Skywatcher EVOSTAR 72ED

[that_guy]

Checking the 2018 catalogue theres a new widefield ed scope available this year. Advertised as a premium guidescope but im thinking itd be a great lens to have on a star adventurer as it weighs just shy of 2kg. No flattener/reducer but they have it in tye works accordibg to the rep.

Link to the specs here: https://skywatcheraustralia.com.au/product/evostar-72ed/

[AG Hybrid]

f5.8!!

Be a nice video astronomy scope. Drop a 0.5x reducer for some sub F/3 imaging. Nice.

My next scope was going to be a ed80. I shall be looking forward to the Evostar.

[Camelopardalis]

Should make for an interesting guide scope :thumbsup:

I usually use my WO Zenithstar 71 and it works really well but it’s almost 1kg heavier, before adding a diagonal...

[bigjoe]

Looking for a good grab and go/ finder etc for some doubles..could be the ticket.

This one looks similar optics wise.

https://www.altairastro.com/lightwave-72mm-f6-ed-refractor-with-dual-speed-r-p-focuser-alu-case.html ... is it..got a good review...170x is nothing to be sneezed at
New version coming out it seems....this looks good at 70mm ed ..but more bickies.
https://www.altairastro.com/Starwave-70-ED-Triplet-APO-Refractor.html
prefer white myself.

And this bargain cutie....
https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p8866_TS-Optics-Photoline-72mm-f-6-FPL53-und-Lanthanum-Apo---2-5--R-P-focuser.html
bigjoe

[that_guy]

UPDATE: Skywatcher Aus now has them in stock set at $499 RRP with aluminium case. Definitely worth considering at this price.

[Wavytone]

While 170X is possible it’s rather more than 2x per mm which is really the practical upper limit for refractors and TBH 170x is hype.

I could push my 70mm to 300X with a 1.6mm eyepiece, but there’s no point.

Can’t beat the physics of diffraction.

FWIW APM have a large selection of small APOs available from 50mm up, and assorted focal ratios, some clearly aimed at imaging while others are dual visual/imaging, the difference being the backfocus and focusser travel. Another aspect for imagers concerns all-screwed adapter rings to connect a camera - far more precise and secure than a cheap slip-fit 2” adapter. Add to that availability of 2.5” or 3” focussers including tack & pinion types able to lift heavy loads securely.

[bigjoe]

Really high mags like that Wavy , truly are only useable when splitting bright and mostly equal Double Stars ; and rarely even on the Moon in excellent seeing... so much of it is hype indeed, and useable on only a handfull of nights per year for most of us.

Still it will be a handy little scope for many, many uses.

bigjoe

[Icearcher]

At that price this might be my first imaging scope (well first scope really).

Can anyone see any reason you wouldn't use this for imaging with say a canon 600d?

[Camelopardalis]

It'll depend on how well corrected it is, you may see some CA, but I suspect Skywatcher have been choosy with their glass types. This is not the first ~70mm doublet on the market, so I'd be surprised if they haven't nailed it.

You will need at least a field flattener to accomodate an APS-C sized chip like in the 600d, though. The same is true for most small refractors, besides the ones that have it built-in, at significantly higher cost.

[ChrisV]

Definitely. As Adrian says below - would make for a great portable light weight live imaging setup.

[that_guy]

Astroanarchy (astropetes) confirmed that they are selling them (in backorder now) for $425. Much cheaper than the RRP. Much more tempting at this price point.

[Camelopardalis]

Attractive pricing :eyepop:

But what’s with the back order situation :shrug: I’m over getting excited about a new product with it becoming nail clippings from a unicorn with a 6-9 month wait. I appreciate it’s a risk bringing any quantity of niche gear into Australia, but unobtanium is a great cure for impulse buying.

[that_guy]

they said they sold out and waiting to restock. It usually doesn't take too long for them to restock items. I'd ask astroanarchy to see the eta.

[Striker]

I got the first of Pete using it as a guide scope, couldn't go past it for $425

The case it comes in is worth half that price.

It doesn't come with any accessories and has very little back focus.

I already had 80mm 2" extention so used that and got focus easily on my asi120mm guide camera.

[LewisM]

Gawd, who wrote the descriptions on that webpage? All over the place like a drunk camel. Not doing any favours writing descriptions that poor!

I might grab one for a guidescope on the FSQ. A little slow, but might be OK.

[LewisM]

Pictures or it didn't happen :lol:

[LewisM]

Found one, same price as GastroPete's. I think I'll grab it.

[04Stefan07]

How does this new Skywatcher stack up in doing some widefield Astro? Looking for a portable option to take with me as well and this seems like a great size.

