Altair 72EDF Deluxe Telescope Review
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- Опубліковано 15 жов 2024
- Update May 21!
I am slowly in the process of demonetizing all my videos, I was never in it for the money or the glory. I just like to help people. This way you can rest assured i'm not making a video only to trigger an algorithm or as click bait. I have been a bit disillusioned with it all lately, and hopefully this will help.
Instead if you wish to support me you can buy me a coffee or beer instead :) entirely your choice though!
www.buymeacoff...
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In this video i review my trusty Altair Astro 72EDF deluxe. I absolutely love this scope. Apologies must be said for Luna causing general chaos in the video hahah!
for more help with Altair gear check out their Facebook group : / altairastro
Music: www.bensound.com
Excellent review. Beautiful images, showing great technique.
I want one. And those pictures are quality. You are the AstroByard of the UK!
Thank you Paul! 😁 Also that is very kind of you to say! 😁😁
Just ordered this scope. Looking forward to using it.
Excellent review Stace. And your image of M-42 can hold its weight against any out there. Beautiful images.
Ciao, grazie a te ho scoperto la Altair GPCAM2 290C che adotterò sul mio telescopio Bresser mak 127. Grazie! Bravissima e bellissima
Love your compact Altair
Quite a surprise to suddenly discover your name "스테이시" written in korean on your right hand.
Greetings from Busan!
I love Korea, I’ve been to Seoul twice. One of my favourite places! Thank you for commenting :)
Hi, great review! I'm looking at the 80ed-r atm but have seen absolutely no reviews whatsoever which I find worrying. I dont suppose you have any experience with that scope at? I'm going to look at yours now after this review!
Did you buy direct from altair and if so do they check and get the scope ready before shipping? Appologies for all the questions. Thanks again for the great review. Clear skies
Nice review. Laughed out loud when your dog came into the room with its toy in its mouth. I also loved your description of stars through the scope, “Like diamonds on a sea of black.”
Awesome review, thank you for sharing it!
Thank you for helping me decide to buy a refractor telescope after finding you via astro biscuit channel and talking about the hasttle of collimation with a newtonian scope my daughters are showing an intrest in a bit of astronomy and i think this is the easyest option for us to get started and eventully upgrade to an altair if the get hooked on the hobby lol
Very Nice review. Good detail, not overdone.
Wishing you much luck and many enjoyable nights with it.
Thanks again
Clear Skies
God Bless
Fantastic review. I was looking at this scope today at the PAS and I think you have sold it to me. (Altair should give you commission) :P
Hope you enjoy it! It’s a fantastic scope!
Enjoyed the video and I’m thinking about getting one. Personally I’d like a bit more detail about the total set up, what tripod you use , tracker , field flattener etc. I’m wanting to get into astrophotography and am looking for some advice. Ive got an 8 inch Dobsonian which would be limited for photography and is not portable so I’m looking to get a portable refractor.
g`day stace great review of the altair astro 72 looks and sounds like a great scope... very nice shots at the end love your work and luna
cheers
james D
Thank you for the great feedback James! Glad you enjoyed the review :)
Great review stac..... good seeing Luna in background. Is that a triplet?
Thanks Chris, its a doublet...albeit a very very good one!
Nice review Stace. That scope looks the business. It could be just the job for me to do some DSO astro imaging :-)
Hey Miss. Stacy,
What camera do you use with this scope? What camera would you recommend for this scope? Altair recommends the Altair Hypercam 183C.
Thanks!
Drew
Hi Drew an Altair 183c would go very nicely with this scope! The 269c is also a good fit and lately I’ve been using a 26c too :)
Hi Stace, liked and subbed.
I'm seriously considering this scope and wondered if there is anything you feel you would advise a new purchaser now you have had it a while? TIA.
I would definitely say invest in a longer dovetail bar as well, it can be a bit awkward to balance when it’s loaded up! Also don’t forget an extension tube if you’re using an astro cam, so that you can reach focus etc ! Other than that it’s a cracking scope and you won’t regret buying it!
