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Lowest Rating - Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Clever design
Reviewed By:
Bob Walcott (Reading, MA)
This design is very interesting, but a bit small for a mirror scope. In bright light (so my eye pupil is small), I see faint gray fuzz in the center, which I figured out is an out-of-focus image of the secondary mirror. It helps to cup my hand around my eye socket and the eyepiece, to block unwanted light. Otherwise, it's well built and a lot of fun. Focuses down to a few feet; sharp image.
- Monday, June 04, 2007
Convenience with Quality
Reviewed By:
Stephen Hall (Kittery Point, Maine)
The ultimate in convenience without sacrificing quality of image for those willing to forego the wider field of view of a binocular. From the back row of a theatre to viewing wildlife in the field, this is a telescope you can carry with you.
- Thursday, March 06, 2008
Clever But Not Practical?
Reviewed By:
Michael Eaton (Salt Lake City, UT)
This little gem is an example of a very uncommon telescope design -- Gregorian. A Gregorian telescope is a catadioptric system -- that is, a mirror/lens combination -- in this case, very similar to a Maksutov telescope. Almost all telescopes produce inverted images, without the addition of extra lenses or prisms. Every time you add optical elements to a design, you potentially can cause more problems -- such as chromatic distortion, loss of definition and brightness. Because of the design and positioning of the secondary mirror, a Gregorian telescope produces an upright, correct image without any added optics. Gregorian telescopes are unpopular (and rare) among astronomers because they are not as compact (short) as other mirror/lens designs. Plus, the secondary mirror is usually larger, which results in lower contrast and brightness. In the case of the "Little Mak", the secondary mirror is about 18mm is diameter -- 60% of the 30mm primary mirror. By my math, the total light that actually gets to your eye is equal to a 12.5mm telescope. My eyes tell me that things actually look DIMMER through the Little Mak than with the naked eye. Plus, because of the large secondary, there is a considerable loss of contrast. It is like watching an HD television but turning the contrast way down. The telescope itself is very well made. It is clever and a marvel of optical design. I bought the telescope BECAUSE it was a Gregorian and such a rarely seen design. As a practical, small telescope, tho', it really just does not quite make sense. Yes, you get rid of the additional prisms or lenses needed to create an erect image, but you also get a scope which has lower brightness and contrast than other designs. For a 30mm, hand-held scope for sporting events or concerts,
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