There may be a weight/balance issue using with a DSLR it looks like.

[ChrisV]

So who's bought it - and what do you think of it?

[Icearcher]

I just got mine mid may and so far I haven't used it much due to the weather.

I have found that it doesn't have enough back focus for my canon 550d, its about 10mm short by my reckoning so i have ordered an extension that should solve the issue.

I have had a little play with it visually and im stunned, views of the moon with a 6.4mm plossl are fantastic, super sharp with great contrast all the way to the edge. I didn't notice any field curvature even though im sure its there.

Last night, I also checked out Jupiter and while it was still very small, I could easily make out cloud bands and the moons were pin point sharp with no visible CA, and I think the seeing last night would have been average at best as I was viewing thru breaks in the cloud.

There are a few little modifications that Iv made to the dovetail to get it to works on my SW star adventure that can dig deeper into if needed.

All up, Im super happy with it so far, Im sure ill be even happier when i can actually image thru it. :)

[that_guy]

Im torn between this 72ed and a more light weight 60ed from sharpstar (or whatever rebrand is cheaper). 72ed has the advatnage of being somewhat cheaper and i can just grab it from the local store but the sharpstar is true and tested by many and already has a dedicated flattener. Ive also read that the 60ed has an imaging circle suitable for a full frame dslr. I cant seem to find any info on the imaging circle of the 72ed with the upcoming xedicated flattener. Someone help me make up my mind!

[Kech]

I wonder if anyone in Melbourne knows where to get EVOSTAR 72ED.
msged Optical central in Melbourne (got the website from skywatcher AU).
The guy advised it's not available in Australia yet. which i find it odd. as i seen few blokes on forum has it from Aus.

[Nikolas]

http://www.sirius-optics.com.au/sky-watcher-evostar-72ed-guidescope.html


It's in Queensland but they deliver, unfortunately now Melbourne has become a desert when it comes to astronomical purchases since Bintel left

[glend]

Imagers should wait a bit, the jury is still out on the objective. Skywatcher has taken the position of refusing to talk about the glass used in its latest scopes ( including the ED150). They are now pitching the ED150 as a purely visual scope, and early reviews report CA visually. The 72ED will not have the ED100 type objective (being FPL-53). If your looking for an imaging scope of this size I would look elsewhere. Whether that is WO TS, Sharp Star, AstroTech, etc, they all have good equipment available and will tell you about the objective.

This one probably has one of the best Doublet objectives in this size class:

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p8866_TS-Optics-Photoline-72mm-f-6-FPL53-und-Lanthanum-Apo---2-5--R-P-focuser.html

With both reducers and flattened available.

[that_guy]

Yeah, I'm holding off on purchasing it until they release a dedicated corrector. I also didnt want to import a scope due to terrible exchange rate and new GST in effect. so opted for a locally sourced (ahem ebay) Samyang 135mm F2.0 lens for my full frame dslr for some widefield.

[sj777]

Id be interested in the details as im seriously considering this as my next step in imaging with my SA and EOS M6. also have you got any images taken with it?


Thanks

[Icearcher]

Hi Dave

My modifications have gone even further since then. See the attached image for the most recent version, that was taken at the lunar eclipse last week.

I changed the dovetail to a 21cm long version and mounted it further back so that i could get balance with the DSLR. I drilled an extra hole to get it in the right spot and I had to countersink the bolt holes so that I could use cup head bolts that would sit flat with the dovetail base (see image of short green dovetail)

Iv also used a Baader Vixen Style Dovetail Clamp to attach the dovetail to the 1/4inch thread on the SA L bracket, this helps to be able to move the centre of balance, I think this is quite important as it should help to keep your polar alignment more accurate as you move the scope around, also I have found that you don't have to do the RA clutch up as tight to stop the scope from drifting.

I haven't done a lot of imaging with it yet as the scope came packed with months of clouds in the box but it performed beautifully during the lunar eclipse. I think I will wait till I have guiding up and running before it gets a good workout on DSOs.

Regards
Chris

[sj777]

Thanks for that Chris. Those photos are helpful. Looks like I'll be right as I have a clamp and a 200mm vixen style dovetail bar I printed. I use these with my camera with 300mm lense and a 50mm guidescope in a side by side config. So I should be able to use that with the guidescope piggybacked on the ED72. I'll have to wait and see what backfocus extension I'm going to need. I'd like to move towards using a ZWO camera for the imaging at some point and then I'll want to do NB mono so I'll get a filter wheel and then at that point probably move to an EQ5 :lol:

This will be my scope to do any imaging proper imaging with. It's a reasonable price for this next step. I played with a cheap 70/700 meade refractor on the SA for some fun and learning and needless to say it didn't go all that well.

