A $630 Takahashi? Complete with eyepieces and mount!? The Starbase 80 - How does it perform?

[@rebsredone450]

Kudos to the viewer who provided the scope for the review!

[@Hilmi12]

I agree with you, there is a gap in the market especially for something with a reasonable manual mount. Many beginners don't want to buy a dob as they find inconveniently bulky.

[@verlorenish]

Sunday morning vibes and a new upload from Ed. Life is good.

[@roberteaton2899]

Thank you for this review. I have looked at the Starbase 80 for a little over a year as a grab and go scope. Our Texas sky’s are somewhat in a state of constant fluctuation. My Mewlon with gem mount takes enough time that I have been clouded out before I begin visual observation. Some time even rain. I have experienced a little solar with the Starbase 80 at my local astronomy store with an appropriate solar filter. That was an enjoyable experience. Again I appreciated your review.

[@styraxopoponax8294]

Another amazingly detailed video from Ed. Not only that, it was fun to watch (as usual).

[@ChallengerNetwork]

Hi Ed, Sky-Watcher 250P user here again. Just caught what might be my best imaging of Saturn on the night of the 30th with a secondhand Nikon D3200. I was impressed at how well-defined the cloud bands were, even at its polar region, not to mention the rings.

[@georgiaguardian4696]

I’ll need to save up for one of these Takahashi. The build quality, material, and fit and finish all look high end.

[@brentjablonski3730]

Thanks for the review. I'd been wondering about these - not for purchase, but general curiousity.

[@chuckrose3894]

Great job Ed! I was one of those people asking if you would review this and frankly your opinion of this scope has me thinking that I might like one. APO's are out of my price range (except for maybe the Orion 80ED doublet, but that doesn't include anything with it). While I'm the type of guy that wants decent optics, having the Takahashi name on the side is a nice bonus (even if they are actually made by another Japanese manufacturer). It does have that Tak family resemblance and it sounds like a really good scope optically for the money (mount and eyepieces included). Thanks for the review!

[@NG-VQ37VHR]

I've owned the Orion ED80 for quite a few years. They do offer it in a full package with their Sirius EQ-G (HEQ-5) mount. While it is quite a bit more than this Tak package, it was a great entry into astrophotography, if that's something that interests you.

[@chuckrose3894]

@@NG-VQ37VHR Yes they do/did offer the ED80 in a complete package, but, the price was considerably more than the starbase 80. If I recall correctly, it was some in the area of 3x the price.

[@KingLoopie1]

The $630 also includes that beautiful Takahashi logo! 👍😍

[@starastronomer]

The logo itself is 💲500.00 😳

[@davidsussman7476]

I bought the SB 80 and like it a lot. The Takahashi logo is a decal, btw. Did I slap it on? You bet I did!

[@ultrametric9317]

Well, you can find a 1960s Tasco 10TE with perfect optics, a solid equatorial mount, and a slew of accessories for $300 or so.

[@TareqAstroPhoton]

It is like this, $630 = $430 Logo and name of Takahashi + $200 the optics and body tube

[@joekrebs964]

Thanks, seriously considering purchasing this!!!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@mojojojo7923]

Hey that’s the one I asked you to review !!! Thanks Ed !!!

[@avt_astro206]

Looks Like a Really Great Scope!

[@astrofire68]

Looks like this could be my new quick look scope - next year. That mount seems so much better than my current cheap alt az 👌

[@mattiagaggiato5937]

never heard of this one and i have no idea if some shop sell this in my country, but i'll definitely keep an eye on it

[@adjutant]

Absolutely you need the finder scope, followed by a 25mm eyepiece. I ended up buying the entire collection of Starbase(Scopetech) eyepieces and the 25mm Kellner is definitely my most used. I love my Starbase 80 it's so cool. It makes me want to buy a real Tak next, an FC-76DCU or FOA-60 perhaps? Wild.

[@erezra]

I really love your videos. Can you go over binoculars too? It would be awesome to see an overview on binocular astronomy by you.

