Comments on: 102mm ED Achromatic Refractor Telescope for Astrophotography

By: Kristian Schimmel

Kristian Schimmel — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 01:42:07 +0000

Purchased this scope because I figured with the Ohara FPL51 ED optics it should be half way decent but was really surprised with it performance vs price ratio. I owned way too many scopes in the past 30 years but wanted a decent ED refractor with a good built quality and a focuser that would not slip with a big load on the back of it. This scope delivers and the built quality is excellent, it reminds me of the Willian Yang scope I have owned in the past. Focuser is excellent, smooth and precise plus no slippage like some crayford focuser I have owned. The rings are sturdy and I cannot knock anything about this scope.
Now for how it works under the stars cause that is were the rubber meets the road and it sure does. Star test is like a two element 102mm objective with an ED element, it has a little bit of color on one side of focus and none on the other side but you can detect concentric diffraction rings that are a perfect circle but at focus there is NO CA, NO FALSE COLOR at all even when looking at the brighter planets and the moon. I have had this scope out on a good steady night and when seeing allows it does stupid higher powers like 275X but I have no other eyepiece/barlow combo that will go higher but the image is still sharp just get slightly dimmer but it takes power well.
At F7 its just fast enough to get some really nice views of the brighter DSO’s plus does a great job at splitting doubles but it works great on planetary and lunar.
Years ago a scope with this type of performance would cost way over a Kilowbuck so this is an excellent value. I also like the fact if there was something wrong with the scope they would either refund your payment or replace the scope, many retailers would leave you out to dry if there were optical issues.
Yes I am pleased and I would like to see them come out with a larger ED scope in the future.

By: Meghan Beahan

Meghan Beahan — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 19:29:12 +0000

This 102mm f/7 ED refractor is worth well more than I paid for it! The first time I took it out for a night of observing the sky, the sharp, contrasty views of star clusters and nebulae impressed me and my observing buddies. They spent as much time looking through this scope as through their own, much larger, reflector telescopes.
The objective lens gives wonderful views. The "mechanics" of the scope are well-made and put together, including the retractable dew/light shield at the lens end and the rotating focuser assembly at the eyepiece end.
Two small quibbles:
The main focuser is a bit tight to turn, but another owner tells me it will loosen as I use the fouser. (The fine-focuser worked very well right out of the box!)
I plan to use this refractor purely for observing, not astro-imaging.

By: Tanner Ullrich

Tanner Ullrich — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 07:11:08 +0000

I’ve been an amateur astronomer for 40 years, and currently own 7 scopes, most of which are Schmidt Cassegrains that I use for deep sky observing. Bought the SV503 102mm as a ‘cheap’ alternative to the scope I actually wanted, which was selling for twice the price. Let me tell you that I couldnt be more pleased with this scope. I own an 80mm triplet APO, and I cannot discern any chromatic aberrations that diferentiate the SV503 from the higher-priced Apochromatic scope. I tried the SV503 with several high-end plossl, nagler and zoom eyepieces, and none drew out any significant optical imperfections or refractory aberrations, even at the edge of the viewing field. -Especially shocking given the FPL-51 glass versus the more expensive FPL-53 glass used in most high-end refractors. The SV503’s dew shield transitions to the extended position smoothly, and tightens when extended to lock firmly in-place. -Not the typical stiction Ive witnessed with dew shields on other budget-friendly scopes. The focuser is quality, fluid and precise, and the hardware is sturdy. I suggest you also buy the appropriate field flattener (SV193) if you’re planning on using the scope for astrophotography. SvBony has done an excellent job with this scope, and I wouldnt hesitate to recommend the SV503 to anyone.

By: Lionel Volkman

Lionel Volkman — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 10:10:05 +0000

This a well constructed piece of equipment that has the clarity of a larger scope. The optics are fantastic an extremely clear I was impressed with this the first time I had taken it out and looked at Jupiter with several of its moons. I would recommend this telescope to the beginner and novice astronomy enthusiasts.

By: Lucienne Hills

Lucienne Hills — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 10:07:46 +0000

The scope is very well contructed and the optics are indeed sweet. I wanted a small telescope to use at home as well as on the road. This is a scope that can make cheap eyepieces like plossels look great and more expensive Naglers look fantastic. I’m sold and look forward to years of great seeing. Thanks for a really good telescope.

By: Jack Hills

Jack Hills — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 04:37:51 +0000

Highly recommended!

By: Maximus O'Reilly

Maximus O'Reilly — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 20:31:06 +0000

Great color rendition. Scale on back focus tube makes it easy to find focus next night. Entire focus back of scope can rotate giving operator the ability to format every picture accurately. DEW shield nice and long also helps shade from neighbor lights.

By: Jordyn Mann

Jordyn Mann — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 06:28:15 +0000

Useful features included with the scope are many, well thought out and very well constructed. Views are awesome and crystal clear. I am more than 100% happy with my scope and can highly recommend it.

By: Camren Swaniawski

Camren Swaniawski — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 18:54:37 +0000

Great Telescope! Mechanics, quality, appearance are beautiful! Jupiter managed to look in the cloud window, the picture is just gorgeous. There is no chromatism.

By: Lennie Kuhn

Lennie Kuhn — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 00:57:38 +0000

This is a pretty sweet scope. This is my first real refractor telescope and it does not disappoint. I shot the attached images with a ZWO ASI533 Pro color camera. It should be noted I live in a Bortle Class 7 region and was still able to get some amazing photos. Focusing is smooth as butter and I love I can finely dial it in with the two stage focuser. This is a hell of a scope so if you’re on the fence…grab one! Also get a decent equatorial tracking mount because that is a must when doing astro imaging. Have fun and clear skies!