telescopecomparison · 2-way
Askar FRA500 vs Takahashi FSQ-85EDX


Takahashi
FSQ-85EDX
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.
Key differences
+11% focal length
+6% aperture
Specifications
| Specification | Askar FRA500 | Takahashi FSQ-85EDX |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | Refractor | Refractor |
| Optical design | Petzval Quintuplet APO | Petzval APO |
| Aperture | 90mm | 85mm |
| Focal length | 500mm | 450mm |
| Native f/ratio | f/5.6 | f/5.3 |
| Image circle | 60mm | 44mm |
| Full-frame support | Yes | Yes |
| Physical | ||
| Weight | 5.4kg | 4.0kg |
Advantages of Askar FRA500
- Tighter framing — 500mm vs 450mm focal length
- Larger image circle (60mm) — supports bigger sensors
Advantages of Takahashi FSQ-85EDX
- Lighter (4kg 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 — Takahashi FSQ-85EDX
- Large emission nebulae and star clusters
- Full-frame astro cameras and DSLRs
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
Takahashi FSQ-85EDX — typical FOV & scale
- With Full-frame (36×24mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 4.58° × 3.06°Scale: 1.72"/px
- With APS-C (23.5×15.7mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 2.99° × 2.00°Scale: 1.72"/px
- With IMX533 square (11.3×11.3mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 1.44° × 1.44°Scale: 1.72"/px
Askar FRA500 — recommended user
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a backyard imaging setup.
Takahashi FSQ-85EDX — recommended user
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.