Oops! Maths blunder! 480mm focal length with the 0.8x, not 420! :D The element is now actually disclosed. The stocklist websites I use all have it listed down as Ohara FPL-53 glass for the ED and Schott glass for the crown! For £359 (OTA only) with the carry case, that's some very good value for money!
I guess the full name is; Sky-Watcher EVOSTAR-80ED DS-PRO (OTA) ED APO Refractor Telescope I use this and manage to balance it without a longer wedge, although it is at its limit. It is an amazing bit of kit for the outlay. The only problem I would like solved with the case is the length. It would be nice to be able to lock off the tube for the focuser & put it in the case like that. It would save a bit of time. However, I have marked the tube. You are right about the packing supports for the scope. I took them out and repositioned them to accommodate where I located the wedge on tge scope etc. Otherwise, there us a lot of setting up to do. You can't avoid setup of course if you have no purpose built building, but I like to minimise it. This was a very thorough review. I like the building, sound and lighting.
Yeah it has a pretty long name haha How did you manage to balance? Good going there! I just couldn't for the life of me. I think one issue with making the case that length is then the scope wouldn't be secure in the case. Needs to be packed tight to support it after all. Thanks, I think the shed works quite nicely for reviews :)
If you want to do lunar and planetary imaging, go for a Sky-Watcher Skymax 127 or a 150 Maksutov-Cassegrain. The 180 is a fantastic bit of kit but it's a bit of a lump to cart around. The Maks excel at this type of imaging. It's why they're called the planet killers.
Yep, I had exactly the same issue with balancing. It’s a bit dumb that they didn’t expect astrophotographers would buy the for imaging and provide a proper dovetail.
Thanks for the very informative video, you helped decide on buying the Skywatcher Evostar 80ED and Just ordered it. I have been subscribing to your channel several months now and find your videos very useful.
Thank you! The EQ6-R would hardly even feel this scope on it :) the telescope is good for sure and I've enjoyed using it. Most of my images have been from this telescope so far
Hi. Nice video. I did had similar problems with the dovetail and with the piggyback bolt, did also scratch my paint so i removed it from the rings and do not use it anymore. With the balancing in Dec i managed to achieve a good balance by using the same mounting plate, i had to unscrew and change the positions of the rings on the dovetail, so it can be done without buying other dovetail, you should check my video on the Skywatcher Eqm35 Pro Goto, i did show also how to balance it in Declination using the dovetail that you receive with the Ed80 Telescope.
I love my 80ED best bang for buck scope out there, I've had mine for a number of years now & I won't be parting with it any time soon, like you I use the Altair astro 0.8 reducer I just hope I can get to use it at Kelling next week.
I’ve been using one of these for two or three years now and love it.. totally agree with your observations - balancing etc. I never thought about getting a longer dovetail 🤔 Great review, and thank you.. clear skies my friend 👍🏻✌🏻
I have a 6" SCT for planetary work. If I buy this optical tube, I would be using it with a generic x.8 reducer/flattener and an asi294 camera for wide field work.
After the unboxing that I've just viewed on your channel, this preview answers to all my questions about this instrument. Thank you ! PS: Hum, I have a Skywatcher AC120 for a couple of years ... and I've had the same kind of problem with the scratches due to the piggy tail screw ... Damned.
Late to the party perhaps, but thank you for this. I've been doing AP for about two years with a 5" MAK (1500mm) with surprisingly decent results on the stock alt/az mount. I'm looking to expand my horizon (pun intended) and get something more dedicated to wide-field and capable of exposures longer than the 20-25 seconds limited by alt/az. I'm considering the EQ6-R Pro (as I want to use heavier telescopes on it in the future), and I am currently looking at the Evostar 80 ED DS-Pro.
Thanks for the review, now I'm even happier I went with the wo zs73. Do you have the Asiair? I'm having a bugger of a time with that. Edit. I forgot to mention that I voted for your picture, of course not knowing it was yours. Cheers clear skys.👍
Thank you. Enjoy keeping the odd muck up here and there in my videos 😁 a bit entertaining I reckon! I intend to keep it up, love this RUclips stuff ♥️😁
Looks like both tube rings have that threaded hole for the camera stud. You could remove the stud from the front ring and mount a much more useful accessory rail up there.
Hi Ruzeen, watched your unboxing vid which I liked and the same with this one, some great info. After the unboxing vid I was wondering how you had gotten around the balancing issues and was a bit concerned about how I would autoguide, thanks for providing the answer with the longer dovetail resolution. Your reviews coupled with a few other goods things I have read will have me sending yet more money off to RV Optics. Thanks, Steve
Hey Steve, I'm really glad my content was able to provide you answers to your questions. It's what I strive to do. You'll enjoy this telescope for sure! Enjoy!
Hi Ruzeen, I stumbled upon your Channel and will definitely subscribe. Your videos are excellent, informative and interesting. Keep up the good work. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. All the best, Ed.
Hi, I'm just starting out and can I ask if you think this would be a good starter scope? I don't want to use a camera, just visual and I'd like to look at Saturn's rings, the moon and whatever else it can see, what's your thoughts? Thanks
Hi Ruzeen. Excellent review. I subsequently bought the scope last week. I am also struggling with balancing in Dec. Can you suggest the exact same ADM dovetail you use? I’m using an EQ6 mount. Also, you mention when you lock the focuser, the focuser stops moving? My focuser ring moves, but focus does not change? Is that normal? Thanks and keep up your good work!
lol We knew what you meant :D The ED80 is indeed fpl53, Whether it's the SW, Celestron, or Vixen variant. The confusion only seemed to start then they brought out the ED72 and ED150. It is bonkers value for money though, so I can see why you would have doubts. I'm considering buying my 5th ED80, not that I have 4 others, just that I keep on buying and selling them. I've always had a problem with serial buying and selling scopes.
