Hi,
I've actually owned and used both scopes - I currently have the Esprit 120 and consider it to be a "forever" scope.
The EdgeHD 8 was my scope right before this one and was fantastic, so don't be discouraged as there's really no wrong choice here, I doubt you'll feel scalded going either way!
my reason for changing was I found the field of view on the EdgeHD too restrictive for year-round use, and the extra theoretical resolution that could be offered by the larger aperture SCT never materialized in practice due to generally average seeing at my location, so I was giving up field of view for no gain in resolution, oversampling effectively reducing my sensitivity too - again for no gain.
your mileage may vary of course, as you might have generally better skies than I do! - that said however looking side by side the Esprit 120 images I'm getting now are sharper than the Edge's were and a little more satisfying to my eye due to the pinprick stars the apo gives.
again and I really must stress this, the EdgeHD was still incredible so don't feel i'm talking it down! - it just didn't fit for me and my use case. - I'm sure you'll be happy with either route.
Hope that helps!
|
You cannot like this item. Reason: "ANONYMOUS".
You cannot remove your like from this item.
Editing a post is only allowed within 24 hours after creating it.
You cannot Like this post because the topic is closed.
Michael J. Mangieri:
One more recommendation (if you can afford it) is to purchase a ZWO ASI174mm as your guide camera for the OAG. Ever since I replaced my ASI120 with the 174 I have never had to search for a bright star to guide on. I have been able to leave the OAG pickoff prism in the same place for the past year. The wide FOV and sensitivity of the sensor makes this possible.
That’s a very good point. My Orion SSAG and ZWO 224MC were a nightmare using the OAG. I couldn’t find stars half of the time if I am being too generous. I’ve upgraded to the 290MM mini and I’ve never worried about finding stars since!
Keep in mind that if you went for the ZWO oag or any other oag with an 8x8 prism, the 174MM would be an overkill (unless you might reuse it for solar one day?). The 290MM would be enough for that prism size
|
You cannot like this item. Reason: "ANONYMOUS".
You cannot remove your like from this item.
Editing a post is only allowed within 24 hours after creating it.
You cannot Like this post because the topic is closed.
I would like to point out that a 8 inch f/12 Classical Cassegrain might be a better option. It is an open tube therefore immune to dew and faster to reach thermal equilibrium. It will deliver better corrected, more contrasty image and since it has a fixed mirror there will be no flip and no shifting which means you can guide traditionally. It will have a Crayford dual speed focuser, that alone makes it better than any unmodified SCT. Overall it will be something much more similar to a 6.5 inch refractor except it will be about half as long or heavy and you can get one for $1000-$1200. This is what I intend to get in a couple of years when I will have the place for a permanent installation.
Hi Dimitris,
Your input led me to investigate a bit more. Its something I had forgotten about, thank you!
Ian
|
You cannot like this item. Reason: "ANONYMOUS".
You cannot remove your like from this item.
Editing a post is only allowed within 24 hours after creating it.
You cannot Like this post because the topic is closed.
Luke Newbould:
I've actually owned and used both scopes - I currently have the Esprit 120 and consider it to be a "forever" scope.
The EdgeHD 8 was my scope right before this one and was fantastic, so don't be discouraged as there's really no wrong choice here, I doubt you'll feel scalded going either way!
my reason for changing was I found the field of view on the EdgeHD too restrictive for year-round use, and the extra theoretical resolution that could be offered by the larger aperture SCT never materialized in practice due to generally average seeing at my location, so I was giving up field of view for no gain in resolution, oversampling effectively reducing my sensitivity too - again for no gain.
Thanks Luke,
This makes sense to me. I appreciate your input.
Ian
|
You cannot like this item. Reason: "ANONYMOUS".
You cannot remove your like from this item.
Editing a post is only allowed within 24 hours after creating it.
You cannot Like this post because the topic is closed.
Michael J. Mangieri:
I own both an EdgeHD11 and WO GT102 APO. The Edge has the Hyperstar addition as well.
The EdgeHD line of scopes produce excellent images on DSOs, but so does the GT102. In fact, I prefer the GT102 to nebulae and star fields as it produces slightly better images over a wider FOV (more contrast as there is no central obstruction).
Now here's something to consider when you are getting ready to purchase a scope for DSO imaging. Get a copy of Stellarium or Sky Safari or even Starry Nights, and play around with the imaging tools so you can see just what the FOV is going to be for each OTA/Camera combination. The Edge will have a much more limited FOV than the APO. As Dan stated, the Edge works great for galaxies and smaller nebulae; the APO for the wider stuff. Now my Edge11HD w/Hyperstar has the exact same FOV as the GTO with the flattener/reducer, yet the APO can produce better images (IMHO) albeit requiring longer exposure times. Hyperstar on the Edge 8 is not recommended.
Can you please explain why Hyperstar is not recommended for the EdgeHD 8?
|
You cannot like this item. Reason: "ANONYMOUS".
You cannot remove your like from this item.
Editing a post is only allowed within 24 hours after creating it.
You cannot Like this post because the topic is closed.
I have owned a C8 Edge HD for a few months and used it with my 2600MM and celestron HD reducer.
If you are a precise person and you like round and well corrected stars, forget about the SC schemes. As far as I am concerned, the SCs are optical schemes for those who are satisfied with just enough results.
Much better than the RC8 even if its range is not correct for an APS-C sensor.
And so my vote is for APO120.
|
You cannot like this item. Reason: "ANONYMOUS".
You cannot remove your like from this item.
Editing a post is only allowed within 24 hours after creating it.
You cannot Like this post because the topic is closed.
Michael J. Mangieri:
One more recommendation (if you can afford it) is to purchase a ZWO ASI174mm as your guide camera for the OAG. Ever since I replaced my ASI120 with the 174 I have never had to search for a bright star to guide on. I have been able to leave the OAG pickoff prism in the same place for the past year. The wide FOV and sensitivity of the sensor makes this possible.
* Yes, the asi174mm is a great guide camera. To take full advantage of it, you need an OAG with a large prism. The Celestron OAG or Zwo OAG-L both work extremely well. The zwo oag takes up less backfocus, so I went with that one. I have yet to not be able to get stars for guiding.
Jason
|
You cannot like this item. Reason: "ANONYMOUS".
You cannot remove your like from this item.
Editing a post is only allowed within 24 hours after creating it.
You cannot Like this post because the topic is closed.
0.00
3.01
6.10
0.00
1.20
0.00
