I’ve had an ED 80 for about 10 years now and love it. Bought it originally to use as a solar telescope exclusively, but have come of find it’s a great wide field scope, and an excellent double star scope for it’s size. A good friend of mine, who owns Tele Vue 85, and I tried a head-to-head comparison on various close double stars. While the Tele Vue was showing slightly better contrast and separation, my buddy was very impressed how close it was to his larger 85mm, that cost over $2000 for just the tube assembly. I will never get rid of this scope. It’s become my go to instrument for all casual viewing.
New to your web site and love it. I have seen your name over the last 20 years of my telescoping hobby and its great to see your video's Ed! I started in Portland Maine with an Orion Short Tube 80 and still have it. It now sports a GSO crayford focuser which much improved the star test. 2 years later I bought an Antares 8 inch dob which was improved with a Parks mirror, giving it a nice bump in viewing quality. Last year I finally got my dream refractor, a Vixen SD81s. I keep all three scopes now and no longer feel that anxiety one feels when you don't have enough telescopes! My favorite viewing area is Milbridge Maine. OMG the summer night sky from our yard is breathtaking. Especially without a scope. During the winter I live just outside urban area of DC and have dark skies. I have spent 40 years as a tv photojournalist and your videos are great! your on air delivery is perfect due to your background. Your camera picture looks above average too. You just need a little 3 point lighting kit and cover your jump cuts with a 4 frame "white flash". Or better yet cover them with a 3 -4 second tight shot of your subject. Looking forward to watching more of your videos!
I like how you say" the anxiety one feels not having enough scopes" I used to be that person,my first " real" scope was an Orion ST 80,I now have over 24 telescopes including the ED80 and many other apos and achros. Clear skies!
The orion 80ED is a classic. My next door neighbor owned one in white. He bought it with a mount from Orion. Back then I was using my Meade ETX-90. That scope has been passed on to my niece and her husband. That is after it gave me many years of fun. I now own a Televue TV-85 and a few Astro-Tech scopes.
My introduction to visual astronomy was a 3" military refractor brass tube leather coated with a draw tube for focusing. It was on a brass altazimuth mount. These were used all along the British coastline in concreate bunkers spaced out to observe the sea against enemy invasion during the 2nd world war. After the war ended, many of these bunkers were blown up with the telescopes still inside. My friend's grandfather removed one of these telescopes and we used it for astronomy. I now own the Sky-Watcher ED 80 and it reminds me of all those times I spent looking into the sky with that old brass telescope. ED 80 accomplishes good views and photographs of most of the objects that amateur astronomers want to see and is at a price that most can afford. I have had my ED 80 since it was first introduced about 18 years ago and it is still as good as the day I purchased it. The best thing about the ED 80 telescope it is very travel robust and will not have collimation problems associated with other types of telescopes. That is a big plus having no collimation to perform when you arrive at your favorite viewing place.
Hi Ed. You spoke of astronomers shrugging at the sight of a galaxy. I am new enough that catching Mercury in a landscape photo for the first time yesterday has me thrilled. It's just nine brightish pixels, but it is a picture of a planet that I have never seen! I even got one with Jupiter and maybe-it's-noise-maybe-its-Saturn in the same frame with a 70 mm camera lens.
Bought Orion 80mmED in 2003 when it first come out . It is 20 years now and still one of my favorite telescope. Definitely not your only scope kind of scope unless you are staying in a high rise apartment and space is premium .
Hey Ed thanks for this review! I did astrophotography and shot several dozens of targets with this scope when I was in grad school on a tight budget. This thing has been to so many places with me and I have so many memories with it. I had to move recently and that resulted to me giving away my 8" dob that I used for visual observing (the saddest part is I'm pretty sure it hasn't seen the night sky since), but I kept the ED80. With prices so high right now I can't justify buying another dobsonian at this time and this video has inspired me to do some visual observing with the ED80! I love using my 15x70 binoculars for wide views but it will be nice to use something less shaky and with more configurability. Going to the dark sky site tomorrow to have some fun.
Got a good deal on a Skywatcher 80ED Apo whis is pretty much the same scope, its my first scope and im really enjoing it. Sure the aperture isn't huge but its light enaugh to take with you when hiking on a small mount and in areas with basically no light pollution its amazing.
