This! Thank you! I read your comments on certain groups as well. Your knowledge and input is greatly appreciated. Will be following you for a long time to get my rig set up almost perfectly. Take care Angus.
Seems like the perfect scope for a kind of grab and go quick imaging session. At that price seems like a great scope to just have in your collection. Enjoyed your review as always. Look forward to pt 2. Clear skies Angus.
Hey thanks for checking out the video! You should come back soon for more videos. I've got an experiment lined up, several more reviews, and etc. I hope to see you back here when I upload again! :)
Haha, awesome! Thanks for coming over to visit. I hope you liked the review. I have several more that are coming on the way 😃. I hope you will come back for those as well!
Well done, Angus! The final reveal was amazing! The price point is very attractive, and focuser appears to be great from what you’ve said, and others have written. Now, what is the cost of a field flattener, and how do budget ones compare with the more expensive? One could easily end up with a total investment upwards of $500. For me to “graduate” from DSLR to refractor and astrocam just got cheaper.
The Astro-Tech field flattener/focal reducer should be $150 and below. The field flattener I used was the Hotech 1:1 field flattener, it worked fine for my AT115EDT but it doesn't seem to be a perfect match for the AT70ED. I think if I play around with it, I could get it to work. But to answer your question, expect to add another $150 for a field flattener.
@@nocturneastro2539 the Astro-Tech ATR8 .8X reducer/flattener for f/6 scopes is currently $139.95. Also, I believe it's because I'm a member of Cloudy Nights, but I got a discount on both the scope and flattener/reducer - 3% on the scope and 5% on the reducer/flattener. When I ordered, I paid the full price but then they issued a credit to my credit card which appeared a few days after my order.
Astronomics is selling an Astro-Tech flattener/reducer with just 42mm threads now for $120 for F/6 refractors. Just got it for my AT70ED and haven’t tried it out yet. In one Cloudy Nights forum they were saying that the Astro-Tech flatteners give better results at 65 mm back focus. Next clear night I’m going to play with different back focus and see what distance is best.
I'd been looking at this scope to add to my collection for a few months now and finally ordered one with the reducer/field flattener. I saw a comment somewhere else pointing out the fact that the focuser doesn't rotate is moot, because the entire scope can be rotated in its ring. This will be my 4th ED scope, along with a Celestron Omni 102XLT ED F/8.8 doublet, an Explore Scientific Essential Series ED80 F/6 triplet, and a TMB130SS F/7 triplet (was also sold by Astronomics, I picked that scope up from an estate for an unbelievable price of $1300, which included rings and a Losmandy dovetail plate).
Thanks for the video, quite helpful. Any suggestions for a compact mount with tracking / goto features? I want to have a setup that I can take to a remote location and have ready in 10 minutes or so.
Thanks for the review, looks like a nice budget choice for a scope. But would it be too much to ask to bring down the audio levels on the music a bit? It's at least twice as loud as your narration, which gets really jarring.
oooooooohhhhhh! I'm a complete noob to this but willing to invest in decent gear for the hours / days / years of fun :) I have an Ioptron Skyguider Pro on the way (nice new black one) - I was just about to hit BUY on a Space Cat 51 to use with an L-Extreme or L-Enhance on my MFT camera (in Southern Hemisphere). But now you've got me thinking ... maybe this instead? Does that mean my focal length will become 840-860mm? If so, is that too much? But wait ... there's the AT72EDII with FPL53 still for less than the Space Cat 51. And I like that it can handle the 1.25inch filters so future savings? Or are the 2inch versions better? hmmmmm ... thoughts?
I'm not familiar with what a MFT camera is, can you elaborate? As for the filter, I can't guarantee they will work because those filter will require long exposures, longer than what your star tracker can provide, and you would need autoguiding to reliably have 3+ minutes of exposures. Also, I wouldn't recommend this telescope or the AT72EDII because this long of a focal length is not quite suited for a star tracker. Not to mention, the AT72EDII is too heavy. You want all of your equipment to stay within 70% of the advertised maximum payload capacity of your mount. Some people refuses to go beyond 50% of the limit. The Spacecat 51 is a great choice. I have a review of it on my channel, you should go check it out 😃
I saw your vid on the SpaceCat ... a nice piece of kit :) MFT = Micro Four Thirds sensor. The beauty of MFT is: 1) less weight (400g camera body so realistically sub 3kg with lens = less than 60% of the Skyguider Pro's payload limit) 2) 2x crop meaning that I get great telephoto at half the size of normal lenses :) That said, the Telescopius simulator tells me that the 2x crop is more likely to be a problem: with a SpaceCat that 2x crop will make it hard to get much more than a single object in the frame :( So I may just have to stick with my Laowa 7mm f/2 and focus on Milky Way while I practice. I also have the M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 lens and a Canon 75-150 f/4-5.6 USM with a speedbooster so I guess I can use those to test whether I can collect enough data to zoom-in on Horsehead with decent clarity and detail. Mind you ... the Voigtlander Nokton 60mm f/0.95 has been whispering to me for some time ... it's great for portraits but a tad expensive. Using it for astrophotography too makes the cost justifiable :) I reckon that f/0.95 aperture = less exposure time = more shots for stacking = hopefully better quality end result. Pair that up with the STC Duo-Narrowband clip-in filter (for just US$270) and ... am I on the right track or do you think it's too good to be true?
