174 replies to this topic

[starman876]

Have not owned enough of them yet and I thought I would ask to find out.   So far I like all of them. From the CN-212 to the FC-76.

 

Have not tried a large 6" fluorite yet, but if they are anything like the smaller ones I can only dream.   Having both TMB and AP scopes I find it hard to believe there are scopes out there that will perform better.   I would love to have a AP traveler and comapre it to similar Tak scopes or the early TMB scopes of similar aperture. 

Edited by starman876, 10 September 2017 - 09:56 AM.

[Esso2112]

I have several currently. The FS-152 is an amazing scope, offering beautiful contrast. I have looked at Jupiter at 425x with no image breakdown. The AP's have slightly better color correction, but the scopes are very close to each other. We compared an AP 155 to the FS-152 at the Texas Star Party a few years ago. The FCT-100 is up there in regards to the top 4" scopes with absolutely no color and is one of favorite scopes visually. I also have a 1982 FC-50 which is a marvel and is way overbuilt for a 50mm scope.  The only Tak I haven't liked was Mewlon 210,  visually was great but I don't like the diffraction spikes. I also had a FS-128, but sold it after I got the 152.  Regrets a little on selling it, it was a beautiful scope.  

[Steve_M_M]

My fascination with Takahashi started with an FC-100.  I had that scope for several years until sometime in the late 90's when I purchased an FS-102 from Anacortes telescope. I remember sometime after that purchase that Herb from  Anacortes telescope called me and said he was getting a shipment of FCT76's and wanted to know if I wanted one-I turned it down.  I think the price was under $1000.  Duh!!!  To this day, I have never owned or even seen one.

 

Since those early times, I have owned

 

Telescopes-

 

All FS series 60mm-152mm.  The FS152 was mounted on a MI250 mount which made for a beautiful platform and was my main astrophotography rig for many years

 

All Mewlon Series 180mm-300mm.  Best viewing ever was the Mewlon 250 at WSP after it reopened from hurricane damage

 

TSC 225 and CN 212-Not too impressed with the TSC, but the 212 was legendary at NSP in about 2003.

 

Epsilon 130-Bought it for the cool color

 

Mounts-Basically every one-Sky Patrol, P2, P2Z, Space Boy, EM-1, EM-2, EM-10, EM-100, EM-200, EM400, and old NJP.

 

Fast forward to today.  Times have changed.  My days of trying out every telescope and collecting classics for living room pieces are over.  I have been searching for 6 months for just one scope.  I found it!  A 1985 FC-100.   I like the 4" Tak APO best.  The 5-6" are amazing, but in another league with mounting requirements, etc. 

 

Takahashi is the best in my opinion.  To see threads comparing a Skywatcher 100ED favorably to a Takahashi FS-102 is ridiculous IMHO.

Edited by Steve_M_M, 10 September 2017 - 11:18 AM.

[tim53]

I've only had 2 complete Taks - the 1982 FC-76 and the 1985 Epsilon 130.

 

Both are wonderful scopes.  The FC-76 is so good I plan to sell all my sub 4" refractors and use it for all they were used for.  The Epsilon is fabulous for a highly-portable AP rig.  The EM-1 mount takes 4 D-cells and is accurate enough that I never guide during 1-3 minute APs.  

 

i somehow wound up with several mounts, from the P2 that came with the FC-76, to the EM-1, an EM-10 (that Mathis screwed up when I loaned it to them to write drivers for Voyager 4 - they apparently stuck voltmeter probes into the Temma 2 control board that were too big for the sockets, and now my hand controller doesn't drive the mount, though software will), an NJP Temma PC (wonderful mount for mid-size scopes), and an EM-500 (wonderful mount for large scopes, even though it predates goto).

 

-Tim.

[ScottAstroNut]

I, too, love all the Takahashi scopes.  I've owned a number of them over the years, and have been very impressed with the Mewlon line of reflectors.  In my opinion, they offer the greatest bang for the buck of any Takahashi scope, provided that you are primarily a visual observer or planetary imager, and don't mind diffraction spikes.  They offer sharp views and much greater light gathering ability than similarly priced apos.  I especially liked the Mewlon 250.  The open back provided improved cool-down, and the high power views of the moon, planets and smaller deep sky objects were fantastic.  It was not, of course, a wide-field scope at all.