I've always considered the ED80 as one of the best value for money scopes out there - particularly as you can use it as a birding scope and astrophoto setup, both of which it does very nicely. I've probably had mine for maybe fifteen years and still take it with me on trips.
I purchased Celestron's version of this scope (ED 80) in 2005. I second everything you said about the telescope. I't's still my most often used instrument because of it's portability and quality.
Really enjoyed the sense check on what we can expect to see in terms of deep sky, and the examples you give. I’ve got a 4 inch vixen arriving soon, so wondered whether you feel some of those dimmer objects (like NGC 2976) are likely visible with the eye in this manner. Was outside at 3am this morning (the dog got me up) and was rewarded with a spectacular sky, but no telescope set up and available in the house, so I got the Nikon 8x42 binoculars out. Andromeda had gone over the horizon, but had my best view yet of Orion……. So good that the dog got bored and went indoors whilst I was fixated. Until standing in the garden in my PJs got a tad chilly.
@@edting thanks Mr Ting, and thanks for what you do. It’s people like you who take our species forward. I really enjoyed your “best telescopes by price level” video, and I don’t presume to tell you what to do, but it would be so cool to have a “what you can expect to see by aperture level” video. I realise that’s tricky with the obvious shift between types, but you’ve inspired my wife and I to buy a C8 HD and vixen ax103 to compliment each other based on your material so far 😃, and we’re attempting our first star/pizza party with neighbours and friends in the south of France this month. Best wishes
I just noticed you have a wall hanging that looks like the cover of Norton's Star Atlas, the newer edition - nice! Good review. Of course at 3" you can get great performance at f/10 or so with a standard achromat. I have split pi Aquilae with a modern 90mm achromat at f/10. I always figured if you were going APO you might as well start at 4".
A three inch refractor is a lot of fun as a grab and go scope. I do agree that for someone doing visual, something bigger is nice as a second scope. My Lunt 80 mm gives pretty nice views of the moon down to about 4-5 km resolution at 124X. Very nice contrast for Saturn and Jupiter as well. I don't do much DSO work with it though.
I have the Skywatcher version and it is excellent for Astro photography.. A flattener is needed, but the Skywatcher/ Orion does not permit use of a filter. FLO offers an adapter for this, but I suggest you explore other flatteners.
I don't know... When I first saw globular clusters and galaxies in TX's Bortle 0 skies through my 8-inch Dob, I think I was yelling with excitement. The campers next to my camp came outside to tell my friend and I to quiet down. I haven't seen skies that clear since.
nice video, i’ve watched a ton of your videos lately and i feel like i need my first scope. i’m taking your advice i think, i’m going to get an 8” dobsonian. problem at the moment is finding one for sale.. you and a few astronomers have inspired me, thank you.
The Celestron version of this scope is also amazing, I use it for both visual and photography and it honestly is the tool of choice for 90% of my use cases. I do have 150mm and 200mm newtons that I use for fainter fuzzies but, for most objects I prefer the pesky lil ED. Mine has a GSO focuser now but otherwise I have not needed to modify it, either. Another valuable thing for beginning astronomer I would say is the relatively slow focal ratio which makes even affordable eyepieces perform at their best.
@@k.h.1587 I did not actually get very noticeable color, but it was and is extremely finicky about being in perfect focus. Without flattener I often started to get some in either corners or the center depending on which was in exact focus. Even tiny bit outside critical focus you stated to get bunch of color. With narrow band, the issue seemed to go away completely but again was very finicky about focus.
@@mikas2051 back in the day, when I had the celestron version , but obviously an older generation as this was bought used in 2006, I got the william optics 80mm.f6 that was advertised as flourite but was truly just fpl53. When I compared them with my nikon D50, I noticed the WO was not sharp at the edges, but had good color correction, and the celestron had purple stars, but a flat field. My friend who also had an 80ed said you can take the purple out in photoshop, but you can't correct the field, so at the time I returned the WO and kept the celestron, when the correct thing to do was buy the flattener for the WO. But both of us were relatively inexperienced at the time, thjs being 18 years ago. He became a prolific imager, and I became the top salesman at the dealer we worked at. But both of us got published in sky and telescope twice in the ads placed by the dealer, basically saying "buy from us, we have actual astrophotographers" . He went takahashi and I went televue101. I have to admit he did help me process one of my 2 published images. We also had our pictures posing next to our rigs, in a full page ad.
