Sharpstar has been making refractors for many years for well-known worldwide astronomy vendors, and they’re now marketing their own premium apochromatic refractors at a surprisingly affordable price. The Sharpstar 94EDPH is the third in their series of instruments under the Sharpstar brand that’s quickly gaining a reputation for precision instruments for visual observation and astrophotography.

This scope features a 94mm air-spaced triplet objective with two ED glass elements for excellent color correction, contrast, and image sharpness. With a focal ratio of f/5.5, the scope measures just 468mm in length with its dew shield retracted and weighs 9.4 lbs. It’s ideal for field use and travel. With a focal length of 517mm, the 94EDPH delivers tack-sharp stars across a 4.0 degree X 2.6 degree field with a full-frame camera. It’s also an excellent fast-focal-ratio telescope for visual observation.

An optional dedicated 2.5″ f/4.4 reducer/flattener is available separately for this telescope.

The superb optics of this ED refractor are matched by the quality of its mechanics. The striking red CNC trim and carrying handle and the white gloss tube give this scope a distinctive and attractive look. The scope also features a premium 3” dual-speed 10:1 rack-and-pinion focuser with 58mm of travel that handles most full-frame astronomy cameras. The scope also includes a 1.25”-2” adapter for use with smaller accessories.

Of its smaller 76mm cousin, the triplet Sharpstar 76EDPH, Alan Dyer writes in a review at Astrogeartoday.com:
“The limbs of the Moon, Venus and bright stars showed no chromatic aberration when in focus, with Venus and bright stars showing just a pale rims of magenta inside focus and cyan outside focus. This is color correction that ranks with the best in the world of apos. There was no sign of astigmatism, even on cold winter nights when lens cells can pinch optics, and only a smidgen of spherical aberration. In-focus stars exhibited textbook Airy disks… I consider the 76mm a match, both optically and mechanically, for the best apos on the market, and at a very reasonable price for its performance.”