NEW REVIEWS IN DECEMBER !
Istar Phantom 152mm F7.8 Fluorite triplet apochromat
Reviewed by Neil English for Astronomy Now magazine - January 2012, in the shops now
" No false colours were visible either in or outside focus, a testament to the superlative colour correction of this optic. Save for a very small but acceptable amount of field curvature with inexpensive wide field eyepieces, I couldn't detect any other aberrations in the Istar Phantom triplet."
( On Jupiter ) "During moments of excellent seeing, stupendous amounts of detail could be discerned on the giant planet using a power of 197x, almost as if they were laser etched onto an off-white oblate disc."
" Low power views of deep sky objects are gorgeous. The Perseus Double Cluster for example, located high in the eastern sky, was jaw-dropping with the Phantom."
" Make no mistake about it; this is one impressive deep sky visual telescope."
" The Istar Phantom triplet is one serious telescope for the money. Serving as both a first rate photographic and visual telescope, it is exceptionally priced in comparison to a number of other models on the market. That, together with a waiting time measured in months rather than years, and you can see why it would appeal to many discriminating observers and imagers."
Jupiter 30th July 2011 The Moon October 4th 2011
Images taken with a Phantom 152mm F7 CaF2 Fluorite Triplet - courtesy Mike Harden, Florida
Perseus 150mm F12 achromat
Reviewed by Steve Richards for Sky at Night magazine - December 2011, in the shops now
" Views through the Istar were bright and full of contrast..."
" Substantially built from aerospace-grade magnesium and aluminium alloys, with many parts machined from solid block, the telescope exudes quality."
" The Istar Perseus would make an excellent upgrade for lunar, planetary and double star observations, and it's high-contrast views would also come in useful when looking at many deep-sky objects, such as planetary nebulae and globular clusters."
The optics scored an impressive 93% !
Please refer to the Istar Telescopes UK website for full details.