Telescope Reviews: Mallicam

OK, so I am now convinced that all the hype about the Mallincam is not merely hype. Last night I finally had the opportunity to get from Midway over to the far side of Tallahassee to visit with my astronomy buddy Bob S. Bob had his 20" Starmaster w/ServoCat goto already set up and cooling in the driveway when I arrived just after dark. While Bob lives in the 'burbs, his skies are pretty dark considering that he's not terribly far from downtown Tallahassee.

This was to be a night of trying out the toys that we had been wanting to share, as Bob had never looked through my Ethos, and I had never had a chance to see the Mallincam or the Collins I-3 in action. We were both to be pleasantly surprised.

With the Mallincam Color Hyper (did I get that in the right order?) we went all over the sky. M31, M33, M37, M42/43, Blue Snowball, Eskimo Nebula, Horsehead, Flame Nebula, M1, and some that I am sure that I forgot.

I have to admit that I was skeptical about the Mallincam, however this is one nifty piece of equipment! In M43 I was seeing detail that I never knew existed, though I have seen photos that hinted at some of the detail. The image on the Watec 3.5" screen was nice and sharp, and gave areas of the nebula an almost 3D appearance. Areas of M42 looked like clouds, and you could see real texture everywhere, not to mention the color that was amazing.

In M1, the filamentary detail was as good as any photo I have ever seen, but we were looking at it in real time. This was the way it went on every object we looked at; detail that I have never seen at the eyepiece was right there in your face,in real time, and out in the outdoors actively operating the telescope. This was a fun night!

Now, I guess the argument remains; is this really visual astronomy? Well, yes it is visual astronomy in that you are standing at the telescope, and you are looking at objects in a way that you have never seen them, and you are doing it in real time, rather than processing ccd files that may take an hour and a half. While it does lack the intimacy of peering into an eyepiece, it is an entirely different visual experience. Right now I am still undecided as to whether this piece of equipment will become part of my setup, however, that doesn't take away from the fact that I still consider this to be visual astronomy on a whole different level.

OK, one other thing, and this kind of surprised Bob that I found this more impressive than the Mallincam, but the I-3 thin film eyepiece absolutely ROCKS! Expensive? You bet it's expensive, and not in my current budget, but I can absolutely, positively justify the price. Folks, until you have looked through one of these jewels, don't knock it or the price, as it will blow you away when you look through it. Try the Horsehead with direct vision! Not just a notch in the bright nebula, but the whole head; snout, mane, neck, the whole shebang. M42 in all of its glory, and galaxies that you would never otherwise be able to detect under moderately light polluted skies. You can talk about the green images, but after a bit it all becomes monochromatic. If you ever have a chance to observe with one of these gadgets, do not pass it by.

That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it.

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Doug
Midway, FL

Life's too short to drink cheap beer