It its going in a sturdy case, you don't need much. Maybe some food jar lid will work. Otherwise, 3d printing a cover shouldn't be too hard to too expensive.
One of the first scopes I bought new was it's younger cousin- The ST-80 and it is still serving well as a guide scope! This is a great focal length for visual or imaging and these scopes are pretty solid for the price
Thanks for this review. This is one budget scope that eluded me somehow. I’ve considered it multiple times but never jumped. It was exciting to see you review it because I value your opinion on gear. Thank you. Clear skies.
Just picked up a used Lunt ED80 as my first ED refractor. Its f/7 meshes better with my existing Eyepieces than my ST80. Looking forward to (mostly) saying goodbye to purple halos
Great advice and review. Now if only my SW 100ED gets here already to compliment my 10" dob. Look like you did well with the SW flattener.. I'll have to pick one up later.
Thanks for the nice review. I used to belong to the NHAS and bring my 10 Orion Dob to the planetarium in Concord for observing nights, allowing people who had just watched a program there to actually see what a real telescope looked like and what it did. Any chance you are still a member up there ? I believe you used to be, but I could be wrong. --Dennis Little. Weare, NH. Oh, and that field looks familiar, off Joppa Hill by chance in Bedford ?
"budget" is all relative. Amazon has the ED80 for $525 WITHOUT a mount. Last May I paid $575 for a Meade ETX125 Maksutov- Casegrain scope on Amazon. Now you can't find one for under a grand (for a $699 retail scope on the Meade website)....
It's on a hill in Bedford NH. This was a great site 10 years ago, but now it's merely good. It's a nice area and they built a huge neighborhood around the area.
Too bad it has been discontinued. Looks like the supplier abroad up and closed shop. Orion says it may make a comeback, but may be years. Glad I got mine when I did
Hello Ed.. I'm new subscriber to your channel and enjoying watching many of your reviews and of course your humor.. So far, I have not seen any reviews for William Optics telescopes.. what are your thoughts WO's?
Hi Ed, I am new to astrophotography and am currently using a Fuji X-T2 with telephoto lenses. I have a Sky Watcher Star Adventurer tracker. I want to get my first scope without having to upgrade my tracker. Have you reviewed any of the small APO refractor scopes? I am looking at a TPO ultrawide 80mm f/4.5. If my budget were bigger I would get a Redcat 51.
Hi - I have a Star Adventurer too. That thing has been around the world with me. I actually could use a new one, mine is so beat up! As much as I like it, it's not going to be "enough" mount for your small scope while imaging. Ignore the weight claims; everyone grossly exaggerates what their mounts will carry. With that caution in mind (don't say you weren't warned!) feel free to try it. Among the small apos I have a soft spot for the Astro-Tech AT72 (either version) or (if you can find a used one) the old AT66. Good luck.
It's to get nice tight stars across the field. You trade away high-magnification resolution to eliminate field curvature, which causes stars at the edges to be slightly out of focus. It more or less converts a telescope into a traditional camera lens, with a fixed f/stop.
Hi Ed. I really like your videos and wit. I just started playing around with astrophotography and already am being drawn into upgrading equipment similar to this telescope. Lately I have been drawn towards Svbony telescopes such as SV503 80ED, but I don't know anyone that has one personally but those who do own one leave great reviews. Do you have any experience with Svbony products. I was also considering an Evostar 80 ED which seems to give you more accessories but is more expensive. Hopefully you can give some advice. Thanks.
SVBony is a relatively recent Chinese-sourced brand. There have been several of these springing up lately and it's hard to keep track of them without a program.
@@edting Thanks for your reply. I will probably listen to the more experienced astronomers and upgrade to a quality tracking mount first then decide on on a scope later. Right now I'm using a 90mm Skywatcher achromatic refractor with an unguided motorized eq2 mount. I think I'll go as far as I can with that for now and watch more Ed Ting reviews.
Everything is showing "discontinued" or "out of stock" right now. Ugh. Try equivalents from Astro-Tech, William Optics, Sky-Watcher, Explore Scientific, as well as other similar Orion models.
@@edting Thanks for responding so fast (: , The astrotech and skywatcher variants seem like the most attractive deals, I can't wait have a apochromat at my disposal for widefield astrophotography especially because my astroview 6" reflector has a huge coma problem and never stays collimated.
@@edting thanks, this seemed like just the scope for me. Been looking, researching and your channel is great. Learning a lot. 65 years old, guess never to old to try.