Have you seen my William Optics Zenithstar 73? I can't confirm it, but they are suspiciously similar, if not identical. 🤔😉 You should check out that review on my channel! Let me know if you agree with my thoughts in that video, or disagree 😃
Would be interesting to see how it compares to the 72ED, which is also a really decent telescope for its price, currently listed for $490 (also at 420mm without a reducer/flattener). The reducer/flattener for the 72ED is however about $350 which would bring the total price of a 72ED with flattener to around $7-800.
Hello Angus, What are your thoughts on this scope after using it for a while? Are you still as enthusiastic about recommending it? Thanks for all your great content.
I don't use this scope as my regular scope (I have my own scopes to use 😅). But for ~$300, absolutely! It's like going to McDonald's and you get a decent authentic Italian dish... For McDonald's prices 🙂
Unfortunately I don't have an AT60ED to compare, but I have used the William Optics Zenithstar 61 before, which is an identical scope. That scope is superior to this.
Very nice review. I bought the telescope after watching this video. It is my first refractor. Does anyone know for certain what the actual focal length is? At f/6 (listed), with an aperture of 70 mm the focal length would be 420 mm as stated in the video. N.I.N.A. believes the focal length is 408 mm.
@@nocturneastro2539 thank you. That is my other guess. The sensor is entered according to specifications. I’m going to assume it’s a characteristic of the software. Thank you again.
Welcome and glad you're starting the hobby and carving out your own path! I would recommend any entry level mounts, as this is still a very light refractor (but may be too heavy for star trackers). Anything with a payload capacity of 15-40lbs would do. I'd recommend the iOptron CEM26, CEM40 if you want to have some future proofing.
This is a barebone scope, and yeah I agree with you that a few more hardware would make sense. But as the same time, at $300, it's kind of hard for them to fit anymore stuff into the package. I mean this is less expensive than most camera lenses.
Very affordable, but I would expend a bit more on an Evostar 72ED with APO lenses, also doublet, but I haven't had any problem with chromatic aberration.
@@nocturneastro2539 I guess it is now. But a year and a half ago I got mine from. First light optics for $420.00 fortunately. Well fortunately I didn't wait. Seems like 3 years ago when I got I to this hobby, it wasn't such a popular hobby. But I've seen a huge influx of new people lately😊 makes me happy. But it also makes the prices go up. My EQ6-R pro would have ran me $1,100.00 back three years ago. But it was 1,650.00 when I just got it. But FLO will always be my goto shop for astro. The have decent prices and great customer service!
The enthusiasm is definitely felt here right off the bat. Love the content.
This! Thank you! I read your comments on certain groups as well. Your knowledge and input is greatly appreciated. Will be following you for a long time to get my rig set up almost perfectly. Take care Angus.
Thank you! Appreciate it your support and I will try to keep putting out good content and help other beginners get started in this hobby!
Well done!! Thanks for the honest review.
You're welcome! Thanks for checking out the channel! 😃
Seems like the perfect scope for a kind of grab and go quick imaging session. At that price seems like a great scope to just have in your collection. Enjoyed your review as always. Look forward to pt 2. Clear skies Angus.
Yeah, that's what I am thinking as well. Thanks for visiting! Clear skies to you as well! Come back soon for another video! 😃
I saw your post over on Cloudy Nights. Nice video and review. I enjoyed it. 👍 (I'm BFaucett over on Cloudy Nights.) Cheers!
Hey thanks for checking out the video! You should come back soon for more videos. I've got an experiment lined up, several more reviews, and etc. I hope to see you back here when I upload again! :)
How is this for viewing planets and stars
Saw your note on Cloudy Nights. 👍
Haha, awesome! Thanks for coming over to visit. I hope you liked the review. I have several more that are coming on the way 😃. I hope you will come back for those as well!
Does this need a flattener? And do u think results would be better than using a nikon 400mm lens on my crop sensor DSLR?
Do you havea hard case for your refractor? If so where did you find it? Just got the scope but no case options. Thanks
I believe when you buy an Astro-Tech, it comes shipped with a hard case.
@@nocturneastro2539 The AT70ED doesn’t come with a hard case, just nice foam in a double cardboard box.