[@abbasjafri5948]

Hi Ed, very interesting in Tak 80 starbase cause its price. The mount is same like late 90's Vixen 80 mm refractor even same Alt handle and same Azm slowmotion control mount.

[@arongyorffy3070]

A well-made telescope review from ED, finally a motivating factor to get my dusty newtonian from the closet out, and put it on my old rusty mount and look up something interesting. Do you plan on doing a review of any of the Skywatcher's Skymax maks? They are really popular in my country, escpecially the 150 and the 180, and it would be interesting to hear your opinions about those!

[@brumeargentee]

Oh, finally a review of this refractor. I love achromatic refractor so when i heard about it, i searched for one. unfortunatly, noone sell it it my couuntry, i'll need to get it imported. By the way, it's not made by Takahashi, it's made by Kubota optical in Japan. and it's made under contract with Takahashi.

[@TheMrRockola]

Great honest review. Thanks!

[@ZZstaff]

Thank you, love your videos.

[@masterxyr]

great stuff. always enjoy your presentations and enthusiasm (even after all those years) also enjoyed the edit you forgot to take out around 3:00 hehehe (I am laughing with you, not at you) only those who never do, never err. hope you got a giggle too out of all this :) thanks for sharing your passionate knowledge and so much experience. I'm now saving for my first go to so I can dive into AP and drown hahahaha

[@martelnews]

Cool scope and of course amazing review and quality production ! Thanks Ed !

[@Larpy1933]

Ed: One of the most refreshing things about the way you speak: you say it once and move on. Many YTers have so few substantial statements to make that they say the same thing 3 or 5 times. “Brevity is the soul of wit.” I see by the comments that more than a few viewers can barely live without you reviewing a scope they specify. That’s an onerous responsibility. Good luck and thanks.

[@edting]

Thanks for your nice comments. Before I post a video, my last check is to think, how will this look 10 years from now? I try to keep these videos around 12 minutes long. As you can see, I often miss the mark.

[@deltacx1059]

4:23 that is very interesting, as it turns out I built my refractor without any consideration for diagonals, it's similar to that one with having immense amounts of focuser travel except my focuser only moves about 5cm but the tube the focuser is attached to can move over 15cm, the entire scope essentially gets longer if i want to do visual.

[@taraswertelecki3786]

This telescope brings to mind some views I had through a friend's Meade 80mm achromatic refractor. It was a surprisingly good telescope all around despite it being an achromat on an alt-az mount, but the views were bright, clear and sharp through it. Was it a match for the 6-inch Dob I had at the time? No, but a good 80mm refractor of any kind can do a lot more than its small aperture suggests. Not having a secondary mirror in the light path DOES make a difference, I have seen that many times over the years. This was a very helpful review.

[@IceNein763]

Good review. This scope isn't for me, but it seems fine. I appreciated the image of Saturn I spotted in the book, a good way to set expectations that it's going to be small. The Made in Japan thing is worth a little extra money for sure, since you know that their QA is going to be stricter because they're not trying to make a budget scope. I would expect it to function as advertised out of the box with very few lemons.

[@martinyokhanis90]

Not going to read other comments but the Star Base name comes from the Star Base Tokyo store, the brick and mortar shop of Takahashi. This is their “in house” product.

[@atiladudus3168]

Would a video about the startest be possible? What it can show and does not and how it can be interpreted.

[@mfratto]

Live the recommendation at the end. LoL I'm in the 1st group. I want a grab n go. I have an 8in SCT and a 12in newt. Both can be bit much to set up for a quick hour of viewing. Not saying I'd get this Tak, but good to see it.

