vue Optics, Explore Scientific, Sky-Watcher, William Optics, and Stellarvue make their own focal reducers optimized for use with their telescopes. Maybe I got a lemon. Reducer Lens .7x - EdgeHD 925 2. So Celestron buyers like Celestron, Meade buyers like the Meade and Antares buyer like the Antares. The camera side of the focal reducer is threaded for a T-adapter with wide M48 threads, or in some cases, with smaller M42 threads. It is recommended for . Who cares? It also leads to larger (although fainter) images of extended objects like the Moon or planets for astrophotographers or visual observers. Brian Ventrudo is a writer, scientist, and astronomy educator. Figure 1 shows the relationship between the focal reduction factor MR and the position of the reducer in the optical path. On the trail, at the job site, in the classroom, or simply sitting at home relaxing the Celestron Elements ThermoTank 3 will keep your hands toasty. Copyright 2003-2022 Agena AstroProducts. OPT Product Number: AE-SCTFR specifications Warranty 2 Year Warranty Works as advertised! If it's positioned further from the eyepiece or camera and closer to the telescope objective, the reduction factor increases. I only have the Celestron f/6.3. Sign up for our newsletter to get exclusive deals, observing tips, and new product announcements. Oceanside Photo & Telescope wants our customers to shop with confidence knowing that you will always get the best deal available. Focal reducers for refractors are easy to use. An image of about 24mm across, approximately, allows an observer to use a 1.25" eyepiece with a maximal field stop. For both imaging and visual observing, these reducers also improve image sharpness at the edge of the field by correcting for coma and field curvature. Unique focal reducer and field corrector lens accessory Reduces the focal length and f/ ratio of your Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope by 37% Provides a dual focal ratio instrument, without sacrificing image quality Compatible with all Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes (see compatible list in description) Share Customers Also Purchased Description This also resulted in the clear aperture of the Antares being about 39-39.5mm, versus the Celestrons 41mm. We will match any online price that we confirm as valid. if the illuminated field is 27mm wide without the reducer, it will be 27 x 0.63 = 17mm with it in place. Powered by Invision Community. There will be no shipments on 3/1/2023, 3/2/2023, or 3/3/2023 (March 1st - March 3rd, 2023). Antares or Celestron? The focal length and design working distance for this focal reducer were not available from the manufacturer. Orders placed after 12:00 PM Pacific Time will be shipped the next business day. 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. My Celestron was made in China and the Antares in Canada. The two samples I have PERFORM IDENTICALLY. More aggressive reduction, or using these reducers with larger sensors, will result in aberrations and distortions near the edge of the image. This is very impressive performance given how hard this problem is to mitigate in general.