@@AstroStace Thanks Stace, that's very helpful. Now i just need to decide between that and the WO ZS73, oooh woe is me :)
@@fastamv.9896 that’s a nice problem to have :)
Nice review and cool scope!!
Hi Stace: I really appreciate your honesty in your reviews. I love all of your videos. I can’t help wondering if William Optics copied the design of your scope. I have a William Optics GT81 and it looks very similar to your scope...even the same glass. I see your s.n is 00009. Wow, you lucked out. Looks like Luna was trying to steal the show!!! If you ever need someone to dog sit her then send her to Canada and I will take great care of her (lol). I have a request or suggestion. I wonder if you could do a short video of how you got interested in Astronomy. I work in our school system and I am always trying to find ways to convince girls to get into the sciences. There are very few women in astronomy so it is great to you as a wonderful role model! Cheers and all the best. Keep up the great work!
Just emailed you Greg! Thanks for all the kind words! I did indeed luck out when I got this scope..lucky number 9 for me! 😄 Will try and get that video done as soon as possible. Thanks again and best wishes,
Stacey
Check out DR. Becky as well, an Oxford PHD in astrophysics. Good stuff
Gregory, like so many telescopes today, finding out who actually made it can be a pain in the behind. Altair Astro is NOT a manufacturer, like so many other companies. In fact, there are very few companies that make their own telescopes; Takahashi, APM, TEC and, believe it or not, William Optics. Meade and Celestron make their own SCTs, and I'm pretty sure the RASA, but their other stuff is made in China. I suspect that Altair Astro is also made in China. You can see a discussion here:
stargazerslounge.com/topic/293757-altair-astro-branded-telescopes/
It would be nice if companies did their own telescopes, but the limited market and the cost for good glass and putting it all together would bankrupt most companies. This is why both Celestron and Meade no longer make a good portion of their telescopes.
Having said that, telescopes that come out of the Far East are NOT bad telescopes, and the ones coming out of Taiwan and Taipei are probably of a better quality, due to free-market conditions. But, when one factory, say Synta, makes telescopes for Celestron, Sky-Watcher (which they own) and Orion Telescope and Binoculars (not the UK Orion), you can pretty well be assured that they control a huge part of the market. Even Stace's new EQ-6R is made by Synta.
As someone asked Stace on the Stargazer's Lounge website if it wasn't the same as the AstroTech 72EDII, I wouldn't be surprised if it was. Mike at Astronomics, owner of the Astro-Tech brand and Cloudy Nights indicated that there are many companies that build to their specifications, and I suspect this is probably the same for Altair, Explore Scientific, and most other lower to medium cost telescopes. When you get into the higher priced brands, as mentioned above, they are done in house.
Surprisingly though, Explore Scientific's new ED165 f/7 FPL-53 is only a $501 less than the TEC 160 f/7. Okay, the ES is carbon fiber and the TEC is aluminum, and the ES comes with rings, a 2" diagonal, a Vixen(?) style and a finder base, whereas those are extra on the TEC. But, the TEC uses a Fluorite middle element and is oil spaced instead of air spaced and FPL-53. Can I tell the difference? Probably not. But, these Chinese companies are beginning to understand that people will pay good money for a well built scope.
Which of those two would I buy? Given that money is no object, the TEC, only because it's American made. But, I own a GSO 6" RC and a WO ZenithStar 71 doublet, and I'm happy with both. So, so much for that. I buy what I can afford, and I can't afford a $12,000+ telescope at the moment.
I have a William Optics Z73 that has a very comparable spec. Very good review!
overpriced
That is a gorgeous scope!
Great name for a channel & good review. Yes, William optics very much resembles this quality. Nice images. Good tips.
Thanks for the great feedback Steve! 😁 Clear skies :)
Great review ! The photo’s you got are great.
