telescopecomparison · 2-way
Askar SQA85 vs William Optics Zenithstar 81 II
William Optics
Zenithstar 81 II
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.
Specifications
| Specification | Askar SQA85 | William Optics Zenithstar 81 II |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | refractor | refractor |
| Optical design | Quadruplet astrograph FPL-51 | Apo doublet FPL-53 |
| Aperture | 85mm | 81mm |
| Focal length | 500mm | 478mm |
| Native f/ratio | f/5.8 | f/5.9 |
| Image circle | 52mm | 44mm |
| Full-frame support | Yes | Yes |
| Physical | ||
| Weight | 4.4kg | 3.6kg |
Advantages of Askar SQA85
- Larger image circle (52mm) — supports bigger sensors
Advantages of William Optics Zenithstar 81 II
- Lighter (3.6kg vs 4.4kg) — easier to travel with
Best for — Askar SQA85
- Large emission nebulae and star clusters
- Full-frame astro cameras and DSLRs
Best for — William Optics Zenithstar 81 II
- Large emission nebulae and star clusters
- Full-frame astro cameras and DSLRs
Askar SQA85 — 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
William Optics Zenithstar 81 II — typical FOV & scale
- With Full-frame (36×24mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 4.32° × 2.88°Scale: 1.62"/px
- With APS-C (23.5×15.7mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 2.82° × 1.88°Scale: 1.62"/px
- With IMX533 square (11.3×11.3mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 1.35° × 1.35°Scale: 1.62"/px
Askar SQA85 — recommended user
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.
William Optics Zenithstar 81 II — recommended user
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.