102mm ED Achromatic Refractor Telescope for Astrophotography

Purchased this scope because I figured with the Ohara FPL51 ED optics it should be half way decent but was really surprised with it performance vs price ratio. I owned way too many scopes in the past 30 years but wanted a decent ED refractor with a good built quality and a focuser that would not slip with a big load on the back of it. This scope delivers and the built quality is excellent, it reminds me of the Willian Yang scope I have owned in the past. Focuser is excellent, smooth and precise plus no slippage like some crayford focuser I have owned. The rings are sturdy and I cannot knock anything about this scope. Now for how it works under the stars cause that is were the rubber meets the road and it sure does. Star test is like a two element 102mm objective with an ED element, it has a little bit of color on one side of focus and none on the other side but you can detect concentric diffraction rings that are a perfect circle but at focus there is NO CA, NO FALSE COLOR at all even when looking at the brighter planets and the moon. I have had this scope out on a good steady night and when seeing allows it does stupid higher powers like 275X but I have no other eyepiece/barlow combo that will go higher but the image is still sharp just get slightly dimmer but it takes power well. At F7 its just fast enough to get some really nice views of the brighter DSO's plus does a great job at splitting doubles but it works great on planetary and lunar. Years ago a scope with this type of performance would cost way over a Kilowbuck so this is an excellent value. I also like the fact if there was something wrong with the scope they would either refund your payment or replace the scope, many retailers would leave you out to dry if there were optical issues. Yes I am pleased and I would like to see them come out with a larger ED scope in the future.

This 102mm f/7 ED refractor is worth well more than I paid for it! The first time I took it out for a night of observing the sky, the sharp, contrasty views of star clusters and nebulae impressed me and my observing buddies. They spent as much time looking through this scope as through their own, much larger, reflector telescopes. The objective lens gives wonderful views. The "mechanics" of the scope are well-made and put together, including the retractable dew/light shield at the lens end and the rotating focuser assembly at the eyepiece end. Two small quibbles: The main focuser is a bit tight to turn, but another owner tells me it will loosen as I use the fouser. (The fine-focuser worked very well right out of the box!) I plan to use this refractor purely for observing, not astro-imaging.

I've been an amateur astronomer for 40 years, and currently own 7 scopes, most of which are Schmidt Cassegrains that I use for deep sky observing. Bought the SV503 102mm as a 'cheap' alternative to the scope I actually wanted, which was selling for twice the price. Let me tell you that I couldnt be more pleased with this scope. I own an 80mm triplet APO, and I cannot discern any chromatic aberrations that diferentiate the SV503 from the higher-priced Apochromatic scope. I tried the SV503 with several high-end plossl, nagler and zoom eyepieces, and none drew out any significant optical imperfections or refractory aberrations, even at the edge of the viewing field. -Especially shocking given the FPL-51 glass versus the more expensive FPL-53 glass used in most high-end refractors. The SV503's dew shield transitions to the extended position smoothly, and tightens when extended to lock firmly in-place. -Not the typical stiction Ive witnessed with dew shields on other budget-friendly scopes. The focuser is quality, fluid and precise, and the hardware is sturdy. I suggest you also buy the appropriate field flattener (SV193) if you're planning on using the scope for astrophotography. SvBony has done an excellent job with this scope, and I wouldnt hesitate to recommend the SV503 to anyone.

This a well constructed piece of equipment that has the clarity of a larger scope. The optics are fantastic an extremely clear I was impressed with this the first time I had taken it out and looked at Jupiter with several of its moons. I would recommend this telescope to the beginner and novice astronomy enthusiasts.

The scope is very well contructed and the optics are indeed sweet. I wanted a small telescope to use at home as well as on the road. This is a scope that can make cheap eyepieces like plossels look great and more expensive Naglers look fantastic. I'm sold and look forward to years of great seeing. Thanks for a really good telescope.

Highly recommended!

Great color rendition. Scale on back focus tube makes it easy to find focus next night. Entire focus back of scope can rotate giving operator the ability to format every picture accurately. DEW shield nice and long also helps shade from neighbor lights.

Useful features included with the scope are many, well thought out and very well constructed. Views are awesome and crystal clear. I am more than 100% happy with my scope and can highly recommend it.

Great Telescope! Mechanics, quality, appearance are beautiful! Jupiter managed to look in the cloud window, the picture is just gorgeous. There is no chromatism.

