Hi, will a four or five inch f/9 achro provide more planetary detail than my current Orion 80ED? Or should I go for a 100ED? Thanks to any who can reply.
planetary detail smaller ED vs larger achro
Started by nils, 07/14/2005 09:32AM
Posted 07/14/2005 09:32AM
Opening Post
Posted 07/14/2005 02:32PM
#1
John Nilsen said:
Hi, will a four or five inch f/9 achro provide more planetary detail than my current Orion 80ED? Or should I go for a 100ED? Thanks to any who can reply.
If your budget allows it, given your choices I'd go with an APO like the 100ED, John.
Ron the 4-inch Tall Evangelist B[ee]
Posted 07/15/2005 03:26AM
| Edited 07/15/2005 03:27AM
#2
My vote is the larger achro if of excellent quality. I have owned several 4" APOs including a Showa F/10 and a Takahashi FC 100 Tak. During the same time period I had a Meade 127 ED and on several nights had it next to one or another 4" scope. The Meade had an excellent lens ( I should never have let it go!) and easily trounced any 4" APO it sat next to. Planetary detail was easier to pull out and the image was substantially brighter. For a while I had a 6" D&G F/15 which yielded a bit more detail than the 5" F/9 ED though there was a bit of color. I find that everyone has a different sense of what makes a good planetary scope. For me it is a 5" or larger refractor or an 8" or larger reflector. I have also owned 6" APOs including an AP 6" F/12 Superplanetary and a Takahashi FS-152. Each step up in aperture yields finer planetary detail and better deep sky performance - if the seeing cooperates.
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