[@MountainFisher]

I have an 18mm Starbase Takahashi eyepiece and it works well and I'm disappointed by the news that it is more of a Plossl than orthoscopic just because that is what they call it, but it does work well, so oh well glad I didn't buy more. My Zhumell by Celestron 100mm F4 reflector. I mentioned the Zhumell because the focuser is a plastic piece of junk and I had to drill and tap a hole on the side of the focuser to keep it from wiggling from side to side so it would stay in collimation. So drilling a hole and tapping it on the diagonal shouldn't be too hard especially since you can remove it and clamp it for drilling and tapping. If you have a plastic focuser like my Zhumell that was bought out by Celestron btw, use an M4 tap as an 1/8th or #30 drill bit will work for the tap to stop the wiggle as the screws under the rack and pinion teeth don't stop forward wiggle either and there's nothing to stop the sideways movement at all. I bought that scope because of a book writing KZbinr who said it was a great inexpensive reflector, no it isn't until I fixed it.

[@trolleriffic]

I think some of the confusion comes from the fact that "orthoscopic" doesn't require an eyepiece to follow any particular design because it just describes how the eyepiece performs. The Abbe Orthoscopic was the first such eyepiece and anything using that name would need to conform to the same optical arrangement.

[@MountainFisher]

@@trolleriffic I bought a Baader Orthoscopic and it is based on a Zeiss construction. It is very good except the glass Baader uses makes it a bit dim.

[@jamie-ox8sg]

Have you done any videos on tripod types like wood vs metal 🤔

[@kurt6840]

Nice review. I have been watching your videos and some other peoples videos of telescopes. I almost ordered the Starbase 80 and I had it in the cart several times to buy it but there were no reviews to watch so I ended up going with a AT72EDII doublet refractor. I don't suppose you have an opinion on how the Starbase 80 compares to a AT72EDII doublet refractor for viewing?

[@rkelley2048]

What I would do if I had one of these is put a small piece of opaque Scotch tape or white electrical tape over the peep hole closest to the back and use it as a convenient solar finder and then get a white light solar filter for daytime use.

[@3dfxvoodoocards6]

For that money you can get a 102/714 mm ED FPL51 doublet.

[@carldori6172]

Hi Ed, thanks for the review and all your work. A question or two, is the dew shield removable and is the lens cell threaded to take something like an IDAS 82mm filter. Best Regards Carl

[@edting]

I am curious why you ask? That filter is for astrophotography. This telescope is an alt-az mounted achromat with a 1.25" visual back.

[@carldori6172]

@@edting Hi Ed, I'm a user of the IDAS UHB-RS ND filter for Solar white light viewing, I have a my 82 mm filter threaded into and in front of a 77mm Borg achromat objective, viewing the fulll solar disk through a bino viewer is satisfying and occasionally I use a TV N 7mm for more detail on plage, sunspot umbra and penumbra. The Borg objective is f6.5 for 500mm focal length and I'd be interested in moving up to a longer focal length. There are not many manufacturers of telescopes that have front mounted filter threads, a pity as it makes for a very secure connection between filter and scope. Best Regards Carl

[@Buzzygirl63]

Thanks for bringing this scope to my attention - I love Tak refractors but I probably would choose to save up for a Tak apo with slightly better specs. Still - not bad for under $700 and it's a Tak!

[@Stevie75]

It's not a Tak, at least it' not made by Tak!

[@verlorenish]

Pretty sure they licensed the name to some other manufacturer like other telescope makers do with their low-tier scopes.

[@bassplayer2011ify]

Looks like the weak point is the tripod. If you can detach the mount and put it on something more sturdy the shaking could be minimized if not taken out all together.

[@3dfxvoodoocards6]

In Europe a Bresser achromat 102/1000 mm with EQ3 mount and accessories is just 300$.

[@alfredkell9140]

That Takahashi telescope has the same specs as the celestron powerseeker 80eq. Both have 80mm aperture and 800mm focal length. But the Takahashi costs 3 times as much as the powerseeker. But is the Takahashi 3 times better than the celestron powerseeker 80eq

[@edting]

PowerSeekers and AstroMasters are some of the worst things you can buy.

[@jdw715]

Please do a video covering Takahashi Mounts especially the Sky Patrol, EM-11, and the EM-200.

[@alanprice9938]

Hi Ed, and viewers, Some time back, you mentioned the TV panoptic 27 being your most used eye piece. I ordered one about 6 months ago, but here in France there seems to be a major delivery problem….. so I’m opting to for a 22mm Nagler T4 instead (hopefully there’s some logic in that) - but I wondered if anyone had any experience of said Nagler? Sorry for the tangent.

