This little scope is an absolute star. I bought it for imaging use with a DSLR. The Megrez is beautifully made, it oozes quality and feels as solid as anything.
It must be stressed that you can't really image with this scope without a field flattener and only the matched Williams Optics one will really work (having tried a couple of others).
With the flattener/reducer in place however, at f4.8 this scope is a dream to use for imaging. For big targets like the North America nebula, Andromeda and the Veil complex this scope is just perfect and you get pinpoint stars right to the edge of the field.
The DDG focuser is really a massive bonus too... using a Bahtinov mask for accurate focus I used the scope on two nights over two weeks apart. I noted the exact focus on the first night, and wound it out to the same point on the second... and it was BANG on focus without any need for adjustment!
I've been so impressed with the quality of this scope I am buying another WO scope in the new year.
For widefield work, and at SUCH a great price... I do not think this scope can be beaten.
I will say again though.... you MUST use the flattener/reducer if imaging with all but the smallest chip cameras, that should really be in the product description!!
William Optics Megrez 72 FD DDG APO
Rating (max 5):
5
Multi-use 'scope - Stephen
Having recently taken delivery of a William Optics FLT98, I was so impressed with the build quality that I decided to buy the Megrez 72 FD to match it as a guide 'scope. The quality of the Megrez didn't disappoint either despite it costing less than a quarter of the price of its big brother.
Again, beautifully packaged for safe transit with a natty padded soft case, it was very nearly as exciting to open as the FLT98 had been! Fit and finish were superb and the two inch focus tube with two speed action was a delight to use. Used visually with a star diagonal and 25mm eyepiece, I carried out some daytime 'spotting' and found the view to be very good indeed with an almost total lack of chromatic aberration effects on bright objects like twigs against the brilliant blue sky.
Set up as a guide 'scope I realised very quickly that I would need an extension tube and as I was ordering a 50mm one for the FLT I bought an 80mm one for the Megrez too but even that wasn't enough! I guess this is a small price to pay for having such a wonderful instrument in such a short collapsed length for portability.
Unlike the FLT, the DDG display does not have a backlight but this is hardly an issue as I normally have a red light torch with me when I am imaging anyway but it did seem a strange omission.
I wasn't sure how robust the built in 'L' mounting shoe was going to be but it was firmly clamped in my ADM saddle and it wasn't going anywhere. The focus lock knob underneath the focuser protrudes down further than the base of the L bracket so this limits how far forward in the mount's saddle you can slide the telescope to obtain balance which could be an issue with a heavy camera mounted on the focuser but as I am using a side by side mounting this wasn't a problem for me.
My first guiding session with this 'scope was simple and effective so it carried out its first task with flying colours. I can't wait to try it as a widefield imaging 'scope with a 0.8 focal reducer/flattener - 345mm focal length at f4.8 sounds good to me!
