163 replies to this topic

[asaint]

Stellarvue F50 Finderscope

[Sooon]

Nice review ! Now I want one..

[Chris Schroeder]

Great report, I love mine

[Phil Frederick]

Excellent review. Best optical finder I've used. Intrigued with the idea of the illuminated reticle. I wonder if you'll be able to by the EP separately as an upgrade...

Phil

[Preston Smith]

Hey Folks!

Thanx for the kind words.

Good News! Vic Maris from Stellarvue has just decided to make a direct tripod mount for the Sparrow Hawk! I wonder if the review had any influence.... ;-}

Phil, I just asked Vic in an email if the EP would be sold as a seperate option. I'll let you know what he says.

Preston Smith

[Phil Frederick]

Thanks, Preston

Anxious to hear what he says. Keep us posted.

Phil

[matt]

A huge review for a small scope!

[Preston Smith]

Hi Phil,

Just got a response back from Vic on the illuminated reticle. His goal is to have it backward compatible and available for purchase. That is why the release has been delayed. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

Preston Smith

[Ronny Floyd]

Preston,

Thankyou for such thorough review on this finder.I have been considering getting one for my dob for about a month now.Your most excellant work has got me all fired up now to pull the trigger........Thanks Ronny

[Preston Smith]

You're Most Welcome Ronny,

If you (or anyone) has a 3.5mm Nagler, I'd really appreciate a first light report with that eyepiece. I've not yet had the opportunity to test it with the Sparrow Hawk and I'm curious how well it will do with some of the larger, brighter Deep Space Objects and Lunar observing!

Preston

[kfred]

Yes, I like my Orion 9x50 however - this Stellarvue seems very nice. I might just pick one up.

Fred

[Preston Smith]

Hi Fred!

If you do, I can guarantee you will spend the first night experimenting with all your eyepieces in this little scope!

My sister, niece and great niece live down on the south coast in Littlehampton.

Preston Smith

[jwaldo]

I've been considering one of these. I despise RA finders as far as a main finder (I like the "two eyes" approch, one eye at the finder, the other at the sky) but I could use an RA finder for when I'm at the EP and don't feel like getting up to tweak the view a bit. Besides, I'd never turn down another small refractor

And two or more finders would make my C102 look COOL!

[Preston Smith]

Hi Jim,

I know what you mean about the "two eyes" approach. I have a 2" Rini 32mm focusing reticle eyepiece that I use with my Zenithstar 80 so I don't need an RA finder with that application. But it sure is nice having another small refractor! ;-}

Preston Smith

[Lego Knight]

for the price, how could anyone go wrong by getting one.

[Preston Smith]

It's almost like a retro Edmund Scientific telescope kit from back in the 50s and 60s. But now, you don't have to supply the cardboard tube for the OTA - just the eyepieces! And the objective is very high quality for the price.

[Preston Smith]

A huge review for a small scope!

Hi Matt,

Yeah, it was quite a few pages but I had a blast doing it. You should have seen the 20 page draft!

The Mauna Kea experience was amazing. I had folks from Holland, Japan, and Australia (but sadly, none from France) looking through the Sparrow Hawk, hardly believing what they were seeing!

I guess I better keep to small scopes. If I get something really big I might be submitting a tome instead of a review!

Preston Smith

[hoof]

Just when I swore I was done spending money, this 'scope came along. It has two big advantages that made it a no brainer: 1) focusable reticle (the Orion finder doesn't focus, so when I have the finder set for my myopic eyes, the reticle is out of focus, very annoying), 2) you can use all your 1.25" eyepieces (at least the ones that come to focus).

Assuming it comes to focus, I look forward to using a SW 5-8mm at the 5mm setting on this little baby. Talk about your eyepiece being longer than your 'scope! My 18mm UWA should also be really nice with it. 7.4 degrees TFoV, 82deg AFoV, darn I hope it focuses ok ...

[Chris G]

I've got one on my SV115 and it is an awesome little scope, too good to be a finder.

[Preston Smith]

Hi hoof,

I hope your zoom works - that would be 25X to 42X and the Sparrow Hawk performs very well in that range. Be forewarned, the TV 3-5mm zoom does not come to focus with the scope. Your 18UWA should be fantastic. That 11X, Wide Angle view will be sweet. My Meade 18mm SWA gives a 5.73 TFOV although I have a pinched lens in the eyepiece causing some distortion on one of the edges (That's my fault - it's a long, embarrasing story). With the 18mm I get a 4.5mm exit pupil so you'll get plenty of light.

When you get the scope and try it with the zoom, please let me know how it works! You can reach me through the email link by my name in the review.

Preston Smith

[Preston Smith]

Hi Chris!

Gee, doesn't your SV115 get jealous when you spend so much time looking through the Sparrow Hawk - NOT!

Thanx for commenting! Maybe I'll see you later on the Stellarvue group!

Preston Smith

[Preston Smith]

Hi Phil,

Thanx for the good news on the Swan 9mm and the Sparrow Hawk. Please try your 9mm with your 2.5X powermate and give us an update! I'll bet it will be good!

Preston Smith

[mikee]

Great review Preston!

Quick question. Is there going to be a "new and improved" F50 released early this year or is there just going to be new accessories available for the F50 such as illuminated reticle eyepiece and tripod mount. I'm curious as you mentioned that the illuminated reticle will be "backwards compatible" which to me implies a change in the finder scope itself that would require the eyepiece to be compatible with it. I really want to get one but if a new model is coming out in short order I can hold out. :-)

Thanks
Mike

[RRaubach]

I guess that I need to call Vic immediately! I've been shopping around for a right angle finder for both of my APO refractors; a "correct image" would really help in finding some of the obscure objects that I like.

Very good review--you probably have created a run on these scopes by your review!

Rodger