Scope for ZWO 533MC PRO - Forums

Topic starter

Jan 25, 2022

Hi All,

I am after some help. I am looking to change my current Skywatcher Quattro 8 inch for an APO refractor with will be used with a ZWO 533MC PRO.
I have find a few options and would like some help, my goal is to have one scope only which is primary used for astrophotography and occasional visual observation.

The scopes I have my eyes on the following:
-Skywatcher Esprit 80Ed
-William Optics Zenithstar 73
-William Optics Zenithstar 81
-William Optics Zenithstar 126
-Sharpstar 94 EDPH

I am pretty new to this hobby so any help is greatly appreciated.

wsg

Jan 25, 2022 · Edited: Jan 26, 2022

This will answer all your question and then some:

https://astronomy.tools/calculators/ccd_suitability

I own the following telescopes, and an asi533 :
-AT130 EDT
-AT92 f/5.4
-WO Zenithstar 61
-Askar FMA 230

All of these telescopes play well with the asi533. Your 126 choice will yield quite a nice amount of reach with the crop of the 533, but conversely the 533 with it's crop and square sensor will not take full advantage of the wider view of your smaller scope choices. A good search on Astrobin will help show you what images can be achieved with that camera and many telescopes similar to the ones you have listed.

Cheers

scott

Helpful

Brian Boyle

Jan 26, 2022 · Edited: Jan 26, 2022

Hi Bandi

I wish you all the best with the purchase. To help, it would be useful to know what type of astrophotography you plan to pursue with the new rig (planetary/DSO) and whether portability is an issue. Also what mount do you plan to use and what your budget might be? The telescopes listed have quite a price range.

Since you appear to be mostly moving down from your existing 800mm focal length, it suggests you are moving away from planetary and more into wide field DSO territory.

Your planned scopes cover quite a range in focal length, from 400mm to 1000m. Using the 533MC this will give anywhere between 0.8 and 2arcsec per pixel. It would be useful to know what the characteristics of your favoured site is likely to be. Also you have considered the full range of WO Zenithstar APOs from 73mm-123mm but not the same range in the Esprit. Is there a reason for that. The Esprit 100 was the first AP telescope I bought, and I am still very happy with it. The focal length (550mm) is ideal for DSO and a site not blessed by the best of seeing.

Finally, I probably wouldn't build a rig around a sensor. The 533 is rather small, and I suspect you will want to invest in a larger sensor very soon. Rather work out what you will most likely want to observe, and the best focal length/f.o.v and pick scope/mount + camera combo to match this, while best sampling the seeing.

CS Brian

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Yusra Q.

Jan 26, 2022

I agree with Brain. I have WO 81 mm with zwo asi533. The combo is as per my taste of astrophotography. But if I had the choice to pair my current telescope with another sensor…hands down i’d go with a bigger sensor.

And maybe since ur current telescope gives u 800mm, how about u go more wide field

redcat 51
askar 200mm
or maybe samyang

hope it helps.

Yusra

daywalker

Jan 26, 2022

i always load any prospective scope into stellarium so i can get a sense of Field of veiw (And image scale)for some planned targets.Whats driving the scope change?
If its target type/size then this should helpi nfluence your choice.

Rafał Szwejkowski

IOTD Staff

Jan 26, 2022

533MC is just too small and has square shape which is completely unsuitable for real photography, it was designed for security surveillance fish-eye cams. Get the best scope you can atm and later upgrade the cam. Speaking as a former owner, none of the material I previously collected with that camera is useable now due to terrible square shape.

andrea tasselli

Frequent contributor

Jan 26, 2022

533MC is just too small and has square shape which is completely unsuitable for real photography, it was designed for security surveillance fish-eye cams. Get the best scope you can atm and later upgrade the cam. Speaking as a former owner, none of the material I previously collected with that camera is useable now due to terrible square shape.

This must be the first time ever that I read of a geometrical form being "terrible"

Obviously, however, the square form is the one that optimize best a circular exit pupil.

D. Jung

Jan 26, 2022

Apparently I'm not doing real photography with my 533mc 🤔.

Stefano Ciapetti

Jan 26, 2022 · Edited: Jan 26, 2022

I am using the 533 with a 70-200 F4 canon lens. Results in my opinon are nice. Camera is very sensitive and has no amp glow. Signal is clean. I have used it with mostly an l-extreme filter for large nebulas and with different focal lengths. A very good camera.

a few examples:

https://astrob.in/x1ot6c/0/

https://astrob.in/ebqx25/C/

https://astrob.in/jgtpua/C/

https://astrob.in/tl6380/F/

https://astrob.in/9lvfpl/C/

Andras’s Astrophotography

Topic starter

Jan 26, 2022

This will answer all your question and then some:

https://astronomy.tools/calculators/ccd_suitability

I own the following telescopes, and an asi533 :
-AT130 EDT
-AT92 f/5.4
-WO Zenithstar 61
-Askar FMA 230

All of these telescopes play well with the asi533. Your 126 choice will yield quite a nice amount of reach with the crop of the 533, but conversely the 533 with it's crop and square sensor will not take full advantage of the wider view of your smaller scope choices. A good search on Astrobin will help show you what images can be achieved with that camera and many telescopes similar to the ones you have listed.