True, but if you want to customize your scope the Orion is the best. For example, I use a laser pointer and a correct image diagonal, which the Orion allows me to do. Regarding the dual focuser, well, you might be correct on that account; but I just happened to have a dual laying around so I swapped it out and presto, ready to go exactly the way I wanted it.
You don't really need a dual-speed focuser at f/7.5. My f/9 127ED has a single-speed Moonlite and I never have any issues focusing it. The nice thing about this scope is its simplicity IMO.
@@southbronxny5727 If they are the same price, then your comment is of course true. But the Orion is listed for $499 and the Skywatcher is listed for $825. So as far as I can see its a $325 difference, which I can use to customize the way I want. On the other hand, if I am missing something let me know.
Personally, I like my achromat doublet. I use a filter and I think the aborations are negligible. I think you save buying achromats and newtonians. To be fair, I know there's astrophographers that would balk at photography with fringes and wouldn't submit such work in a contest.
@@Mandragara yeah I don't know, other than aperture size and speed. If you have a fast newtonian you can image. But lots of imagers who like reflector scopes go for a more compact SC, but then they have more obstruction than the typical nretonian.
I've viewed several of these videos, and always catch the part where you explain your club "tricks out" a telescope you donate to libraries. I work for the city of Santa Fe in NM, and would love for our libraries to be considered for that donation. We have beautiful skies devoid of light pollution, and I know we would spark so much interest with a donation like that. Please let me know what I can do!!! Please feel free to contact me for my personal contact information!
I am always amazed at Ed’s knowledge, and happy when I can absorb even 20% of what he says in every video. I’m learning so much. Thank you Ed!
I’ve had an ED 80 for about 10 years now and love it. Bought it originally to use as a solar telescope exclusively, but have come of find it’s a great wide field scope, and an excellent double star scope for it’s size. A good friend of mine, who owns Tele Vue 85, and I tried a head-to-head comparison on various close double stars. While the Tele Vue was showing slightly better contrast and separation, my buddy was very impressed how close it was to his larger 85mm, that cost over $2000 for just the tube assembly. I will never get rid of this scope. It’s become my go to instrument for all casual viewing.
Im looking to a ed 80 and everything else needed for eye view and a little bit of astrophotography. Could you name the items needed for both?
New to your web site and love it. I have seen your name over the last 20 years of my telescoping hobby and its great to see your video's Ed! I started in Portland Maine with an Orion Short Tube 80 and still have it. It now sports a GSO crayford focuser which much improved the star test. 2 years later I bought an Antares 8 inch dob which was improved with a Parks mirror, giving it a nice bump in viewing quality. Last year I finally got my dream refractor, a Vixen SD81s.
I keep all three scopes now and no longer feel that anxiety one feels when you don't have enough telescopes!
My favorite viewing area is Milbridge Maine. OMG the summer night sky from our yard is breathtaking. Especially without a scope. During the winter I live just outside urban area of DC and have dark skies.
I have spent 40 years as a tv photojournalist and your videos are great! your on air delivery is perfect due to your background. Your camera picture looks above average too. You just need a little 3 point lighting kit and cover your jump cuts with a 4 frame "white flash". Or better yet cover them with a 3 -4 second tight shot of your subject.
Looking forward to watching more of your videos!
I like how you say" the anxiety one feels not having enough scopes" I used to be that person,my first " real" scope was an Orion ST 80,I now have over 24 telescopes including the ED80 and many other apos and achros. Clear skies!
A revolutionary telescope that brought apochromatic performance to the masses.
The orion 80ED is a classic. My next door neighbor owned one in white. He bought it with a mount from Orion. Back then I was using my Meade ETX-90. That scope has been passed on to my niece and her husband. That is after it gave me many years of fun. I now own a Televue TV-85 and a few Astro-Tech scopes.
My introduction to visual astronomy was a 3" military refractor brass tube leather coated with a draw tube for focusing.
It was on a brass altazimuth mount. These were used all along the British coastline in concreate bunkers spaced out to observe the sea against enemy invasion during the 2nd world war. After the war ended, many of these bunkers were blown up with the telescopes still inside. My friend's grandfather removed one of these telescopes and we used it for astronomy. I now own the Sky-Watcher ED 80 and it reminds me of all those times I spent looking into the sky with that old brass telescope. ED 80 accomplishes good views and photographs of most of the objects that amateur astronomers want to see and is at a price that most can afford. I have had my ED 80 since it was first introduced about 18 years ago and it is still as good as the day I purchased it. The best thing about the ED 80 telescope it is very travel robust and will not have collimation problems associated with other types of telescopes. That is a big plus having no collimation to perform when you arrive at your favorite viewing place.