 

I was equally impressed with the Tak FS-102 I once owned.  Perhaps the sharpest 4 incher I've owned.  I owned an AP Traveler at about the same time, and frankly preferred the performance of the Tak over the AP.  The doublet fluorite lens of the Tak cooled down faster than the Traveler and was able to track changing temperatures better, important factors here in the far Northeast.  The views through the Tak were equally sharp as those of the AP, again, in my personal experience.  The longer focal length of the FS-102 also made it slightly easier to get to the higher magnifications these scopes are capable of.  That is not to deprecate the Traveler, however, as it was also a fantastic scope and certainly more portable, but I preferred the overall handling characteristics of the Takahashi in actual use.

Edited by ScottAstroNut, 10 September 2017 - 12:27 PM.

[rolo]

I've had three FS152's, four FS102's, an FC100, a couple of FC50's and a Mewlon 250. I love them all but my overall favorite was the FS152 which I would still have if not for the AP180. The FS152 is much more portable than the AP180 so it was used more but the AP180 easily smokes it. The Mewlon 250 does outperform the FS152 on the planets and is very portable as well but it's somewhat limited to high power narrow field work. I still have the M250 and a couple of FC50's.

[bremms]

My fascination with Takahashi started with an FC-100.  I had that scope for several years until sometime in the late 90's when I purchased an FS-102 from Anacortes telescope. I remember sometime after that purchase that Herb from  Anacortes telescope called me and said he was getting a shipment of FCT76's and wanted to know if I wanted one-I turned it down.  I think the price was under $1000.  Duh!!!  To this day, I have never owned or even seen one.

 

Since those early times, I have owned

 

Telescopes-

 

All FS series 60mm-152mm.  The FS152 was mounted on a MI250 mount which made for a beautiful platform and was my main astrophotography rig for many years

 

All Mewlon Series 180mm-300mm.  Best viewing ever was the Mewlon 250 at WSP after it reopened from hurricane damage

 

TSC 225 and CN 212-Not too impressed with the TSC, but the 212 was legendary at NSP in about 2003.

 

Epsilon 130-Bought it for the cool color

 

Mounts-Basically every one-Sky Patrol, P2, P2Z, Space Boy, EM-1, EM-2, EM-10, EM-100, EM-200, EM400, and old NJP.

 

Fast forward to today.  Times have changed.  My days of trying out every telescope and collecting classics for living room pieces are over.  I have been searching for 6 months for just one scope.  I found it!  A 1985 FC-100.   I like the 4" Tak APO best.  The 5-6" are amazing, but in another league with mounting requirements, etc. 

 

Takahashi is the best in my opinion.  To see threads comparing a Skywatcher 100ED favorably to a Takahashi FS-102 is ridiculous IMHO.

Used a Skywatcher 100ED. It is no FS-102. I thought my Jaegers 4" F15 was better than the SW100ED

[Terra Nova]

My FC-76! Wow!!! It is just amazing to look through!

[JakeJ]

 

 

Takahashi is the best in my opinion.  To see threads comparing a Skywatcher 100ED favorably to a Takahashi FS-102 is ridiculous IMHO.

 

Aint it the truth though!  LOL

[Chuck Hards]

Never owned one, but I sure like that little one Rolo just got!  

[Kunama]

I think the CN-212 Cassegrain-Newtonian was the one that really impressed me.

Having owned the Mewlon 210 before, I wasn't expecting it to be so much better giving quite a lot better star image across the field.

[starman876]

The CN212 is an amazing scope. I need to try it in newtonian mode.  That should be fun.

[Bomber Bob]

Related:  Takahashi is the 3rd most common family name in Japan.  Interesting to me that like Hino, Takahashi began by making metal castings.  First Tak-branded refractor came in 1969.  Makes me wonder:  For the Swift refractors made & sold before 1969, where did Takahashi acquire the optics?

 

I don't own a Tak APO, but threads like these + all the CN testimonials give us non-owners something to think about.