I still have your old SW Ed80 I bought from you .👍
Nice one Darren! Hope that scope is serving you well! Love the 80ed also!
I love my 72edf too. The focusser is great, rotator also, so its geared for AP without needing to upgrade this and that. Cant fault much with it really, great optics and mechanical design.
Great review stacy. Currently on holiday whishing I had a compact scope for viewing in a different location this looks just the job. How about a compact mount?
Thank you! :) I'm actually thinking of looking at an ioptron smart EQ pro if I can pull the funds together!
I have recently aquired the exact set up as you have there Stacy. I see yours like mine had the attachment point for the guidescope at the side. I would like it on top (I have never sween one mounted otherwise??). Altair have been no help other than telling me I need a vixen plate and some nuts and bolts. Can you explain exactly how you fitted the guidescope? I have the 2 circular rings/straps round the main scope and they just have 2 screw holes in. I have a spare vixen plate which has adjustable D nuts but they don't tighten up on the vixen plate.
Hi Trevor , I used a vixen plate bolted to my tube rings . I was then able to mount my guidescope rings on this vixen plate on top.
Stace, you mentioned you use a flattener in one of the other comments, can you tell me which one and what spacing you are using? Thanks for the vid btw.
I’m using the Altair lightwave 0.8x reducer :) with that you need 55mm spacing to the camera sensor :)
Hi and thanks for your great review. I've been looking for a travel scope and mount to take every where I go. I often find myself in dark skies wishing I had more than my bins. I must say you have inspired me to allow imaging and not just viewing. I'm booked this year, June 13th to 20th 2020, at the Grand Canyon Star Party, if it's still going ahead. I refuse to cancel until I hear it directly from the GC Lodge. Anyway, would this scope count as a good travel scope? What mount would you suggest? Something easy to set up, maybe and alt az? Easy to carry on a plane too. I know, questions questions...Oh and looking on the Altair website I can't see the Astro 72EDF deluxe.....where might I purchase such a fine instrument? The small works bonus is burning a hole in mt pocket and its got to be spent before I fritter it away on rubbish...Help!! PS thanks a lot for your time...
Hi Stacey, do you use a field flattener / reducer with this scope for your imaging ? Great reviews thanks
Hi Chris, yes I do. I tend to use the Altair lightwave 0.8x flat/reducer or the primaluce lab 1x flat :)
@@AstroStace so something like a 346mm focal length with the reducer ? That’s just the range of scope and looking for as my first Apo - thanks
Hi, thanks for a clear, concise video. I have got the same scope coming in soon in the mail. I have a question regarding the flattener/reducer. Would you know if the William Optics Flat 6A III 0.8x flattener/reducer will work with this scope given the 2.5" focuser it has? Best, Suprit
I'm in the exact same situation. I cannot find a good 0.8 reducer in stock anywhere appart from the WO. According to this thread on CN, it might work (AT72EDII and Altair 72 EDF are basically the same rebranded scope) : www.cloudynights.com/topic/653437-ffreducer-for-at72edii-alternative/
Keep me posted if you find the answer to your question ! And thank you very much to Stace whom played a big role in finally deciding for this scope.
LTourist Hi, I tried the Hotech SCA Flattener with the scope and it seems to work well across the full frame. But yes I am still looking for a 0.8x option and will check this thread out on CN. Thanks.
Best,
Suprit
@@sruipcrkiyt Thanks for the heads up! I'm also wondering if the Altair has indeed an M63 rear connection. It would allow to use a threaded connection all the way down to my dslr using the TSFlat72 for instance : www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p10127_TS-Optics-REFRAKTOR-1-0x-Flattener-fuer-ED---APO-70-72mm-Oeffnung.html
This would be my first scope and I'm struggling to find which reducer would work on that scope (and if it would work regarding the focusing plane) :/
@@LTourist I did some tests and the Hotech SCA seems to be working well for me. I am using a Sony A7RII behind it, so attached the camera without any extension ring -- the NEX-T2 adaptor is around 38mm and sony has 18mm backfocus so the 55mm total worked for me. I did email TS and got the response that these options will work with this scope:
www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p10127_TS-Optics-REFRAKTOR-1-0x-Flattener-fuer-ED---APO-70-72mm-Oeffnung.html
www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p5120_TS-Optics-REFRACTOR-0-75x-Reducer-Corrector---APO---ED---full-sized-sensors.html
Just be sure to achieve correct backfocus with your adapters.
