telescopecomparison · 2-way
Askar FRA500 vs Explore Scientific ED80 FCD-100
Explore Scientific
ED80 FCD-100
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.
Key differences
+13% aperture
Faster by 0.4 f-stops
Specifications
| Specification | Askar FRA500 | Explore Scientific ED80 FCD-100 |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | Refractor | refractor |
| Optical design | Petzval Quintuplet APO | Apo triplet FCD-100 |
| Aperture | 90mm | 80mm |
| Focal length | 500mm | 480mm |
| Native f/ratio | f/5.6 | f/6.0 |
| Image circle | 60mm | 44mm |
| Full-frame support | Yes | No |
| Physical | ||
| Weight | 5.4kg | 4.5kg |
Advantages of Askar FRA500
- 13% more light-gathering aperture
- Faster optics at f/5.6 vs f/6
- Larger image circle (60mm) — supports bigger sensors
Advantages of Explore Scientific ED80 FCD-100
- Lighter (4.5kg vs 5.4kg) — easier to travel with
Best for — Askar FRA500
- Large emission nebulae and star clusters
- Full-frame astro cameras and DSLRs
Best for — Explore Scientific ED80 FCD-100
- Large emission nebulae and star clusters
Askar FRA500 — typical FOV & scale
- With Full-frame (36×24mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 4.13° × 2.75°Scale: 1.55"/px
- With APS-C (23.5×15.7mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 2.69° × 1.80°Scale: 1.55"/px
- With IMX533 square (11.3×11.3mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 1.29° × 1.29°Scale: 1.55"/px
Explore Scientific ED80 FCD-100 — typical FOV & scale
- With Full-frame (36×24mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 4.30° × 2.86°Scale: 1.62"/px
- With APS-C (23.5×15.7mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 2.81° × 1.87°Scale: 1.62"/px
- With IMX533 square (11.3×11.3mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 1.35° × 1.35°Scale: 1.62"/px
Askar FRA500 — recommended user
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a backyard imaging setup.
Explore Scientific ED80 FCD-100 — recommended user
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.