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Theron Saker 15-45x60mm ED spotter compared to the Nikon > 20-45x60mm Non ED Fieldsco (2 Viewers)

David,

You bring up an interesting point of discussion. The Baader zoom is a work of art when it comes to eyepiece design. It may be the best zoom eyepiece out there. It is certainly the best astro zoom eyepiece that I have had experience with. It should improve the performance of the Celestron siginificantly. If you had the Celestron ED 65 instead of the standard model then I might be more inclined to say "stick with the Baader combo". But, I think the Saker would probably be the better option. I was made aware that the folks at Theron are working on fixed power eyepieces and/or possibly an astro eyepiece adapter for the scope. That alone would make it superior to the Celestron/Baader in my humble opinion.

Hope this helps.

The celestrons ED scopes are the regals... and if I am not mistaken(from users posts)... the regals won´t reach infinity with the Baader eyepiece.
 
Actually there were Celestron Ultima EDs which were practically identical to the regular Ultimas except for the ED objective and black armor. They are no longer for sale in the US.
 
I was made aware that the folks at Theron are working on fixed power eyepieces and/or possibly an astro eyepiece adapter for the scope. That alone would make it superior to the Celestron/Baader in my humble opinion.

That's a clincher. Adding the Baader to the Ultima was perhaps a vain hope of making a prince out of a frog. As Henry so rightly points out, the Baader wouldn't really change the basic performance of the scope so much as alter or improve certain parameters (FOV, brightness at magnification). Overall, with the hope of fixed WA down the road, the Saker looks like a much better budget scope platform while I save my pennies for an 82 ED; the Ultima is somewhat a dead end.

Henry, I should have been much more specific by what I meant by "nearly useless" at higher magnification. At 18-25x I though the image was more than adequately sharp and bright, but the fall-off in brightness and especially ER above that was dramatic. At highest magnification the image was not very useful for ID. Overall, the Ultima 65 is still a very good entry-level scope for casual use, for kids' groups, but I outgrew it quickly.

I'm going to consider the Saker seriously, along with the Regal ED65, which is overall the more logical next step.

thanks, gents!

David
 
Sorry for bumping an old thread, but I just discovered this thread about the Theron Optics Saker 60 ED scope and I think an ED scope at a $260 price point is simply unbelievalble. Some of our regular posters, whose opinion I highly value and whose advice I have blindly taken in the past, have pretty good things to say about this scope.

So a question for them, is the 60 MM Saker optically a close match to the Nikon 50 ED? If it is, then I think this will be my forest birding scope where birds are mostly at short to medium distances. Or are there any other recommendations apart from this for my application? I am really leaning towards this one and I see weight as the only penalty over any other 50mm scope.

Another question about the Saker for which I did not find a definitive answer, is about the eye relief. I wear glasses and so I would like to know if the ER is good enough to see the complete FOV over the entire zoom range.

Thanks in advance.
 
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Hi Mannukiddo, Here is a link about someone that had problems with this scope. I don't wear glasses when using optics . The eyepiece in the Saker is similar to the Nikon variable zoom eyepieces as far as eye relief is concerned. ER gets short at higher powers.
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=234639

Thanks for ponting to this thread. So looks like I have to spend a lot more to get good ER and ED glass. I have to look out for a pentax 65 ED angled to use my existing EPs but I cant find it cheap anywhere.
But there was also talk of using the Saker with fixed EPs. So has anyone used a fixed EP with it.
Also how would you rate the view of a Pentax 65 ED with a XW14 compared to a Saker or the Nikon ED50?
 
There are no fixed eyepiece that I have yet to discover for the ED60. To date I've tried to hunt one down but to no success as the thread for the screw in eyepiece won't accept anything on the market I can find.
Will let people know if anything does turn up, because at 35 mag the ED60 is sublime and Theory are dropping the ball for not producing a fixed eyepiece with good ER for glasses wearers.
 
Ratal,

When u say ED60 then do you mean the Theron/Heliis model? If so then have you tried the Smart Astronomy Flat Field series or one of the other rebranded versions of this eyepiece?

Manny,

What about either the Celestron Regal 65 or the Promaster ED 65?

Below are a couple of pics I took through the Promaster with my Iphone and a relatively inexpensive Celestron eyepiece (it accepts 1.25 inch astro eyepieces).
 

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Hi Frank, and yes I mean the theron saker / Helios fieldmaster. I'll throw up a photo of the eyepiece innards and see if you have any thoughts. It's a screw in unit and theron dropped the ball for not producing any fixed eyepieces as the scope itself is spectacular.
 
eyepiece.JPG

This is the Theron or UK Helios Fieldmaster eyepiece. Any thoughts appreciated and Frank, ill look up the flat field you mentioned.
 
Ratal,

I had been speaking to the owner of Theron last summer as he was experimenting with various astro eyepieces both in terms of infinity focus and a direct mount to the Saker's threads. The only one that I am aware of that he had success with was the previously mentioned Smart Astronomy model. I have seen other rebranded versions of this eyepiece but their names escape me right now but I believe they were all labeled Flat Field. Apparent field of view was fairly narrow at 50-55 degrees but better at lower and mid magnifications than the factory supplied zoom.

Hope this helps somewhat.
 
That type of external collar mount is used in Vixen Geoma scopes,and maybe some Opticrons(?)..The size of the thread might ,or might not be the same,but seems to me that could be adapted to fit...For what I remember the Geoma scopes feature a slightly larger diameter mount,so a simple step-up ring could work....Focus at infinity,once the eyepiece is in place,would be the issue here...
 
That type of external collar mount is used in Vixen Geoma scopes,and maybe some Opticrons(?)..The size of the thread might ,or might not be the same,but seems to me that could be adapted to fit...For what I remember the Geoma scopes feature a slightly larger diameter mount,so a simple step-up ring could work....Focus at infinity,once the eyepiece is in place,would be the issue here...

Thanks. I shall have a look into finding an eyepiece I can have a work about with. The zooms great for me, but Im really trying to find the wife a fixed mag with good eye relief. Thanks for all the thoughts and ideas.
 
On the other hand..Forgot to mention ..,Somebody mentioned,in a recent post,that a fixed power for the Helios,was in the works... (30X?)..
 
Ratal,

That is and isn't entirely true. On the thread you linked to, ask about a mid to longer focal length smart astronomy eyepiece.
 
Well..I dont know..The info about a fixed eyepiece was posted by a forum member that works selling optics,and was about the Helios version,not the Theron..I will mention this thread to Him,and ask Him if He can add some new info....maybe Helios was able to find or comission an eyepiece for this scope?...
 
The last post on that thread by schmaltz is Pat Schmitt, the owner of predator optics and Theron optics. He is the gentleman I exchanged emails with.
 
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