Cheers

scott

Thank you for your advise!

Andras’s Astrophotography

Topic starter

Jan 26, 2022

Brian Boyle:
Hi Bandi

I wish you all the best with the purchase. To help, it would be useful to know what type of astrophotography you plan to pursue with the new rig (planetary/DSO) and whether portability is an issue. Also what mount do you plan to use and what your budget might be? The telescopes listed have quite a price range.

Since you appear to be mostly moving down from your existing 800mm focal length, it suggests you are moving away from planetary and more into wide field DSO territory.

Your planned scopes cover quite a range in focal length, from 400mm to 1000m. Using the 533MC this will give anywhere between 0.8 and 2arcsec per pixel. It would be useful to know what the characteristics of your favoured site is likely to be. Also you have considered the full range of WO Zenithstar APOs from 73mm-123mm but not the same range in the Esprit. Is there a reason for that. The Esprit 100 was the first AP telescope I bought, and I am still very happy with it. The focal length (550mm) is ideal for DSO and a site not blessed by the best of seeing.

Finally, I probably wouldn't build a rig around a sensor. The 533 is rather small, and I suspect you will want to invest in a larger sensor very soon. Rather work out what you will most likely want to observe, and the best focal length/f.o.v and pick scope/mount + camera combo to match this, while best sampling the seeing.

CS Brian

Thank you very much for the great notes.

The plan is mainly DSO and occasionally I would like to give a go for some planetary.
My max budget would be around £1500-1800 maximum. And yes you are right I was looking to get a little more FOV, but I mainly want to move from my current scope because of all the collimating and hassle comes with the fast Newtonian… I am not particularly want a really wide FOV like redcat etc. though.

The scopes I have listed was mainly as I really like the look of WO and I heard good things around them. The only reason I have put the Esprit/Sharpstar there as I have found few second hand in a really reasonable price.

I am observing from a Bortle 6 area, if that changes anything regarding scope recommendations.

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Andras’s Astrophotography

Topic starter

Jan 26, 2022

i always load any prospective scope into stellarium so i can get a sense of Field of veiw (And image scale)for some planned targets.Whats driving the scope change?
If its target type/size then this should helpi nfluence your choice.

That is great advice thank you. The main reason is I would like to get an "easier" scope than my fast Newtonian at the moment.

Mark C. Helton

Jan 26, 2022

I have my 533, which I love by the way, on my Stellarvue 102T Raptor. I have had very good luck with it on that scope. I don't find the square image to be an issue with most of the targets that I go after at that focal length. Rosette just fits, but I can get all of M42, Jellyfish, etc. and those are big targets. I like the square format! I don't have to think about framing! HAHA Also the fact that there is absolutely no amp glow, as I have on my 183MCpro, is really nice. The 183 has some serious amp glow, which I get rid of in processing, but it is non existent in the 533. I also used the 533 on an Apertura 6 inch Newtonian with very good results as well. For the price of that camera, and the fact that it is so compatible with a variety of scopes, it is a great deal. Especially for those of us who can't afford to go full frame. I know to up my game and get better colors from nebula I need to go mono, with a filter wheel. But that is a big investment that I can't make right now, so full color is the best option. Good luck with your choice of scope. Clear skies!

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Andras’s Astrophotography

Topic starter

Jan 26, 2022

I have my 533, which I love by the way, on my Stellarvue 102T Raptor. I have had very good luck with it on that scope. I don't find the square image to be an issue with most of the targets that I go after at that focal length. Rosette just fits, but I can get all of M42, Jellyfish, etc. and those are big targets. I like the square format! I don't have to think about framing! HAHA Also the fact that there is absolutely no amp glow, as I have on my 183MCpro, is really nice. The 183 has some serious amp glow, which I get rid of in processing, but it is non existent in the 533. I also used the 533 on an Apertura 6 inch Newtonian with very good results as well. For the price of that camera, and the fact that it is so compatible with a variety of scopes, it is a great deal. Especially for those of us who can't afford to go full frame. I know to up my game and get better colors from nebula I need to go mono, with a filter wheel. But that is a big investment that I can't make right now, so full color is the best option. Good luck with your choice of scope. Clear skies!

Thank you for the details!

Eddie Pons

Jan 26, 2022

I'm using the William Optics z126. I think it's an exceptional scope for the price. I'd probably go with the 130, as that is what is now availalble unless you buy used.

The Z126 works well with the ASI533. Framing as a square isn't an issue; i haven't had to use a field flattener since the sensor is smaller. I am thinking about buying the .8 Flat7A reducer so that i can collect light faster.

