The leaves and prices are falling this autumn!
You can find our colorful selection of special offers here in the shop. Get them now!
The offer is valid from September 23rd to November 28th, 2024 and only while supplies last!
Posts Tagged 'vixen'
Now on sale: VC200L VISAC Astrograph from Vixen
February 7 2024, Stefan Taube
You can currently get the C 200/1800 VC200L VISAC Cassegrain telescope from Vixen for a particularly low price!
The VC200L VISAC has been specially developed for the requirements of astrophotography. The unique catadioptric system has an aspherical primary mirror, a convex secondary mirror and an additional triplet correcting lens. This combination results in the VISAC telescope optics (Vixen Sixth-Order Aspherical Cassegrain).
The VISAC system offers you tack-sharp stars right to the edge of the field of view, as it corrects all three types of imaging errors of reflecting telescopes.
You can find more information here in the shop.
The offer is limited in time. Take advantage of it now!
New Sphinx mount from Vixen: SX2WL WiFi
January 25 2024, Stefan Taube
With the SX2WL model, the Japanese manufacturer Vixen is launching a new mount in the Sphinx series.
The SX2WL is the first Sphinx mount to be equipped with a Wireless Unit. It generates a local WLAN so that the mount can be controlled via a smartphone, using the free STAR BOOK Wireless App. This App offers all the functionalities of the previous STARBOOK TEN with manual controls simply via your smartphone. This significantly reduces the power consumption of the mount!
The SX2WL is ideal for mobile astrophotography: It can carry up to 12 kilograms, but weights only 7 kilograms. Due to the design of the Sphinx mounts the motors act as counterweights and only a light additional counterweight is required.
Like all Sphinx mounts, the SX2WL also impresses with its high quality standards Made In Japan!
You can find more information and the current price here in the shop.
New version: the Polarie U star tracker mount from Vixen
October 28 2021, Stefan Taube
A few years ago, the Japanese manufacturer Vixen launched the Polarie, the first tracking unit for cameras that can fit in every photographer’s bag. The tracking device, also called a star tracker, compensates for the celestial rotation. With it, a camera remains aligned with a section of the night sky for many minutes, and can gather light from faint stars, the Milky Way and cosmic nebulae.
Vixen now offers a new version of its successful star tracker mount, the Polarie U Star Tracker.
Polarie U star tracker mount with camera and optional ball head
Compared to the classic Polarie, the new Polarie U is significantly lighter whilst at the same time having a higher load-bearing capacity. The distance between the two bearings supporting the rotating shaft is approximately four times that of its predecessor. This has led to a higher load-bearing capacity despite a 20% weight reduction. It can carry 2.5kg for wide-field astrophotography using lenses with a short focal length. The optional mounting accessories comprising a prism rail and counterweight can be used to increase the load capacity to 6.5kg, so that the star tracker mount can also carry cameras with large lenses.
In addition, the Polarie U creates its own WLAN. You can connect your smartphone to the mount and control it using a free app. With a suitable cable release from the Polarie U accessory selection, you can also control the camera itself via the app, for example to set a series of exposures. This is not only convenient, but also very useful thanks to the hands-free operation.
The Polarie U can of course also be converted for use in the southern hemisphere. The lightweight mount is therefore ideal for your next expedition south of the equator.
New in January: Taurus-Dobsons, APOs by Vixen, solar telescopes by DayStar, Atik Horizon cameras and a high-end mount by iOptron
January 12 2018, Stefan Taube
This year, too, we would like to present a small selection of items to you every month that we have recently included in the range:
Telescopes by Taurus have recently been added to our shop. The Dobson T300 with a 12-inch aperture is the first model that we would like to present to you. Other models will follow in coming days. The Dobson T300 telescope has a wire-mesh tube, which means it’s easy to transport and can be set up without tools in just a few minutes. The entire system weighs just 15.9 kg, and the heaviest part weighs only 9.6 kg.
Unlike what you can see in the picture, the telescope does not come with a finder or an eyepiece. It does, however, come with a scattered light protector. It also comes with a high-quality 2” Crayford eyepiece holder with support.
The Dobson telescopes by Taurus are developed and made in Poland. We are pleased to be able to offer these telescopes to you now!
For those who prefer to take photographs, instead of exploring the night sky with their eyes alone, should make use of an apochromatic lens. The Japanese manufacture, Vixen, is offering three new models that have different lens diameters: SD81S, SD103S and SD115S.
The recently designed lens element with FPL-53 glass reduces chromatic aberrations to such an extent that they are barely detectable, ensuring an extremely clear and sharp picture! These three APOs are ideal for photography with DSLR cameras with full-format sensors.
The American company, DayStar, specialises in instruments for observing the sun. With the SolarScout 60, DayStar is adding another solar telescope to its SolarScout series. The telescope has an integrated QUARK H-Alpha filter.
When you buy this telescope, you are getting a finely tuned system that comprises optics, etalon filter and helical focusing with which you can enjoy observing and photographing the sun in H-Alpha light without risk!
Thanks to the light carbon tube, you can place SolarScout telescopes on a small mount. The integrated solar finder will help you to effortlessly and safely align the optics with the sun.
This is the first camera by Atik with a CMOS sensor – the future of sensor technology. In this case, it is a 16-megapixel Panasonic MN34230. The small pixel size of 3.8 µm means high resolution and makes the camera interesting for short focal length apochromatic lenses and photo lenses. The integrated cooling system brings the camera down to 40° C below the ambient temperature. With the quiet electronics and the USB 3.0 port, the Atik Horizon is ideal for shots of weak nebulae with long exposure times.
Like the Atik Infinity, the Atik Horizon is also ideal for live stacking. This significant trend ensures more fun doing astrophotography and publicity work at observatories.
You will, of course, receive both an Atik Horizon and a colour camera. This colour variant saves you from having to use colour filters.
We have had good experience with the mounts by iOptron in recent years. They are long-established in the USA, and are now becoming more popular across the pond. iOptron is now putting a mount on the market that features a load capacity of over 50 kg for observatories: The CEM120 GoTo mount.
The design is reminiscent of the tried and tested CEM60 GoTo that has a load-bearing capacity of half that. The polar wedge of both mounts is supported in the centre of gravity, thereby achieving a high level of stability with low weight.
For those who are planning a garden observatory or a new acquisition for a club observatory, the CEM120 GoTo should be seriously considered. Speak to us, and we’ll be happy to advise you!
The Apochromat VSD 100 by Vixen is now on special offer!
November 10 2017, Stefan Taube
We offer the apochromatic refractor VSD 100 by Vixen at the special prices of €5,399. You save € 600 compared with the recommended retail price! This offer ends on the 31st December 2017. Order now!
The Apochromat VSD 100 is a dream for astrophotographers: With an aperture ratio of f/3.8 it is very fast. That means you only need a relatively short exposure time. That not only means that it can capture more detail in dim objects during your observation night, but that you can do without guiding and get by with a lighter mount. With the Reducer for the VSD 100 you can even obtain an aperture ratio of f/3!
The optical system of the VSD 100 comprising five lenses ensures an even field of view and reduces chromatic aberrations. That provides a sharp image right up to the edge – even with a relatively wide aperture of 100 mm!
This example shot taken on 09.01.2016 shows the comet C/2013 US10 (Catalina).
To achieve a field of view that is sufficiently large, the Reducer is mounted on the VSD 100. 25 shots with an exposure of 30 seconds each were taken with a DSLR camera and added to this overall image. Thanks to the short exposure time, neither autoguiding nor an especially precise alignment were necessary.