Yeah, I see now on websites they're boasting about the FPL53 as they rightly should at this price. It's very good value for money so I can see why you keep coming back to them :) yeah the 72ED seems to be undisclosed at the moment so I guess it's 51 or lesser. But j still get a good picture through them
@@AstroFarsographyYeah folks on the forums seem really pleased with the ED72 despite the undisclosed glass type. For around 260 quid it's hard to knock it. For the first time in a decade I have zero scopes, sold all my kit to move house and then in turns out the new house needed a new boiler! lol I only have 4 Plossls and a modded webcam to my name at the moment, but maybe the cheap ED72 would be a good scope to get back on my feet.
@@Astrolavista yeah? Sold everything? Dang, but yeah a nice 72ED I think would be good for sure. Or if you've still got a DSLR then maybe a skytracker? Yeah I'm loving my 72ED and 80ED. I'm happy with telescopes for now until next galaxy season I reckon 🤔
@@AstroFarsographyGood point about the startracker, I do have a 5D mk1 still, forgot about that lol Something with more focal length for next galaxy season? :D
@@Astrolavista yeah! I'm in the market for a star tracker myself :) want one so I can maximize the clear nights in England lol. Yeah, something a bit deeper. Maybe a 102ED or something. But I'd need to use the DSLR for it since there's no way I can afford a 294c as well 😂 I also need to keep it within the weight limit of the HEQ5. The 80ED does okay with some of the targets too. Need to remove the reducer flattener and see how the star field looks sometime I reckon so I can reclaim that 120mm
Old video, but still great and very helpful. I have the same scope and ran into the exact same issues as you in regards to balance. I mount mine on an EQ6-R Pro, so I can't really push the dovetail further up since the dec bracket on that mount is almost as long as the dovetail itself. I bought a longer (33cm) Sky-watcher dovetail, but the threads doesn't match. (I thought I could use the middle ones, but they are 1/4" UNC using the same threads as cameras/tripods) Do you have a link to the Dovetail you're using in your video?
I have this telescope and the screw on the tube ring is glued in, so my paint is safe... but I want to get rid of the screw completely but so far it won't come out. I'll still have to try using a torch at break the glue. I wish the screw were never even there.
I used carbon fibre wrap on mine, looks awesome or you can get that nice matt metallic red wrap that you see on william scopes & mounting rings, no need to paint to messy.
That cardboard inside that case is ridiculous, they use to use all foam in their cases. Is the foam in your case glued to the aluminum sides? Another words could you just remove the whole interior of the case and replace it with some pick n pluck foam? If they glued that black foam to the sides inside it’d probably make a mess trying to remove it. Thanks for the review, I’ve seen some nice images from this scope. Sorry about those scratches, but hey your now over the new scope syndrome and can move on and not worry about scratching it :)
Hi! Very good review! I'm planning to get this telescope but i have a little problem...i have a Skywatcher eq 3 pro mount and i don't know if it can handle the Evostar 80. Should i buy it or forget it and get the Evostar 72ED instead? Thanks
Hey there, thanks for the comment. I think for the EQ3, the Evostar is already pushing it. So I'd probably recommend you to either upgrade the mount first, or go get the 72ED
I ordered up a long dovetail when I bought mine too. Fortunately FLO do sell the pretty matching green one in a long size. My main issue with this scope is the focuser. I've adjusted it several times now and it still slips or fails to move when turning the knobs. It seems a good few people have had this issue. I'll be retrofitting the OVL focuser soon. Having said that I really can't fault it in other areas. Yes, the case is a bit shonky and I personally wouldn't put it on a plane in it but it could probably take a little bump or two when hauling your gear about in the car or taking it into the garden. As for the top screws, I purchased another 1/4" UNC 20 bolt for the other tube ring and fitted (admittedly after drilling a hole in it) the spare dovetail that came with my HEQ5 and then bolted a mini dovetail clamp to that and it serves well as a guide scope rail. Overall I really love this scope, I think it's incredible value for money when you compare it with similar scopes and the outfit version includes a decent diagonal, a very nice 2" eyepiece and a 9x50 finder so a great way to get you started. Great review on a great scope my dude. :)
Yeah I ended up just buying this ADM one. I can't entirely remember why now - considering it was quite a pretty expensive bit of kit for a dovetail. Strange to hear about your issues with the focus rack though. I hadn't seen many people complaining about it but it's good to know and thanks for adding it to the mix here. Thanks for the words! I was keen to do this review for a while now :) hopefully more to come! I almost feel like I know what I'm talking about haha!
Doublet. Uh.. Meade etx 80 is an 80mm doublet with 400 mm focal length. f/5. The newer ones have it set up for a dovetail mount if you take it off the etx mount. I'm actually getting one because I like the 20-yr-old ETX 60 at I have and am thinking about getting a equatorial mount eventually. Christmas perhaps...
Thank you for your video and recommendation. I am an owner of a EVO 80ED and i'm thinking of adding a dedicated camera for astrophotography - can I ask what unit you would recommend pls and would I need any special adapters to affix it. With my DSLR I had to add a T-adaptor for Nikon, not a camera I would recommend for this hobby!
