Sharpstar 76mm f/5.5 ED Triplet Apo Refractor Telescope with 0.8x Reducer / Flattener
Contiguous US Customers:
All items we sell ship for free within the Contiguous US. Shipping will be via the cheapest shipping method which will vary depending on the items in your order. During checkout, you may also be shown other optional faster shipping choices.
US Customers in Hawaii and Alaska:
Free shipping applies to almost all products. A few large telescopes and mounts are excluded from this free shipping offer. For these items, please contact us to obtain a shipping quote before you check out using the online shopping cart.
International Customers:
Free shipping does not apply to international orders. During check-out, you will be presented with several shipping choices and costs. However, the export of some items may be restricted outside the US due to size or manufacturer restrictions.
Please Note:
- All Sharpstar/Askar refractors undergo physical, mechanical and optical QC inspections at the factory, and an inspection checklist is included with each telescope.
- We may partially open the scope boxes to ensure that the scope has been inspected/certified by the manufacturer but we do not open the scope and inspect it again.
- However, if you would like us to perform a mechanical and cosmetic inspection of your telescope again before we ship it, just request this in the comments field when you place your order. We will be happy to do this at no extra cost for this scope, but this will delay your shipment by 1-2 business days. Note that we are unable to perform optical tests/inspections.
Product Details
Sharpstar has been making refractors for many years for well-known worldwide astronomy vendors, and they’re now marketing their own premium apochromatic refractors at a surprisingly affordable price. The Sharpstar 76EDPH is the second in their series of instruments under the Sharpstar brand that’s quickly gaining a reputation for precision instruments for visual observation and astrophotography.
This scope features a 76mm air-spaced triplet objective with an ED glass element for excellent color correction, contrast, and image sharpness. With a focal ratio of f/5.5 and a focal length of 418mm, the scope measures just 333mm in length with its dew shield retracted and weighs just 2.9kg. It’s ideal for field use and travel.
For the price, this fast apochromatic telescope offers excellent value and can approach the performance of telescopes that cost three or four times as much. This is especially true when matched with astronomy cameras with smaller 1" and 4/3" sensors. Cameras with larger APS-C and full-frame sensors may reveal slight aberrations at the edge of the field, especially when using the focal reducer.
The superb optics of this ED refractor are matched by the quality of its mechanics. The striking red CNC trim and carrying handle and the white gloss tube give this scope a distinctive and attractive look. The scope also features a premium dual-speed 10:1 rack-and-pinion focuser with 60mm of travel that handles most full-frame astronomy cameras
Alan Dyer, in a review at Astrogeartoday.com, writes of the Sharpstar 76EDPH:
“The limbs of the Moon, Venus and bright stars showed no chromatic aberration when in focus, with Venus and bright stars showing just a pale rims of magenta inside focus and cyan outside focus. This is color correction that ranks with the best in the world of apos. There was no sign of astigmatism, even on cold winter nights when lens cells can pinch optics, and only a smidgen of spherical aberration. In-focus stars exhibited textbook Airy disks… I consider the 76mm a match, both optically and mechanically, for the best apos on the market, and at a very reasonable price for its performance.”
The optional 0.8x focal reducer/field flattener for the 76EDPH brings this scope to a very fast focal ratio of f/4.5 and a focal length of 334mm. The reducer delivers excellent image quality across a full-frame sensor with a field of view of about 6 x 4 degrees.
OTA Specifications:
- Aperture: 76mm
- Limiting Star Magnitude: 11.2
- Focus Ratio: f/5.5
- Resolution: 1.5 Angular Seconds
- Objective Type: Air-Spaced Triplet APO (one extra-low dispersion ED glass
- Length: 333mm with dew shade retracted
- Weight: 2.9kg including dovetail plate and rings
Flattener Specifications:
- Reducing Focal Ratio: f/4.5
- Fully Illuminated Image Circle: 44mm
- Number of Lens: Three-Piece
- Main Outer Diameter: 88mm
- Focal Plane: 55mm
- Total Length: 77mm (including M48 Thread)
- Surface Coating: Full-Surface Multi-Layer Coating
- Weight: 1.1 lb (0.5kg)
Other Information
- Country of Manufacture: China