[@edting]

Yes, the 22NT4 is superb. The actual field of view is similar to the 27 Panoptic. You could say the same thing about the 26 Nagler Type 5, or the 21 Ethos.

[@alanprice9938]

@@edting thank you for the response. I’ll stick with the 22t4 then 👍 PS any time you do a list of your top 10 eye pieces…… we’ll be glued to the screen. Hopefully it’ll include the Baader zoom…… I love it!

[@gerryroush8391]

This scope would make me happy to have Can you buy just tube assembly and rings? I actually prefer good alt az Mounts with good manual slow motion drives, I😊

[@jochenkraus7016]

Not sure how much a comparable alt-az-mount costs and how the accesories compare. And I don't know how the optical quality comparison looks. I think the Vixen A81M achromat OTA is in the same magnitude of the price. Mine had no eyepieces but the flip mirror diagonal and a red dot finder. Btw the more solid finder was a bit of a culture shock compared to the one of the 130 Heritage :-D

[@dff19707]

16:10 You answered the question that I was stewing the entire video up until this point: Why would I buy this Takahashi when an 8” Dob seems like a much better deal? Thanks.

[@dustyhammer7569]

9:30 the weeb in me approves of cute illustrations in instructional books

[@bumohamedubualooy7111]

hi ed, I'm lost between going all out and getting a tak 150b with no mount to support it let alone a set of rings, or a 130nfb that everyone says is excellent but heavy and an AVX wont support it or a TSA120 which i'm in doubt if it will deliver superior sights than my fc100dc i have which is remarkable, I have bortle 8 skies and no near dark sites so I'm aiming at EAA so would a 76dcu or ds be more suitable for that?

[@atombombe8985]

If you want a 80mm achro with az the Vixen a80mf porta seems like a better choice. Similar OTA and better mount. And probably at a lower price.

[@edting]

That's a good alternative. The trick is finding one in stock.

[@Matt-li5is]

There is also another alternative given by Vixen, A80M with porta mount. Ota is made in Japan. It seems to be discontinued, but I found some used ones in Yahoo auction site for much lower price than a new A80Mf porta package. Shipping cost may escalate quite a bit though.

[@medaphysicsrepository2639]

Can you post a link?

[@edting]

You can get the scope through our usual retailers like Astronomics, High Point, Woodland Hills, and others. It does appear to be out of stock for the time being though.

[@WilliamBlakers]

Comparing it to apo Taks is a bit cruel. How would it fare against other 80mm achro's or even 80mm apo's from brands like Skywatcher et al?

[@richardbinkley8487]

Help please! I am buying my gf our 1st telescope. I think I want to get the 8" Dobsonian. But I know she will want to take pictures, any suggestions for telescopes that we can take pictures with/on?

[@edting]

Stick with visual astronomy and forget about imaging for a while. This is a consistent message on this channel.

[@endautrestermes]

"I used to be one of these people" 🤣

[@batsonelectronics]

I recently got a SvBony 80mm ED ( 560mm @ F7 ) used ( open box ) very cheap and also a new Field flattener/reducer ( 448mm @ F5.6 ) direct from SVBony. I am impressed with it. I can shoot my Nikon D800 36mp full frame DSLR and use the whole sensor. I am just not sure how spending $2000 more for the real deal will look $2000 better. I have $300 into the whole setup including the m48 to Nikon f adapter to mount the camera. When I get more money I want a good mid tier auto guilder for deep sky images. I have all Celestron X-Cel EP's and they look amazing. I want a 32mm Ep but they are not made in the X-Cel line, what is a good quality but not >$100 Ep for that 30-35mm range ? ( I got mine years ago when they were

[@eottoe2001]

Does this need a flattener or any kind of corrective lens?