Hi Ed. You spoke of astronomers shrugging at the sight of a galaxy. I am new enough that catching Mercury in a landscape photo for the first time yesterday has me thrilled. It's just nine brightish pixels, but it is a picture of a planet that I have never seen! I even got one with Jupiter and maybe-it's-noise-maybe-its-Saturn in the same frame with a 70 mm camera lens.
Yeah good point. I've seen M81 and M82 so many times I need to remind myself of how marvelous it is that we can see them both at once.
Bought Orion 80mmED in 2003 when it first come out .
It is 20 years now and still one of my favorite telescope.
Definitely not your only scope kind of scope unless you are staying in a high rise apartment and space is premium .
Hey Ed thanks for this review! I did astrophotography and shot several dozens of targets with this scope when I was in grad school on a tight budget. This thing has been to so many places with me and I have so many memories with it. I had to move recently and that resulted to me giving away my 8" dob that I used for visual observing (the saddest part is I'm pretty sure it hasn't seen the night sky since), but I kept the ED80. With prices so high right now I can't justify buying another dobsonian at this time and this video has inspired me to do some visual observing with the ED80! I love using my 15x70 binoculars for wide views but it will be nice to use something less shaky and with more configurability. Going to the dark sky site tomorrow to have some fun.
I am so grateful that you demonstrate what is needed for an Astro photography set up.
Got a good deal on a Skywatcher 80ED Apo whis is pretty much the same scope, its my first scope and im really enjoing it. Sure the aperture isn't huge but its light enaugh to take with you when hiking on a small mount and in areas with basically no light pollution its amazing.
I've always considered the ED80 as one of the best value for money scopes out there - particularly as you can use it as a birding scope and astrophoto setup, both of which it does very nicely. I've probably had mine for maybe fifteen years and still take it with me on trips.
I purchased Celestron's version of this scope (ED 80) in 2005. I second everything you said about the telescope. I't's still my most often used instrument because of it's portability and quality.
Really enjoyed the sense check on what we can expect to see in terms of deep sky, and the examples you give.
I’ve got a 4 inch vixen arriving soon, so wondered whether you feel some of those dimmer objects (like NGC 2976) are likely visible with the eye in this manner.
Was outside at 3am this morning (the dog got me up) and was rewarded with a spectacular sky, but no telescope set up and available in the house, so I got the Nikon 8x42 binoculars out. Andromeda had gone over the horizon, but had my best view yet of Orion……. So good that the dog got bored and went indoors whilst I was fixated. Until standing in the garden in my PJs got a tad chilly.
With good enough seeing conditions, a 4" should be able to see 2976, no problem.
@@edting thanks Mr Ting, and thanks for what you do. It’s people like you who take our species forward.
I really enjoyed your “best telescopes by price level” video, and I don’t presume to tell you what to do, but it would be so cool to have a “what you can expect to see by aperture level” video.
I realise that’s tricky with the obvious shift between types, but you’ve inspired my wife and I to buy a C8 HD and vixen ax103 to compliment each other based on your material so far 😃, and we’re attempting our first star/pizza party with neighbours and friends in the south of France this month.
Best wishes
Cool how the Orion appears to be emitting Orion. Nice touch!
This was my first refractor and I still love it. Got it with the Sirius eq-g. Both were a great bargain.
I just noticed you have a wall hanging that looks like the cover of Norton's Star Atlas, the newer edition - nice! Good review. Of course at 3" you can get great performance at f/10 or so with a standard achromat. I have split pi Aquilae with a modern 90mm achromat at f/10. I always figured if you were going APO you might as well start at 4".
A three inch refractor is a lot of fun as a grab and go scope. I do agree that for someone doing visual, something bigger is nice as a second scope. My Lunt 80 mm gives pretty nice views of the moon down to about 4-5 km resolution at 124X. Very nice contrast for Saturn and Jupiter as well. I don't do much DSO work with it though.
I have the Skywatcher version and it is excellent for Astro photography.. A flattener is needed, but the Skywatcher/ Orion does not permit use of a filter. FLO offers an adapter for this, but I suggest you explore other flatteners.
