ED80-FCD100 Series Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor Telescope + 0.8x Focal Reducer (Bundle)
ED80-FCD100 Series Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor Telescope
Explore the universe with stunning clarity using the Explore Scientific ED80-FCD100 Series Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor. This compact, high-performance telescope features genuine HOYA FCD100 extra-low dispersion (ED) glass, delivering exceptional chromatic aberration correction and true-to-life color fidelity comparable to the renowned Ohara FPL-53 glass. Its 80mm aperture and 480mm focal length balance portability with sharp, high-contrast views of lunar details, planetary rings, and deep-sky objects. The air-spaced triplet optical design virtually eliminates chromatic aberrations, while proprietary EMD multi-layer coatings optimize light transmission for brilliant images. A rugged 2.5" hexagonal focuser provides precise control and supports imaging setups up to 10 lbs. Lightweight at just 7.5 lbs, the ED80 is ideal as a standalone grab-and-go instrument or as a versatile guiding scope when paired with larger telescopes, enhancing your astrophotography experience.
0.8x Focal Reducer
The Explore Scientific 0.8x Focal Reducer lets astrophotographers explore the wonders of wide-field astrophotography in an easy-to-use package.
The 0.8x Focal Reducer works with the following Explore Scientific telescopes:
The 2-element 0.8x focal reducer turns the 480-mm-focal-length telescopes into devices with a focal length of 384 mm. This changes the telescopes from an f/ratio of f/6 to a much faster f/4.8. The device turns the 102 mm telescopes, with a focal length of 714 mm, into telescopes with a focal length of 571 mm: From f/7 to f/5.6. Compare this with smaller diameter wide-field telescopes. The Explore Scientific ES and FCD100 80mm telescopes offer significantly more light-gathering aperture. The ES and FCD100 telescopes gather:
- 1.3 times more light than a 70 mm telescope
- 1.8 times more light than a 60 mm telescope
- A whopping 2.6 times more light than a 50 mm telescope
The faster f/ratio, coupled with more light-gathering aperture, allows more light to fall onto the camera sensor. For instance, to capture the same amount of light as a 100-second exposure with the Explore Scientific 80 mm takes 256 seconds on a 50 mm, 178 seconds on a 60 mm, and 131 sec on 70 mm – assuming the same f/ratio. This means that the Explore Scientific 80mm telescope with the 0.8x Focal Reducer can capture far more detail faster than the competition. The focal reducer, which has 55 mm (+/- 2 mm) of back spacing, is threaded to accept a standard 42 mm T-ring, making attaching a camera easy.