Hello.
I’m a beginner-level amateur who has been enjoying astrophotography in Korea for four years.
I’m not sure if anyone here is familiar with the conditions for astrophotography in Korea, but whilst the country’s compact size and high level of development mean that the living and industrial infrastructure is excellent, conversely, it is by no means a good environment for enjoying this hobby 😂. What’s more, there aren’t many clear nights, weather forecasts change frequently, and the air is rather hazy, so the conditions are really quite challenging. Nevertheless, I believe that hobbyists in Korea are overcoming these conditions with great passion.
Due to the various conditions mentioned earlier, I’ve estimated that the longest focal length I can realistically operate here is around 1200–1500mm. At the moment, I’m using a William Optics UltraCat 76 on a crop sensor, and I’m awaiting a setup combining the E-180ed—which I’ll soon be operating as a remote observatory—with a full-frame sensor. Both are relatively wide-field setups. Therefore, I hope to operate a longer-focal-length setup in the near future, and, taking various adverse conditions into account, I am currently envisaging a focal length of around 1200–1500 mm as the longest feasible for operation in Korea.
Now, onto the main point.
When using a camera with a full-frame sensor, what do you consider to be the finest telescope for a focal length of 1200–1500mm?
It could be for any reason—be it price, mechanical build quality, excellent materials and optics, ease of maintenance, or anything else. Setting aside the financial aspect of it simply being expensive, I would like to hear your views as an experienced enthusiast who has enjoyed this hobby for a long time.
Thank you, and Clear sky~!
On a more serious note, a high-quality 130-140mm refractor at ~1000mm FL (Astrophysics, Takahashi, TEC) can do a remarkable job with a full-frame 3.76u CMOS camera. Plenty of people are pulling out amazing detail with “only” 1000mm.
