It's a nice camera, but I wish they'd upgrade the software.

The built in guide chip can be great, but sometimes it's hard to find a guide star that'll be bright enough to guide on through filters.

Most of my images are 30 minutes for R, G, B &L. I've just added an Ha filter but haven't tried using it yet. In any event, that's long enough to get pretty nice detail on reasonably bright objects, but most objects could benefit by going longer.

Otherwise, as with any camera, make sure your mount is beefy enough to handle the load.

Overall Rating: 8
Performance:9 Ease of Use:7 Value:7
Weight: 5
Date: 06/12/2007 12:03:05 pm PST

Replies: 0

As of mid 2007, these seem to sell for slightly over $100 on the used market. At that price, I'll hang onto mine as a backup or for public outreach. I prefer it to a 35 Panoptic.

Overall Rating: 8
Optics:8 Value:10
Weight: 5
Date: 06/12/2007 11:56:43 am PST

Replies: 0

A nice inexpensive eyepiece. This series is very comfortable to use, and they're incredible for public outreach because beginners don't have to do much hunting to find the image.

A little more light scatter than the supermonocentrics, but good for "everyday" use. I like them for smaller DSO.

Overall Rating: 9
Optics:8 Value:10
Weight: 5
Date: 06/12/2007 08:34:06 am PST

Replies: 0

I wish these had dielectric coatings, because the coating is too soft to clean these yourself. I'm sure turn around time to send them back for cleaning will be quick, but it's not going to be as quick as being able to do it yourself. It's my only complaint.

Fortunately, if you're careful, you can blow it off to get rid of routine dust.

Optically, mine is 1/26 wave, and it's a joy to observe with. Build quality and optical quality are first rate.

Overall Rating: 8
Performance:10 Value:7
Weight: 5
Date: 06/12/2007 08:27:54 am PST

Replies: 0

Very well made product - it's sturdy. It's stingy with battery power and gets the job done. It's easy to use.

The price is a little higher than some competitors, but when you factor in the quality of construction and the effectiveness of the design, it's a bargain.

I talked with Ron before ordering mine and found he was a personable guy, who was happy to customize my controller to best meet my needs.

Overall Rating: 10
Performance:10 Value:10
Weight: 5
Date: 06/12/2007 08:15:07 am PST

Replies: 0