[@endautrestermes]

Another use case: if you want to upgrade your Orion ShortTube 80 because you want to get into the club while upgrading the quality of your seeing... Should you (I) buy it ? :)

[@n-da-bunka2650]

I bought the complete Skywatcher 100ED for $850 in the MIDDLE of COVID which IS an APO

[@simonchung9813]

Good review, Ed. I feel there's a bit too many compromises here at this price range and brand name. Had they increased it to say $800 with improvements all round, the scope could have acted as an entry level ambassador to the Takahashi brand.

[@ultrametric9317]

The star test of the objective seemed to me to be mighty indicative of less than "stellar" spherical correction. The star test of a Meade f/10 90mm achromat I own is far better - but it could just be the way it was imaged. I was very concerned by mush on one side and strong bullseye on the other. Using a green filter they should appear very similar on both sides, even in an achromat. The star test on my 1970 Sears 76mm f/16 achromat is essentially textbook perfect - without any filters.

[@angli2794]

Hello everyone, I have a question but couldn't find the answer online, I'm able to get a still in box fully functioning Meade ds-2130ats-lnt with the mount included for under $190(it was stored for a very long time though), is it a good deal? Provided that I wants to do astrophotography with it.

[@edting]

Don't get that, it isn't worth anything. Those Meade DS series ("dept store") are a plague on our hobby.

[@georgiaguardian4696]

Like mountain biking and cycling, you don’t want to get any “big store bikes” that may look alike and cheap but will always disappoint the users. Get a real telescope like this Takahashi.

[@angli2794]

@@edting Thank you very much! Didn't expect to get reply from THE EXPERT

[@angli2794]

@@georgiaguardian4696 Thanks, I'm new into this and I thought I found a "good deal".

[@davidpippin3460]

Second!!! Thanks Ed!

[@starastronomer]

Why would Takahashi put their name on this?

[@rashie]

👍👍

[@TheAstronomer]

Skywatcher Evostar 90 is much better than that. It is a real, robust refractor.

[@StargazerFS128]

Why are people so curious about the darn starbase finder and putting it on other scopes?

[@edting]

Stock finders on cheap scopes are often awful.

[@StargazerFS128]

@@edting ah yes I’m aware just didn’t put two and two together, thanks.

[@diego_villena]

Not trying to kick a hornet’s nest here, but what do you think caused the cultural differences in Japanese observers? The diagonal may degrade the image some fractional amount, but it saves you from having to contort to use the scope. I understand purism, but does that mean the Japanese don’t use catadioptric telescopes, given the light loss and large obstruction by extension? And low power is always useful, especially in a finderless refractor. I don’t understand how you could ever consider a 14mm standard in a scope like this.

[@paulholdstock4751]

TAL 100r maybe?

[@jimpoop]

I think seeking out a Celestron c80 on a vixen polaris or super polaris would be alot nicer... and half the price.. or if you are actually willing to spend 700 bucks on an 80mm f11 refractor, just go for a Vixen a80mf on a porta

[@MemoxWasHere]

Ed "Get an 8-inch Dobsonian" Ting

[@mojojojo7923]

I think you should give it away.

[@johnc4651]

This is not about this video. However, I have been unable to contact you. In one of your previous videos, you said that "Stellina... [isn't] very good." I disagree. I live in a Bortle 7 area and I am visually handicapped. It is impossible for me to polar align a scope. And I cannot drive to a darker area. I am amazed at what I can get under the light-polluted skies that I deal with. I have shopping centers on 3 sides of me. Furthermore, if you use a thumb drive, Stellina will save FITS files. Also, you are not limited to the objects identified in the application. You have manual entry where you can put in right ascension and declination (as well as exposure time and so on). It suits my needs just fine. Please give it a second look.

[@rickybobby6605]

17:14 - Are you mocking me?

[@ricardoernestosotobarrios9519]

Being a TAk owner is like being a Swaro owner if you are a birder.

[@lornaz1975]

I do believe that is the worse star test I've ever seen. However, from what you have said it seems the image is fine for an achromat. Running the risk of heresy, how would the Star Blast compare to a Celestron 80mm Powerseeker? Reason I ask is that my Powerseeker has a decent image but also a better star test. Also, how well is the CA controlled?