@@sruipcrkiyt Thanks again for the heads up! I also got an Hotech SCA but it has been so cloudy around here that I was unable to conduct even the simpliest test. I also got the Long Pern 0.8x reducer from TS : www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p7942
Apparently, they're the original manufacturer off all those similar 0.8x reducers, including the one from Altair. They also are the source manufacturer of various scopes, including william optics for a while.
I haven't got the chance to test that one out either. I'll try to post my results here once I have, it might be usefull to others as well :)
Hi Stace, me again. Is this scope good for plain old point and view the stars and planets? I want to buy it with astro photography in mind, but for now, I'll just enjoy the sky as I do with my bins. Kind regards, Stevie
If it’s the 60 and 72 they have short focal lengths so not so good on their own with the planets, I’ve just got myself a Barlow lens though and I’m looking forward to using that with it as it should magnify my view considerably. As for the sky in general, lovely view.
Great video!
Thanks for sharing
Cheers from Oz
Thank you 😄
AstroStace
Just visited your website
You have some amazing images
Keep up the great work
Cheers from Oz
Ben
I have had the EDF 2 months now and only had one evening to try it. Have you done a video on setting up the guidescope?
Great review. Can I ask if you need to use a field flattener with this scope? Cheers.
Thanks Jason! I do use a flattener yes...mine is a flattener / reducer so it takes my scope down to f/4.8
This review will be approaching the two year mark in a few months. Do you still recommend it or is there a similar telescope that you would recommend instead?
It’s still one of the main scopes that I use, still with great features compared to other manufacturers. So yes I still highly recommend it :)
I know this is year old but I have this same telescope, can you tell me what size screws I need to mount my guide scope on the top rings ? thank you
How would it compare with the Tamron 150-600 km F5.6 lens?
is this the same as the Astro-tech AT72ED II refractor I wonder? It looks similar...
I love that north american nebula!
thank you :D
Great review and sounds like a must buy telescope. I'm interested in this because I love camping in the highlands of scotland and been thinking about a small compact telescope to take and try astrophotography with a DSLR and Hauwei p20 smartphone. Summer this year I've been searching for dark sky locations in the highlands of scotland and found Glencoe near Fort William is dark site. Hate light pollution where I live. You ever tried deep sky astrophotography with a smartphone with this telescope? I'm really into smartphone astrophotography and know Hauwei p20 smartphone is fantastic for astrophotography. Where in uk can I buy this telescope? Would you recommend this telescope who love camping and travelling on city link and train with backpack? I'd love to try and photograph summer objects like NGC 7000 M27 and M16 and my favourite deep sky object The great Andromeda galaxy M31!
To be honest any astrophotography down a telescope with a p20 pro is difficult. It needs careful positioning because of the three cameras and how they interfere with each other. That said if you can get it this scope would be perfect. It's little brother which is a bit smaller is the 60edf. But this scope is pretty compact also! You can buy them from www.altairastro.com/
Hi Stace. Could you stick a Barlow on the back end of one of these?
I can't see why not :) I often use one with my diagonal and eyepiece when I'm doing visual :)
Adoro seus vídeos.
Soz, they do have it on their website, just out of stock....
Have a look at the 60edf too, even more portable and just as high quality. (I’ve borrowed one, just haven’t gotten around to using it yet :) :)
Your dog was destroying something back there...
Sorry.. what? Telescope? All I saw was dog 😁
I want a 72EDF :(
she is the star of this video...forget me or the scope hahaha