Lunt 60mm or Solarmax 60mm?

[icytailmark]

im looking at buying a solar scope for imaging and mostly viewing. Id like to get it before the venus transit. My budget is $3000. Which is better the lunt or the solarmax? opps sorry i put in wrong section

[Paul Haese]

As a Coronado owner I would be inclined to go with Lunt but If you take a look around my solar mosaics section this is what you can get with a Coronado.

Check it out here (http://paulhaese.net/Solar%20Mosaics.html)

[icytailmark]

paul does the sun look like that in the telescope or is it a different colour thru eyepiece?

[MikeyB]

Photographic colours through solar scopes are always added manually in processing, but Paul's are reasonably close to what you'll see through a Coronado or a Lunt (I've owned both).

Note that the many solar features shown in Paul's photos are only as clearly visible through a double-stacked filter configuration. Single Ha filters aren't capable of quite as much visual contrast, although there's still plenty to see. The Venus transit will be clearly visible through a single filter configuration scope.

[Paul Haese]

Mark, Michael has pretty much covered your questions. I just want to add that I try to reproduce what I see visually in with colouring my images. So yes the colour is pretty close.

[Matt Wastell]

Hi Mark
I would recommend the Lunt scope - IMHO they are finished better and are easier to use.
The view through the eyepiece is quite red but still awesome!

[icytailmark]

The feather touch focuser for the Lunt scope is that a must have for imaging?

[casstony]

The pressure tuned option is more desirable than the FT focuser imo. You're less likely to have sweet spot issues because the etalon is perpendicular to the incoming light and double stacking later on is much easier with the pressure tuned model.

[Peter Ward]

Easy. Pressure tuned Lunt. But get the Feather Touch focusser. If you can stretch it, go the 80mm...best bang for buck by far.

Far more precise in central band selection and you can go from red to blue H-alpha wings.

[AndrewJ]

Gotta agree
The pressure tuned 80mm gives absolutely stunning views,
with very even resolution/focus across the total FOV.
The FT focusser just makes focusing a non issue,
smooth as butter.

Andrew

[alocky]

I've got the lunt 80 without the feather touch; it focuses fine and I've taken plenty of sharply focused video through it. The whole experience might be more pleasurable with the FT, as they are Nice Things to Have, but certainly not essential. When and if I upgrade to a double stack (not necessary so far, especially for imaging) I might add the FT, but only because everyone bangs on about how important it is, but a year and a half in, I'm still happy with it as is.
Agree with the comments about 80mm being best bang for buck, and certainly have heard plenty of people frustrated with the tilt tuning sweet spot for imaging - go the pressure tuner type.
cheers,
Andrew.

[Shark]

alocky where did u buy from?

[Merlin66]

Mark,
I use a single and double stacked SM60 (front etalon(s)) on an ED80.
No problems with the T max tuning, and I can easily re-tune from the red to the blue side of Ha to chase the Doppler effects.
They have worked very well for me over the past four years...