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Old 01-04-2019, 09:11 PM
Ice (Ivan)
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Skywatcher or Sharpstar ?

Hello People, I'm looking at getting a 72ed scope to go with my Star Adventurer, I'm tossing up between the Sharpstar 72ed and the Skywatcher Evostar 72ed, Has anyone tried either of these scopes ?

The main use will be astrophotography !! So if anyone has used or own either of them or knows a bit about them I would like the good and the bad.


Thanks in advance Ice
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Old 01-04-2019, 09:41 PM
glend (Glen)
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Have a look at the Sharp star 71SDQ, it's a new FPL-53 Quad Flatfield APO just released. I have the TS version, the TS71SDQ, which exactly the same scope. The 72ED scope will not be as good for imaging (poorer colour correction), and is likely to require a field flattener as well. The 71SDQ has a built in flattener, and is an f6,3 focal ratio. It also has a 44mm imaging circle to suit larger camera sensors.

Last edited by glend; 02-04-2019 at 06:40 AM.
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Old 02-04-2019, 01:09 AM
Ukastronomer (Jeremy)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ice View Post
Hello People, I'm looking at getting a 72ed scope to go with my Star Adventurer, I'm tossing up between the Sharpstar 72ed and the Skywatcher Evostar 72ed, Has anyone tried either of these scopes ?

The main use will be astrophotography !! So if anyone has used or own either of them or knows a bit about them I would like the good and the bad.


Thanks in advance Ice
NICE scope, I use it for my Ha
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  #4  
Old 02-04-2019, 03:13 AM
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that_guy (Tony)
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The skywatched 72ED is perfectly fine, and you don't have to deal with import tax or having to deal with international warranty etc etc. You'll need a flattener but its not much of an issue. Mine mounts and guides fine on the star adventurer with a dslr or a cooled astro camera.
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Old 02-04-2019, 06:54 AM
glend (Glen)
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Originally Posted by that_guy View Post
The skywatched 72ED is perfectly fine, and you don't have to deal with import tax or having to deal with international warranty etc etc. You'll need a flattener but its not much of an issue. Mine mounts and guides fine on the star adventurer with a dslr or a cooled astro camera.
Oh come on, GST applies to all imported products, including the locally sourced Skywatcher 72ED..EU VAT does not apply to exports outside the EU, like to Australia. Reputable EU suppliers like TS have an EU standard return policy, this is not some Aliepress operator I am suggesting. Stop trying to scare people off better quality alternatives. Skywatcher does not publish info on the glass composition, in line with it's recent policy change, which pretty much ensures the 72ED is not using the equivalent of FPL-53. Yes you will need to buy a flattener for the 72ED, and get the backspacing sorted out for your camera.

If the ED72 is what you want, that is fine, but you did ask for opinions, and this Sharp star 71SDQ is in my opinion, a much better investment.
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Old 02-04-2019, 07:48 AM
castor
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I've got the Sharpstar 72ED doublet. I haven't done astrophotography with it, but I can say that visually it's very good but doesn't totally eliminate chromatic aberration, it's still there to a very limited extent which is not surprising for a f/5.5 doublet. But it will let you use 2'' eyepieces and come into focus which is a huge advantage.
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Old 02-04-2019, 07:49 AM
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The_bluester (Paul)
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I will put in a mildly opposing view point. I bought the Evostar 72 for a bit of relatively cheap fun and it is proving to be exactly that. Colour correction versus a more expensive and probably better scope I cant comment on, but it is small, pretty light and certainly not horrible.

It does have drawbacks. They have cocked up the design somewhat, the OTA is in my opinion about 15mm too long. I am pretty well at what I consider to be correct spacing with the field flattener and after taking about 4mm off the supplied compression fitting I have less than 1mm of backfocus left. It is OK for people like me with a lathe but with a reducer/corrector it is not plug and play. They are apparently about to release a threaded adapter/rotator but I think they have that wrong too and it will prevent people achieving focus and best correction at the same time.

I am going to get a threaded custom adapter made which will gain about another 6mm of focus travel, and deal with camera orientation with delrin washers. Just waiting on some feedback on the first one that is being made for someone else after exactly the same thing.
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Old 02-04-2019, 07:49 AM
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ChrisV (Chris)
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If I didn't have my refractor I'd seriously consider the TS Glenn just got. He's getting some lovely flat images with it out of the box.

I've bought filters etc from them and they are great to deal with - you are just more conscious of the gst as you pay it after buying, rather than it being in the original price. It's a psychological experiment - the person in the gorilla suit in the background!
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Old 02-04-2019, 08:00 AM
AstroApprentice (Jason)
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Evostar review

Hi Ice,
I came across a couple of reviews of the SW Evostar 72ED that may help with your considerations.:
https://www.amateurastrophotography....ar-72ed-review
http://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/re...ctor-telescope


IMO, a smaller scope such as the new WO RedCat is the ideal size for your Star Adventurer, if your budget allows. Once you start adding extras (And in time you will! ) such as flattener, guider, filter wheel, motorised focuser etc, the weight of the Evostar setup will soon test the SA capabilities. That was my experience with a Borg scope of similar weight to Evostar 72 on the SA.