Hi fella, I have an A6000 sony mirrorless on my 80ed with a reducer - this vid is a couple of years old now would you recomend a different astro camera for this now or still the ones you mention in this vid? Cheers buddy.
Hi ruz, I currently image with a 130pds and although it's great bang for buck, I like the 80ed and am looking to grab one. One question, I'm still using a 600d modded, do I still need the flatner? I have the skywatcher coma corrector I bought for my 130 will that suffice? Many thanks clear skies mate.
Hey Daniel thanks for the comment. I used to use the Altair Lightwave 0.8x reducer with the 80ED and I now notice it never correctly flattened the entire frame when using a canon DSLR. So yes, you'd ideally need the dedicated flattener. It flattened the entire field with an APS-C sensor. Clear skies friend
Hi Great Video..thanks. So I got the camera and I'm trying to get some lunar shots. My initial results are represented perfectly in your video. My aim now is to try and get a wider view of the moon and not partial. What do you recommend I should go for: an extension or a reducer ?? Regards
I am about to receive my SkyWatcher 80ed, so thanks for the tips. I wander what would be best for planets at a reasonable price to also put on my eq 5 mount. Graham
Thanks for the video - got one back-ordered at the moment but everywhere is out of stock! One question - do you know if the Lightwave 0.8x reducer has a removable nosepiece with a thread underneath? Wondering if I could try it on my 1.25" achromat while I wait for the 80ED. Thanks
Nice one you'll enjoy it! I do recommend the dedicated flattener from Sky-Watcher these days as the Altair didn't flatten my DSLR. But it does good enough. As for the threads I'll check when I'm home but I believe the M48 nose can be removed and reveals M52 threads maybe
AstroFarsography Oo it’s a tricky one, I could get a nice filter for the difference in cost! I saw you got the IDAS (D2 I think?), have you tried it out yet? Looks like it would be amazing from the graph
Really good in depth review but can I point out that the dew shield can be removed although it is mighyt tight - removal method is wiggle the shield at the same time as pulling it like crazy.
Thank you. Yeah I mentioned how it's not removable due to the fact it's threaded and has thread lock on it. I also omitted it's removal due to the glass being in the dew shield :)
Fantastic review, but I'm at my wits end, I haven't been able to afford a field flattener yet, but I do have a Zwo ASI 224mc camera, but for the life of me I cant bring it to focus without using the star diagonal, how can I bring it to focus without the star diagonal, I cant seem to find details of the correct back focus anywhere.
Thanks. To get this into focus without a star diag or a reducer you'll need to buy extensions to place between the tube and the camera. Best bet is to get about 50mm worth of T2 extensions and a nose piece adaptor, then you'll be able to reach focus. Or if thr 224mc is a 1.25" camera, then assorted lengths of 1.25" extensions pieces will do and then you'll have to play around with the amount of extension required to reach prime focus
I was looking for sth to be manageable to bring with me for holidays and which is able to fit my AZ-GTi weight wiese. I'm doing more visual rather than imaging. But looking at your review I'm not so sure about it anymore..
Hi I got the skywatcher 0.85 flattner for this with lockdown savings money. Any experience with this. I’ve yet to try it due weather and long delivery time for a M48 adaptor. Reckon it works out of the box or will need to tweak the gap to the sensor. I have a Nikon D3300 (not the best camera for this but I’ve had some success)
Hey mate nice work. The 0.85x is perfect for this. Fully flattened the field with my APSC sized 600D sensor. It should thread directly onto the back of the focus tube after removing the black set screws or you can buy a 2" nose cone from First Light Optics
being that both the 72 and the 80 are both doublets I find the price discrepency makes the 80 a no go, You get way more scope for the money with the 72 .
Hey there thanks for the comment. Yes a 4/3 sensor should work just fine! What camera is it? Ive used a Sony RX100 sized sensor in the HyperCam 183c (which is smaller than 4/3") as well as Canon 1.6x APS-C sized sensors and it's fine :)
@@ivan7453 hey Ivan. That camera will fit very nicely to this Telescope then. Just be sure to check something like Stellarium to make sure you're happy with the field of view. But otherwise, yes it'll be good.
Nice vid bro.. you know we both have the same scope! I bloody love mine and at current have dslr attached which I'm beginning to feel the nessicary move to the astrocam .....what's this ..... lol hold on
@@LukeSmith-pp4hn thanks mate! It absolutely is a good scope and punches above it's weight for its price I feel. Under and over sampling is to do with arc seconds and pixel density and star sizes and some nerdy stuff. If you're under sampling, it's okay you can deal with it easier. Over sampling will give you square stars and you need to drizzle to even recover it. Unless I've got that back to front 🤔
@@LukeSmith-pp4hn Well they're hard to compare really. The 294 mainly comes in the colour variety and the 1600 is a mono sensor. Suitability: For "Okay Seeing" the ideal pixel resolution is 0.67-2". The 294 (with the 0.8x or 0.85x reducer) comes in at about 1.90-1.99". So if you had a really clear and great seeing night, you'll actually under sample. The 1600 comes in at 1.66" (remember you want to be between 0.67 and 2"). The 183 sensor is 1.03" Not saying you can't use a 294 with this scope! Found this in relation to under/over sampling: "Undersampling means too few pixels to capture the resolution the telescope provides. Oversampling means the light is spread over more pixels than needed to achieve full resolution thus increasing imaging time often by a large factor." So if you undersample, you need to drizzle. Oversample just increases hassle.
Nice Review. I have this one since a view jears and unfortunately rarely used it since I am a bigger fan of Newtonians. I can tell you from my own experience that it doesn't cover the full-frame image circle (tried it without the flattener) but APS-C is covered.