[Icearcher]

Hi Dave

Looks like you are most of the way there already, finding balance is important on the SA.

I think the 72ed is a perfect size for the SA as well as its only about 2kg, when you add the weight of the camera plus guider and such, it will keep your weight under the max load of the mount, plus it gives you that extra bit of reach over your 300mm lens.

I have found that with my Canon 550d, I was about 10mm short on back focus so I purchased a 40mm extension and its perfect.

I had the same thought, this is my first real scope and it seems to be a winner so far, even the fact that they don't list the glass type doesn't bother me, I think SW engineers have done a good on this little beauty.

[that_guy]

Grabbed myself the ED72 just today from Astroanarchy and set it up on the star adventurer. The RA balances nicely with just the standard counterweight all the way down so no need to an additional counterweight which is nice. I'm just worried about DEC balance but i dont think it'll be too much of an issue as it doesnt track in DEC. Although I'm looking to get a vixen dovetail mount anyways just to move it further back. The ZWO 30mm guidecamera will come in handy ;)

[Hoges]

Got mine last week from Peter at AA too. Grabbed a longer dovetail and also tapped a couple 1/4 holes at the balance point for other tripods. The longer dovetail is fine when it's underneath, but can get in the way a little when mounted on the side...


Lovely little scope - very sharp and contrasty in the center but a needs a flattener as you get towards the corners in photos. Terrific little birding scope - much like the ED80 without the bulk.



Speaking of which, does anyone know how the Orion flattener for small refractors would go on this and if it would come to focus without any extensions or mods? (I think there's around 62mm of infocus left to play with, with the camera attached and focused on infinity)

[GrahamL]

I couldn't find a lot of info on it for visual so went with the ed 80 Where did you get the 45 ' diagonal ?

[Hoges]

The '45 was from Col (Flashdrive) if I remember right. Nice bit of kit. It's the Williams Optics 2" barrel but 1 1/4" on the eyepiece side.

[Hoges]

Popped the Orion field flattener for short refractors onto the Evostar this arvo - while there was still a little field curvature evident towards the corners, it certainly made a worthwhile improvement. The shot of the Honeyeater has been cropped considerably to show the sharpness of the Evostar. The dead tree has been left untouched out of the camera so you can see the focus over the whole field. I use the dead tree a bit as it's easy to see any CA on the edge of the branches. The field flattener fits nicely leaving about 10mm or so of in-travel on the focuser and negating any need to use an extension tube to bring a dslr to focus.

[chris lewis]

Hi, keen to get the Evostar ED72, however does anyone know how it compares to the standard Synta ED 80 doublet with the FPL-53 glass ? is the CA reduction similar and is the 8 mm less aperture that noticeable ?.
There is 'speculation' the new Evostar series uses the new FPL-55 glass which has similar properties to FPL-53 but costs 70% less to manufacture.

Thanks

Chris

[Hoges]

I have both - the Evostar feels pretty similar to the ED80 in regards to CA. I can't see any until I put something high contrast halfway towards the edge of field - then I can see the yellow/blue line. I think my ED80 is exactly the same. Noticed a small amount of CA looking at Saturn last night - although couldn't see any when looking at the moon. Saturn had a really minor fringe to it - reminded me almost exactly of my ED100.


It seems just as sharp and contrasty as the ED80 with a little more field curvature but much nicer focuser. I certainly can't see the 8mm difference when using as a birding scope - haven't had them side by side at night yet. I'm just editing a review for youtube atm.

[chris lewis]

Hi John thanks for that exactly what I wanted to know. It sounds for visual use it would fall under the 'Full APO' category, not 'Semi APO' as some of the FPL-51 varieties are.The Evostar 72 ED is several hundred dollars cheaper then the 80 ED, its lighter and shorter esp. for airline travel. I will use one 1/2 as a day time spotter and 1/2 for bright planets and lunar use. It was the CA reduction what I was concerned about most as for some reason I am highly sensitive to it. Maximum magnification I guess would be around 120x -140x which is fine for want I want.

Chris

[Hoges]

Hi Chris, I can't really speak to the semi/full apo catagory - although if I had outlaid a couple of thousand bucks for a full apo, I would be disappointed to see false color/fringing anywhere. I have put a video review up on youtube here: https://youtu.be/TfZmL0XfTJk and at the end of that, there's a bit of video shot through the scope with and without the flattener. The end video of the tulips gives a pretty fair impression of what I see through the eyepiece. I also spend a little bit of time talking about the limited focus travel and how that may affect some diagonal configurations. Hope it helps!

[chris lewis]

Great video and very professionaly done. Thanks

Chris

[LewisM]

Well, there's one on the trader now...