@@billkonkel6325 I must be mistaken then, or I put it in a case myself and forgot it didn't come from Astro-Tech. Thanks!
Can this Refractor be used on the Celestron 8 Nexstar evolution?
Well done, Angus! The final reveal was amazing! The price point is very attractive, and focuser appears to be great from what you’ve said, and others have written. Now, what is the cost of a field flattener, and how do budget ones compare with the more expensive? One could easily end up with a total investment upwards of $500. For me to “graduate” from DSLR to refractor and astrocam just got cheaper.
The Astro-Tech field flattener/focal reducer should be $150 and below. The field flattener I used was the Hotech 1:1 field flattener, it worked fine for my AT115EDT but it doesn't seem to be a perfect match for the AT70ED. I think if I play around with it, I could get it to work. But to answer your question, expect to add another $150 for a field flattener.
@@nocturneastro2539 the Astro-Tech ATR8 .8X reducer/flattener for f/6 scopes is currently $139.95. Also, I believe it's because I'm a member of Cloudy Nights, but I got a discount on both the scope and flattener/reducer - 3% on the scope and 5% on the reducer/flattener. When I ordered, I paid the full price but then they issued a credit to my credit card which appeared a few days after my order.
Astronomics is selling an Astro-Tech flattener/reducer with just 42mm threads now for $120 for F/6 refractors. Just got it for my AT70ED and haven’t tried it out yet. In one Cloudy Nights forum they were saying that the Astro-Tech flatteners give better results at 65 mm back focus. Next clear night I’m going to play with different back focus and see what distance is best.
I'd been looking at this scope to add to my collection for a few months now and finally ordered one with the reducer/field flattener. I saw a comment somewhere else pointing out the fact that the focuser doesn't rotate is moot, because the entire scope can be rotated in its ring. This will be my 4th ED scope, along with a Celestron Omni 102XLT ED F/8.8 doublet, an Explore Scientific Essential Series ED80 F/6 triplet, and a TMB130SS F/7 triplet (was also sold by Astronomics, I picked that scope up from an estate for an unbelievable price of $1300, which included rings and a Losmandy dovetail plate).
I hope you are enjoying the scope!
@@nocturneastro2539 not until it warms up some, I'm in upstate NY so not the best time of year for anything astronomy related!
Which field flattener did you order? About to order a new scope and I didn't see one specifically listed for the 70ED. Thanks
@@wooddogg8 unfortunately I don't technically have a filter for it. But if I have to guess, I think Hotech SCA 1:1 field flattener would work?
@@wooddogg8 I bought the AT8R - ASTRO-TECH 0.8X REDUCER/FIELD FLATTENER FOR F/6 REFRACTORS, $139.95
Perfect timing! Just had a look at that scope and i wondered if it was any good! seems like it is!
I think it's really hard to beat the value here.
Thank you for your honest review.
You're welcome! Thanks for visiting the channel! :)
Nice review Angus!
Hey buddy, thanks for the support! I really appreciate it! :)
I might've missed you explaining this in the video but were you at maximum zoom to take the veil picture?
This is so good, good job! :)
Thank you! Thanks for watching!
What adapter do you have for the canon?
It will be either a M42 or M48 T-Ring depending on the field flattener you use.
Thanks for the video, quite helpful. Any suggestions for a compact mount with tracking / goto features? I want to have a setup that I can take to a remote location and have ready in 10 minutes or so.
Skywatcher Star Adventurer GTI 🙂
Thanks for the review, looks like a nice budget choice for a scope. But would it be too much to ask to bring down the audio levels on the music a bit? It's at least twice as loud as your narration, which gets really jarring.
oooooooohhhhhh! I'm a complete noob to this but willing to invest in decent gear for the hours / days / years of fun :) I have an Ioptron Skyguider Pro on the way (nice new black one) - I was just about to hit BUY on a Space Cat 51 to use with an L-Extreme or L-Enhance on my MFT camera (in Southern Hemisphere). But now you've got me thinking ... maybe this instead?
Does that mean my focal length will become 840-860mm? If so, is that too much?
But wait ... there's the AT72EDII with FPL53 still for less than the Space Cat 51. And I like that it can handle the 1.25inch filters so future savings? Or are the 2inch versions better? hmmmmm ... thoughts?
I'm not familiar with what a MFT camera is, can you elaborate? As for the filter, I can't guarantee they will work because those filter will require long exposures, longer than what your star tracker can provide, and you would need autoguiding to reliably have 3+ minutes of exposures. Also, I wouldn't recommend this telescope or the AT72EDII because this long of a focal length is not quite suited for a star tracker. Not to mention, the AT72EDII is too heavy. You want all of your equipment to stay within 70% of the advertised maximum payload capacity of your mount. Some people refuses to go beyond 50% of the limit.