I always thought the Crown element was the matched element to the ED element? Not the actual ED element? It's so annoying when you scratch your scope isn't it :( I Bought a really battered old ED80 years ago and got some good advice about tarting it up with Vinyl wrap. As you can see here I went for the perhaps over used carbon fibre effect :D stargazerslounge.com/topic/169539-cosmetically-challenged-celestron-ed80/
I believe you're right. The crown is the schott glass at the front and then the ED element sits behind it. Need to study up on telescope construction :)
Hi . nice video , i just need to add, that focuser shuld be illegal , or stop to manufactured , i changed 3 of them i had different colours knobs none of them works i tried to adjust the tension with allen keys on two of them the third one is stock i will not touch it , so basically they don't work if you attach your camera and you are pointing to a star and you unlock it to focus the camera falls down and you will hear a boom and then you have to manually push the camera and watch the star so you don't use the focus knob.,, you push the camera with your hand , witch i don't have to do to another 4x telescope . i got it ,is cheap but that focuser for me is criminal , Optic is good , sharp stars util you will use their focal reducer , then you will find another problem i tried 55mm 48 mm different spaces in one night with my baader varilock and a caliper none of them works , i didn't attach a big camera , just a 183m and the 3rd problem is the connection of the focal reducer , and where you will find that you can't add a filter , the thread is bigger , you can't add the filter before or after the focal reducer, so i paid 370 for the ota and 175 for focal reducer , so i gone budget and i find out that after i changed 3 focusers and 2 focal reducer and the stars they got hallows and they become rice in the corner that if you pay less then this you will find a good deal , but you need to look around and spend some time , thank you for video , maybe is just my experience ps i got the scratch on the ota like you same problem like you i changed the rings
I do most of my astrophotography using a Tamron lens, the SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD. It has a 95mm lens and focal length of 150-600mm. I was considering buying an 80ED, but I think it would be a downgrade. My lens only weighs 2KGs and can obviously be used as a standard zoom lens during the day.
I'm new to astrophotography and enjoy your videos. I have one question. Most telescopes are spec'd with a min and max magnification. This telescope states min 11x and max 189x. What adapters are needed to order to use that range of magnification. Thank you
That scratched paint is painful to look at. Call SkyWatcher and see if they can send you a specs decal, or even just a small SkyWatcher decal, to conceal the scratches.
Oops! Maths blunder! 480mm focal length with the 0.8x, not 420! :D
The element is now actually disclosed. The stocklist websites I use all have it listed down as Ohara FPL-53 glass for the ED and Schott glass for the crown! For £359 (OTA only) with the carry case, that's some very good value for money!
I guess the full name is; Sky-Watcher EVOSTAR-80ED DS-PRO (OTA) ED APO Refractor Telescope
I use this and manage to balance it without a longer wedge, although it is at its limit. It is an amazing bit of kit for the outlay. The only problem I would like solved with the case is the length. It would be nice to be able to lock off the tube for the focuser & put it in the case like that. It would save a bit of time. However, I have marked the tube. You are right about the packing supports for the scope. I took them out and repositioned them to accommodate where I located the wedge on tge scope etc. Otherwise, there us a lot of setting up to do. You can't avoid setup of course if you have no purpose built building, but I like to minimise it. This was a very thorough review. I like the building, sound and lighting.
Yeah it has a pretty long name haha
How did you manage to balance? Good going there! I just couldn't for the life of me.
I think one issue with making the case that length is then the scope wouldn't be secure in the case. Needs to be packed tight to support it after all.
Thanks, I think the shed works quite nicely for reviews :)
Hi Ruzeen, with the depth you put in this review made me a fan of your work! Pretty good review!
Thanks Ray! I'm glad you enjoyed it :) more to come!
Which telescope is good for city viewing? For example looking at the london eye from your apartment? About 10 kilometres?
2:12 - ED stands for extra-low dispersion, not extra dispersion. You wants the lowest dispersion you can get, not the most ;)
Excellent review. Non nonsense, practical, useful info.
If you want to do lunar and planetary imaging, go for a Sky-Watcher Skymax 127 or a 150 Maksutov-Cassegrain. The 180 is a fantastic bit of kit but it's a bit of a lump to cart around. The Maks excel at this type of imaging. It's why they're called the planet killers.
Do you or anyone else have opinions on how the 180 is with basic wide view nebula stuff?
Yep, I had exactly the same issue with balancing. It’s a bit dumb that they didn’t expect astrophotographers would buy the for imaging and provide a proper dovetail.
Thanks for the very informative video, you helped decide on buying the Skywatcher Evostar 80ED and Just ordered it. I have been subscribing to your channel several months now and find your videos very useful.
Hi Ruzeen, your review of the Skywatcher Evostar 80ED helped me make a decision to buy the telescope. I'm very new to this hobby. Thank you!
Hey Jayanth, thanks for the comment. I'm glad to have helped, you'll enjoy the telescope I'm sure of it!
Great review.
And yess that balance issue and scratch the paint.
Here the same on an other telescope.
Thanks for advance.
Great info thank you. Thinking about getting the 100ed, hard not to for another 100 or so dollars. Hoping to do imaging with my dslr.
Hot damn. Sounds like you did a whole lot of research with different cameras! Very knowledgeable and lot of info! Thanks a lot!
Nice review man, thinking of pairing this with an EQ6-R for starting out in this hobby, heard and seen a lot of great things from this scope!