[FlashDrive]

Yes you did ...glad to see you have put it to good use ...!!

:)

[that_guy]

ive bought the dedicated flattener thats a bit pricier than usual flatteners just because it covers a full frame sensor (if its anything like the ed80 flattener). I'll report back once its been delivered and tested!

[Jeff]

I purchased an Evostar 72ED about a month ago, and have no complaints at all. Purchased mainly as a guide scope, but have used it for some widefield using a full frame sensor. It definitely needs the flattener, especially at full frame. Much lighter than the ED80, and lovely smooth little focuser.

Only small limitation I see is that the focuser does not have much load carrying capacity. Not an issue for me, as I am using mainly as a guide-scope or with as OSC ZWO camera. But would definitely need the focuser "brake" on if using a filter wheel on a mono camera … pointed up near the zenith.

Purchased the scope from Astro Pete's in QLD (good price), and got the flattener from FLO in the UK:
https://www.firstlightoptics.com/pro-series/skywatcher-85x-reducerflattener-for-evostar-72ed-pro.html

[that_guy]

if its anything like the ed80, the tension of the focuser can be adjusted by tightening the screws on the bottom. I had an ED80 prior to this that seemed to have a weak focuser until i tightened these, afterwards it held a 2" CFW + QHY9 no issues even pointing zenith. might be worth having a look.

[Jeff]

Yes, that was the first thing checked. Adjusting the grub screws does help somewhat, but these can only be tightened so much until the focus knobs become a tad difficult to turn. Still a great little scope - would buy again.

[that_guy]

A little peeved atm. I just received my ED72 reducer from astroanarchy and.... It's just the ED80 reducer and has a separate ring adapter for the ED72 focuser. It costs $75 dollars more for that little ring. The 2" adapter for the ED80 reducer is only $39 and it gives you the choice of adding a 2" filter while the adapter that comes with the "ED72" reducer package doesn't have inner threading to allow filter mounting. I'm going to try asking for a refund and just buy the adapter separately. Can't believe they'd market this as a separate item and charge extra.

[Icearcher]

For anyone interested in the performance of this little champion (yes, Im a big fan), here is a star test report:

https://www.teleskop-spezialisten.de/shop/Astro-Blog-Erfahrungsberichte-Testaufnahmen/Testaufnahmen/Ein-Testbericht-mit-Sterntest-und-Ronchi-Aunahme-fuer-einen-SkyWatcher-EVOSTAR-72-ED-DS-PRO-OTA-ED-APO::3724.html

It looks to be a very well corrected little scope, the optics look to be excellent.

Regards
Chris

[chris lewis]

I have had my new S/W Evostar 72 ED for a week now and its one impressive telescope. I purchased it from Astronomy Alive in Melbourne.
I use it purely for visual use.
CA is marginally less then all the Synta ED doublets scopes with the FPL-53 glass I have owned and that includes the 80, 100 and 120mm versions
It also has noticeable less CA then my now sold S/W Equinox 80 mm F. 6.2[Which was really a semi-APO].
CA is only noticeable on 100x magnifications + and only on bright hi-contrast day time situations.
On bright planets and the lunar limb really is CA is non existent in normal use.
There is some mild field curvature esp. on wide angle EP's as to be expected.
It star tests perfectly.
It is light and portable, far more so then an ED80 with 8mm more aperture.
I have it at present on a basic HD camera tripod.
Fit and finish is excellent for this price point.
The only minor negative is the limited focus travel on some of my EP's. Using a 1.25 in prism diagonal some do not reach focus due to lack of back focus travel.
Otherwise the 2x speed focus unit is very smooth to use.
This is a very cost effective scope and a definite 'best buy'.
What ever glass S/W are using now, it works very well.
I have been observing for nearly 50 years and this is my 'retirement' quick look night and day scope. A Televue 76 mm would have been nice but at less then a 1/4 the price this will do nicely.

Chris

[FlashDrive]

Chris ...sounds like a great little Scope :)

[that_guy]

Another image from the ED72 on the star adventurer. 10x 3min guided. One thing that urks me is that with the QHY8L i need 30mm additional spacing for the flattener BUT this means that i don't have enough in focus to get perfect focus. Without the spacer, I dont have enough out focus. Either i need to suffer from incorrect spacing or small focus error. :/ Whyd they make the draw tube so short?!Did they really save THAT much by making the draw tube 5cm long?!

[bigjoe]

Chris I love mine ..use it over my BIG 130mm TS Triplet on most doubles about 1.9" or wider etc ..Sooo portable 2kg?.
OVERPERFORMS VISUALLY

bigjoe