The Meade 8” f/4 LX85 astrograph reflector optical tube assembly is a compact wide field telescope, with an immense amount of light grasp, thanks to the large 8” BK7 (Borosilicate) mirror and >90% enhanced reflectivity coatings. The f/4 system is incredibly fast, meaning with a camera it will collect a lot of light in a short time, perfect for taking shorter exposures while still recording all sorts of detail in the nebulae and galaxies.
With an 800mm focal length, pairing this telescope optical tube with a DSLR or other astro camera will yield large and rich swaths of sky, perfect for framing any number of large deep-sky objects. And with the 2” linear bearing Crayford focuser, trying pairing it with a low power 2” eyepiece with a large apparent field of view. From a dark-sky location away from city lights, objects such as the Veil Nebula will reveal structures you may not have seen before. The focuser features a 10:1 reduction fine focus knob, brass compression rings (so you don’t mar the barrel of your eyepieces or camera adapters) and a 2” to 1.25” step down adapter (also with a brass compression ring).
The telescope is designed to reach focus with any DSLR camera, along with a host of other imaging accessories, and the long 83.2mm back-focus helps ensure compatibility with various equipment. In order to allow visual use as well, a 35mm long 2” diameter eyepiece extension tube is also provided, allowing most all 2” and 1.25” eyepieces to work with the telescope. Includes a number of accessories such as hinged tube rings and a Vixen-style dovetail rail, 26mm Super Plössl eyepiece, 8x50 finder scope, and a cooling accelerator fan bolted to the rear mirror cell.
Depending on the size of your camera sensor, an optional coma corrector is recommended to eliminate the inherent coma in a reflector design. This would prove beneficial when using low power 2” eyepieces, or camera sensors above ~4:3 format.
