Askar 71F with camera recommendations needed!

Askar 71F APO Equipment Beginner First Telescope Buying Advice
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Iris avatar
Iris avatar

Hiya! I just ordered a Askar 71F F/6.9 Flat-Field scope for ~$700. This is my first big purchase after getting my Seestar, so I’m looking for an upgrade! I’m thinking about getting an Orion Sirius EQ-G with it. I’ll probably get it before I go on a (soon) trip with friends to a very low-bortle sky’d area.

Are there any cameras in the $600 price range that you all would recommend for future purchasing, and anything else I should look out for? I’m very new to all this, so I’m just trying to get a good setup going for under $2000 USD. Thanks!

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Tony Gondola avatar
Tony Gondola avatar

I would consider a cooled color version of the 585 sensor. You would still be a tiny bit under-sampled but it’s close and in your price range. I think the best version out there is made by QHY.

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Interactive Sky avatar
Interactive Sky avatar

Hi,

As Tony suggested, I think an IMX585-based cooled color camera is probably the sweet spot for the Askar 71F. With its 2.9 µm pixels and the telescope's 490 mm focal length, it provides an image scale of about 1.22 arcsec/pixel, which is an excellent match for typical seeing conditions.

A camera such as the ZWO ASI585MC Pro would be a great option in your budget range.

For ease of use, I would also recommend considering a ZWO ASIAIR. It can control your camera, mount, guiding, autofocus, and imaging sessions from a single interface, making the transition from a Seestar much easier.

Hope this helps. Clear Skies!

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Eric Gagné avatar
Eric Gagné avatar

I have a 71F with a 585 sensor and I really like it. It’s a great combination.

Franco Grimoldi avatar
Franco Grimoldi avatar

The 585MC Air might be the better choice as it includes the ASI Air functionality and also resolves guiding.

Iris avatar
Iris avatar

Interactive Sky · Jun 9, 2026, 04:05 PM

Hi,

As Tony suggested, I think an IMX585-based cooled color camera is probably the sweet spot for the Askar 71F. With its 2.9 µm pixels and the telescope's 490 mm focal length, it provides an image scale of about 1.22 arcsec/pixel, which is an excellent match for typical seeing conditions.

A camera such as the ZWO ASI585MC Pro would be a great option in your budget range.

For ease of use, I would also recommend considering a ZWO ASIAIR. It can control your camera, mount, guiding, autofocus, and imaging sessions from a single interface, making the transition from a Seestar much easier.

Hope this helps. Clear Skies!

Thank you so much! I’ll give this a look. I’ll probably have to budget this all out later down the line, because for the time being I at least have a capable visual telescope, but I’ll make sure I follow this as a guide!

Clear skies <3

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