The Takahashi Epsilon 180ED telescope is designed as a photo astrograph for megapixel digital 35mm cameras and CCD imagers. The telescope has a focal ratio of f2.8. The primary mirror is 190mm in diameter, with an effective aperature of 180mm. The telescope uses an ED corrector to produce a 44mm diameter image circle with 10 micron stars across the entire flat field. The instrument includes a microfine focuser to assist in achieving a perfect focus with focus lock. A built-in camera angle adjuster allows 360 degree rotation of a camera body to allow better framing of a photo without loss of focus. The effective focal length of the telescope is 500mm.
This telescope is a small version of my 10-inch Epsilon 250 telescope. The Epsilon 180ED is very portable, and can be carried on board an aircraft for trips around the world. The optical tube assembly weighes only 22 pounds (10 kgs) and is only slightly more than 22 inches long. In this photo, an SBIG ST-8XE CCD is shown mounted on the telescope.
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