Thank you! The EQ6-R would hardly even feel this scope on it :) the telescope is good for sure and I've enjoyed using it. Most of my images have been from this telescope so far
Hi. Nice video. I did had similar problems with the dovetail and with the piggyback bolt, did also scratch my paint so i removed it from the rings and do not use it anymore. With the balancing in Dec i managed to achieve a good balance by using the same mounting plate, i had to unscrew and change the positions of the rings on the dovetail, so it can be done without buying other dovetail, you should check my video on the Skywatcher Eqm35 Pro Goto, i did show also how to balance it in Declination using the dovetail that you receive with the Ed80 Telescope.
Great info in this review. I am a subscriber now and look forward to looking at all of your videos.
Thanks so much Don, your support means a lot to me :)
I love my 80ED best bang for buck scope out there, I've had mine for a number of years now & I won't be parting with it any time soon, like you I use the Altair astro 0.8 reducer I just hope I can get to use it at Kelling next week.
I’ve been using one of these for two or three years now and love it.. totally agree with your observations - balancing etc. I never thought about getting a longer dovetail 🤔
Great review, and thank you.. clear skies my friend 👍🏻✌🏻
Great review skywatcher ed80 my friend. I might pick up a skywatcher ed80 in the future to upgrade from the orion ed80.
Ain't almost the same scope?
I have a 6" SCT for planetary work. If I buy this optical tube, I would be using it with a generic x.8 reducer/flattener and an asi294 camera for wide field work.
After the unboxing that I've just viewed on your channel, this preview answers to all my questions about this instrument. Thank you ! PS: Hum, I have a Skywatcher AC120 for a couple of years ... and I've had the same kind of problem with the scratches due to the piggy tail screw ... Damned.
Late to the party perhaps, but thank you for this. I've been doing AP for about two years with a 5" MAK (1500mm) with surprisingly decent results on the stock alt/az mount. I'm looking to expand my horizon (pun intended) and get something more dedicated to wide-field and capable of exposures longer than the 20-25 seconds limited by alt/az. I'm considering the EQ6-R Pro (as I want to use heavier telescopes on it in the future), and I am currently looking at the Evostar 80 ED DS-Pro.
Thanks for the review, now I'm even happier I went with the wo zs73. Do you have the Asiair? I'm having a bugger of a time with that. Edit. I forgot to mention that I voted for your picture, of course not knowing it was yours. Cheers clear skys.👍
Ah I really covet a ZS73!
No, I don't have an ASIAir, I went team Altair. I've seen multiple people having difficulties with their ASIAirs though :(
And thank you for your vote! Even if you didnt know it was mine 😁
Loved the information and the great muck ups here and there lol. Keep up the good work.
Thank you. Enjoy keeping the odd muck up here and there in my videos 😁 a bit entertaining I reckon!
I intend to keep it up, love this RUclips stuff ♥️😁
Great video!!
How good are the 80ed’s for visual imaging?
They are fantastic.
Looks like both tube rings have that threaded hole for the camera stud. You could remove the stud from the front ring and mount a much more useful accessory rail up there.
That's what I ended up doing and piggybacked my guide scope!
Hi Ruzeen, watched your unboxing vid which I liked and the same with this one, some great info. After the unboxing vid I was wondering how you had gotten around the balancing issues and was a bit concerned about how I would autoguide, thanks for providing the answer with the longer dovetail resolution. Your reviews coupled with a few other goods things I have read will have me sending yet more money off to RV Optics. Thanks, Steve
Hey Steve,
I'm really glad my content was able to provide you answers to your questions. It's what I strive to do. You'll enjoy this telescope for sure! Enjoy!
Hi Ruzeen, I stumbled upon your Channel and will definitely subscribe. Your videos are excellent, informative and interesting. Keep up the good work. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. All the best, Ed.
Scratched paint, top dead center? perfect position for an AstroFarsography sticker!
Now there's a thought! 🤔😁
Hi, I'm just starting out and can I ask if you think this would be a good starter scope? I don't want to use a camera, just visual and I'd like to look at Saturn's rings, the moon and whatever else it can see, what's your thoughts? Thanks
Hi Ruzeen. Excellent review. I subsequently bought the scope last week. I am also struggling with balancing in Dec. Can you suggest the exact same ADM dovetail you use? I’m using an EQ6 mount.
Also, you mention when you lock the focuser, the focuser stops moving? My focuser ring moves, but focus does not change? Is that normal?
Thanks and keep up your good work!
lol We knew what you meant :D The ED80 is indeed fpl53, Whether it's the SW, Celestron, or Vixen variant. The confusion only seemed to start then they brought out the ED72 and ED150. It is bonkers value for money though, so I can see why you would have doubts. I'm considering buying my 5th ED80, not that I have 4 others, just that I keep on buying and selling them. I've always had a problem with serial buying and selling scopes.
Yeah, I see now on websites they're boasting about the FPL53 as they rightly should at this price. It's very good value for money so I can see why you keep coming back to them :) yeah the 72ED seems to be undisclosed at the moment so I guess it's 51 or lesser. But j still get a good picture through them
@@AstroFarsographyYeah folks on the forums seem really pleased with the ED72 despite the undisclosed glass type. For around 260 quid it's hard to knock it. For the first time in a decade I have zero scopes, sold all my kit to move house and then in turns out the new house needed a new boiler! lol I only have 4 Plossls and a modded webcam to my name at the moment, but maybe the cheap ED72 would be a good scope to get back on my feet.