This is a pretty sweet scope. This is my first real refractor telescope and it does not disappoint. I shot the attached images with a ZWO ASI533 Pro color camera. It should be noted I live in a Bortle Class 7 region and was still able to get some amazing photos. Focusing is smooth as butter and I love I can finely dial it in with the two stage focuser. This is a hell of a scope so if you're on the fence...grab one! Also get a decent equatorial tracking mount because that is a must when doing astro imaging. Have fun and clear skies!

Great telescope. Stars are crisp and clear. Very sharp focused. Very,very nice.

Amazing telescope. Built like a tank, all metal parts, amazing views. Don't hesitate!!

it does a really good job at getting round stars. I haven’t tried many other lenses and scopes for astrophotography to compare to, but I can say this scope did as good of a job as I’d want it to while having specs of scopes costing hundreds of dollars more.

This takes great photos and is very well built.

Really liking this scope! Don’t expect to se footprints on the moon or incredible details of Saturn’s rings but you will definitely see the Saturn and it’s rings, moons of Jupiter and it’s clouds. Keep in mind picture of the moon I attached was taken on my phone and scope was mounted on wobbly tripod so it’s came out pretty bad haha. Now, I’m a beginner but wanted something better after trying few scopes and doing a lot of research and I’m satisfied, and I think I will be satisfied for a while lol it’s just matter of good tripod. Don’t expect to buy this scope, put it on $100 tripod (even if it claims will support the weight) and hope it won’t wobble. Don’t make my mistakes haha. Expect to purchase nice mount and you will get a good image through eyepiece in return. Didn’t try it for nebula yet, as still exploring planets with it, trying out different eyepieces/filters.

The focusing controls operate smoothly. The lensing produces excellent images with no observable aberration.

I ended up being surprised by how good everything looked through this telescope. With good eyepieces, there is literally no chromatic aberration visible and the image is sharp from edge to edge. Also, the build quality of these telescopes is amazing. Highly recommended!

I own several telescopes and ended up buying the SVBONY503, 102ED because of the many good reviews and because I didn't yet have a scope in that focal length range. It's a solid, well-built scope and I like the feature that allows you to rotate the focuser end so you can easily frame your images. For my first two nights with the scope, I imaged the Rosette Nebula with a full spectrum modded Canon Rebel T3i and was very happy with the results with just over 4 hours of imaging time. I'd recommend this scope whether you're new to astronomy or have been doing it for years. I have numerous SVBONY accessories I've purchased over the years and am happy with them all. I'd love to see another scope like this with a focal length in the 1,000 - 1,200mm focal length range and would definitely buy another scope from them.

Didn't know how good it would be but watched a lot of YouTube videos so gave it a shot and was impressed!

Well built product. I couldn’t be happier.Performs as expected with all the added features you need for an astrophotography rig. The rotating focus assembly is a nice touch. Construction is solid and high quality. Optics are better than expected. There are plenty of options for accessory mounting. The only thing I would like to see is a handle mount for this telescope (102mm) much like the smaller versions have.

This is for the 102ED. I viewed the March 28th, 2022 conjunction of the Moon, Venus, Mars, and Saturn and I am happy to report that I observed no false color. I used a 13mm DE Lite for 55 power. It seems that the "ED" designation really means something, at least in this case. By the way, I mounted it on a Versago II mount and it works great. The build quality seems fine and the focuser works smoothly, although I was unable to reach focus with a barlow lens. The finder mount advertised with these scopes was easy to attach at the screw points.

My first telescope and I'm happy with my purchase!

This is a very well built tube assembly. The quality and design of it are apparent. Its image is on par with my 6 inch f/6 meade refractor in the preliminary use I have done. It's size makes it a very good choice for a large spotting scope I will use it for once I find a suitable tripod. I have used a 20mm Pentex wide field eyepiece with a Pechan/schimdt image erector that has a wide aperture. as well as a 38mm Erfle eyepiece yeilding a large flat field. This will be a very good Rich-field telescope.

Well made OTA, pairs perfectly with my AVX mount. Dew shield helps, but on humid Arkansas nights still needs a bit more prevention. Focuser beats my one on my Newtonian. Would love to see them make an SCT with this build quality.

