Reviews

Manufacturer: ZWO Introductory Price: $399 Have you been wanting to dip your toes into the fun hobby of astrophotography, but are intimidated by the complex equipment choices, high prices and steep learning curve? Well astronomy and imaging equipment manufacturer ZWO has come up with an innovative, reasonably priced way to produce some quality images that … Read more

Manufacturer: Lunt Price: $5077with rack-and-pinion focuser With the upcoming April 2024 North America Eclipse approaching, I thought it would be interesting to pique the interest of astronomy enthusiasts in solar observing before the big event by reviewing a solar telescope. Quality telescopes can be a bit pricey, and telescopes made specifically for solar observing are … Read more

Manufacturer: Zwo Price: $3499 Zwo is well known in the astrophotography world for producing excellent astronomy gear at reasonable prices. Well, now the company has ramped up the competition for quality refractor telescopes designed specifically for astrophotography, also called astrographs. The ZWO FF130 Apo 130mm f/7.7 Petzval Refractor Telescope is a high-end telescope that is … Read more

Manufacturer: William Optics Price: $1598 William Optics RedCat 61 Apochromatic Petzval Refractor William Optics has done it again. Following up its wildly popular RedCat 51 and RedCat 71, the company has released its new RedCat 61. The latest version comes with some new enhancements including its novel patented internal focusing mechanism. This scope features a … Read more

Manufacturer: Sharpstar/Askar Price: $1695 SharpStar is a Chinese telescope manufacturer known for producing high-quality astrophotography refractor telescopes. They offer a range of refractor telescopes for astronomy enthusiasts ranging from deep-sky observers or imagers to planetary observers, all the way to wide-field imagers. Sharpstar produces a number of high-quality refractors under the Askar label. the Askar … Read more

Manufacturer: ZWO Current Price: $3799 The ZWO ASI6200MM Pro is a cooled monochrome Astrophotography camera. It is manufactured by ZWO Optical, well-known in the astronomy community for producing affordable, quality equipment. The ASI6200MM Pro offers advanced features and a full-frame sensor, making it a popular choice among astrophotographers. Key Features: Sensor: The ASI6200MM Pro features … Read more

ZWO ASIAir Plus Wireless Camera Controller Manufacturer: ZWO Price $299 Astrophotography can be a very rewarding hobby, capturing beautiful images of the night sky. But the learning curve can be quite high, causing many people to give up. I remember when I started in this hobby in the mid 1990’s. Digital cameras were just starting … Read more

Price: $1999 (smaller FRA300 available for $1199) What is an astrograph? The Askar FRA500 (Flat field Refractive Astrographs) is a top-of-the-line refractor telescope that is specifically designed for intermediate and advanced level astronomy enthusiasts. As the name implies, astrographs are designed specifically for astrophotography. The telescope has a 90 mm aperture and a focal length … Read more

HAE43EC (enhanced encoders)   Product: iOptron HAE43 Strain Wave AZ/EQ Mount with High Precision Encoders Manufacturer: iOptron Current Price: $4248 What are Strain Wave Mounts? Strain wave telescope mounts, also known as harmonic drive telescope mounts, are a type of motorized mount used to control the movement of telescopes. This type of mount is rapidly … Read more