[Chuck Hards]

Takahashi began by making metal castings.  First Tak-branded refractor came in 1969.  Makes me wonder:  For the Swift refractors made & sold before 1969, where did Takahashi acquire the optics?

 

Are you sure they weren't producing their own optics prior to selling scopes under their own name?

 

Remember that Swift was also a big importer of microscopes, spotting scopes (rifle scopes?) and binoculars, so if Tak wasn't making the optics initially, Swift could certainly point them in the right direction.

[Bomber Bob]

IDK, that's why I asked about the Swifts.  One site says Kitaro Takahashi made a complete scope for himself around 1952, but it doesn't say whether he or his company made the lens.  Seems like I've read that Tak sourced lenses from Carton (like a lot of other brands it seems!), and the same supplier(s) Canon used during the 1950s / 1960s.

 

Several sites say that Takahashi began as a metal products company; and, after WWII, began to shift toward optical goods.

Edited by Bomber Bob, 12 September 2017 - 05:58 PM.

[Terra Nova]

I think the fluorite objectives are Canon?

[Bomber Bob]

I think the fluorite objectives are Canon?

THAT's what I've read.  Thanks!

[rolo]

I think the fluorite objectives are Canon?

Canon mastered  mass production of fluorite in 1969. Takahshi's first fluorite refractor was the TS90 in 1971.

Edited by rolo, 12 September 2017 - 06:24 PM.

[Terra Nova]

Interesting reading:

 

http://www.takahashi...shi-seisakusho/

[rolo]

Optron, a subsidiary of Canon manufactured the fluorite objectives for Mizar,Takahashi and Vixen. 

[Adam S]

The early 90s FS 102 and FC 100s are virtually perfect.  I've used them multiple times beside a current release AP 130.  The 130 puts up brighter planetary images and goes notably deeper in GCs but the optical quality is the same.  I leave it set up under a cloth on a Tak Giro mount in the garage and can walk out the door with them and be set up in under 2 minutes.

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[rolo]

My favorite Tak set up was the FS152 on an NJP mount. One the nicest I  have ever owned.

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Edited by rolo, 13 September 2017 - 10:43 AM.

[rolo]

 

I don't own a Tak APO, but threads like these + all the CN testimonials give us non-owners something to think about.

The problem with Taks is that after owning one lesser scopes begin to gather dust in the corner. I almost lost all my interest in viewing through achromats cause of a Tak attack.

[Bomber Bob]

 

 

I don't own a Tak APO, but threads like these + all the CN testimonials give us non-owners something to think about.

The problem with Taks is that after owning one lesser scopes begin to gather dust in the corner. I almost lost all my interest in viewing through achromats cause of a Tak attack.

 

I'm not that way.  Variety is the spice of life, and even if I bought a Tak APO, I'd still want to use my other scopes.  My Goto beat a Zeiss, yet I still use my Mayflower 814, and my Lafayette 60x400.

 

I'd have to see a 4" Tak APO outperform my 6" reflectors -- including the F20 Tinsley (with re-coated mirrors + all the improvements I put into it) -- to believe it.  The Tinsley breaks M31 into dark lanes & star clouds that I can see in town.  (Once I get a Meade mount adapted to my vintage Filotecnica surveyor tripod, the Tinsley can go to the field, too.)

 

I'm sure that the Takahashi APOs are top quality.  What I found in the Goto vs. Zeiss side-by-side is that F20 has less CA than F13 (honestly, none that I can see).  My 6" reflectors have zero CA, and the RV-6 & Tinsley can match or beat my Edmund 4" F15 in lots of sessions.  I've read that Tak APOs will show false color.  They're a huge step-up from vintage achromatics, but at my age, I don't know that the benefits are worth the cost.

[Larry Geary]

I have a Takahashi FCT-76 that I bought for eclipses, and an FS-60C I bought as a guide scope. Unfortunately they didn't make this eclipse. The FCT-76 had some astigmatism in cold weather, and the FS-60C had some focuser slop, so I sent them to TNR for adjustment and they came back perfect. The FCT is designed for imaging, so it only has 1cm of focus travel, but there is a sliding adapter that allows 2" accessories to be attached and also extends the range of focus. Someday I'd like to get an FS-152 and a new Mewlon 250, along with an NJP mount.