@@Astrolavista yeah? Sold everything? Dang, but yeah a nice 72ED I think would be good for sure. Or if you've still got a DSLR then maybe a skytracker? Yeah I'm loving my 72ED and 80ED. I'm happy with telescopes for now until next galaxy season I reckon 🤔
@@AstroFarsographyGood point about the startracker, I do have a 5D mk1 still, forgot about that lol Something with more focal length for next galaxy season? :D
@@Astrolavista yeah! I'm in the market for a star tracker myself :) want one so I can maximize the clear nights in England lol. Yeah, something a bit deeper. Maybe a 102ED or something. But I'd need to use the DSLR for it since there's no way I can afford a 294c as well 😂 I also need to keep it within the weight limit of the HEQ5. The 80ED does okay with some of the targets too. Need to remove the reducer flattener and see how the star field looks sometime I reckon so I can reclaim that 120mm
Old video, but still great and very helpful. I have the same scope and ran into the exact same issues as you in regards to balance. I mount mine on an EQ6-R Pro, so I can't really push the dovetail further up since the dec bracket on that mount is almost as long as the dovetail itself.
I bought a longer (33cm) Sky-watcher dovetail, but the threads doesn't match. (I thought I could use the middle ones, but they are 1/4" UNC using the same threads as cameras/tripods) Do you have a link to the Dovetail you're using in your video?
I have this telescope and the screw on the tube ring is glued in, so my paint is safe... but I want to get rid of the screw completely but so far it won't come out. I'll still have to try using a torch at break the glue. I wish the screw were never even there.
OUCH! Nice review my man!
Thanks very much 🙂 yeah, Ouch haha I was so upset when I scratched my tube. Still am 😂
I used carbon fibre wrap on mine, looks awesome or you can get that nice matt metallic red wrap that you see on william scopes & mounting rings, no need to paint to messy.
That cardboard inside that case is ridiculous, they use to use all foam in their cases. Is the foam in your case glued to the aluminum sides? Another words could you just remove the whole interior of the case and replace it with some pick n pluck foam? If they glued that black foam to the sides inside it’d probably make a mess trying to remove it. Thanks for the review, I’ve seen some nice images from this scope. Sorry about those scratches, but hey your now over the new scope syndrome and can move on and not worry about scratching it :)
Hi! Very good review! I'm planning to get this telescope but i have a little problem...i have a Skywatcher eq 3 pro mount and i don't know if it can handle the Evostar 80. Should i buy it or forget it and get the Evostar 72ED instead? Thanks
Hey there, thanks for the comment.
I think for the EQ3, the Evostar is already pushing it. So I'd probably recommend you to either upgrade the mount first, or go get the 72ED
@@AstroFarsography thank you for your help!
I ordered up a long dovetail when I bought mine too. Fortunately FLO do sell the pretty matching green one in a long size. My main issue with this scope is the focuser. I've adjusted it several times now and it still slips or fails to move when turning the knobs. It seems a good few people have had this issue. I'll be retrofitting the OVL focuser soon. Having said that I really can't fault it in other areas. Yes, the case is a bit shonky and I personally wouldn't put it on a plane in it but it could probably take a little bump or two when hauling your gear about in the car or taking it into the garden. As for the top screws, I purchased another 1/4" UNC 20 bolt for the other tube ring and fitted (admittedly after drilling a hole in it) the spare dovetail that came with my HEQ5 and then bolted a mini dovetail clamp to that and it serves well as a guide scope rail. Overall I really love this scope, I think it's incredible value for money when you compare it with similar scopes and the outfit version includes a decent diagonal, a very nice 2" eyepiece and a 9x50 finder so a great way to get you started. Great review on a great scope my dude. :)
Yeah I ended up just buying this ADM one. I can't entirely remember why now - considering it was quite a pretty expensive bit of kit for a dovetail.
Strange to hear about your issues with the focus rack though. I hadn't seen many people complaining about it but it's good to know and thanks for adding it to the mix here.
Thanks for the words! I was keen to do this review for a while now :) hopefully more to come! I almost feel like I know what I'm talking about haha!
Thank you for this great, honest review.
The crappy finish gives away the origin.
Any recommendation for a similar scope that is not made in China?
Great video! I have only one question: what size is the screw at the back of the telescope? (Is it M42 or M48? Or larger?)
Great review. Would a EQ5-R have issues with carrying the ED80? How is it for visual astronomy?
Doublet. Uh.. Meade etx 80 is an 80mm doublet with 400 mm focal length. f/5. The newer ones have it set up for a dovetail mount if you take it off the etx mount. I'm actually getting one because I like the 20-yr-old ETX 60 at I have and am thinking about getting a equatorial mount eventually. Christmas perhaps...
Thank you for your video and recommendation. I am an owner of a EVO 80ED and i'm thinking of adding a dedicated camera for astrophotography - can I ask what unit you would recommend pls and would I need any special adapters to affix it. With my DSLR I had to add a T-adaptor for Nikon, not a camera I would recommend for this hobby!
Hi fella, I have an A6000 sony mirrorless on my 80ed with a reducer - this vid is a couple of years old now would you recomend a different astro camera for this now or still the ones you mention in this vid? Cheers buddy.
Hi ruz, I currently image with a 130pds and although it's great bang for buck, I like the 80ed and am looking to grab one. One question, I'm still using a 600d modded, do I still need the flatner? I have the skywatcher coma corrector I bought for my 130 will that suffice? Many thanks clear skies mate.
Hey Daniel thanks for the comment.
