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Posts Tagged 'apochromat'
Tecnosky OWL – magnificent, sharp focusing apochromats
January 27 2022, Jan Ströher
A few years ago the Italian company, Tecnosky, started producing their new, own-brand triplet apochromats known as “OWL”. The first model in the series was the OWL 80/480 apochromat, which was released in spring 2021. The OWL 90/560 was hot on its heels, with the OWL 130/900 SLD soon following in autumn. Soon the range will be blessed with new 70mm and 125mm aperture models. All OWL telescopes are based on a triplet lens design with FPL53 fluoride glass. However, the soon-to-arrive 125mm OWL will be an ED doublet.
The OWL 90/560 triplet
These features, combined with fully multi-coated lenses, blackened lens edges and a lens hood on the tube guarantee Strehl ratios upwards of 0.95! An optical interferometric certificate is attached to every single OWL telescope. Every specimen, therefore, undergoes a detailed quality check before distribution.
Optical test report (certificate) for OWL devices
These compact apochromats are great devices for astrophotography and also offer first-class, pure-colour image quality and joy for observing. Tecnosky also supplies reducer-flatteners calculated to suit the optics for each model. This means that OWLs, with their aperture ratios of f/6 – f/7, are ideally suited to photography.
Aesthetically, these “owls” also make an impression – they are all manufactured from high quality materials, are multi-coated, elegantly manufactured and have a white, black and red colour scheme to complete their look.
OWL 80/480 with FPL53 fluoride glass
All OWL models come with compatible prism rails, pipe clamps, Vixen viewfinder shoe, carry handle and retractable dew shield. These are this apochromat’s main features alongside the rotatable focuser with 1:10 reduction and locking mechanism, as well as a sturdy carry case. All in all, you get a first-class telescope with numerous great features for a reasonable price for this size category. The OWL 70 and 125 models will be available in our shop from spring 2022.
Discover the Tecnosky OWL series and sharpen your view of the night sky – elegant design included!
The new RedCat 71 from William Optics
December 15 2021, Jan Ströher
The time-proven and much loved RedCat 51 by William Optics has a new big brother – the RedCat 71. The same Petzval design with corresponding high-quality optics using FPL53 and FPL51 optics. With its 71mm aperture, the new “Cat” is a lot more powerful than the RedCat 51. The result is a pure-colour, corrected image field with a diameter of over 45 millimetres – ideal even for full-frame cameras! The fast f/4.9 aperture ratio facilitates short exposure times. At 3kg, the 335mm-long RedCat 71 weighs only slightly more than its smaller brother.
Once again, focusing is helical, adjusted by turning a ring on the lens tube.
The telescope comes with a protective carry case, as well as a Bahtinov mask specially designed for the RedCat. This mask aids focusing and is permanently and precisely fitted in the lens adapter.
The RedCat 71 is also perfect for deep sky astrophotography and offers not only impressive optical performance, but also William Optics’ attractive trademark design.
The new RedCat 71
To use the RedCat 71 for astrophotography you need a mount with a load capacity of at least 7kg due to its weight. The new iOptron mounts CEM26 or GEM28 are ideally suited for this.
Reckon you will soon be a “Cat” fan?
Discover the new RedCat 71 and William Optics’ ”Cat” series.
Experience astrophotography with the Radian Raptor
November 3 2020, Jan Ströher
Under its own brand, Radian, the American telescope retailer OPT is now launching a high-performance, top-quality, and super-portable apochromat with triplet lens design, which has already created a great deal of enthusiastic anticipation among astrophotographers. The Radian Raptor is a light and compact photo machine which, with an aperture ratio of f/4.5, will, above all, ensure amazing deep sky images. With a shorter design and weighing just 1.8kg, the telescope can be attached to photographic tripods and travel mounts such as the Skywatcher Star Adventurer or the iOptron SkyGuide without any problem. This makes it a perfect travel companion that can be easily transported in the padded backpack supplied and fits in any hand luggage.
OPT has thought of everything you might need for successful astrophotography in this triplet apochromat:
A fast aperture ratio of f/4.5 allows short exposure times, ensuring that the Radian Raptor stands out as a fast wide-field device – ideal for images of emission nebulae, galaxies and star clusters.
The use of premium glass, coupled with multi-coated surfaces, results in this triplet apo’s colour-true, high-contrast and very sharp imaging capabilities. An already built-in corrector flattens the entire field of view, shows needle-sharp stars right up to the edges and so makes the use of full-frame sensors a pleasure. In addition, there is no need to purchase an additional flattener or reducer.
With a focal length of just 275mm, you have an ultra-compact telescope for extensive wide-field images: objects such as the Veil Nebula or the Horsehead Nebula in the constellation Orion fit completely into the field of view of a full-frame sensor. Here is an image of the California Nebula captured by the 61mm Radian Raptor:
A solid, rotatable 2.5″ rack and pinion focuser with a high load capacity and the 1:10 fine focusing ensure a stable connection to your camera and precise focusing. The hexagonal tube clamps have differently-threaded holes to attach various accessories and integrated cable channels in the clamps reduce cable clutter. Especially for astrophotography, other equipment such as guidescopes, dew heaters, control modules or remote controls are usually required in addition to the telescope itself. The Radian Raptor is designed by astrophotographers and takes all possible applications into account. The recommended back focus of 55mm can be achieved and precisely adjusted with the adapters included.