Ed, you are incredibly professional in your public speaking!
I don't know... When I first saw globular clusters and galaxies in TX's Bortle 0 skies through my 8-inch Dob, I think I was yelling with excitement. The campers next to my camp came outside to tell my friend and I to quiet down. I haven't seen skies that clear since.
nice video, i’ve watched a ton of your videos lately and i feel like i need my first scope. i’m taking your advice i think, i’m going to get an 8” dobsonian. problem at the moment is finding one for sale.. you and a few astronomers have inspired me, thank you.
You already have binoculars?
@@stevenkelby2169 no, i have looked at binoculars, maybe i should acquire a nice pair... thanks.
@@truckernige No worries, I highly recommend some binoculars, you can see a lot and learn a lot.
@@truckernige This guy has great advice. ua-cam.com/video/9IlmekWsEAQ/v-deo.html
The Celestron version of this scope is also amazing, I use it for both visual and photography and it honestly is the tool of choice for 90% of my use cases. I do have 150mm and 200mm newtons that I use for fainter fuzzies but, for most objects I prefer the pesky lil ED. Mine has a GSO focuser now but otherwise I have not needed to modify it, either. Another valuable thing for beginning astronomer I would say is the relatively slow focal ratio which makes even affordable eyepieces perform at their best.
But don't you get purple stars in photos? I did. But visually it was amazing and didn't need a field flattener with aps-c
@@k.h.1587 I did not actually get very noticeable color, but it was and is extremely finicky about being in perfect focus. Without flattener I often started to get some in either corners or the center depending on which was in exact focus. Even tiny bit outside critical focus you stated to get bunch of color. With narrow band, the issue seemed to go away completely but again was very finicky about focus.
@@mikas2051 back in the day, when I had the celestron version , but obviously an older generation as this was bought used in 2006, I got the william optics 80mm.f6 that was advertised as flourite but was truly just fpl53. When I compared them with my nikon D50, I noticed the WO was not sharp at the edges, but had good color correction, and the celestron had purple stars, but a flat field. My friend who also had an 80ed said you can take the purple out in photoshop, but you can't correct the field, so at the time I returned the WO and kept the celestron, when the correct thing to do was buy the flattener for the WO. But both of us were relatively inexperienced at the time, thjs being 18 years ago. He became a prolific imager, and I became the top salesman at the dealer we worked at. But both of us got published in sky and telescope twice in the ads placed by the dealer, basically saying "buy from us, we have actual astrophotographers" . He went takahashi and I went televue101. I have to admit he did help me process one of my 2 published images.
We also had our pictures posing next to our rigs, in a full page ad.
Ed, when you take the dew shield off, you still have to protect the objective before packing it. How do you do that?
Yes. The dew shield's lens cap does not fit.
I'd love advice on this! I have a similar size achromat that I'll travel with in late summer, and I can't make a case that fits with the dewshield on.
It its going in a sturdy case, you don't need much. Maybe some food jar lid will work. Otherwise, 3d printing a cover shouldn't be too hard to too expensive.
One of the first scopes I bought new was it's younger cousin- The ST-80 and it is still serving well as a guide scope! This is a great focal length for visual or imaging and these scopes are pretty solid for the price
Thanks for this review. This is one budget scope that eluded me somehow. I’ve considered it multiple times but never jumped. It was exciting to see you review it because I value your opinion on gear. Thank you. Clear skies.
Just picked up a used Lunt ED80 as my first ED refractor. Its f/7 meshes better with my existing Eyepieces than my ST80. Looking forward to (mostly) saying goodbye to purple halos
Very good review Mr. Ting! Thanks for sharing with us.
Great advice and review.
Now if only my SW 100ED gets here already to compliment my 10" dob. Look like you did well with the SW flattener.. I'll have to pick one up later.
Thanks for the nice review. I used to belong to the NHAS and bring my 10 Orion Dob to the planetarium in Concord for observing nights, allowing people who had just watched a program there to actually see what a real telescope looked like and what it did. Any chance you are still a member up there ? I believe you used to be, but I could be wrong. --Dennis Little. Weare, NH.
Oh, and that field looks familiar, off Joppa Hill by chance in Bedford ?
What would you recommend for the eyepieces and diagonal to go in this specific telescope for observation ?
