For traditional astrophotography, it is difficult to achieve a focal length of less than 200MM with commercially available telescopes. The only choice in this range is the ordinary camera lens. However, the camera lens is not optimized for astrophotography, so the result is not satisfactory.
FMA180 offers a wonderful possibility, if you want to capture deep-sky objects, it will get superior optical performance in image like an ultra expensive telephoto prime lens.
In addition to photography and observation, FMA180 is also suitable as a high-performance finder/guider of your choice. The overall tube length is 145mm, the small size of FMA180 tips the scales at a mere 395g.
The standard package includes a pair of tube rings and a finder bracket, which can be easily attached to the finder base on the market. In addition, the finder bracket can be divided into two parts, among which the dovetail plate can be used alone, and it can be connected to the tripod with standard camera thread and other head.
The Arca-Swiss standard adapter can be connected to the corresponding plate slot more conveniently, and it can also attach to narrow type VIXEN dovetail connections. Hence you can get rich connectivity for both photographic purposes and observation.
Its small size could be attached to a DSLR or mirrorless camera like a normal lens, easy to carry anywhere for shooting! An optional T-ring specific to your camera brand is required.
Askar FMA180 also works great as an excellent telephoto lens for small mirrorless cameras without adding much to the overall weight of shooting equipment.
Tip: You can use the nose port of a good 2″ mirror diagonal such as the William Optics 2″ Durabright as a dew shield/hood for the FMA180.
*Askar is the photographic brand of Sharpstar.
This item is part of our Starter Astrophotography Kit which is same as the one below:
Detailed analysis of the optical performance of FMA180 by a famous Japanese blogger:
Why you should use this FMA180 instead of a camera lens: