2x 2" barlow and 2" Focal Reducer??

[iceman]

Hi guys

To be more adaptable with my ED80 and Canon 350D, I need to be able to vary the focal length.

So i'm after a 2x 2" barlow and a 2" Focal Reducer..

What are the best ones to get?
Do different brands offer anything better/different?
What types of focal reducers are there?

Anything else I need to know?

Thanks in advance for your help and advice.

[[1ponders]]

If you can wait up a week or so Mike I'm about to do a comparison test between a Meade 6.3, Celestron 6.3, a WO 0.8 Type II :love: and a Mogg 0.75 (?) (I won't know the exact reduction for sure until after I test it.). So far though the WO one leaves the Meade one for dead and is a great option. I believe the Celestron one is identical to the meade but I'll test it anyway. Steve has sent me a 0.75 and I'll test that hopefully tonight, but by the weekend at the latest I hope to have all comparisons done.

WO have brought out a Type III but I don't have access to one of those unfortunately.

[iceman]

That'd be excellent, Paul. I look forward to your comparisons.

0.8 isn't much of a reduction though? How much is the WO one?

[[1ponders]]

I just checked my emails and the Mogg one is apparently 0.66.

The 0.8 isn't much of a reduction but it does flatten the field beautifully, almost out the the extremes of the corners. I bought mine directly from WO in the States but I believe Andrewscom sells them for $249 (P-Flat1 is the item number on the site). Even though it only drops the f7.5 down to f/6 I love using it simply because of the great job it does in removing those mis-shappened stars at the corner. It's not perfect but for the price it's damn good.

[[1ponders]]

This is the one I have http://www.williamoptics.com/accessories/reducer_features.htm

There is a new one out, nothing about it on the site just yet except some pictures, but from what I've heard it is designed for scopes in the f6-7 range and may not be as suitable for the ED80 f7.5. I'd like to give it a go though :) Maybe I need to buy a ZS ED80 :D
http://www.williamoptics.com/telescopes/zenithstar80ed_features.htm

[iceman]

So any more comments on focal reducers?

What should I get for my 350D + ED80?

How much are they?

[JohnG]

I have the WO Reducer/Flattener Type 11, I have yet to use it so I cannot comment yet on how it performs although it is on my schedule to use in the next series of shots I do in my tracking test of the CCD-Labs, Q-Guider.

I got this Reducer/Flattener mainly because it covers the ED80's focal length and is designed for the APS chip of the 350D.

It comes with a 2" barrel and the T-Threads already attached.

Cheers

[iceman]

Hi John
Can you give me a link? How much is it?

[[1ponders]]

I've done an initial trial Mike on a few FR and the WO 0.8X II leaves the others for dead. I would like to have tried the WO III but I wasn't able to get hold of one. The II does a fantastic job and focusing just snaps into place. I really had to fight to get even remotely good focus with the Meade and Celestron 0.63 reducers and the quality of the outer edges was really poor. Steve Mogg has a 0.66 reducer that does a similar or better job than the Meade ones for only about $70. Unfortunately though there is CA towards the outer edges. The center though it pretty good. A bit like the Meade and Celestron ones though, getting really crisp focus was not as quick as using the WO. Mind you the WO is 6 times the price of the Mogg one. I wouldn't even consider the Meade and Celestron ones now after using the WO at only about $40 more in price.

I'm waiting for the weather to improve a bit so I can redo the trial as I think I can get a better job done on the focusing on the Meade, Celestron and Mogg ones. Just to make sure ;)

[JohnG]

Hi Mike

Same link as Paul put in his post.

I got mine from OPT:

http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=105-172-173-9180

Cheers

[iceman]

Thanks guys.

Will it fit ok on my Saxon ED80 then? It says SCT adpter - but it comes with the 2" nosepiece also?

So the point of this is that it will make my 600mm f/7.5 a 480mm f/6? and flatten the field at the same time?

[JohnG]

Yes, it will fit the 2" opening in your focuser. The SCT fitting is for use on the WO 66mm scopes, the 2" fitting comes screwed into the SCT adapter.

It will also drop your arcsecs/pixel down to 2.72 so you can use it in fairly ordinary conditions and still get full resolution with the 350D.

The second part of your question is yes.

Cheers

[[1ponders]]

Do yourself a favour Mike and when you order one order a WO 10:1 focuser to go with it. They work really well together ;) We won't tell Kate. Just get them delivered to h0ughy's :lol:





Oh you might have trouble getting other things to come to focus cos its shorter than the standard focuser, but I've managed do work around it :D

[iceman]

hmm not at this stage, there's other things I need to spend money on and improve first.


Do you mean with the 0.8x reducer, or the 10:1 focuser?

[[1ponders]]

The 10:1 focuser. The Reducer works fine in either the WO focuser or in the standard focuser. The Reducer screws straight into the T adapter ring and slides into the 2" focuser.

Here's a couple of photos from the review I'm doing. The first is from the lower left corner and the other is from the center. Object NGC104

[iceman]

Excellent! Makes a big difference.

It's US$180 at opt.. not a bad price given the current exchange rate!

[[1ponders]]

You won't regret it ;)