A new old one to add to the list!
"budget" is all relative. Amazon has the ED80 for $525 WITHOUT a mount. Last May I paid $575 for a Meade ETX125 Maksutov- Casegrain scope on Amazon. Now you can't find one for under a grand (for a $699 retail scope on the Meade website)....
Another great video, keep up the good work
Love your presentations, more please!
Ed. What equatorial mount are you using with this at 3:13 and following?
Celestron CG-5 (the new model is the AVX). I have three of them. I know, I have a problem...
@@edting Thanks Ed!
I use a Heritage 150P as my travel scope. It has it's issues but aperture is aperture...
Ed, where is the observing field that you sometimes use?
It's on a hill in Bedford NH. This was a great site 10 years ago, but now it's merely good. It's a nice area and they built a huge neighborhood around the area.
@@edting can you supply me the address of this place for me.? I would like an alternative place for me to image from. What is the bortle scale there?
is it not to heavy for the az-gti ?
This scope is as light as they come. I'd imagine it'd be fine on that mount.
Too bad it has been discontinued. Looks like the supplier abroad up and closed shop. Orion says it may make a comeback, but may be years. Glad I got mine when I did
Hello Ed.. I'm new subscriber to your channel and enjoying watching many of your reviews and of course your humor.. So far, I have not seen any reviews for William Optics telescopes.. what are your thoughts WO's?
I've owned several excellent WO refractors. But for some reason none have come my way these past couple of years...
Ed. Home run again! I own this scope and I cannot add a thing to what you said.
Hi Ed, I am new to astrophotography and am currently using a Fuji X-T2 with telephoto lenses. I have a Sky Watcher Star Adventurer tracker. I want to get my first scope without having to upgrade my tracker. Have you reviewed any of the small APO refractor scopes? I am looking at a TPO ultrawide 80mm f/4.5. If my budget were bigger I would get a Redcat 51.
Hi - I have a Star Adventurer too. That thing has been around the world with me. I actually could use a new one, mine is so beat up! As much as I like it, it's not going to be "enough" mount for your small scope while imaging. Ignore the weight claims; everyone grossly exaggerates what their mounts will carry. With that caution in mind (don't say you weren't warned!) feel free to try it. Among the small apos I have a soft spot for the Astro-Tech AT72 (either version) or (if you can find a used one) the old AT66. Good luck.
Hi, sorry for the noob question, but is the focal reducer really necessary? What happens if you don't use one? Thanks!
It's to get nice tight stars across the field. You trade away high-magnification resolution to eliminate field curvature, which causes stars at the edges to be slightly out of focus. It more or less converts a telescope into a traditional camera lens, with a fixed f/stop.
@@ultrametric9317 Thanks for your answer it's much appreciated!
So i have an 80mm ED SkyWatcher and an 127mm Meade Achromat. So is the 4“ ED worth it? For DSO i have an 12“ and 16“ inch Dobsonian .
Hi Ed. I really like your videos and wit. I just started playing around with astrophotography and already am being drawn into upgrading equipment similar to this telescope. Lately I have been drawn towards Svbony telescopes such as SV503 80ED, but I don't know anyone that has one personally but those who do own one leave great reviews. Do you have any experience with Svbony products. I was also considering an Evostar 80 ED which seems to give you more accessories but is more expensive. Hopefully you can give some advice. Thanks.
SVBony is a relatively recent Chinese-sourced brand. There have been several of these springing up lately and it's hard to keep track of them without a program.
@@edting Thanks for your reply. I will probably listen to the more experienced astronomers and upgrade to a quality tracking mount first then decide on on a scope later. Right now I'm using a 90mm Skywatcher achromatic refractor with an unguided motorized eq2 mount. I think I'll go as far as I can with that for now and watch more Ed Ting reviews.
The Orion ED80 is currently on sale for $499.99 as of 4/18/23. This is from the original price of $699.99 prior!
That is a great price!
@@edting It was also sold as a celestron Ed-R 80 I had the celestron version of the same same scope in the early 2000s.. fond memories
Hi, thanks for the video! Would you say it is better to use 2 inch accessories or 1,25 inch accessories with this scope? Best regards, Vaso.
I usually advise people to stay with 1.25" eyepieces at the beginning. You can always branch out later. That 2" stuff can get expensive!
How do you think this scope would compare to a televue tv-85?
why is it that when i watch an ed ting show i end up saying 'i want that'?