Very happy with it, a good investment so far. I have the 80mm ED one with the 0.8x focal reducer, and the few pictures I have taken so far look stunning. I would highly recommend the field reducer/flattener since in my case it really improved image quality at the corners. In the pictures below I used a Canon EOS T6i, with the scope mounted on a Skywatcher Star Adevturer 2, a very lightweight and portable setup. Plusses : * Rotating focuser is extremely useful, both for visual and astrophotography framing * Excellent optical quality due to their use of quality Ohara S-FPL51 glass * Butter smooth dual speed focuser * Overall great design with lots of adjustment and mount points * Included slide-out metal dew shield * Mount points for electronic focuser * Standard 2 inch (48mm) filters thread right into the front of the 0.8x focuser, with no adapters needed Minuses : * The top aluminum handle should come with it. * Instructions are sketchy regarding for ex. on the use of 12 adjustment grub screws on the focuser. Some additional suggestions : * Get the 0.8x SVbony field flattener, it greatly improves sharpness in the corners ! * Get that red aluminum handle, it helps carrying the scope, and also can be used as a mount for a finder. * Most likely, if you do astrophotography, you might need M48x0.75 extension rings for proper 55mm backfocus on dedicated astro cameras such as the ZWO, Risingcam etc. * For the Canon EOS EF mount, the correct T2 adapter is the SVbony SV195 58mm, available here for $12. No additional rings needed there ! Five stars so far !

Purchased the SV503-102ED after having excellent results with the SV503-70ED. Smooth 10/1 focus. Sturdy tube and mounts. Snug dew shield retention. Great black anodize finish on optical fittings. Fittings have compression sleeves. Optics are good even without the field flattener, having only minor star stretching at the edges using a APS-C crop sensor. The 70ED with an APS-C crop sensor allow for 3 degrees (or 6 moons) field of view. The 102ED with an APS-C crop sensor allow for 1.5 degrees of view. Would buy again.

The weather, new software, learning curve have limited my use of the scope to date, but I am eagerly awaiting for clear skies!

What a fantastic telescope! The high-resolution viewing is beyond impressive, and the dual-speed rack and pinion focuser makes it easy to capture detailed astrophotographs. I'm so pleased with this purchase.

I was blown away by the performance of this refractor telescope! The color accuracy is remarkable, not to mention how sharp celestial bodies appear due to its aperture and focal length - an absolute must-have for any astronomy enthusiast.

Having owned several scopes over the years, this one truly stands out. Its excellent built quality reminds me of some top-notch scopes I've used before. Plus, there's no slippage when adjusting focus - such a great feature!

The views through this scope are stunningly clear and crisp! And it works marvelously under starry skies Definitely worth every penny spent.

This refractor telescope has been an incredible addition to my astro gear collection! It delivers amazing clarity even on brighter planets without any false color

I'm absolutely thrilled with my new 102mm ED Achromatic Refractor Telescope for Astrophotography! With its CNC machined technology ensuring stable performance under various conditions, it surely takes stargazing experience up a notch!

I've been an avid stargazer for years, and have used a variety telescopes in my time. But this 102mm ED Achromatic Refractor Telescope has truly taken my astrophotography to the next level! The images I can capture with it are just phenomenal - so clear, sharp, and detailed. It's like looking at the night sky a whole new set of eyes. Plus, the build quality is superb; you can tell that every component was designed with care and precision.

Purchased as an alternative option but ended up being extremely satisfied with its performance against chromatic aberrations that were non-existent even at the edge of the view field. It's a definite win!

This telescope is well-constructed with fantastic optics that provide extremely clear views of celestial bodies. I would highly recommend it to both beginners and seasoned astronomy enthusiasts.

What makes this scope stand out for me is how it can make even cheap eyepieces look great! The images produced are simply stunning, making every stargazing session an absolute delight

The color rendition on this refractor telescope is top-tier!

I'm more than 100% happy with my new astrophotography companion – its features are so well thought out and constructed, delivering awesome crystal-clear views!

As someone who loves to explore the wonders of outer space from their backyard, getting this telescope was one of the best decisions I've made! Its large aperture allows for excellent light gathering capability which results in brighter images even under less than ideal viewing conditions. The chromatic aberration is significantly reduced thanks to its ED glass making each celestial body appear more vibrant and distinct.

