Sky-Watcher 8 Inch Quattro Imaging Newtonian Telescope - S11210

Capture huge swaths of sky in record time with the Sky-Watcher 8” Quattro Imaging Newtonian! F/4 optics offer a much wider field of view than traditional f/10 systems, and you’ll be able to take shorter exposures, too. In fact, f/4 optical systems capture images six times faster than those with a focal ratio of f/10!

The Sky-Watcher 8” Quattro Newtonian is a real bargain, and that’s because Newtonian telescopes are way easier to build than more complicated telescope designs. Still, there is quality here. The primary and secondary borosilicate mirrors are fully multi-coated and offer 94% reflectivity. The interior of the metal optical tube is painted black to keep exterior reflections from making their way inside the telescope.

If you’ve ever focused a telescope, you’ll know how important the focuser is to the quality of your observing experience. For astrophotography, focusing is even more important. To be successful, an astro-imager needs a sturdy focuser with the ability to fine focus, and one that is strong enough to hold their camera without flexing. The Sky-Watcher 8” Quattro reflector sports a 2” dual speed linear track focuser, and it comes with a 2” to 1.25” adapter so you can use both 1.25” and 2” eyepieces, nosepieces, and other accessories. Make larger changes to focus with the course focus knob, and then zero in precisely on your subject with the fine focus knob. It takes ten turns of the fine focus dial to equal just one turn of the course focus, so that should give you an idea of just how meticulously you can focus with this imaging system.

In order to be a successful astrophotographer, you will need to mount your 8” Quattro on a decent medium weight mount. The 8” Quattro optical tube assembly weighs 21 pounds, so choose a mount that has a weight capacity of at least 25 pounds to cover the weight of your accessories. This telescope comes with a V-style, or Vixen style, dovetail, which means it will slide into any mount with a Vixen or Dual Losmandy/Vixen saddle plate. Two metal cradle rings slide around the Quattro OTA and attach to the Vixen dovetail for a solid connection. It is easy to take the optical tube assembly off of the mount without removing the tube rings, since they open and close like a clamshell and secure together with a large knurl-headed bolt.

Also included is an 8x50 straight through finderscope and bracket. The bracket slides onto a finder foot that is bolted to the OTA, making it easy to slide on and off between observing sessions.

Sky-Watcher makes an accessory for the Quattro line that will correct the comet-like appearance of stars along the edge of the field that is typical of parabolic mirrors used in Newtonian telescopes. The four-element ED corrector is optimized for use with all Quattro Imaging Newtonians. It is made with fluorite and Schott glass, and can handle full frame sensors.