Quote:
Originally Posted by Ice View Post
Hello People, I'm looking at getting a 72ed scope to go with my Star Adventurer, I'm tossing up between the Sharpstar 72ed and the Skywatcher Evostar 72ed, Has anyone tried either of these scopes ?

The main use will be astrophotography !! So if anyone has used or own either of them or knows a bit about them I would like the good and the bad.


Thanks in advance Ice
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Old 02-04-2019, 09:54 AM
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The_bluester (Paul)
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The other scope I was considering was the Redcat, but it was not yet available (is it now?) and to be honest I decided not to be what amounts to a guinea pig for a new line. And it would arguably not suit my camera as well sampling wise. I think the two reviews are perhaps a little kind to the ED72 though. As an AP scope it needs the flattener, no two ways about it. I did a test shot without early on and the field curvature was very obvious over at least half of the FOV. The problem being the design issue where with off the shelf parts you can not achieve focus with the "right" spacing between the flattener and sensor.

I am hoping for the Skywatcher part to turn out to be right in terms of fitting the flattener on threaded connections but I think it is going to have the same focus problems. If it is more than about 6mm thick it will be an issue. By the time I sort it out on my own terms I will still not quite be in Redcat territory price wise. Even with a custom adapter I am going to land under the $1000 mark.

Perhaps just over that if I buy a T2 rotator that I have tracked down, there is a Baader one that should be solid enough to resist tilt issues that I can put between my OAG and imaging cam. I spent some time fiddling with the prism and I can't see the shadow in any camera orientation so that would allow easy rotation for framing without even having to recalibrate PHD.
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Old 02-04-2019, 11:20 AM
AstroApprentice (Jason)
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Redcat about to ship

Hi Paul,
FYI, https://williamoptics.com/redcat-51
About to ship for just under AUD $1000 excl freight.
I'm very tempted...but as a Borg fan I'd prefer this if I can find the $$$$:
https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop...-Objektiv.html


[QUOTE=The_bluester;1422970]The other scope I was considering was the Redcat, but it was not yet available (is it now?) Even with a custom adapter I am going to land under the $1000 mark.
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Old 02-04-2019, 11:26 AM
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The_bluester (Paul)
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It in my case virtually came down to not really wanting to be among the first to find out how good they are.

When Skywatcher makes such an obvious cock up as the tube length on something that is more or less a new version of a family of designs some early niggles are almost a certainty.
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Old 02-04-2019, 01:36 PM
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Camelopardalis (Dunk)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The_bluester View Post
It in my case virtually came down to not really wanting to be among the first to find out how good they are.

When Skywatcher makes such an obvious cock up as the tube length on something that is more or less a new version of a family of designs some early niggles are almost a certainty.
An established astrophotographer who posts over on CN posted some images taken with the RedCat + Nikon full-frame DSLR a few weeks back. At this point it's looking like a sure thing, assuming WO can keep the QA in check...

But inexpensive it is not.
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Old 02-04-2019, 06:01 PM
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The_bluester (Paul)
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I came very close to waiting it out and buying one, but for one thing I am heading for short FL so my son can have a go, bad enough if he manages to drop an ED72!
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Old 02-04-2019, 06:24 PM
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Skywatcher does not publish info on the glass composition, in line with it's recent policy change, which pretty much ensures the 72ED is not using the equivalent of FPL-53. Yes you will need to buy a flattener for the 72ED, and get the backspacing sorted out for your camera.

I've looked at lots and lots of these sites and their offerings lately.
Basically if they don't specifically state they use FPL53 (which is well known as the premium ED glass) then they are using something less, like FPL51.

Some do FPL 51 and Lanthanum doublets and I think some are FPL53 and Lanthanum doublets. How they perform is a bit hard to ascertain. I imagine well but not going to make Takahashi go broke.

It seems pretty typical that the last part of getting the high performance from a scope costs the most and can only be done by a very few.

Greg.
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Old 02-04-2019, 09:53 PM
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Camelopardalis (Dunk)
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With a few exceptions, I don’t think their target market is going to be buying scopes to keep Takahashi in business.

It’s all too easy to get hung up on specifications and glass types. What really counts is how a scope performs. A $400 doublet is probably not what any of us might call a high performance scope, and expectations should probably be set accordingly.

That isn’t to say that a 72ED can’t be a lot of fun. I enjoy imaging with my WO Z61...it’s well corrected, decent enough even with a full frame DSLR, doesn’t cost the Earth, and will ride on a Star Adventurer.

Each to their own I guess
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Old 02-04-2019, 10:32 PM
Ukastronomer (Jeremy)
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One thing that sold me on the 72mmED Skywatcher is that it does not come with built in costs I personally DON'T want, such as a cheap diagonal or rubbish eyepiece, you are left open to buy your own.

I added this

https://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/...nal-2inch.html

I like the Baaders, but I also have this which is great on the scope

https://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/...-diagonal.html

LOOK for pre owned.
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Old 03-04-2019, 02:09 PM
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The_bluester (Paul)
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Pretty well what you said Dunk, anyone looking at the Skywatcher is unlikely to look at a Tak unless one happens to pop up at an outrageously low price.


Hopefully in a week or so I will have the biggest drawback of the ED72 overcome (Fitting the flattener in a way that achieves flat field, focus and lack of tilt at the same time) and then it is just something for some fun.


It is nearly small and cheap enough to consider a bino project with two of them.
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