telescopecomparison · 2-way
William Optics RedCat 91 vs Sky-Watcher Esprit 80ED
William Optics
RedCat 91
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.
Sky-Watcher
Esprit 80ED
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a backyard imaging setup.
Key differences
+24% focal length
+14% aperture
Slower by 0.5 f-stops
Specifications
| Specification | William Optics RedCat 91 | Sky-Watcher Esprit 80ED |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | Refractor | Refractor |
| Optical design | Petzval APO | Triplet APO |
| Aperture | 91mm | 80mm |
| Focal length | 496mm | 400mm |
| Native f/ratio | f/5.5 | f/5.0 |
| Image circle | 45mm | 44mm |
| Full-frame support | Yes | Yes |
| Physical | ||
| Weight | 4.3kg | 5.7kg |
Advantages of William Optics RedCat 91
- Tighter framing — 496mm vs 400mm focal length
- 14% more light-gathering aperture
- Lighter (4.3kg vs 5.7kg) — easier to travel with
Advantages of Sky-Watcher Esprit 80ED
- Wider field — 400mm vs 496mm focal length
- Faster optics at f/5 vs f/5.45
Best for — William Optics RedCat 91
- Large emission nebulae and star clusters
- Full-frame astro cameras and DSLRs
Best for — Sky-Watcher Esprit 80ED
- Large emission nebulae and star clusters
- Fast imaging — short exposures per sub
- Full-frame astro cameras and DSLRs
William Optics RedCat 91 — typical FOV & scale
- With Full-frame (36×24mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 4.16° × 2.77°Scale: 1.56"/px
- With APS-C (23.5×15.7mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 2.71° × 1.81°Scale: 1.56"/px
- With IMX533 square (11.3×11.3mm, 3.76µm)FOV: 1.31° × 1.31°Scale: 1.56"/px
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 RedCat 91 — recommended user
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a portable travel rig.
Sky-Watcher Esprit 80ED — recommended user
Best suited for beginners and wide-field enthusiasts running a backyard imaging setup.