PrimaLuceLab 0.6x Reducer/Flattener for Refractors

By reducing the focal length of the telescope (for instance, a 500mm focal length becomes 300mm), this 0,6x reducer/flattener expands the area caught by the camera sensor. Furthermore, lowering the focal ratio of the telescope (for instance AIRY APO80 f/6.25 becomes f/3.75), it allows you to record weaker details. Intended for photographic use with AIRY telescopes, it offers an expanded corrected field and it can be used with a wide range of refractors.

Focal reducers are used as a part of long-exposure astro-imaging of deep sky objects like nebulae, star clusters and galaxies, and with a specific end goal to get the best pictures, it is critical that the field of view caught by the camera sensor is flat (that is, the stars have point shape in all the field). Since reducing the focal length also causes the field to be reduced, in this table you will discover not just the focal length and focal ratio made by the utilization of the 0,6x reducer/flattener but also the size of the corrected field. This way you can check whether your camera sensor will be suitable for use in astrophotography (eg Atik 428EX CCD camera has 11mm diagonal sensor so it needs at least 11mm of flat field to have images with pinpoint stars in all over the field):

 The 0,6x reducer/flattener into 50.8mm connection of the focuser (in front it has a thread for connecting 50,8mm diameter filters). Rear (camera side) it has a T2 male thread and therefore it can be screwed directly onto the DSLR cameras ( using a T2 ring of the camera brand) or to a CCD camera (with T2 female thread).

NOTE: Camera and telescope are NOT included. This includes only the focal reducer!

700Da camera connected to the AIRY ED100 refractor with reducer/flattener

To get the most out of this reducer/flattener, requires that the camera sensor be positioned at 55mm distance from the reducer thread. This is precisely the distance provided by connecting the DSLR camera with T2 ring. For the use of a CCD camera (that offer a sensor put in more front position than the one of a DSLR camera) it is very important to include a T2 adapter. To calculate the required thickness, you can use this equation:

required T2 extension = 55mm required distance - CCD camera back focus

So, for example, if you use a QHY8L CCD camera that has 20 mm backfocus, the T2 you need will be: 55 - 20 = 35mm.