Chapter 5
High precision tracking is
just one side of the coin when it comes to taking high quality astrophotos. The
other side is optics. Sky-Watcher is pleased to offer a wide variety of
telescopes that are highly capable for long-exposure prime focus imaging,
starting with our premium ED refractors.
Introduced in early 2005, our Sky-Watcher 80ED refractor has been a highly
popular choice with astrophotographers. It offers a relatively fast focal ratio
of f/7.5 coupled with a 600 mm focal length to provide a very capable rich-field
imaging telesscope. It is ideally suited to digital SLRs such as the Canon
Rebel, 20D and new 20Da.
Andromeda photo by Frédéric Caron, Canada. Taken with 80ED refractor.
The 80ED boasts sharp optics with extremely low secondary colour. This yields
sharp, high contrast images that will take your breath away. Our 100ED refractor
can also be used for astrophotography. It has the same excellent optics as its
little brother along with a longer focal length for higher effective
magnification. At f/9 it is a bit slow for film cameras, but it is well suited
to digital SLRs and more sensitive astronomical cameras such as those from Santa
Barbara Instruments Group (SBIG) and Starlight Express.
Note, the HEQ5 and EQ6 Synscan mounts are plug and play ready for autoguiding
with SBIG imaging cameras and autoguiders using the standard cable supplied with
the SBIG product. You can also autoguide them with webcams using software that
is freely available on the internet.
In addition to our premium refractors, almost any one of our Newtonian and
Maksutov telescopes can be used for prime focus astrophotography. From the
SK15075 OTA right up to the SK25012 10” Newtonian, your t-ring equipped camera
can be directly