Another treat is the inclusion of two bars for attaching to your mount: a 4″ Vixen dovetail bar and a 6.5″ universal Losmandy bar with a correspondingly-wider surface area. Both bars also have threads to attach the Raptor to a photo mount. With these you have compatibility with all mounts/dovetail clamps.
Finally, you get a waterproof and padded backpack to safely store the Radian Raptor, which also offers space for a CMOS camera and other small items.
Experience a new chapter in astrophotography and optimise your equipment with the Radian Raptor**!
(**available from mid-November 2020 from us here at Astroshop!)
New Starfleet: The Omegon PRO Apochromats for Astrophotographers
November 19 2019, Marcus Schenk
These photos almost look like you were there. As if Captain Kirk was giving me a personal tour of the Pleiades on his command bridge screen on the Enterprise. However, what you see in the pictures below are images taken with the new Omegon PRO apochromats. And we swear, they were all taken from Earth 😉
So on to more beautiful photos.
Omegon’s new doublet, triplet and quadruplet refractors are a real compact Starfleet for astrophotographers who value brilliant and needle-sharp photos of the universe. The lens apertures range from 65mm to 107mm. There’s the right telescope for everybody.
The Omegon Pro APO 60/330 OTA.
Features include: Ohara FPL-53 glass for a true-colour image, CNC tube, hybrid rack and pinion focuser with, ball bearings and 360° rotation, tube clamps, dovetail bar, viewfinder shoe and Vixen-style dovetail bar.
The Pleiades with reflection nebula, APO 71/450 Quadruplet, Canon 6Da, 32×180 seconds, Image: Philipp Keltenich
The Andromeda Galaxy, APO 71/450 Quadruplet, Canon 6Da, 25×240 seconds, Image: Philipp Keltenich
And here is the fleet of telescopes at a glance:
- Apo 60/330 Doublet OTA #60852
A small doublet apochromat for travel and for striking panoramic pictures. - Apo 71/450 Quadruplet OTA #60855
For fantastically beautiful, true-colour and flat images right up to the edges of the field of view. Here you don’t have to worry about how to attach a field flattener to your camera, because it’s already built-in. A great flat field apochromat! - Apo 72/400 Doublet OTA #60853
If you like to travel and love shooting large-area objects, you will love this refractor. A clear picture and only 400mm focal length, it captures the Andromeda Galaxy and similar objects. - Apo 80/500 Triplet OTA #60856
An apochromat with a clear and true-colour image, even at very high magnifications. The expertly-crafted 2.5″ focuser is larger than that of most 80mm telescopes. The advantage: so much illumination that even your full-frame camera will have fun with it. By the way, we also stock the carbon version of these apochromats: chic, thermally-stable and even lighter. - Apo 90/600 Triplet OTA #60858
Weighing just 5 kilograms but with a 90mm aperture: this apo refractor is suitable for your mount at home or for travelling under a dark sky. The 2.5″ focuser holds your camera in a stable position all night long. - Apo 107/700 Triplet OTA #60859
Sophisticated three-lens design with Ohara glass for a clear and true-colour image. A 3″ focuser offers you a generously illuminated field of view and an enormous load-bearing capacity – a great advantage for heavy cameras.
Get to know the new Omegon apo fleet better, just click on the links and learn more on our product pages.
Omegon APO 104/650 ED: these astrophotos show the beauty of space
January 30 2017, Marcus Schenk
We frequently receive beautiful photos of celestial objects from our customers. They are eager to show us, what they were able to achieve with their equipment. Very often we are over the moon, when we recognise the love of detail and the energy these astrophotographers have invested in these pictures.
Today we would like to present some very delightful astrophotos. The astrophotographer and filmmaker Sebastian Voltmer shows us beautiful impressions of space. These were taken, amongst others, with a Sony a7s and an ST-2000XM camera. The telescope used was a premium telescope: the Omegon apochromat 104/650 ED with field flattener.
The Heart Nebula IC1805
The name of this nebula refers to its special shape: a red heart in the night sky. You find this nebula between the constellations Cassiopeia, Perseus and Giraffe. The heart is located approx. 4° east of the star ε Cas. An open star cluster, which illuminates the nebula, is embedded in the middle of the emission nebula.
The Dumbbell Nebula M27
The Dumbbell Nebula M27 in the Vulpecula constellation is the second brightest planetary nebula and thus a beacon in the starry sky. The originator of this nebula at a distance of approx. 1400 light years is a white dwarf, a star that has reached the end of its life.
Pacman Nebula NGC 281
The names of some nebulae clearly demonstrate that astronomers have a vivid imagination. NGC 281 is also known under the name Pacman Nebula. If you still can remember the time of the Commodore 64 etc., you will surely also remember the computer game. And this nebula with its dark clouds starkly resembles Pac-Man. The nebula is 9500 light years away from us and contains the twin star Barnhard 1. With a strong telescope, we can discover its four companions.
Crescent Nebula NGC 6888
Crescent: a half-moon in the form of a nebula. NGC 6888 is also known under the name Sickle Nebula. It is located right in the middle of the Swan constellation, at a distance of approx. 2.5° from the central Swan star, Sadr. Despite its prominent position in summer, the Crescent Nebula is not easy to see because of its small size of 18×13’ and its brightness of 10 mag. Scientists assume that the nebula has been ejected by a Wolf-Rayet star in the later stages of its life. For successful observation you need a crystal clear sky and an OIII-Filter.
Solar flare
The picture gives you an impression of the size of a solar flare in comparison to Earth. This solar flare that appeared on the 15th of August 2016 had a length of approximately 13 Earths lined up.