I used to use the Altair Lightwave 0.8x reducer with the 80ED and I now notice it never correctly flattened the entire frame when using a canon DSLR. So yes, you'd ideally need the dedicated flattener. It flattened the entire field with an APS-C sensor. Clear skies friend
@@AstroFarsography great help. Thank you Ruz, all the best
Hi Great Video..thanks. So I got the camera and I'm trying to get some lunar shots. My initial results are represented perfectly in your video. My aim now is to try and get a wider view of the moon and not partial. What do you recommend I should go for: an extension or a reducer ?? Regards
I am about to receive my SkyWatcher 80ed, so thanks for the tips. I wander what would be best for planets at a reasonable price to also put on my eq 5 mount. Graham
I ordered the 72ED + ZWO aps-c OSC. Do you recommend a UV-IR filter or is the L-pro better?
Great video bud as usual, keep em coming
Thank you mate! Got a few more in the pipeline :)
It could be FPL 51 glass . This is the type glass my Astro-tech 72ED has. Their new version has F-L 53 Glass.
Great video. I am a beginner, but I am.not looking for a telescope for beginners. Is this better than an Orion Skyquest XT8 Plus? Thanks.
Good review. New subsciber here, does Skywatcher make touch-up paint for their tubes?
Hi, need to know what difference are this 80ED from the Pro version and from the Gold coloured one, thanks
That is a great review. I have the 72 ED. By the way is Farsad Arabic? Liked and subscribed!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it :) I have the 72 which I need to get round to doing as well. And yes, I'm half Iranian 🙂
Thanks for the video - got one back-ordered at the moment but everywhere is out of stock! One question - do you know if the Lightwave 0.8x reducer has a removable nosepiece with a thread underneath? Wondering if I could try it on my 1.25" achromat while I wait for the 80ED. Thanks
Nice one you'll enjoy it! I do recommend the dedicated flattener from Sky-Watcher these days as the Altair didn't flatten my DSLR. But it does good enough. As for the threads I'll check when I'm home but I believe the M48 nose can be removed and reveals M52 threads maybe
AstroFarsography Oo it’s a tricky one, I could get a nice filter for the difference in cost! I saw you got the IDAS (D2 I think?), have you tried it out yet? Looks like it would be amazing from the graph
FPL-53 is unnecessary unless you are going for short FL.
Im willing to spend 1000 dlls on a scope or up to 1300. Which telescope do you recommend? I want to see every object possible in the sky
I was thinking of getting this scope mainly for a grab and go visual instrument. Have you seen any false colour, any purple fringing?
Really good in depth review but can I point out that the dew shield can be removed although it is mighyt tight - removal method is wiggle the shield at the same time as pulling it like crazy.
Thank you. Yeah I mentioned how it's not removable due to the fact it's threaded and has thread lock on it. I also omitted it's removal due to the glass being in the dew shield :)
Top video by the way. You may have saved a million telescope paint jobs too.
Many thanks Craig. I can only hope that my misfortune has saved other 80ED scopes the same fate!
AstroFarsography
Maybe put sticker over it.
Hey great video, do you have a purchase link or website for the dovetail extender, thanks.
Hey there thanks very much. I used the 14" version of these bit.ly/2v4otxk
@@AstroFarsography Thank you, keep up the great content!
I want to buy this with an AZ 5 for planetary viewing. Is it a good idea?
Hi! How about a comparision between this and the svbony sv503 72ed? Which one is better and why?thanks
Fantastic review, but I'm at my wits end, I haven't been able to afford a field flattener yet, but I do have a Zwo ASI 224mc camera, but for the life of me I cant bring it to focus without using the star diagonal, how can I bring it to focus without the star diagonal, I cant seem to find details of the correct back focus anywhere.
Thanks. To get this into focus without a star diag or a reducer you'll need to buy extensions to place between the tube and the camera. Best bet is to get about 50mm worth of T2 extensions and a nose piece adaptor, then you'll be able to reach focus. Or if thr 224mc is a 1.25" camera, then assorted lengths of 1.25" extensions pieces will do and then you'll have to play around with the amount of extension required to reach prime focus
@@AstroFarsography Thank you.
I was looking for sth to be manageable to bring with me for holidays and which is able to fit my AZ-GTi weight wiese. I'm doing more visual rather than imaging. But looking at your review I'm not so sure about it anymore..
A full frame camera may require a M48 t-ring to allow for the wider field of view.
Hi I got the skywatcher 0.85 flattner for this with lockdown savings money. Any experience with this. I’ve yet to try it due weather and long delivery time for a M48 adaptor. Reckon it works out of the box or will need to tweak the gap to the sensor. I have a Nikon D3300 (not the best camera for this but I’ve had some success)
Hey mate nice work. The 0.85x is perfect for this. Fully flattened the field with my APSC sized 600D sensor. It should thread directly onto the back of the focus tube after removing the black set screws or you can buy a 2" nose cone from First Light Optics
AstroFarsography thanks.😃
I hear there are some balancing and focal length issues once you put the adapter.
Whats the weight of this telescope? Cant find that info online 😞
would disagree on staying away from planetary hehe, did you see the guy who imaged neptune with one of these? :D great video as always
Yes well... On paper it doesn't sound like it'll stack up well for planetary 😂now there's literally no reason to not buy one 😂😂
Nice review! Thanks man 👍
Do you have a link to buy this online (full kit)?
There should be a link in the video description mate 🙂
What is alumeenium?
EVOStar 100ED also has FL53
being that both the 72 and the 80 are both doublets I find the price discrepency makes the 80 a no go, You get way more scope for the money with the 72 .