Concise

Andras’s Astrophotography

Topic starter

Jan 26, 2022

Eddie Pons:
I'm using the William Optics z126. I think it's an exceptional scope for the price. I'd probably go with the 130, as that is what is now availalble unless you buy used.

The Z126 works well with the ASI533. Framing as a square isn't an issue; i haven't had to use a field flattener since the sensor is smaller. I am thinking about buying the .8 Flat7A reducer so that i can collect light faster.

I am looking for second hand on the 126 to fit into my budget.
To be fair I was looking at your pictures and that is the only reason I have considered this size over the smaller ones as they are amazing. It is great to hear your personal view and to know you didn’t need any flattener for this size of sensor!

Appreciate the help.

Paul Macklin

Jan 27, 2022 · Edited: Jan 27, 2022

I've been thoroughly enjoying the 533 with both a ZS61 for widefield and an EdgeHD 8" for closer work. I'm now exploring a lot of scopes as a possible widefield replacement.

I don't think you quite answered Brian's question on mount yet, but this is important. The mount you have will constrain scope weight, which in turn will constrain which scope you choose.

I'd aim for something in the 500mm focal length range, with as much aperture as you can get in your weight range. 90-120mm scopes are definitely the right range to be looking in, so long as your mount can handle it. I'm personally looking at the 94EDPH and the William Optics FLT91, and you could also look at the Gran Turismo line by W.O. The Esprit 100mm also looks like a solid choice.

Going larger, I think someone mentioned the AT130EDT. That's an appealing scope because it has enough focal length to hit some smaller DSOs (galaxies, smaller nebulas) at native f/7 focal length (0.85"/px), you can get a bit wider with the 0.8x flattener f/5.6 (1.07"/px), or add a ~3x barlow for some lunar and planetary. If you're looking in that range, you should look at the AT115EDT, which is a bit wider (and lighter!). Both those scopes will hit a broad range of medium-to-small DSOs on the 533, but will require mosaics for the larger DSOs.

The other points made here are really good: manually add the scopes in stellarium and frame up your favorite targets. If you want to fit the California Nebula or Andromeda in one FOV, that will also constrain your choices. But if you're willing to do mosaics, your choices open up again. I'd also personally look for a pixel scale of 1.5"/px to 2"/px, which is great for wider DSOs while also forgiving of seeing conditions and guiding issues.

Lastly, since you're in Europe, you should probably be looking at some of the TS scopes.

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Andras’s Astrophotography

Topic starter

Jan 27, 2022

Paul Macklin:
I've been thoroughly enjoying the 533 with both a ZS61 for widefield and an EdgeHD 8" for closer work. I'm now exploring a lot of scopes as a possible widefield replacement.

I don't think you quite answered Brian's question on mount yet, but this is important. The mount you have will constrain scope weight, which in turn will constrain which scope you choose.

I'd aim for something in the 500mm focal length range, with as much aperture as you can get in your weight range. 90-120mm scopes are definitely the right range to be looking in, so long as your mount can handle it. I'm personally looking at the 94EDPH and the William Optics FLT91, and you could also look at the Gran Turismo line by W.O. The Esprit 100mm also looks like a solid choice.

Going larger, I think someone mentioned the AT130EDT. That's an appealing scope because it has enough focal length to hit some smaller DSOs (galaxies, smaller nebulas) at native f/7 focal length (0.85"/px), you can get a bit wider with the 0.8x flattener f/5.6 (1.07"/px), or add a ~3x barlow for some lunar and planetary. If you're looking in that range, you should look at the AT115EDT, which is a bit wider (and lighter!). Both those scopes will hit a broad range of medium-to-small DSOs on the 533, but will require mosaics for the larger DSOs.

The other points made here are really good: manually add the scopes in stellarium and frame up your favorite targets. If you want to fit the California Nebula or Andromeda in one FOV, that will also constrain your choices. But if you're willing to do mosaics, your choices open up again. I'd also personally look for a pixel scale of 1.5"/px to 2"/px, which is great for wider DSOs while also forgiving of seeing conditions and guiding issues.

Lastly, since you're in Europe, you should probably be looking at some of the TS scopes.

Thank you for the great information. Yes sorry forgot to mention the mount, currently I have a Skywatcher Neq6 pro, which will be replace with the new ZWO mount when it is out.

will look into TS scopes, however I am not too sure if there is a UK store for them.

Paul Macklin

Jan 27, 2022

Cool. Just be careful on that pre-released Zwo mount. Looks like it's intended primarily for lower focal lengths, based on their product site.

"Image scale: 1 arc second per pixel, basically reaches the limit of AM5 mount. Thus when photographing DSO objects, we don't recommend you use telescopes with longer focal length than this [900mm]"

They're stating a load capacity of 20 kg with counterweights, so you wnat ot keep under 10ish kg. Looks like a good widefield travel mount.

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