[@edting]

The star test on my 6" Orion Starblast is far worse!

[@lornaz1975]

@@edting But Ed you've told us about that newt. That an't saying much for the refractor lol!

[@deennice6035]

2:57 Bit of an editing mistake there, Ed

[@edting]

Thanks for that! Those get through once in a while.

[@edting]

I just checked. I uploaded the previous version. The only difference between them is this minor mistake. Now the question - do I let it go, or upload the corrected version?

[@brentjablonski3730]

@@edting I'd vote let it go. You restart so cleanly that it was barely a blip.

[@jochenkraus7016]

@@edting I'd say leave this version on. It already has some views and likes :-)

[@AntPDC]

@@edting Very minor Ed. Shows your humanity ;)

[@granthopper4132]

Go used for better optics in my opinion. Plenty of deals come up if you wait.

[@trolleriffic]

Depends where you live. For those of us outside the US, the secondhand market is pretty bad.

[@granthopper4132]

@@trolleriffic Ebay. Amongst others, but yes, shipping optical equipment needs to done correctly. I buy lots, from both side of the Atlantic, paypal had your back if damaged.

[@brucegelman5582]

New line of scopes TACKYHASHI🙄

[@vampolascott36]

It looks to me like this telescope was targeted for children. Especially after peeking at the manual. If I was 10 and got this for Christmas, I'd be thrilled. As a parent, I'd feel assured that this is a quality scope for a child. Is it for adult children though? Why not!

[@astronomybob]

Fourteenth!

[@marcpopick6684]

It looks to good to be true lol. Has anybody ever compare the Tak with the William Optics or Televue.

[@ratnamaravind]

First came Toyota. Then came Lexus. It's the opposite from Takahashi

[@keithnordin1116]

I'm not too impressed with that telescope or it's price! Paying for the name isn't really a good thing!

[@k.h.1587]

The more you stare at out of focus stars, the more you might start believing the earth is flat and buying a nikon p900

[@FlyTour69]

When I look at out of focus stars, I see the black circle in the middle. That black void is the secondary mirror partially obscuring the view, but that obstruction goes away when I return the focus back on the star. I’ve even seen leaves on a tree in the shot when out of focus. But you cannot be focused on something close and something far away at the same time. So how is it that I can see a star how it really is when I’m focused on things up close. Many Flat Earthers believe there is water outside the firmament and you can see it moving when out of focus. But how can you clearly see water movement that is thousands of miles away when you’re focused on tree leaves or the secondary mirror that is very close? Flat Earthers have not thought this one through.

[@FlyTour69]

@k.h.1587 Btw, have you ever seen a wondering star that is in focus? The first time you do it’ll blow you away. 🪐

[@k.h.1587]

@@FlyTour69 how can you know what a star is thinking? Wondering about what exactly?

[@k.h.1587]

@@FlyTour69 flat earthers haven't thought anything through. They talk about critical thinking and do your own research but all they do is parrot each other and their elite leaders Eric dubay and Mark Sargent.

[@k.h.1587]

@@FlyTour69 and if you meant wandering star, I have seen several sattelites, meteors, the occasional bird or airplane flying in front when lunar or solar observing. I have spotted a weather balloon pass in front of the moon in my early days with just 15x70 binos, and I have seen a strange shaped object pass in front of the moon that might have been the black night satellite. I even once saw what was basically the equivalent of a star destroyer when I happened to look up at a hole in the clouds on an overcast night, literally a dark grey isosocoles triangle shaped craft, totally silent and I could tell it was very high up and very large. That was probably one of ours. The space navy that we don't know about. I was also face to face with something I would rather not talk about here. So not much would surprise me.

[@simonchung9813]

First!

[@edting]

Good job! Good job!

[@alanprice9938]

😃👍

[@astroblast9352]

It's not technically a Takahashi. They are just offering it through their store but it's made by someone else. Still a decent scope but not a Tak.

[@diego_villena]

Also, Ed Ting is a confirmed weeaboo!