What can you see with it?
Hi, is a micro four thirds camera suitable to use with this scope?
Hey there thanks for the comment. Yes a 4/3 sensor should work just fine! What camera is it?
Ive used a Sony RX100 sized sensor in the HyperCam 183c (which is smaller than 4/3") as well as Canon 1.6x APS-C sized sensors and it's fine :)
@@AstroFarsography Hi, my camera is an Olympus OMD EM1 mk2
@@ivan7453 hey Ivan. That camera will fit very nicely to this Telescope then. Just be sure to check something like Stellarium to make sure you're happy with the field of view. But otherwise, yes it'll be good.
@@AstroFarsography Hi, thank you
Nice vid bro.. you know we both have the same scope! I bloody love mine and at current have dslr attached which I'm beginning to feel the nessicary move to the astrocam .....what's this ..... lol hold on
Over and under sampling???
@@LukeSmith-pp4hn thanks mate! It absolutely is a good scope and punches above it's weight for its price I feel.
Under and over sampling is to do with arc seconds and pixel density and star sizes and some nerdy stuff. If you're under sampling, it's okay you can deal with it easier. Over sampling will give you square stars and you need to drizzle to even recover it. Unless I've got that back to front 🤔
I was seriously considering the 294 do you think the 1600 is better?
@@LukeSmith-pp4hn Well they're hard to compare really. The 294 mainly comes in the colour variety and the 1600 is a mono sensor.
Suitability: For "Okay Seeing" the ideal pixel resolution is 0.67-2".
The 294 (with the 0.8x or 0.85x reducer) comes in at about 1.90-1.99". So if you had a really clear and great seeing night, you'll actually under sample.
The 1600 comes in at 1.66" (remember you want to be between 0.67 and 2").
The 183 sensor is 1.03"
Not saying you can't use a 294 with this scope!
Found this in relation to under/over sampling:
"Undersampling means too few pixels to capture the resolution the telescope provides. Oversampling means the light is spread over more pixels than needed to achieve full resolution thus increasing imaging time often by a large factor."
So if you undersample, you need to drizzle. Oversample just increases hassle.
A very nice review.
It's a great review.Love from Bangladesh.
Nice review.
Thanks :)
Nice Review. I have this one since a view jears and unfortunately rarely used it since I am a bigger fan of Newtonians.
I can tell you from my own experience that it doesn't cover the full-frame image circle (tried it without the flattener) but APS-C is covered.
Great Review Ruzeen
Thanks Mick 😁
1/4 BSW. thread top tube ring threads. meeasure 2 cut 1...
Thanks Ruzeen
I always thought the Crown element was the matched element to the ED element? Not the actual ED element? It's so annoying when you scratch your scope isn't it :( I Bought a really battered old ED80 years ago and got some good advice about tarting it up with Vinyl wrap. As you can see here I went for the perhaps over used carbon fibre effect :D stargazerslounge.com/topic/169539-cosmetically-challenged-celestron-ed80/
I believe you're right. The crown is the schott glass at the front and then the ED element sits behind it. Need to study up on telescope construction :)
@@AstroFarsographylol This is one of the great thing about astronomy and astrophotography. There is ALWAYS something to learn :)
Hi . nice video ,
i just need to add, that focuser shuld be illegal ,
or stop to manufactured , i changed 3 of them i had different colours knobs
none of them works i tried to adjust the tension with allen keys on two of them
the third one is stock i will not touch it , so basically they don't work if you attach your camera
and you are pointing to a star and you unlock it to focus the camera falls down and you will hear a boom
and then you have to manually push the camera and watch the star so you don't use the focus knob.,,
you push the camera with your hand , witch i don't have to do to another 4x telescope .
i got it ,is cheap but that focuser for me is criminal ,
Optic is good , sharp stars util you will use their focal reducer , then you will find another problem
i tried 55mm 48 mm different spaces in one night with my baader varilock and a caliper
none of them works , i didn't attach a big camera , just a 183m
and the 3rd problem is the connection of the focal reducer , and where you will find
that you can't add a filter , the thread is bigger , you can't add the filter before or after the
focal reducer, so i paid 370 for the ota and 175 for focal reducer , so i gone budget
and i find out that after i changed 3 focusers and 2 focal reducer and the stars they got hallows
and they become rice in the corner that if you pay less then this you will find a good deal ,
but you need to look around and spend some time ,
thank you for video , maybe is just my experience
ps
i got the scratch on the ota like you same problem like you
i changed the rings
I do most of my astrophotography using a Tamron lens, the SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD. It has a 95mm lens and focal length of 150-600mm. I was considering buying an 80ED, but I think it would be a downgrade. My lens only weighs 2KGs and can obviously be used as a standard zoom lens during the day.
Thanks you ~~
I'm new to astrophotography and enjoy your videos. I have one question. Most telescopes are spec'd with a min and max magnification. This telescope states min 11x and max 189x. What adapters are needed to order to use that range of magnification. Thank you
Nice video👍👍
I have an idea , put the key in your ear , that way you wont loose it and you already have a few in your ear :) hahah , sorry man couldn't resist
Haha that's a new one on me! Nice one, made me chuckle :D
That scratched paint is painful to look at. Call SkyWatcher and see if they can send you a specs decal, or even just a small SkyWatcher decal, to conceal the scratches.
#2nd like ☺🔭
I smell a rat with them not being willing to divulge the particular glass type used 🤔
its a locking nut work it out i thought you was an engineer you are doing it wrong :P
why ! lmao