Feeback please on Active optics

[KenGee]

Hi All,
Can people who own or have tried using Sbig's or starlite express active optics like the AOL, give some feedback on how well they perform. What is the best time to use it and when not to. I didn't feel that it would help me at F900 but at F1800 I think it will.
Thanks in advance.

[iceman]

Do you mean Active or Adaptive?

[KenGee]

Hi Mike,
My understanding is Active optics are a system that compensates for physical problems within the optical and mechanical configuration of the imaging system. Where as adaptive optics is a system that compensates for external problems, such as atmosphere. Both the Sbig and starlight express systems seem to fit more in the Active area. In fact Sbig AOL actual stands for Active optics large format.
The two terms seem to be used interchangeable (?) even in SBIG doco.

“For these reasons SBIG has designed a new Adaptive Optic device for high speed beam steering called the AO-L (Active Optic –Large Format).”

This is from Sbig's own web page.