Where's the "if you're a beginner and a 3 inch is not enough to be your only telescope, get an 8" Dob for around $400...." statement? 😉😄
Was planning on buying it but it seems like they just discontinued it,
What do you recommend as a alternative?
Everything is showing "discontinued" or "out of stock" right now. Ugh. Try equivalents from Astro-Tech, William Optics, Sky-Watcher, Explore Scientific, as well as other similar Orion models.
@@edting Thanks for responding so fast (: ,
The astrotech and skywatcher variants seem like the most attractive deals,
I can't wait have a apochromat at my disposal for widefield astrophotography especially because my astroview 6" reflector has a huge coma problem and never stays collimated.
Tha's a great inexpensive versatile scope, and yeah, the last place I'd be taking a Questar is on an African safari.
Skywatcher ed80 have a kit set with similar price, but I’m not sure they are the same scope
the ed80 also has a dual crayford focusser
‘Airplane! 😬👍’ LoL
Is this essentially the same scope as the Evostar 80ED?
Yes, and pretty much the same as the Vixen 80EDsf.
@@edting So would the accessories that come with the Evostar make up for the difference in price? $500 for the Orion vs $825 for the Evostar?
The ED80 may not be enough as an “only” telescope, but I feel the ED100 is. Doesn’t have quite the portability, of course.
Ya that’s why I’m getting the 80
I went to orion to buy. Was told this scope is now discontinued.
Try Vixen and other suppliers. This telescope is available under many different nameplates.
@@edting thanks, this seemed like just the scope for me. Been looking, researching and your channel is great. Learning a lot. 65 years old, guess never to old to try.
The Skywatcher 80ED is the better deal. Same scope with the rings, small vixen bar, a case and best of all, dual speed friction micro focuser.
True, but if you want to customize your scope the Orion is the best. For example, I use a laser pointer and a correct image diagonal, which the Orion allows me to do. Regarding the dual focuser, well, you might be correct on that account; but I just happened to have a dual laying around so I swapped it out and presto, ready to go exactly the way I wanted it.
You don't really need a dual-speed focuser at f/7.5. My f/9 127ED has a single-speed Moonlite and I never have any issues focusing it. The nice thing about this scope is its simplicity IMO.
It's about value. For the same price as the orion, skywatcher gives you so much more.
@@southbronxny5727 If they are the same price, then your comment is of course true. But the Orion is listed for $499 and the Skywatcher is listed for $825. So as far as I can see its a $325 difference, which I can use to customize the way I want. On the other hand, if I am missing something let me know.
@@Michaelcaba your looking at the wrong one....check the non-pro version. I got it from FLO for $513 shipped to nyc.
Personally, I like my achromat doublet. I use a filter and I think the aborations are negligible. I think you save buying achromats and newtonians. To be fair, I know there's astrophographers that would balk at photography with fringes and wouldn't submit such work in a contest.
I don't get why imagers don't use small Newtonians more often. You trade for having to collimate for no CA and much lower cost.
@@Mandragara yeah I don't know, other than aperture size and speed. If you have a fast newtonian you can image. But lots of imagers who like reflector scopes go for a more compact SC, but then they have more obstruction than the typical nretonian.
The longer focal length achromatic refractors fitted with a suitable fringe filter gives fantastic views and images
It is like celestron 80ED APO
november 2022, $600. comes with unannounced 2" to 1.25" eyepiece adapter.
First in two videos in a day
There is a person selling 6in or 5in refractor near on go-to and other stuff for less the $900...........
"I saw a satellite!!! It was a starlink one, yeah!!!!!" :-D
I've viewed several of these videos, and always catch the part where you explain your club "tricks out" a telescope you donate to libraries. I work for the city of Santa Fe in NM, and would love for our libraries to be considered for that donation. We have beautiful skies devoid of light pollution, and I know we would spark so much interest with a donation like that. Please let me know what I can do!!! Please feel free to contact me for my personal contact information!
👍👍
It's cheap, so here's an idea: buy it at your destination.
"I SAW AN AIRPLANE. I SAW AN AIRPLANE!" Of course that's right after almost filling my shorts when it popped into view.
You're too funny!! Gateway drug?
gateway drug to astrophotography... trippy. Now do a guide on petty crime so we can afford this hobby ;)
Is this telescope almost the same as the Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED?
Yes