The mechanics and appearance of this telescope are beautiful! Managed to get some gorgeous pictures of Jupiter through it. There was absolutely no chromatism observed

For anyone hesitant about getting this scope – just go for it! Focusing is smooth as butter and you'll be able to capture some truly amazing photos even from light-polluted areas

I am absolutely thrilled to share my experience with this telescope that I recently had the pleasure of using. The first thing that struck me was its astoundingly sharp focus, which exceeded all my expectations and truly took my stargazing experience to a whole new level. The clarity offered by this instrument is simply unparalleled – every celestial object viewed through it appeared with an exceptional degree of detail. It's as if the veils were lifted off the night sky, revealing a spectacle of crisp and clear stars that I could never have imagined seeing from such close quarters. What particularly impressed me about this telescope was its ability to maintain perfect focus even at high magnifications. This allowed for breathtaking views of distant galaxies, nebulae, and other deep-sky objects that are typically difficult to observe in such detail. Additionally, there wasn't any noticeable chromatic aberration or distortion around the edges - something many telescopes struggle with but not this one! Every star looked pin-sharp across the entire field of view; it felt like looking out into space itself rather than observing it through an optical instrument.

Can't recommend enough!

I was unsure about its performance initially but after watching numerous YouTube reviews, I gave it a shot and boy am I impressed!

This 102mm telescope performs as expected with all added features needed for an astrophotography rig. The construction is solid and high quality while optics are better than expected.

The build quality seems fine

This very well-built tube assembly offers an image quality on par with my larger refractors making it an excellent choice for spotting scopes once you find a suitable tripod. Pairs perfectly with my AVX mount while offering unedited photos right through the eyepiece on first light night. Dew shield helps but needs more prevention in humid nights

A good investment indeed! Managed to take some stunning pictures so far using this scope along with a field reducer/flattener that greatly improved image quality at corners Five stars all around!

I've been using this telescope for a few months now and it's fantastic! The images are so clear and sharp, which makes my astrophotography work much easier. I'm seriously impressed with the quality!

This is an excellent product! It’s perfect for anyone interested in astrophotography. The 102mm aperture provides great light gathering capabilities allowing me to capture some truly amazing celestial bodies. Highly recommend!

Wow, just wow

My partner got me this as a birthday gift and it was the best present ever Clear views, easy setup... what more could an astronomy enthusiast ask for?

I had no idea how much I needed this until I got one myself. Now, capturing those beautiful night sky images is a breeze.

As someone who's new to astrophotography, I found this telescope extremely user-friendly It didn't take long before I was taking stunning photos of our galaxy.

The ED glass really helps reduce chromatic aberration for clearer shots.

What an incredible tool!

It's an excellent tool for capturing the beauty of outer space

I've never been more excited about my astrophotography hobby since I got this refractor telescope.

This product has truly opened up a whole new world (or should I say universe) for me It’s worth every penny!

Being new to astrophotography, I was looking for something that would be easy to use yet powerful enough to capture stunning images of the night sky - and boy did this product deliver! Its 102mm aperture allows for excellent light gathering while its ED glass reduces chromatic aberration for clearer shots. Plus, it's quite compact making it perfect for those impromptu stargazing trips.

The clarity and detail you can get with this scope are amazing! Even on nights when there's light pollution, it still performs excellently.

A great investment for any astronomy lover The images produced are bright, clear and full of details - just wonderful!

Just received mine today and already in love with it! Can't wait to explore the night sky even more now

This 102mm refractor telescope has made all the difference in my astrophotography work. The image quality is superb – so much better than what I was getting before.

I'm absolutely thrilled with how well-built and efficient this device is. My star-gazing sessions have become infinitely more enjoyable thanks to its high-quality optics.

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The detail you can see through this thing is impressive - from craters on the moon to distant galaxies, everything appears beautifully clear!

This refractor telescope is simply amazing! Ever since we got it, family nights have become much more exciting as we gather around exploring constellations or observing lunar craters in vivid detail Not only does it offer high-quality optics but also boasts robust construction ensuring durability over time.

I must admit when first considering investing into such equipment there were doubts regarding performance vs cost ratio however after weeks use those fears completely disappeared because results exceeded all expectations!

I bought this as a gift for my husband who loves stargazing and he was over the moon (pun intended). He says the views through it are fantastic.

Since getting this telescope, my passion for astrophotography has reignited with renewed vigor. Every time I look through its lens at the star-studded expanse above us, I feel like an explorer charting unknown territories...

It's well worth the investment!

I was blown away by the quality of this product! The views are just spectacular and it's surprisingly easy to use too.

Best present ever!

Astounding how much detail you can see through this scope - galaxies, nebulae, star clusters... they all appear so vividly.

Astrophotography has always been a hobby close to my heart but it wasn't until I got this refractor telescope that I realized what I'd been missing out on all these years! From distant galaxies to nearby nebulae – everything appears stunningly crisp through its lens. It’s easy-to-use design makes setting up hassle-free which means more time spent enjoying our beautiful universe.