telescopecomparison · 2-way
Sky-Watcher Esprit 80ED vs William Optics Zenithstar 81 II
Sky-Watcher
Esprit 80ED
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a backyard imaging setup.
William Optics
Zenithstar 81 II
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.
Key differences
-16% focal length
Faster by 0.9 f-stops
Specifications
| Specification | Sky-Watcher Esprit 80ED | William Optics Zenithstar 81 II |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | Refractor | refractor |
| Optical design | Triplet APO | Apo doublet FPL-53 |
| Aperture | 80mm | 81mm |
| Focal length | 400mm | 478mm |
| Native f/ratio | f/5.0 | f/5.9 |
| Image circle | 44mm | 44mm |
| Full-frame support | Yes | Yes |
| Physical | ||
| Weight | 5.7kg | 3.6kg |
Advantages of Sky-Watcher Esprit 80ED
- Wider field — 400mm vs 478mm focal length
- Faster optics at f/5 vs f/5.9
Advantages of William Optics Zenithstar 81 II
- Tighter framing — 478mm vs 400mm focal length
- Lighter (3.6kg vs 5.7kg) — easier to travel with
Best for — Sky-Watcher Esprit 80ED
- Large emission nebulae and star clusters
- Fast imaging — short exposures per sub
- 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
Sky-Watcher Esprit 80ED — typical FOV & scale
- With Full-frame (36×24mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 5.16° × 3.44°Scale: 1.94"/px
- With APS-C (23.5×15.7mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 3.37° × 2.25°Scale: 1.94"/px
- With IMX533 square (11.3×11.3mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 1.62° × 1.62°Scale: 1.94"/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
Sky-Watcher Esprit 80ED — recommended user
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a backyard imaging setup.
William Optics Zenithstar 81 II — recommended user
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.