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We,have 3 variables here TOP,CURRENT ,MODERN.
Zeiss an all time great above and beyond question but not,CURRENT .
All CURRENTLY produced scopes from,AP ,TAK,TEC, officina stellare ,any size,Priced above or below 6k, have TOP optics,mechanics, MODERN materials,design,modular,capability. and so on___
of course there is televue with, TOP of the line optics , and great build.but unfortunately not,very MODERN in terms of,technique or materials or may be a little slow to catch up.(courtesy a paper,baffling
Which tends to peel off and an occasional loose rack till,advent of,starlight ).

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After many comparisons (even with the Zeiss APQ-100/640) I wouldn't give the following one away for any of the above 4-inchers:

www.astro-foren.de/showthread.php?13579-Takahashi-FCT-100-640
(just move cursor on pictures to enlarge)

Since this multi-coated and (other than the APQ) air-spaced 100/640 fluorite-triplet is not available new any more, I personally would go for today's TSA-102/816 that has very similar characteristics of performance to the FCT-100.

Chris

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Any scope made by Astrophysics from the late 1990's onward would be my picks.

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Any scope made by Astrophysics from the late 1990's onward would be my picks.

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The difference between Televue refractors and Astrophysics refractors is the lenses. Televue refractor lenses are made of very exotic glass, but Astrophysics lenses are made from unobtanium.

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Close. If you save up some money and watch Astromart, every so often someone sells off something with "Astro-Physics" engraved upon it or so labeled. Rarely there are bargains but they usually require the purchase of a "complete" kit which you will have to part out, unless it ends up being better than what you already have and you can afford to keep it all. The best bargains appear to be the AP130EDF telescopes, made from about 1995 on to 2003 or so. Since so many TEC140 and AP130GT telescopes have been produced and are still being produced since 2005, and as I type, the "older" 130EDF's can be found rarely for around $5700 to $6K. TEC140's come up from time to time for around $5K although I don't follow the second hand prices as closely. I hesitate to call any of these telescopes "used". At their value, you will generally find that they are very well cared for and while they have been out of the case and under the night sky, they are kept essentially in "as new" or close to it condition. Yes there can be paint chips on the dew shield edges, and where rings attach, etc, but if so, the price asked should reflect these slight imperfections. Yes, they are not "factory fresh" but in most cases they can be acquired with some patience and timing.

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