With the Askar FMA230, Sharpstar Optics has created a powerful triplet APO refractor with unique visual and photographic application possibilities. In just a few steps, the APO telephoto lens becomes a compact astronomical telescope, a guide scope or a powerful spotting scope for landscape observation. The triplet APO objective allows magnifications of up to 150x without reducing the sharpness.
The FMA230 has a compound lens system. The front objective lens comprises three lenses and the posterior reducer is composed of four lenses which the company calls a “three at the front and four at the rear” system. The aperture size of the objective lens is 50mm and the original focal length is 275mm offering a relatively fast focal ratio of f/5.5. The objective lens contains two ED glasses which are adapted to cure chromatic aberrations.
The four-element reducer is a 0.84×optical device which was specially designed for the 50mm triplet lens which levels the image field up to full format and improves the aperture ratio to a bright f/4.6 with full sharpness. The internal blackening and the complex multi-coating ensure high-contrast and brilliant images without reflections, even under difficult lighting conditions.
The manual APO telephoto lens is corrected up to full format. The M48 thread offers a working distance of 55 mm. The high light intensity of f/4.6 enables short exposure times even under difficult lighting conditions.
The Askar FMA230 offers a multifunctional bracket which enables easy adaptation to your mount, photo tripod or compact photo tracker, such as the Skywatcher Star-Adventurer or a detachable camera bracket via the 1/4 “internal thread.
The lens can be combined with 1.25 “or 2” accessories to enables large-field visual observations. Enjoy the landscape or look at vast fields of stars. Use the sharpness of the APO lens to see lunar craters, the play of Jupiter’s moons or the rings of Saturn. The FMA230 is also a powerful lens for autoguiding. With the right autoguider, you can track telescopes up to 10 “aperture perfectly.
The high-contrast optics can also be used as a terrestrial observing tool with just a few simple steps, turning the telephoto lens into a compact and crisp spotting scope. You can use all common photo tripods with the included the adapter. Use 1.25 “or 2” eyepieces at low magnification for bright images, even under extreme light conditions, and eyepieces for high magnifications to see fine details.
Askar FMA230 specifications include:
– 50 mm aperture
– Objective lens is a triplet air-spaced APO with two ED glasses; Septuplet full-frame astrograph when including the reducer.
– Focal length is 275mm; 230mm with the reducer
– Focal ratio is f/5.5; f/4.6（with the reducer）
– Photographic image field is designed up to full format
– Precise helical extension on the lens for precise focusing with clamp
– Weight 1045 grams
– M48 connection with 55 mm working distance (as telephoto lens)
– Suitable for 1.25 “and 2” accessories for visual observation
– Vixen/EQ5 level multifunctional plate
– Pair of matching tube rings
You can learn more about the Askar FMA230 here.
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