Highly corrected 127mm air-spaced triplet apochromat (with three lenses) and carbon fibre tube and a 2.5" high-precision HEXAFOC focuser. NEW: Now with hybrid viewfinder shoe to accept different viewfinder holders.
Apochromats are the ultimate choice in small to medium sized telescopes: the combination of compactness, transportability, very high image contrast and sharpness together with excellent astrophotographic performance cannot be bested. The advances in glass manufacturing during the last few years have made true apochromats available to more astronomy enthusiasts than ever before. The new Explore Scientific FCD-100 CF Hex represents another major improvement in this field - the overall correction (colour and spherical) is setting new standards in this price class. The optical design shows a polystrehl value of 0.97 indicating a level of correction that is absolutely top of the line.
This excellent apochromat is a very versatile telescope: its reasonably fast f-ratio makes for short exposure times when imaging deep sky objects, but it is still of a significant focal length, making higher power planetary and lunar observation comfortable without having to use really high magnification eyepieces. The high contrast and sharpness of the image provide breathtaking views of large objects like the North America nebula or the Andromeda galaxy, as well as tack sharp planetary images. The telescope is lightweight and compact - the dew shield slides down the tube to minimize size for transportation. Revolutionary glass and precision manufacturing come together to deliver a telescope that offers observing and imaging at the highest level. The Carbon Fibre construction allows this telescope to be used on lower capacity mounts, increasing convenience and portability. Although there are smaller instruments available, the combination of aperture and optical excellence at such a low weight and compact tube makes this an excellent travel scope . The well-designed 2.5" HEXAFOC focuser with 10:1 reduction is perfect for both visual and astrophotographic use - the large inner diameter of 65mm prevents vignetting by the focuser when the telescope is used for astrophotography with large sensors (full frame and above).
We offer t he very popular EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC Triplet ED APO Refractors in 3 different product lines:
Essential Line: HOYA FCD-1 Glass lens, AL-Tube, 2.0" Rack & Pinion Focuser with 1:10, 2.0" Star Diagonal 99% Reflectivity (see Part No. 0112084(AL), 0112106(AL), 0112132(AL)), 0112155(CF + 3"FT)).
Professional Line: HOYA FCD-100 Glass lens, AL/CF-Tube, 2.5" HEXAFOC Focuser with 1:10, 2.0" Star Diagonal 99% Reflectivity (see Part No. 0112086(AL), 0112108(AL), 0112109(CF), 0112134(AL), 0112135(CF))
High-End Line: OHARA FPL-53 Glass lens, Carbon(CF) Tube, 3.0" Feather-Touch Focuser with 1:10, 2.0" Star Diagonal 99% Reflectivity (see Part No. 0112165(CF))
SPECIFICATIONS
Aperture: 127mm
Focal Length: 952mm
Focal ratio: f/7.5
Design: Apochromat with three lenses, two air spaces and FCD-100 glass
Weight: 5.2kg, lightweight due to carbon fibre tube
Backfocus: 150mm above 2" adaptor
Hybrid viewfinder shoe to accept different viewfinder holders