telescopecomparison · 2-way
William Optics RedCat 51 vs William Optics FLT 120
William Optics
RedCat 51
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.
William Optics
FLT 120
Best suited for intermediate imagers building a versatile kit running a backyard imaging setup.
Key differences
-68% focal length
-57% aperture
Faster by 1.6 f-stops
Specifications
| Specification | William Optics RedCat 51 | William Optics FLT 120 |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | Refractor | Refractor |
| Optical design | Petzval APO | Triplet APO |
| Aperture | 51mm | 120mm |
| Focal length | 250mm | 780mm |
| Native f/ratio | f/4.9 | f/6.5 |
| Image circle | 45mm | 44mm |
| Full-frame support | Yes | Yes |
| Physical | ||
| Weight | 1.6kg | 7.7kg |
Advantages of William Optics RedCat 51
- Wider field — 250mm vs 780mm focal length
- Faster optics at f/4.9 vs f/6.5
- Lighter (1.6kg vs 7.7kg) — easier to travel with
Advantages of William Optics FLT 120
- Tighter framing — 780mm vs 250mm focal length
- 135% more light-gathering aperture
Best for — William Optics RedCat 51
- Wide-field nebulae and Milky Way regions
- Fast imaging — short exposures per sub
- Full-frame astro cameras and DSLRs
Best for — William Optics FLT 120
- Medium-sized galaxies and planetary nebulae
- Full-frame astro cameras and DSLRs
William Optics RedCat 51 — typical FOV & scale
- With Full-frame (36×24mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 8.25° × 5.50°Scale: 3.10"/px
- With APS-C (23.5×15.7mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 5.39° × 3.60°Scale: 3.10"/px
- With IMX533 square (11.3×11.3mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 2.59° × 2.59°Scale: 3.10"/px
William Optics FLT 120 — typical FOV & scale
- With Full-frame (36×24mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 2.64° × 1.76°Scale: 0.99"/px
- With APS-C (23.5×15.7mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 1.73° × 1.15°Scale: 0.99"/px
- With IMX533 square (11.3×11.3mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 0.83° × 0.83°Scale: 0.99"/px
William Optics RedCat 51 — recommended user
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.
William Optics FLT 120 — recommended user
Best suited for intermediate imagers building a versatile kit running a backyard imaging setup.