The Spacecat 51 is a great choice. I have a review of it on my channel, you should go check it out 😃
I saw your vid on the SpaceCat ... a nice piece of kit :)
MFT = Micro Four Thirds sensor. The beauty of MFT is:
1) less weight (400g camera body so realistically sub 3kg with lens = less than 60% of the Skyguider Pro's payload limit)
2) 2x crop meaning that I get great telephoto at half the size of normal lenses :)
That said, the Telescopius simulator tells me that the 2x crop is more likely to be a problem: with a SpaceCat that 2x crop will make it hard to get much more than a single object in the frame :(
So I may just have to stick with my Laowa 7mm f/2 and focus on Milky Way while I practice. I also have the M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 lens and a Canon 75-150 f/4-5.6 USM with a speedbooster so I guess I can use those to test whether I can collect enough data to zoom-in on Horsehead with decent clarity and detail.
Mind you ... the Voigtlander Nokton 60mm f/0.95 has been whispering to me for some time ... it's great for portraits but a tad expensive. Using it for astrophotography too makes the cost justifiable :)
I reckon that f/0.95 aperture = less exposure time = more shots for stacking = hopefully better quality end result.
Pair that up with the STC Duo-Narrowband clip-in filter (for just US$270) and ... am I on the right track or do you think it's too good to be true?
I have the AT 72EDII would like a review of that one too.
Have you seen my William Optics Zenithstar 73? I can't confirm it, but they are suspiciously similar, if not identical. 🤔😉
You should check out that review on my channel! Let me know if you agree with my thoughts in that video, or disagree 😃
@@nocturneastro2539 Watching that review now.
Would be interesting to see how it compares to the 72ED, which is also a really decent telescope for its price, currently listed for $490 (also at 420mm without a reducer/flattener). The reducer/flattener for the 72ED is however about $350 which would bring the total price of a 72ED with flattener to around $7-800.
Yeah, but I think you can just use one of the field flattener from William Optics. The AT72EDII is virtually identical to the Zenithstar 73.
Hello Angus, What are your thoughts on this scope after using it for a while? Are you still as enthusiastic about recommending it? Thanks for all your great content.
I don't use this scope as my regular scope (I have my own scopes to use 😅). But for ~$300, absolutely! It's like going to McDonald's and you get a decent authentic Italian dish... For McDonald's prices 🙂
Great video. How does this compare to the AT60 ED ? FPL 53 vs FK 61.
Unfortunately I don't have an AT60ED to compare, but I have used the William Optics Zenithstar 61 before, which is an identical scope. That scope is superior to this.
Very nice review. I bought the telescope after watching this video. It is my first refractor. Does anyone know for certain what the actual focal length is? At f/6 (listed), with an aperture of 70 mm the focal length would be 420 mm as stated in the video. N.I.N.A. believes the focal length is 408 mm.
NINA will give you a plate solving warning if your camera sensor size is incorrect, check that first.
@@nocturneastro2539 thank you. That is my other guess. The sensor is entered according to specifications. I’m going to assume it’s a characteristic of the software. Thank you again.
Here from cn. Nice video! What mount would you recommend? New to this
Welcome and glad you're starting the hobby and carving out your own path! I would recommend any entry level mounts, as this is still a very light refractor (but may be too heavy for star trackers). Anything with a payload capacity of 15-40lbs would do. I'd recommend the iOptron CEM26, CEM40 if you want to have some future proofing.
Interesting video, thanks for sharing ! - subscribed.
Thank you! I appreciate the support! :) Please come back for more, I've got more reviews lined up.
Excellent
Despite the price I think they should have provided a separate tube ring. Just for added stability. But looks great value otherwise.
This is a barebone scope, and yeah I agree with you that a few more hardware would make sense. But as the same time, at $300, it's kind of hard for them to fit anymore stuff into the package. I mean this is less expensive than most camera lenses.
I’d love to see the view through your water bottle. Lol
Hahahahaha, it ain't great 😅
I think with a proper field flattener this is an outstanding scope for the price
Indeed! I agree completely. With a proper field flatter, this should run somebody around $450. It's really hard to argue against.
Very affordable, but I would expend a bit more on an Evostar 72ED with APO lenses, also doublet, but I haven't had any problem with chromatic aberration.
It's almost double the cost, I don't think you can really compare the two.
@@nocturneastro2539 I guess it is now. But a year and a half ago I got mine from. First light optics for $420.00 fortunately. Well fortunately I didn't wait. Seems like 3 years ago when I got I to this hobby, it wasn't such a popular hobby. But I've seen a huge influx of new people lately😊 makes me happy. But it also makes the prices go up. My EQ6-R pro would have ran me $1,100.00 back three years ago. But it was 1,650.00 when I just got it. But FLO will always be my goto shop for astro. The have decent prices and great customer service!